Were Freemasons the first Geeks?

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I’ve been struggling to find some tiny bit of form to inspire me to write, and so have spent a lot of time at Brian Clarke’s Copyblogger most excellent, excellent, excellent, (did I telll you Brian’s site is excellent?!) site just reading, commenting and searching for a spark to ignite an inspiring thought. I’d all but given up for the night but then I looked at my last article below about the Grand Geeks Ball and whammo - the headline above popped into my head. And that was it. I just had to start typing.

Why did I have to begin tapping away in a frenzy at once?

Because my dad was a freemason and very geeked out about freemasonry. I think the freemason movement evolved from King Solomon and the construction of the Temple at Jerusalem, and became more organised during the 16th- 19th centuries when Guilds were established in England to which artisans, tradesmen and other skilled workers joined. There must have been many middle aged tight-wearing geeks in those days!

Dad was a Past Master of a Lodge too. And being a geeky freemason who wanted to engage with likeminded mason geeks, he did not care where he was, he either found others or they found him. Yeah - those wierd and much often parodied discreet signals they allegedly use came in handy! But as is now known, the secret handshakes etc or secret signals were changed on a regular basis thus making it difficult to ’signal’ a brother. I recall vividly sailing between Cape Town and Southampton when I was a pipsqueek and kneehigh to a grasshopper on the old Union Castle boats. No worries for the old man (or very young dad as he was then), he and other bretheren would converge together via the discreet signals they employed to announce themselves to each other and they’d meet or whatever it is called on board by the 2nd day out of Cape Town harbour. Quick work. Guaranteed beer buddies for the two week voyage!

And this is why I link their enthusiasm to geekery. Nothing wrong with either. Just that geeks and masons tend(ed) to stick together. And like techie geeks do good works, masons do good charitable works too. I am not a mason. Was invited years ago back in Jhb to see if I’d like join, but declined to go and find out. I prefer my own company. My father was the only one of 4 brothers to follow their father into masonry. Good for him. Dad immersed himself in the spiritual and charitable aspects that apply to freemasonry. You can read up about it. I did. Had to. My father revealed nothing to me about freemasonry. He was old school. Geeks too.

Geeks are comprised from many nationalities and religions. Freemasonry too. And there were/are some very famous masons like: Nat King Cole, Buzz Aldrin, Churchill, FDR, other USA presidents and British PMs, Roy Rogers, Mozart, JS Bach, J Edgar Hoover, Count Basie, Irving Berlin - all very geekyish I think!

Well there you have a slightly different angle about freemasons being the very first geeks. Or were they? Mmmmm……..

Were Freemasons the first Geeks?