The Australian Centre for Fraternalism, Secret Societies &
Mateship Inc is a non-profit organisation.
WHY this site?
Three major Reasons -
A Because of previous neglect in Australia.
The first task has been to document the existence of the mostly invisible societies which have contributed to the authentic, not the romantic view of 'mateship. At the same time, I've had to work at ways to protect the surviving evidence, thus a museum-like 'centre' became necessary.
The next task has been to understand why 'the old history' has been written the way it has, to work out what 'a new history' needed to contain,
and then to write that 'new history' in non-academic language.
The last task has been to reach and change the minds of decision-makers brought up on the 'old history.'
Although They Call Each Other Brother is now available,
none of these tasks has been satisfactorily completed in January, 2012:
entrenched attitudes remain strong, and
the many books of the 'old history' continue to be accepted as 'truth'.
B Because of the central importance of fraternal societies to all 'European' history, and that of its white off-shoots. Their neglect in what 'history' has been written is similar to past neglect by our historians of women and of indigenous populations.
C Because of the implications within 'the new history' for non-fraternal concepts and institutions.
What I now call 'the strange, slow death of mateship in Australia' has constantly increased in scale and in complexity.
In brief, the overall project locates secret societies and fraternalism in white European history.
The new history must encompass
* the organisational journeys of specific societies.
* the philosophic/spiritual journies of ideas, and symbols.
* the physical 'paraphenalia' - regalia, ceremonial, buildings, photos and other sorts of records.
* personal journeys.
Politics, economics, religion, etc, etc, are all involved. What we call today the esoteric - sacred geometry, shamanism, the occult, magic, religions and alchemy - has not often been considered to be part of 'History' but it has also had its impact wherever there have been fraternal societies.
I identify the societies through their past or present use of coded regalia, secret passwords, ritual and signs, and by their use of a philosophy of brotherhood/sisterhood, which is itself a strange mix of self-help and mutual aid. I group them into four categories, or strands, the first 3 of which are: Freemasonry, trade-oriented, and friendly (or benefit) societies. The fourth group involves all those societies which meet the definition but which don't fit into the first three categories, eg, the Loyal Orange Lodges.
Neither the practices of fraternal societies nor their members have always been in line with their theory.
Fraternal societies were set up to be support vehicles for the life journeys of their members. Reality being what it is, those journeys proved full of un-planned-for incidents. They were often curtailed through human foibles and failings, or through the impact of outside forces.
Three major Reasons -
A Because of previous neglect in Australia.
The first task has been to document the existence of the mostly invisible societies which have contributed to the authentic, not the romantic view of 'mateship. At the same time, I've had to work at ways to protect the surviving evidence, thus a museum-like 'centre' became necessary.
The next task has been to understand why 'the old history' has been written the way it has, to work out what 'a new history' needed to contain,
and then to write that 'new history' in non-academic language.
The last task has been to reach and change the minds of decision-makers brought up on the 'old history.'
Although They Call Each Other Brother is now available,
none of these tasks has been satisfactorily completed in January, 2012:
entrenched attitudes remain strong, and
the many books of the 'old history' continue to be accepted as 'truth'.
B Because of the central importance of fraternal societies to all 'European' history, and that of its white off-shoots. Their neglect in what 'history' has been written is similar to past neglect by our historians of women and of indigenous populations.
C Because of the implications within 'the new history' for non-fraternal concepts and institutions.
What I now call 'the strange, slow death of mateship in Australia' has constantly increased in scale and in complexity.
In brief, the overall project locates secret societies and fraternalism in white European history.
The new history must encompass
* the organisational journeys of specific societies.
* the philosophic/spiritual journies of ideas, and symbols.
* the physical 'paraphenalia' - regalia, ceremonial, buildings, photos and other sorts of records.
* personal journeys.
Politics, economics, religion, etc, etc, are all involved. What we call today the esoteric - sacred geometry, shamanism, the occult, magic, religions and alchemy - has not often been considered to be part of 'History' but it has also had its impact wherever there have been fraternal societies.
