Freemasons are like every other group, they have their honest people with integrity and they have people who join for social advantages.

One thing is for sure, you don't want to get on the wrong side of them.

different locations have different kinds of lodges, the one my father joined in upstate new york was real and has real, hard power to make big things happen with a phone call, the one where I live now does not abide in the principals of freemasonry at all as far as I can see.