@Ruark

If you're curious about Masonry the best place to start is to visit a local lodge.  Let me know if you are interested and I can help you get in touch with one.  

At least in the US, for a Grand Lodge (statewide body) and a Lodge (local body) to be considered regular (recognized and accepted by other regular Grand Lodges) they would have to have a prohibition on the discussion of religion and politics in lodge.  Parking lot discussions before or after the meeting are free game.

We have different types of meetings and these will vary some from one jurisdiction to the next.  I am using Utah for a frame of reference.  

A Regular Meeting is where we conduct the monthly business of the lodge:  read the minutes of previous meetings, pay bills, plan upcoming events, vote on new members, review financial reports, etc.

A Degree Meeting is where applicants go through the three degrees of Masonry.  These are solemn meetings where moral lessons are taught through allegory.  

Table Lodges are meetings centered around a meal.  There may be some light business conducted.

Grand Lodge is the annual session where all of the delegates from the individual lodges gather to discuss legislation, review reports, elect new statewide officers, etc.  

Regular Meetings and Table Lodges may also include some kind of educational feature.  Our last meeting we had a great presentation on the differences between English and US Masonry from a local brother who is very active in UK Masonry. This included a very nice dinner (pic below).  Last year we watched a short video on Plato's Allegory of the Cave and then discussed some of the symbolism.  

My home lodge is redefining our meetings in light of some other changes.  We are planning to have very short business meetings, a great catered meal and a speaker (Masonic and non-Masonic).  

We have members of all belief structures, political leanings, professional backgrounds, and sexual orientation.  I know gay/bi members, Muslim/Jew/Catholic/LDS members, Republican/Democratic/Libertarian members, doctors/lawyers/truck drivers/mechanics/teachers, etc.  We don't care about those things.  

The dress code of a lodge will vary.  Some are pretty casual, jeans and polo, others are always dark suit or even a tuxedo.  I own two tuxedos and wear them two dozen times a year easily.  My Lodge is typically dark suit for all meetings.  Some guys don't own a suit and that's not a problem either.  

Filet mignon topped with onion rings filled with garlic mashed potatoes.  Demi glaze and asparagus.  Greek salad preceded that with a berry and mascarpone dessert.

Those are the regular business meetings of the month.  Anything else could be considered a special meeting.  Terminology varies a little based on jurisdiction.

The meeting itself no. There is often a dinner prior though that guests are usually invited to.

Depends on the lodge/day.  Sometimes our dinners are just for the men and their wives/gfs.  Sometimes a dinner is to meet with another candidate.  Sometimes they are open to anyone who wants to show up.

Feel free to shoot me an IM and we can have a phone call.  May be more conducive to the discussion than this forum.

I thought we spelled it out pretty clearly.  Not the answer you want or is there a specific question you want to ask?

Isn't that what the "G" stands for?