Hi Guys & Girls

[afreemason]

Hallo everyone in Lexus land !!!!!

I just thought I'd introduce myself as I have just ordered an IS 220d s as a lease car.

I'm not sure quite what to expect in terms of forum life with this particular car as I've usually associated owners forums with slightly more exotic models which offer bags of potential for "playing with" :winky: and lets face it, I've gone for probably the least exotic model in the Lexus range ......... before anyone feels the need to point this out to me.

Still needs have changed and I now need a family car and am too mean to pass by the opportunity of a good deal when offered.

I'm looking forward to better ecomomy for a start ...... sh*t I must be getting old if that's now a motivator eh but from the test drive I had I was quite impressed with the handling if the performance was a little less that I've become used to with my current 350z, particularly at the lower end Still, must say I was very impressed with the overall package having owned a merc before now, and I'm sure it will "enciurage" me to adopt more of a gliding driving stlye. I'm chuffed at keeping the rear wheel drive though ...... that makes a world of difference.

All that being said, I'm interested in finding out ...... given that it's a lease car ....... what little things can be played with on the IS 220d ..... first thing that comes to mind is a remap ..... is it a german ecu by any chance as I know a man with a lap top and some cleaver software ..........

Anyway, a pleasure to virtually meet you all ...... I hope ...... and I hope to put a few faces to names in the coming months.

[Chris.S]

Welcome to LOC

[Rogue]

Welcome bro, hope you enjoy the Lex & LOC

[Rikos]

Welcome to the LOC, i'm sure you'll really enjoy the new motor.

Just a quick question are you actually a mason??

[afreemason]

Hi guys ..... thanks for the warmth of the welcome.

Rikos, yes I am mate ...... depending on how enlightened you are it might mean something to you if I say I've just finished my year as master in Arts & Crafts no. 4134 in Warwickshire.

I 'm hoping there'll be a few more brethren on this site than the 350 site.

Oh ...... yeah ....... I'm one of the new breed of freemason's who's very open about my membership ...... I don't hold with all this "it's a secret" nonsense when it comes to freemasonry :shutit: ..... there's a few things someone will only find out when they join ..... but most of it's not a secret at all. :winky:

[Rikos]

How do you join and what are the benefits? If i'm allowed to ask.

PM me if you cant post it openly and if your allowed to tell me at all

[afreemason]

Joining is easy ....... you just have to ask ....... it's like any other club in that you find you local or favoured branch and ask if they'll have you. If you have a criminal record for armed robbery or beating up grannies it's unlikely they'll want you, but hey ..... who would !!!!!!

Benefits ........ anyone who joins freemasonry thinking they'll get something material out of it is sadly mistaken ....... the aim of the whole organisation if it can every be said to have one is to make better people. The reality is you will gain absolutely nothing other than fantastic friendships, a great feeling of self worth and satisfaction and an opportunity to improve certain social skills, not least public speaking and other similar skills.

That being said, some of my best friends are from lodge and the help that they've given me as a friend has been invaluable.

So my answer is you get nothing ....... but you also get sooooooo much you can't measure it.

I guess you're thinking of the stone cutters in the Simpsons ....... no preferential parking spaces I'm affraid ...... just great people.

www.warwickshirepgl.org.uk Try this site for a bit more info

[sparkystav]

Welcome to the club mate.

Stav

[Unregistered_User]

Hey there and welcome to the LOC,

All the best,

Jamie

[peter026]

[Thommo]

Welcome to the club mate.

John

[afreemason]

Cheers guys ....... wonderful warm welcome ....... right who have I got to offend to get banned in my first week then :winky:

JOKE !!!!!! ......... honest !!!!!!!

[MacRS200]

right who have I got to offend to get banned in my first week then :winky:

Only the GM of LOC

Welcome to the club :D

[Rikos]

Cheers for all the info fella

It sounds a little bit like the LOC where as you dont gain anything material (except discounts) but the main thing you gain is other peoples knowledge and friendships.

The reason i asked about benefits was i did read some material about the free masons a while back which had some bits about financial aid and other things like that.

Sorry for going

[Unregistered_User]

The reason i asked about benefits was i did read some material about the free masons a while back which had some bits about financial aid and other things like that.

In a similar function to a Union?

J

[DEANOROW]

Hi and welcome to Loc

[paul_k]

Welcome to the old fart diesel Forum... :eerrrmm:

Paul

[Tango]

Welcome to LOC UK B) . I'm just down the road from you....may see you on the M5 sometime...my Cadoxton Slate IS250 SE-L usually gets off at junction 13.

[afreemason]

Cheers for all the info fella

It sounds a little bit like the LOC where as you dont gain anything material (except discounts) but the main thing you gain is other peoples knowledge and friendships.

The reason i asked about benefits was i did read some material about the free masons a while back which had some bits about financial aid and other things like that.

Sorry for going

Thing is Rikos, it's like any club ....... you go in expect little or nothing except for friendships ...... but those in themselves often bring gain in both material or errrm, and I hesitate to use the word but, "spiritual" forms. Think about it, you join a golf club and there's a bloke you get friendly with who is a builder ...... and you need a new conservatory done ...... he does you a good price and you let him fit the work in arround other jobs ..... there you go mutual material gain. Same thing happns on forums ..... I got a free set of sprockets for my bike off a chap on the bike forum I use ....... in return I also bought an oe sprocket. Can't use two front sprockets but it seemed rude not to. I guess it the usual you scratch my back I'll scratch yours you normally get with friends ...... it's just another way of meeting friends.

