Freemasonry is one of the world’s oldest and largest non-religious, non-political, fraternal and charitable organisations. The history of Freemasonry is rooted in the traditions and ceremonies of the stonemasons in charge of the building the castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages.

Freemasonry is about making good men better by practising the following five core principles:

Integrity: we say what we mean and keep our promises.

Kindness: we put our families first but believe in playing a key role in our communities by giving time and money to charitable causes

Honesty: we pride ourselves on openness, about what being a Freemason means for us

Fairness: we treat everyone as equal by listening to others and exploring any differences in search of common ground

Tolerance: we respect the opinions of others and behave with understanding towards them

All men aged 21 and above (or 18 if son of a Freemason) are welcome to join regardless of ethnic group, political views or economic standing or religion, although initiates are expected to have a faith in a supreme being. Students over 18 may join their University Lodge.

Freemasonry is not a secret society, in fact all lodges are registered with the relevant authorities and some even have websites and social media pages to promote their activities.

The misconception of Freemasonry being a secret society has mainly to do with two facts. Firstly, Freemasons have been prosecuted at various points in history and gone underground for their own safety and that of their families. This happened last during WWII, after which Freemasons have become a very open and public organisation. Secondly, Masonic rituals are for Freemasons only and not disclosed to the public. This does perhaps make Freemasons a society with a few secrets (some of which can even be found in books and scattered around the internet), but certainly not a secret society.

The meeting, which like those of other groups, are open only to members, is normally in two parts. First, there are normal administrative procedures such as:

• Minutes of the previous meeting

• Proposing and balloting for new members

• Discussing and voting on the annual accounts

• Masonic news and correspondence

• News about charitable work

Second, there are the ceremonies for:

• Admitting new members

• The annual installation of the Master of the Lodge and his officers

Yes, absolutely. It is forbidden to talk about religion, politics or business inside the lodges.

It is estimated that there are around 6 million Freemasons around the world, over 200k of which in England.

Freemasons usually pay a one-off joining fee and an annual subscription to their lodges for membership. The costs differ from lodge to lodge and are usually a few hundred pounds per year. Meals, drinks and regalia are also extra costs to consider and may or may not be included in the annual subscription. All costs are outlined by each lodge before joining.

In addition, each member is invited to give to charity, freely and according to his own wish and possibilities.

Signing up to "JoinFreemasonry" or any of its social media website is completely free of charge.

Please leave fill in the form below if you're interested in joining. We will get in touch with you and tell you more about Freemasonry, discuss with you the reasons why you would like to join and answer any questions you may have. If after our conversation you would still like to join, we would be more than happy to refer you to the lodge that is most convenient to you, generally somewhere near your home or workplace.

JoinFreemasonry has been setup by two brothers (actual brothers, and also Freemasons) with the aim of giving people who don't know a Freemason the opportunity to find out more about Freemasonry. We invest our own time and money in promoting and maintaining this website and the various social media pages and do so out of gratitude to an organisation which has given us so much.

We are members of the UGLE (United Grand Lodge of England) but all views on this website are our own and do not represent UGLE or any other Lodge.

If you have any questions, complaints or would like to help out please do get in touch using the form below.