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A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

Why I Became a Freemason

And why, knowing what I know now, I would do it again.

People join Freemasonry for many different reasons. What brought me to it and what has kept me here, however, are rather different things

WHAT I DISCOVERED

Before becoming a Freemason, I probably had many of the same preconceptions as everyone else.

Freemasonry has existed for more than 300 years and, perhaps inevitably, an extraordinary collection of stories, myths and suspicions has grown up around it.

What I actually discovered was considerably less mysterious — and considerably more worthwhile.

I FOUND EQUALITY

Men from completely different walks of life meeting as equals. Age, occupation, wealth and social position mattered very little.

What mattered was the individual.

I FOUND SHARED VALUES

Friendship, integrity, kindness, charitable giving and service to others — values that aren’t simply talked about, but encouraged in the way we treat one another.

I FOUND RESPECT

An environment in which good manners and courtesy aren’t considered old-fashioned. We listen, we shake hands, we look out for one another.

Your word still means something.

A THOUGHT THAT HAS STAYED WITH ME

“For me, Freemasonry has become one of the remaining bastions of decency and decorum.”

Not because those qualities have disappeared from the world outside, but because within Freemasonry we make a conscious effort to preserve them.

IT HAS CHANGED ME TOO

Freemasonry

encourages you to develop.

There is friendship, laughter and good company — but there is much more to it.

Over the years it has given me greater confidence. It has taught me to stand in front of a room and speak, to communicate, to listen and to take responsibility.

It has introduced me to people I would probably never have encountered in my everyday life.

Some have become very good friends.

It has also taught me something about leadership. Leadership isn’t always about being the person at the front of the room. Sometimes it means listening. Sometimes it means supporting someone else. And sometimes it simply means being prepared to roll your sleeves up and help.

ONE THING I HAVE LEARNED

None of us is the finished article.

There is always something we can improve — in our character, our relationships and in the contribution we make to the lives of others.

That, to me, is what people really mean when they talk about Freemasonry helping to make good men better.

David Marshall

COULD FREEMASONRY BE FOR YOU?

You don't have to decide today.

The best way to find out is simply to meet us

No ceremony, no commitment and no expectation — just an informal conversation over a coffee or a drink.