There is a feelings that Mason's look after their own ....... in many respects that's true ...... at every lodge meeting we collect monies from the members to go to the Almoner's fund .... The Almoner then splits the monies; part gets sent to Masonic charities, par gets sent to non masonic charities. I and a couple of other brethren in my lodge are bikers and we support the Warwickshire Air Ambulance every year ..... that's obviously non masonic. On the masonic front there are several national masonic charities ...... one of which sent £1 million to provide help for victims of "the psunami" within a week of it occuring. hat didn't hit the press I can tell you. On top of that individual provinces sent various sums measured in the tens of thousands for the same purpose. Looking after their own ...... yep Mason's do do that ....... when my Dad died when I was 21 (he too was a mason) my sister was just about to start Uni .... my Mom received a call from the lodge Almoner who enquired as to her (and our) financial well being and reminded Mom that if she couldn't afford to support my sister through UNi, the lodge would ensure that funds were made available. In my book, that's a good thing. Don't get me wrong it's not a gravy chain, but it is there to support your nearest and dearest when you've gone. Similarly there are a number of care homes arround the country which are funded purely by Masonic monies ..... they take people both with and without masonic connections.

The thing with Mason bashing (and don't get me wrong nothing should be exempt from scrutiny) is that it's often done by people who have no connection with freemasonry who have chosen to look solely for aspec on which to discredit the organisation. On the flip side ...... older mason's are so bloody secretive ...... wha do they expect. As I hope you can see ..... I consider myself the "new" stlye of mason ..... I have a square and compasses on my number plate (bike and car) and have no reservations about talking about what we do.

What I WILL NOT tell you are the secrets of masonry ..... but I can tell you what those secrets are ..... they are simply the way that one mason can identift himself and his rank to another. This dates back to the days when mason's built castles and churches ........ a bunch of masons turn up at the site ..... they are asked if they are an experienced craftsman or an apprentice ....... because pc's didn't exist much less a detailed cv they had secret handshakes to identify what level of skill they had attained and consequently how much they got paid. As they developed their skills they were given the secrets of a superior pay scale. Simple really. Freemasonry as we know it today may have evolved when these groups of builder moved from area to area. Bearing in mind a castle wasn't often pre fab'd it took a while to build. So when the brickies arrived the first thing they did was build themselves a shed to live in ..... or lodge ..... (Are you thinking back to Auf Vidersein Pet - Sorry about the spelling !!!) When you put a group of blokes together they develop "ways" of doing the veery day tasks ..... lets say that was the start of the ritual or ceremonies. Over time, local people would become part of the group and adopt the same rituals and practices. When the builders buggered off to the next site, they left behind the lodge and the locals who had joined them to carry on their practices. Well that's one theroy.

Anyway Rikos, and anyone else who has bothered to read this drivel ...... I hope that's given you a bit of insight. If you have anything that you are either uneasy with or still want to know, please keep asking .... as I say, there isn't much that a good maosn won't tell you !!!!!!!!

[afreemason]

Welcome to the old fart diesel Forum... :eerrrmm:

Paul

Hiya matey ....... there'a at least one person here who'll appreciate the zed then :winky:

Nice to see you again buddy.

Tango ...... I'll keep my eyes open although I'm guessing a lexus doesn't stand out as much as the zeds do ....... I'm gonna have to start paying attention. I do Ombersley to Stoke Prior most days via Droitwich ..... you won't see the zed for much longer and I'll post a pickie of my Rep car special as soon as I get it ........ although a red Honda VFR 800 is probably the best thing to look out for ha ha ha

MacRS200 ........ it's only a matter of time then

[Rikos]

That info was spot on thank you fella and a good read!

Hopefully i'll catch up with you at a meet and have a good old chat.

[Bobski]

Welcome to LOC.

I have been invited along to a Masons do in Bournemouth next weekend.

I not too sure of what to expect (as it sounds quite formal....dinner suit etc), but should be fun.

Anyway hope you enjoy the car.

[afreemason]

Welcome to LOC.

I have been invited along to a Masons do in Bournemouth next weekend.

I not too sure of what to expect (as it sounds quite formal....dinner suit etc), but should be fun.

Anyway hope you enjoy the car.

Cheers Bobski ........ Mason's do sounds like a "Ladies Night". Traditionally the way in which us Mason's thank our bints ..... or "Ladies" as we are supposed to refer to them as ..... for letting us out to play in our Male only dining club ...... the reality is mine is only too happy to have a bit of peace and quiet and complete control of the tv remote .......

The evening is usually a formal sit down nosh with toasts and lots of sucking up to the ladies followed by a ball ....... either old style ball room dancing if you're unlucky, or something little more modern is you're not. Best one I've been to was a blues brothers tribute band ...... I had an 80's tribute band at mine last year. Basically it's the choice of the master of the lodge as to what they put on.

Take plenty of change as being Masons and Masonry allegedly being free (in joke for the brethren there) they will try and fleece you of your cash for charity collections. Be prepared for everything from raffles & tombolas to a simple collection plate going round the dinner table. There is usually a photographer who takes a photo of you and yours with the master and his when you arrive which if you like you have the option of buying usually after the meal. Basically if it is a ladies night relax and enjoy a bit of pomp and ceremony ...... and don't jump when the gavelling starts !!!!! Enjoy

[PiratePete]

Blimey I've learned more about masons reading this than I knew in my entire life up until now.

Anyhoo, I'm in Worcester too mate, check yer PM's :)

[BosniaLexus]

Another benefit of LOC - you will learn more about your car here than anywhere else. This can save you a fortune, as many members have more knowledge about Lexi than some of the dealers. If there is something about ur car that u are unsure of, just pop a question here. chances are someone else has been there before you. Good luck.