The nature of Freemasonry

There is nothing hidden about Freemasonry any more and all you want to know can readily be found via the internet. Once, only practising masons were allowed to join, in order to protect the specialist skills of intricate carving with hand tools, to prevent their use by unscrupulous builders for inappropriate profit. The status of a mason was such that the construction industry thousands of years ago might be seen as the equivalent of being in the Law or Medicine today.

However, the initiation or joining ceremony is a replication of the ancient ceremony when privacy was all important. Keeping the detail of the ceremony itself private to the organisation, serves only to enhance the experience for the individual and make it all the more enjoyable and exhilarating – it is the thrill of the unknown and unexpected which makes the moment more memorable.

Joining Freemasonry could not be easier; you must be male, at least 21 years old and believe in a supreme being. Freemasonry is not a religion, but it does require the initiate to swear an oath on a sacred book such as the Bible or Koran for example. The fraternity of Freemasonry encompasses representatives from all religions, including Priests. The strength of Freemasonry is that you will come across men from every walk of life, senior dignitaries and even monarchs – nobody is excluded! Those who criticise often do so because they do not understand the organisation.

For more information please see the UGLE website.

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