I will leave it up to the reader if Ed was Mason
Here is a picture of Ed descending his staircase, both his hands are raised, hands are closed. The caption reports that Ed is waving.
![](http://www.magneticuniverse.com/uploads/editor/fr/35wvgq86dcry.png)
Here is a comparable
![](http://www.magneticuniverse.com/uploads/editor/xa/e2lnm5nfe6fw.jpg)
Ed is giving a sign of Select Master.
York Rite-Order of Royal and Select Masters - Cryptic Degrees
It should be noted that there are two perceptions of Freemasonry. People will view Masonry as a global power, however most if not all lodges in North America are shutting down or are in disrepair. IMHO there are different classes of Masonry.