DISCOVER FREEMASONRY · AN HONEST INTRODUCTION
What is Freemasonry?
One of the world’s oldest social and charitable organisations, explained plainly. No mystery and no hard sell, just an honest account of what Freemasonry is, what we value, and what actually happens when we meet.
WHERE IT BEGINS
From building cathedrals to building character
Freemasonry’s roots lie in the traditions of the medieval stonemasons who built our great cathedrals and castles. In an age before written qualifications, masons travelled from site to site, and used particular words, signs and handshakes to prove their skill and standing to men they had never met.
Those working customs became the foundation of modern Freemasonry. The stonemason’s tools, the square, the compasses, the level and the plumb rule, are no longer used to shape stone. Today they serve as symbols: gentle reminders to act on the level with everyone we meet, to keep our conduct within honest bounds, and to build something worthwhile in ourselves and our communities.
In short, we no longer build cathedrals. We build friendships, character and community instead.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
Four values at the heart of Freemasonry
Across the United Grand Lodge of England, Freemasons share four guiding values. In a world full of uncertainty they ring as true now as at any point in our history, and they shape everything we do.
Integrity
We aim to be men of our word. Membership gives a structure, and a sense of purpose, that helps each of us hold to a high standard, in the lodge and in daily life.
Friendship
Freemasonry is the common ground on which lasting friendships are built, many of them for life, between men of every age, background and walk of life.
Respect
We bring people together whatever their race, religion or background, and we encourage members to speak openly about what we do and what it means to belong.
Service
Whether fundraising for a good cause, volunteering, or simply helping a neighbour, service is at the very heart of Freemasonry. Members give their time, skills and resources to those around them.
BEHIND THE DOORS
What happens at a lodge meeting
Freemasons meet in local groups called lodges. Erlegh Lodge is one of hundreds across the country, and every member is free to choose the lodge he joins. A meeting usually falls into two halves.
The first is straightforward business: welcoming and proposing new members, news of our charitable fundraising, and the ordinary running of the lodge. The second is ceremony. Our ceremonies mark moments in a member’s journey, such as welcoming someone new or installing the Master of the lodge for the year. They are dignified, often quietly moving, and built around three simple principles: look after those less fortunate, keep improving yourself, and live your life well.
A lodge meeting is also a social occasion. Almost every one ends with members dining together, and a great deal of lodge life happens around that table. Beyond the lodge, our events welcome partners, families and friends.
A JOURNEY IN THREE STEPS
The three degrees
Every Freemason’s journey begins in the same way and unfolds in three stages, called degrees. Each is marked by its own ceremony.
1
First Degree · Entered Apprentice
The beginning. This ceremony reminds us that all people are equal, and that those who do well in life carry a duty to look after those less fortunate.
2
Second Degree · Fellowcraft
The middle stage. It encourages each member to better himself through learning, and to develop his talents and understanding.
3
Third Degree · Master Mason
The culmination. It teaches us to use our lives wisely and to be remembered for the right reasons. On completing it, a member becomes a Master Mason.
A society with secrets, not a secret society
It is the question we are asked most, so let us answer it plainly. Freemasonry is not a secret society. Our members are free to say that they belong, our meeting places are listed, our rules and values are published, and our charitable work is very public indeed.
What we do keep, much as many families and organisations keep their own traditions, are a few private customs within our ceremonies, along with the traditional modes of recognition handed down from those travelling stonemasons. There is nothing sinister in them. They are a matter of heritage and of the quiet pleasure of a shared tradition, not of concealment.
If you are curious about anything at all, the best thing you can do is ask. We would far rather answer your questions than leave you wondering.
SEE FOR YOURSELF
An introduction, in their own words
A short film from the United Grand Lodge of England, the governing body of Freemasonry in England and Wales, introducing what Freemasonry is and why people join.
What Is Freemasonry, from the United Grand Lodge of England. 2 minutes 41 seconds.
Watch on YouTube
CLOSER TO HOME
Freemasonry in Berkshire, and Erlegh’s place in it
Freemasonry in Berkshire is organised as a Province under the United Grand Lodge of England, with its home at the Berkshire Masonic Centre in Sindlesham, near Wokingham. It is there, in a fine purpose-built temple, that Erlegh Lodge meets.
Erlegh Lodge No. 9110 was consecrated on 10 May 1984. Its name reaches back to Erlegh, the medieval spelling of Earley, and to the de Erlegh family, the knightly family who took their name from the place. That heritage is written into the lodge’s own emblem: the three silver scallop shells recall the de Erlegh arms and our link to Sindlesham Lodge, while the oak leaves connect us to Acorn Lodge, from whose members Erlegh grew. The lodge’s warrant, the document from Grand Lodge that gives it authority to meet, hangs in the lodge room to this day.
START A CONVERSATION
Curious? Let’s talk.
If anything here has made you want to know more, we would be glad to hear from you. There is no quicker way to discover whether Freemasonry is right for you than an honest, informal conversation, with no obligation of any kind.
Making an enquiry commits you to nothing. We will simply arrange a relaxed chat at a time that suits you. Nobody will pressure you, and you need never attend a meeting unless you choose to.