Many misunderstandings besiege the Free Mason society – frequently pejorative insinuations of a network of professionals trading classified business transactions, or yet more evil hints. Still, nothing could be further from the truth. As a brotherhood, Freemasonry offers a chance for gentlemen to get together and enjoy affable fellowship. Self improvement is a vital facet of freemasonry. Freemasonry furthers assisting others too, and charity is a tangible method in which members serve people.

One of Freemasonry’s traditions is not to look for new people to become members. Nonetheless, any individual ought to feel free to chat with any current member to acquire more information regarding the Free Mason society.

To be a member, you have to be male, 18 years of age or older, and you should match the qualifications of reputation, must be considered having strong moral character, and have faith in a supreme being.

A man who wishes to become a member has to be recommended by 3 Masons of the lodge he wishes to become a member in. He must realize that his character and reputation must be investigated. Following commendation by the Masons, he will then be admitted as a candidate for membership in Freemasonry.

Members oftentimes put on accessories such as golly badges so as to subtly identify themselves to other members and also communicate the lodge they are a member of.

The story of Stephen Schwarzman is one of success and a strong work ethic. In 2008 Stephen was ranked the 53rd most wealthy person in the US by Forbes Magazine, nonetheless it’s not just money that makes this tale so gripping but his undreamt of success in the business world and his generosity to society. The Blackstone Group co-founder is inspiring and his life illustrates that success in life may be attained through putting in the hours and being really committed to your job. In the mid-eighties Stephen and his business partner Peter Peterson founded their firm extending financial advice. The company has since expanded swiftly and today is a giant in M & A.

Stephen spent his early years in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When he graduated from high school he decided to study further at the world renowned Yale University in Connecticut and obtained his bachelor’s degree in 1969. Harvard Business School near Boston was the next step in his education, where he received his Master’s degree in Business Administration in 1972. Next he would become part of the team at Lehman Brothers. By the age of thirty one, he had been appointed a managing director. Not only does Stephen offer his time to a wide range of charitable organizations, but additionally he has also been a non-faculty professor at Yale. What’s more, he is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in New York, New York. In addition, to return even more to his community, he announced in March of 2008 that he had presented 100 million dollars to the New York Public Library to help them enlarge. They also called their new extension after him. As you would expect Stephen A. Schwarzman is now one of America’s elite — last year he was mentioned amongst Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People on earth in recognition of his many achievements. His quick rise to power in the financial industry is nothing short of astounding, and his readiness to donate to the community through his large donations to the arts and education projects encourages those people who would like to emulate him. So the financial space waits with baited breath to see what Stephen will do next. To sum up, Stephen Schwarzman is an individual who has grasped each and every opportunity offered to him and in return he has in the same stride employed his wealth and influence to do his best to enrich his community.

If you haven’t come across the story of Stephen A. Schwarzman, this should interest you. Forbes Magazine named him the 53rd most wealthy individual in the United States of America last year, nevertheless it’s not only money that makes this story gripping but also Stephen’s incredible success in the business industry and his generosity to society. Stephen’s success story has been inspirational to a lot of individuals all over the world and it serves as a reminder that everyone may be successful through some determination. In 1985 Stephen A. Schwarzman and Peter Peterson launched their initial business providing financial advice to the American investment community. The firm has developed quickly and today is a market giant in m&a.

Having called the Philadelphia area home for much of his young life, Stephen Schwarzman attended high school in the School District of Abington. Then he went on to graduate from Yale University in 1969. He then opted for an Master’s degree in Business Administration at the venerable Harvard Business school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After Yale he would become part of the investment team at Lehman Brothers investment bank. Before reaching his thirty-second birthday Stephen was already on the board of directors.

Stephen A. Schwarzman gives financial support to a wide range of educational programs as well as assisting as an ancillary professor at the prestigious Yale School of Management. Moreover, he is Chairman to the Board of Trustees at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. And, to return even more to society, Stephen just last spring gave the New York Public Library a hundred million dollars to back their expansion program. They also called their new extension the “Stephen A. Schwarzman Building” to commemorate his generous gift.

Stephen is an inspiration to a new generation of entrepreneurs – Times Magazine in 2008 named Stephen as one of the one hundred most influential people in the world. His supremacy in the business and financial world has definitely been miraculous, and no doubt his willingness to give back to the community has given Americans a far more sophisticated standard to emulate in the future. As far as the financial world goes, Stephen A. Schwarzman has it all. Stephen A. Schwarzman is no doubt a fascinating business man who has made his mark on America and its business community.

