FAQ about Freemasonry and Lodge of Brotherly Love

The answers You may have been seeking for about the Freemasonry. There is nothing secret or secretive about Freemasonry and its organisations

We exist. We don’t pretend otherwise.
Our buildings are open to the public for meetings, tours and events.
We appear in public at, for example, the Lord Mayor’s Show.
We publish lists of our officers every year.
We are active on social media and have many websites.
We donate to local and national charities.
We try to get articles in the press but for some reason they don’t always want to tell our story.
Our members are free to disclose their membership providing they do not seek any personal advantage by doing so.

Our meetings are private, not secret

They are open only to members and candidates whom we have approved for membership.
Candidates are approved on the basis of a belief in a Supreme Being (the deity of any religion) and adherence to a moral code.
Meetings are contemplative environments built on the bond that comes from a shared experience.
They consist of morality plays acted out by candidates and through which we learn to build ourselves to become better people.
Many other organisations also hold private meetings with a restricted attendance (eg, boards of directors, other clubs and associations).

The secrets referred to in Freemasonry are dramatic elements within the morality plays, part of the script

These secrets are used within the plays as proof of a qualification as a Mediaeval Stonemason.
They are the equivalent of diplomas and arose when people were not literate.
They act like passwords and PIN numbers.
We don’t disclose the scripts of these morality plays because to do so will spoil the impact of the experiential learning involved.

Freemasonry is an enlightenment organisation

it arose during the age of enlightenment.
Its founders were leading enlightenment figures.
It promotes tolerance, mutual understanding, respect for each other and our differences.
Discussion of religious or political dogmas and differences are banned at our meetings because they are divisive.
It brings people together based on the good things that unite them rather those that divide us.
It formed the basis of the US constitution.

Access to our membership list is governed by data protection laws

We are not permitted to disclose membership details.
We are like all membership organisations in that sense.
Individual members may disclose their membership providing they don’t seek personal gain in doing so.
Members declare their membership in registers of interests in connection with public, charitable and statutory appointments.

Freemasonry is not for everyone

You can become a Freemason.
You only have to ask.
Like all private membership organisations we define qualifications for membership.
If you profess a belief in a Supreme Being and live by a moral code, you will be welcome to join us.

Freemasons live by standards of integrity

Freemasons have been stigmatised, attacked and persecuted since the 18th century

Like all organisations that stand for something, Freemasonry has always had its detractors and critics.
There is a lot of misinformation about Freemasonry as a result.
Myths and fantastical stories abound.
Please check your sources and check your facts before perpetuating the rubbish.
Best of all ask us or visit us to find out the truth.

The secrets referred to in Freemasonry are dramatic elements within the morality plays, part of the script

If you don’t acknowledge the Creator, Freemasonry would make no sense to you.
If you don’t recognise the source of morality is from “above rather than within” and that there is a force greater than ourselves, Freemasonry would be of no interest to you.
If you don’t wish to be of better service to others, Freemasonry would be a waste of your time.
If you don’t wish to work at your personal development and improve your understanding of self and others, Freemasonry is not for you.

Women can be Freemasons

Women may join a women only or a mixed Lodge.
The most popular Masonic organisations are single sex, partly because of history and partly because that's how their male and female members want them.
Many women choose to spend some of their time in female only environments just as many men choose to spend some of their time in men only environments.
Single sex organisations have a valid and important place in our society and do not imply misogyny or unfair discrimination.