Joe, I don't spend anytime defending the Masons. I'm not likely to change minds. A buddy at work said his wife despised Masons. BUTTTTT, she really liked the Shriners. I told him don't burst her bubble: all Shriners are Masons. These beliefs are sometimes the results of years of their own observations. You hang in there. I commend you for attending the dinners. You will get in soon enough. We have a fine young man. It took 2 months to contact him. 2 months for the first visit, then a month to report back to lodge. We went dark in the summer months. We finally got first 2 degrees done. He could not attend the MM due to his kidney stones and surgery. Still no MM, and it's coming up to a year. So be patient. Good luck. And I would guess the question about the GL would just be where you are located. I now know you're in CO. Good luck.