I do still come across people who believe that Masons will support each other business-wise as a point of principle. Of course, as a profane, I don't know, but from the Masons I do know I've come to doubt it.

It's an easy misimpression to get, and it's probably even true statistically. That is, the organization builds a sense of camaraderie and kinship, and with any such case, there's a tendency to stick together in business. I've found it to be roughly as true in Masonry as it is in the SCA. But while Ralph Kaplan may be an old friend, I'm not going to let that affect my legal principles.

Now that said, there *are* certain statutory ways in which Masons are obligated to help each other -- in particular, there's an explicit requirement to "help, aid and assist all poor and worthy Brothers", as well as one to keep each others' secrets except in the most dire and egregious cases. But helping each others' business dealings isn't on that list.

(And points to you for knowing both the word "profane" and its correct usage. More than I can say about most Masons -- it's a piece of mildly useful jargon that has gradually fallen out of usage for precisely the same reasons that "mundane" is somewhat falling out of favor in the SCA...)