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Re: Hamilton. It's always possible that he did not want his membership to be publicly or officially known for some reason. Masonic writers/historians would have honored that request, as they do today for some whose lives would be unnecessarily and negatively altered if their membership were known by family members, religious affiliations, or for political, professional or commercial reasons.

I think the wisdom was 'don't eat meat in front of your younger brother if it causes him to stumble.' Many are still on liquids and would choke. The mental digestive system takes time to develop.

But what is a Mason anyway? What makes a Mason? Membership? Not so! Is it learning a ritual? Not so. I'm sure many here would be surprised to learn that they are already Masons, already involved in building their house -- laying the foundation for their present and future realities. Consciously chipping away at their rough forms of response.

And of course, there are those who think living in a hive-like dormitory is the way to go. One size fits all. A one-note song.

While Hamilton could have kept membership secret it seems to be totally incompatible with his character to do so. It would be completely in character for a sneak like Jefferson to do that but not Hamilton.

He was forthright to a fault and could have avoided many a constroversy and enemy had he not been so. But he never tried to avoid or run away from a fight.

Though religious he was not a member of any congregation so there would have been no religious reason to hide membership. He was not Catholic which some allege would have prevented membership.

There appears to be no reason for such secrecy.