I identify the societies through their past or present use of coded regalia, secret passwords, ritual and signs, and by their use of a philosophy of brotherhood/sisterhood, which is itself a strange mix of self-help and mutual aid. I group them into four categories, or strands, the first 3 of which are: Freemasonry, trade-oriented, and friendly (or benefit) societies. The fourth group involves all those societies which meet the definition but which don't fit into the first three categories, eg, the Loyal Orange Lodges.
Neither the practices of fraternal societies nor their members have always been in line with their theory.
Fraternal societies were set up to be support vehicles for the life journeys of their members. Reality being what it is, those journeys proved full of un-planned-for incidents. They were often curtailed through human foibles and failings, or through the impact of outside forces.
Dr Bob James
is a retired schoolteacher, hippy farmer and Public Servant. He completed his PhD in Australian History in 2004. He is Convenor of the Australian Centre for Secret Societies, Fraternalism and Mateship.
He is an initiate of the UAOD,two Orders of Odd Fellow and of Freemasonry.
WHY?
is this stuff seen as dangerous...
'Fraternity', 'family', brotherhood', 'friendship', 'couples' are all about a collective enterprise. You can't do any of them on your own.
But the fact is that the history of Western Civilisation is of increasing separation of societies into communities, communities into atomised individuals, all told to pursue personal goals, individual goals, not collective goals.
Fraternities have had to contend with that very strong negative shift against them. It has continuously thrown their principles and their practices into doubt. Fraternities which survive such as the Freemasons and 'trade-oriented societies', trade unions if you prefer, are anachronisms. They shouldn't exist today. But they do and cater for a subversive urge which seems to exist in many of us to come together. To find and become part of a collective enterprise.
However, because of our history, we no longer understand what's involved with 'togetherness', we no longer have the skills necessary to make it work over a long period, indeed very few even know what skills are required.
For what it's worth, I suggest just two skills will do it, if we have the time and patience: 1) curiosity (a desire to learn), and 2) an understanding of conflict resolution.
Anyone can belong by becoming one of an unthinking mass, all doing the same thing. However, curiosity and learning involve retaining a personal, independent point of view. So, keeping one's desire to learn while part of a group, inevitably results in differences of opinion which can be either destructive or constructive depending on how the conflict is resolved.
Some people, perhaps a majority, fear curiosity and a desire for learning because such attitudes could lead to QUESTIONING of STRUCTURES, OVERTURNING of CONVENTIONS, FREEDOM FROM CONTROLS, or even ENLIGHTENMENT.
Some people, perhaps a majority, fear non-violent conflict resolution because such an approach could lead to MORE PEACE than VIOLENCE, an UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE ARE MANIPULATED TO CONFORM, or even to COLLECTIVE ASPIRATIONS for a BETTER WORLD.
Over, say the last 1,000 years, various 'masters' have claimed to know THE ONE TRUE PATH. And all have claimed that such-and-such evidence was relevant to understanding and certain other evidence was not. If and when any one theory has dominated, it has denied access to all other 'truth', by:
* the burning of witches;
* the INQUISITION's regime of torture and worse;
* BOOK-BURNINGS, including in the USA;
* lynchings, pogroms, ethnic cleansing;
* 'un-common ideas' have been labelled 'blasphemous', or 'dangerous';
* believers in a particular 'truth' commonly tell any questioners 'You just don't understand', or worse - 'You're not class-conscious', 'you've betrayed your upbringing', or 'you've brought dishonour on our family, and so you must die.'
Today, commonly it is asserted that 'you are either with us, or against us, there can be no in-between.'
The stories of fraternal societies are littered with conflicts over possible paths to 'THE LIGHT'.
Historically, fraternal societies have drawn on the Bible for their precepts, their stories and their symbols. Seeking 'the light' has been a common message to initiates - by a rational approach to learning, particularly of science and mathematics.
