Freemasonry is one of the world’s oldest and largest non-religious, non-political, fraternal and charitable organisations, whose values are the principles of kindness, honesty, fairness, tolerance and integrity. For many, its biggest draw is the fact that members come from all walks of life and meet as equals, whatever their race, religion or socio-economic position.

It has over 200,000 members under the auspices of the United Grand Lodge of England, who meet in more than 7,000 Lodges across England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands – and membership is strong especially among young people. Worldwide, the figure grows to around six million Freemasons.

Any man over the age of 21 can apply to become a Freemason (or the age of 18 in the case of University Lodges), although those aged under 21 and 18 respectively may be initiated by special dispensation from the relevant Provincial Grand Master. There are two equivalent independent Grand Lodges which are exclusively for women.

Today Freemasonry is one of the largest charitable givers in the UK through donations both to the Masonic Charitable Foundation (consolidating four former Masonic charitable institutions) and to non-Masonic charities and disaster funds.  The organisation has donated relief funds to every disaster since 1982, predominantly through the Red Cross.

Freemasonry encourages its members to take a moral and ethical approach to life. Its principles are more important and relevant in today’s society than ever before, not least in a time of unprecedented austerity. Family and community are also both central to Freemasonry; members are encouraged to see the interests of the family as paramount and to become involved in their communities, for example through voluntary work.

Yes, Freemasons follow five principles, as they have done for many years. These encompass and embrace the fundamental principles of good citizenship in all walks of life:

• Kindness: Freemasons have always been deeply involved in charity and make a major contribution to society through their own charities, as well as through donations to UK charities and worldwide disaster funds, with members playing an active role in their communities.
• Honesty: Freemasonry prides itself on its transparency. Not only are Freemasons completely free to acknowledge their membership, they are encouraged to do so.
• Fairness: Freemasons treat all as equal. For many, the organisation’s biggest draw is the fact that members come from all walks of life and meet as equals whatever their race, religion or socio-economic position.
• Tolerance: Freemasons are expected to show respect for the opinions of others and behave with understanding towards other people.
• Integrity: Freemasons are asked to be the best people they can be, which comes hand in hand with following the above principles of kindness, honesty, fairness and tolerance. From its earliest days, Freemasonry has been concerned with the care of vulnerable people in society including the sick and the elderly. This concern continues unabated today and Freemasonry is now one of the largest charitable givers in the UK.

The first major milestone of Freemasonry occurred on 24 June 1717 when four London Lodges came together at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in St Paul’s Churchyard and declared themselves the world’s first Grand Lodge.  By 1723 the new Grand Lodge published its first rule book, The Constitutions of the Freemasons, and was recording its quarterly meetings.  There is evidence to suggest that by this time its mandate had spread outside of London.  By 1736 the Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland were also established and the three Home Grand Lodges set about taking Freemasonry overseas.  A rival Grand Lodge appeared in London in 1751 – the two existed side by side until they merged in 1813 to form the United Grand Lodge of England.  Much of the standardisation of ritual, procedures and regalia dates back to this integral unison.

The 19th and 20th Centuries saw a huge expansion of Freemasonry both at home and abroad.  After the two World Wars, Freemasonry provided the perfect platform for ex-servicemen to continue the camaraderie that had grown during their time at war; it was a calm centre in a world full of change.  In 1967 the 250th anniversary of the United Grand Lodge was celebrated in style at the Royal Albert Hall.  25 years later, the world’s press and television attended a meeting of the United Grand Lodge for the first time, to join them in celebrating its 275th anniversary at Earl’s Court in June 1992.  In 2017, the Tercentenary year, United Grand Lodge co-operated with Sky Television in its production of the five part series “Inside the Freemasons” that was broadcast in April and May 2017.

The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the Mother Lodge of the world wherever the English Constitution is run.  There are over 30 overseas Districts of UGLE.

The United Grand Lodge of England currently has over 200,000 members meeting in over 7,000 Lodges. In addition, there are separate Grand Lodges for Ireland and Scotland which have a combined total of approximately 150,000 members. Worldwide, there are approximately six million Freemasons. There are also two Grand Lodges exclusively for women (The Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons and The Order of Women Freemasons). Membership of Freemasonry is strong, particularly among young people who can now join 65 University Lodges across the UK.

The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the governing body of Freemasonry in England, Wales and the Channel Islands, has had its headquarters at Freemasons’ Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AZ, for more than two hundred years.

Freemasons’ Hall is one of the finest Art Deco buildings in England, and you may well recognise it, as it’s one of the top ten filming locations in London, popular with TV and movie production companies alike. The Hall has featured in a number of Hollywood blockbusters. It will also be familiar to many BBC1 viewers as it acts as headquarters to the fictional team from Spooks. Freemasons’ Hall can also be hired for events and hosts London Fashion Week.

The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the governing body of Freemasonry in England, Wales and the Channel Islands. Its headquarters is at Freemasons’ Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5AZ. The United Grand Lodge of England is the mother Lodge of the world from where the English constitution is run. It currently has over 200,000 members meeting in over 7,000 Lodges, which are grouped as follows: Lodges meeting in London (an area generally within a 10-mile radius of Freemasons’ Hall) are administered by the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London.

Lodges meeting outside London, and within England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, are grouped into 47 Provinces, whose boundaries roughly correspond to those of the old Counties, with each headed by a Provincial Grand Master. Lodges that meet outside England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are grouped into 33 Districts with each headed by a District Grand Master, five Groups (currently too small to make up a District), each of which is headed by a Grand Inspector, and 12 Lodges abroad which are directly administered by Freemasons’ Hall. There are separate Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland which have a combined total of approximately 150,000 members. Worldwide, there are approximately six million Freemasons. There are also two independent Grand Lodges in the UK which are exclusively for women members.

Every member who joins Freemasonry does so through a Lodge. There is a Lodge to suit everyone in terms of location and interests, and members are able to join more than one Lodge if they would like to. Groups of Lodges are organised on a regional basis into Provinces and come under the guidance of the Grand Lodge of that country, for example the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) which administers Lodges in England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

There are more than 7,000 Lodges in England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Lodges meet on average between five and six times a year and in a variety of locations from Masonic buildings to village halls. Lodge meetings generally last no more than an hour and a half and are followed by a dinner, or “festive board”, which provides an opportunity for members to relax and enjoy the company of others. Every Lodge follows the same structure of meeting and dinner. It is this structure that many Masons cite as one of the things they enjoy most about Freemasonry.

There are three levels of Freemasonry through which members progress, which are linked to the organisation’s symbolic origins in stonemasonry. A Mason starts as an Entered Apprentice, progresses to become a Fellowcraft and finally becomes a Master Mason. The progression to Master Mason takes on average between one and two years, and is dependent upon the size of the Lodge. The progression through these levels can be seen in much the same way as a person progressing through their career in other organisations: at each promotion there is a greater understanding and more involvement. Once a Master Mason, a member may progress to one of the senior roles in their Lodge, the highest being Master of the Lodge. The Lodge also has permanent positions such as Secretary and Treasurer.