Our origins trace back to Medieval stonemasons, who journeyed long distances for their Craft, building magnificent cathedrals and other buildings along the way. This is where the famous handshake comes from – it was a form of recognition to prove one’s skills and get paid a fair wage.
We must confess, however, that nowdays very few of us would be able to use the tools of the stonemasons properly. Instead, we took inspiration from their prowesses and translated their universe into a system to teach morality; we use the idea of building ourselves up into better people, rather than building actual edifices.
This, in essence, is what Freemasonry is about: a school of morality, helping make good men better.
One of the world’s oldest fraternal and charitable organisations
No one truly knows when Freemasonry properly started. Some legends claim the 10th Century in Yorkshire, others would date it to the 13th Century in Italy, and others still late 16th Century Scotland. At the very latest, it started in 1717, the year the United Grand Lodge of England, the oldest Masonic organisation in the world, was founded.
Whichever date is to be believed, there is no contest: there aren’t that many organisations that have been around for as long as we have. Centuries of continuous activity and millions of members later, we are still standing strong and living our lives through our core principles of Integrity, Friendship, Respect, and Charity.
What does a typical Masonic meeting look like?
Business
Like most voluntary groups, we have administrative matters to tackle to keep the lodge running.
Ceremony
The main part of a meeting. this is where we re-enact a story to enable a candidate to join, or a member to progress on their journey.
Festive Board
We then go down to enjoy our formal dinner (and a drink at the bar). Once the meal is done, and speeches are delivered, we part ways until the next meeting.
The Journey of a Freemason
- Show your interest – get in touch with us, ask any question you have, get to know us
- Put your application in – you decide you want to become a Freemason, so you put your application through and the lodge votes on it
- Initiation – this is when you become a Freemason, your first step. You are now an Entered Apprentice
- Passing – your second step, you become a Fellow Craft Freemason
- Raising – the culmination of your journey, you become a Master Mason, from there on, your journey is what you make it.