But today, two things are different: the fraternals, eg, Freemasonry, have allowed themselves to be captured by a single belief system, in their case Christianity. Believers of modern-day rationalist approaches to learning repeatedly, but futilely, fling themselves against this entrenched mind-set. And 'the brethren in control' have convinced themselves that Christianity, as they understand it, provides all that they need to know. Thus they deny their own principles and refuse any need for curiosity or independent thought. All brethren will accept the narrow, self-serving 'truth', as presented by those in favour, or else.
Even to discuss, let alone assert, alternative views has been declared 'heretical'.
is this stuff seen as dangerous...
'Fraternity', 'family', brotherhood', 'friendship', 'couples' are all about a collective enterprise. You can't do any of them on your own.
But the fact is that the history of Western Civilisation is of increasing separation of societies into communities, communities into atomised individuals, all told to pursue personal goals, individual goals, not collective goals.
Fraternities have had to contend with that very strong negative shift against them. It has continuously thrown their principles and their practices into doubt. Fraternities which survive such as the Freemasons and 'trade-oriented societies', trade unions if you prefer, are anachronisms. They shouldn't exist today. But they do and cater for a subversive urge which seems to exist in many of us to come together. To find and become part of a collective enterprise.
However, because of our history, we no longer understand what's involved with 'togetherness', we no longer have the skills necessary to make it work over a long period, indeed very few even know what skills are required.
For what it's worth, I suggest just two skills will do it, if we have the time and patience: 1) curiosity (a desire to learn), and 2) an understanding of conflict resolution.
Anyone can belong by becoming one of an unthinking mass, all doing the same thing. However, curiosity and learning involve retaining a personal, independent point of view. So, keeping one's desire to learn while part of a group, inevitably results in differences of opinion which can be either destructive or constructive depending on how the conflict is resolved.
Some people, perhaps a majority, fear curiosity and a desire for learning because such attitudes could lead to QUESTIONING of STRUCTURES, OVERTURNING of CONVENTIONS, FREEDOM FROM CONTROLS, or even ENLIGHTENMENT.
Some people, perhaps a majority, fear non-violent conflict resolution because such an approach could lead to MORE PEACE than VIOLENCE, an UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE ARE MANIPULATED TO CONFORM, or even to COLLECTIVE ASPIRATIONS for a BETTER WORLD.
Over, say the last 1,000 years, various 'masters' have claimed to know THE ONE TRUE PATH. And all have claimed that such-and-such evidence was relevant to understanding and certain other evidence was not. If and when any one theory has dominated, it has denied access to all other 'truth', by:
* the burning of witches;
* the INQUISITION's regime of torture and worse;
* BOOK-BURNINGS, including in the USA;
* lynchings, pogroms, ethnic cleansing;
* 'un-common ideas' have been labelled 'blasphemous', or 'dangerous';
* believers in a particular 'truth' commonly tell any questioners 'You just don't understand', or worse - 'You're not class-conscious', 'you've betrayed your upbringing', or 'you've brought dishonour on our family, and so you must die.'
Today, commonly it is asserted that 'you are either with us, or against us, there can be no in-between.'
The stories of fraternal societies are littered with conflicts over possible paths to 'THE LIGHT'.
Historically, fraternal societies have drawn on the Bible for their precepts, their stories and their symbols. Seeking 'the light' has been a common message to initiates - by a rational approach to learning, particularly of science and mathematics.
But today, two things are different: the fraternals, eg, Freemasonry, have allowed themselves to be captured by a single belief system, in their case Christianity. Believers of modern-day rationalist approaches to learning repeatedly, but futilely, fling themselves against this entrenched mind-set. And 'the brethren in control' have convinced themselves that Christianity, as they understand it, provides all that they need to know. Thus they deny their own principles and refuse any need for curiosity or independent thought. All brethren will accept the narrow, self-serving 'truth', as presented by those in favour, or else.
Even to discuss, let alone assert, alternative views has been declared 'heretical'.
