Stock Market Bubble Affects Freemasons
AP - May 3rd, 1:32pm
In a press release today, Grand Lodge of England, which is Freemasonry's oldest extant lodge, announced that due to the stock market collapse they would be dropping the "free" from their title and be known as "Masons" starting the first of the month.
Sovereign Grand Inspector General Harry "Bud" Spisghetti clarified during a phone interview that the Freemasons just couldn't continue without significant restructuring in todays economy. "We figured that we could make it just on our advertising revenues but with the collape of the stock market we have hope that people who appreciated our services would continue with us even though we are no longer able to be free."
The formation of the English Grand Lodge in London (1717) was the beginning of the widespread dissemination of speculative Freemasonry, the present-day fraternal order, whose membership is not limited to working stonemasons.
There are also many subsidiary Masonic groups, including the Order of the Eastern Star, limited to Master Masons and their female relatives; De Molay, an organization for boys; and Job's Daughters and Rainbow, two organizations for girls. Many of the orders maintain homes for aged members.
Sovereign Grand Inspector General Spisghetti stated that he hopes the restructing will permit the Masons to avoid filing for Chapter 11 protection and return to profitability with-in the coming quarters. The biggest competition to the Masons is listed in SEC documents as the Shriner Organization who have also been hit hard.