Your first step is to join what in Freemasonry is called a Craft lodge, under the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE). In Freemasons Hall, Hipperholme, we have two Craft Lodges,
Each meet on different
night each month, and details can be found ‘Craft Lodges’ link on the main
menu.
However, there is
criteria that you must meet to apply.
Women, while not able to join under the male-only UGLE, are invited to join one of the two female-only Grand Lodges, Freemasonry for Women or The Order of Women Freemasons.
What do
Freemasons do and when they meet?
Freemasons at
Hipperholme meet in what could be split into formal and informal events.
The formal manner is the Craft Lodge meeting and is typically in three parts. The first two part take place inside our buildings lodge room, a specially decorated room for the meeting. While the third part take place in our dining hall.
Part 1: This involves the administrative element of the lodge, such as news on members, or charitable activities, or proposing and voting (known as balloting) for new members.
Part 2: This element of the meeting focuses on ceremonies. These ceremonies can be related to a variety of events, such as admitting a new member, investing the new ‘Master’ of the lodge, a special lecture, or other such varied special ceremony.
Part 3: Lastly, the members depart the lodge room and gather in the dining hall for a meal, known in Freemasonry as the ‘festive board’. This is allows lodge member’s and visiting guest to interact and socialise on a less formal level.
Often members will stay on after the festive board for a few drinks in our bar, and continue the pleasantries of the evening.
Informal gatherings, are just as you might expect, social events held either during the day or evening; These events often involve non-Freemasons, such as spouses, partners, friends, or indeed prospective new members. This could be a meeting for Sunday Lunch at a local Pub, a walk in the dales, or perhaps a community project, whatever interesting events the members find or propose.
How do I join?
We ask that you
look at the Craft lodge page on the main menu, to determine which lodge seems most suitable to yourself based on your availability. You can then contact the
appropriate Membership Officer to have a chat, and they will guide you from
there on.
If for whatever reason you do not get a response, please do contact the Secretary for the Craft Lodge in question, who will look into the matter for you. Details can be found ‘Craft Lodges’ link on the main menu.