Freemasonry in Berkshire: your questions, answered

Freemasonry is one of the oldest social and charitable organisations in the world, with roots in the traditions of the medieval stonemasons who built the great cathedrals and castles. Today it is not about building in stone. It uses the tools and language of the old craft as a framework for building better people: encouraging integrity, kindness, honesty and service to others. Members meet in local groups called lodges, share a meal and good company, support charitable causes, and form friendships that often last a lifetime. Its guiding principles are Integrity, Friendship, Respect and Service.

No. Freemasonry is not a religion and it is not a substitute for one. It has no theology of its own and it does not tell members what to believe. Men of many different faiths sit side by side in the same lodge. What Freemasonry does ask is that a member holds a belief in a Supreme Being, however he understands that. Religion and politics are, by long custom, not discussed at meetings, precisely so that men of every background can meet in harmony.

A member is expected to affirm a belief in a Supreme Being. The wording is deliberately broad and inclusive, so that men of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and other faiths can all take part. There is no requirement to belong to, or actively practise, any particular religion.

No. Freemasonry has no political affiliation, and the discussion of politics at meetings is not allowed. Members are expected to be good citizens and to obey the law, but the organisation itself takes no political side.

Organised Freemasonry in England dates back over three hundred years. Four London lodges formed the first Grand Lodge in 1717, and the United Grand Lodge of England was constituted in 1813. In Berkshire, the earliest record of a lodge meeting dates from 1725 in Reading.

Any man of good character, aged 18 or over, who holds a belief in a Supreme Being, is welcome, whatever his faith, background or nationality. Erlegh Lodge’s own membership reflects that breadth, drawn from a range of professions and nationalities.

Yes. You do not need to be invited, and you do not need to already know a member. The first move can be yours. The simplest way is to get in touch with us directly through this website, or to register your interest with the Province of Berkshire, and a member will contact you for an informal, no obligation chat.

There is no application to fill in at the outset, and no set timetable. It works more like getting to know people, and either side can conclude at any point that it is not the right fit.

1. You get in touch, either with Erlegh Lodge or through the Province of Berkshire.
2. A member arranges an informal conversation, as much for you to ask questions as for us to learn a little about you. Many enquiries end here, once someone has the answers they were after, and that is a perfectly good outcome.
3. If both sides would like to go further, you meet more of the members, often over dinner or at a social evening, so you can see what the lodge is actually like.
4. Should you decide you would like to join, two members would propose you and the lodge then takes its time. The members vote, and it is not a formality.

You can stop at any stage, and nobody will chase you.

Erlegh Lodge, under the United Grand Lodge of England, is for men. Women are very welcome in Freemasonry through two separate and long established organisations: the Order of Women Freemasons and Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons. Both practise Freemasonry in the same spirit; they admit women because that is the wish of their own memberships. There is a warm and respectful relationship between the men’s and women’s organisations.

Freemasonry is intended to be within the reach of any man; it should never be taken up at the expense of your family or other duties. Across Berkshire, annual dues and fees average around £200 per year, though this varies from lodge to lodge. Meals and any charitable giving are additional and are always a matter of personal choice.

Erlegh Lodge is a “summer lodge”. It meets on just five evenings a year, on the first Tuesday of May, June, July, August and December, usually starting at 6pm, mostly at the Berkshire Masonic Centre in Sindlesham. Members who wish to take part in the ceremonies also attend rehearsals and Lodges of Instruction (informal practice evenings) on some Thursdays in between, but this is a matter of choice. Beyond that, involvement is entirely flexible and fits around your work and family.

We meet at the Berkshire Masonic Centre, Mole Road, Sindlesham, RG41 5EA, the home of Freemasonry in the Province of Berkshire. Erlegh Lodge holds its regular meetings on the first Tuesday of May, June, July, August and December, usually starting at 6pm. The one exception is the August meeting, which is held at the Wokingham Masonic Hall. Members also gather for rehearsals and Lodges of Instruction on some Thursday evenings during the year.

A meeting has two parts. The first is the business of running the lodge: welcoming visitors, considering new members, and hearing about charitable work. The second is a ceremony, which might welcome a new member or install the Master of the lodge for the year. These ceremonies are, in effect, short plays with a moral lesson, passed down largely unchanged for centuries. After the meeting, members dine together in good company, which is very much part of the evening.

There are three stages, or degrees, each marked by its own ceremony. The first teaches that all people are equal and that those who do well should look after those less fortunate. The second encourages a man to improve himself through learning. The third reflects on living life well and being remembered for the right reasons. They are lessons in how to live, not tests of knowledge, and nothing beats experiencing them for yourself.

The apron is the badge of a Freemason and comes straight from the leather aprons the working stonemasons wore to protect themselves. Today it is a mark of membership. A new member receives a plain white apron, and as he progresses it becomes a little more elaborate. It is a link to a very old tradition, worn with a certain amount of good humour.

Yes. Alongside the formal meetings, Erlegh Lodge holds a summer BBQ and other social events through the year, to which partners, family and friends are warmly welcome. Freemasonry is meant to add to family life, not compete with it.

Freemasonry is not primarily a charity, but charitable giving flows naturally from its principles, and always has. Members raise money for both masonic and non-masonic causes, and give their time as volunteers. Nationally, Freemasons are among the largest charitable givers in the country.

Yes, and it is a central part of lodge life. You can read about the causes Erlegh Lodge supports, and how masonic charity works, on our Charity page.

No. Freemasonry is discreet, not hidden, and the difference is easily explained. Members are free to say that they are Freemasons, our meeting place is publicly known and signposted, and our values and charitable work are published for anyone to read. What we keep to ourselves is small and traditional: a few words and signs used to recognise one another, rather like a password, and the detail of our ceremonies, which mean far more when experienced than when read about beforehand. Discretion of that kind is a courtesy, not a cover. There is nothing sinister in it.

No. Using membership for personal or business advantage is expressly against the rules. Freemasonry is about self improvement, friendship and service, not favours, and a man who joined hoping for a leg up would be disappointed.