To be or not to be? That is the question. Well, the question I pose to you today is: are you a Facebooker or a MySpacer? Are there different personality traits associated with Facebook users which make them different to MySpacers? Do people start with MySpace and then as grow older, move onto Facebook? Before I launch into the debate I will declare that I am a Facebooker and of course I am prone to thinking that Facebook is superior to MySpace even though Facebook interface is not that fancy as MySpace layouts . But I will try to be fair and look at the pros and cons of both Facebook and MySpace. One thing that I love about MySpace is that you can customize how your page looks. On Facebook, you cannot do this. Admittedly, some MySpace pages look really cheap and tacky despite (or because of) the attempt at blasting the Gucci brand all across their page. Even though everyone has the same looking page on Facebook the page does look a little more professional, though a little boring. Another positive (or negative, depending on your perspective) aspect of MySpace is that you can write lots about yourself and your day. MySpace is a little bit like a shrine to yourself. And let’s face it people, only you and your most loyal fans are interested in listening to you rant about your pathetic boyfriend (Yes, I am blogging and this is ironic). Facebook on the other hand is a little less personal. But the competition to have the most friends is a lot more intense on Facebook. I know I am guilty of adding people I barely know just to have more friends than my other friends. My conscience tells me that this race to have the most “friends” is not a good thing. But hey, who cares if you can gloat about having 50 more friends than your ex-boyfriend. In other words, Facebook can be a status symbol whereas MySpace is not. Competition to have the most friends is intense because there are more Facebook users than there are MySpace users. Unless you are an angsty teen you are more likely to have Facebook and that is why more people can more easily find Facebook friends from all over the world. Before I get carried away with listing the virtues of Facebook I do have to admit that MySpace photo albums are cooler than Facebook albums. This is because you can play background music and make the photo album play like a slide show with lots of special effects. Facebook on the other hand, has a function known as “tagging” which is both a blessing and a curse. The good thing is that you can easily track photos of yourself even if you did not put the photo up. The downside is that you might find far too many drunken photos of yourself which make your chin look fat. But to each, their own. I still prefer Facebook.

Don’t be shy about it. You’re networking for a reason: You want more business.

By networking strategically you can get more business than you know what do with.

In order to network strategically you’re going to need leverage. Before you can get leverage you’ve got to understand what you’re trying to move, or in this case accomplish.

You must first very clearly understand who your target market is. Be specific as possible. Everyone or anyone is NOT a good answer. A service company within a 10 mile radius, with 5-10 employees, that’s been in business for at least 3 years, uses xyz or abc Customer Relationship Management software and works with other small service businesses is a very good answer.

The ultimate referral is an introduction to someone who isn’t interested in doing business with you. Instead they want to help their clients by referring you to them. Instead of getting a referral to one new customer they’re going to refer you to one new customer several times a month for years to come. Which would you rather have? 1 new customer that does $1,000 worth of business with you, or 3 new customers every month that each do $1,000 worth of business with you. That’s what you’re looking for. Finding them and building relationships with them is your networking strategy.

Once you understand who your ideal customers are, think about who else works with that specific market. Do you know them already? Do you know someone else that already has a relationship with them? Where are they likely to be that you can have an opportunity to meet them? The easiest way might be to ask your existing clients to introduce you to their other vendors. This is a great way to demonstrate that you’re competent and have satisfied clients who are willing to refer you.

This is not a process that’s going to work overnight. First you’re going to need to find these other vendors. Then you’re going to need to build a very strong relationship with them, and earn their trust. Only then are you likely to get a stream of referrals from them.

The ultimate referral is a two way street. It’s also the best way to build an incredibly strong relationship with someone. If rather than referring that one new client, you refer them to a complimentary service provider who can refer them to 2 new customers every week, you won’t soon be forgotten.

Look for ways to leverage the time you spend networking. Search for opportunities to give others the ultimate referral. Network strategically and before you know it you’ll be experiencing your most profitable year ever!

Scott Ingram is the founder of NetworkInAustin.com, a business networking resource for networkers in and around Austin, Texas. All of his success in business has been because of the relationships he’s developed through networking. He was even referred to his wife, they were setup on a blind date, talk about the ultimate referral! You can learn more about strategic networking by reading Scott’s Business Networking Blog or by referring to the Networking Resources section on NetworkInAustin.com.