No. All Freemasons are expected to have a religious belief, but Freemasonry does not seek to replace an individual’s religion or provide a substitute for it. It deals in a man’s relationship with his fellow man not in a man’s relationship with his God.

No. Freemasonry, as a body, will never express a view on politics or state policy. The discussion of politics at Masonic meetings has always been prohibited. Expressing political opinions on social media platforms associated with Freemasonry is discouraged.

There is an initiation fee when you join, and an annual subscription to cover running costs. Each meeting is normally followed by a dinner, which members pay for on the night, and at which there is a raffle and a charity collection. However, there is no requirement to attend if you are unable to. Members’ donations to charity should always be within their means, and it is entirely up to you how much you wish to contribute.

It is donated by Freemasons ourselves. We don’t ask third parties to make donations.

St. Lawrence Lodge meets nine times a year, from October to June, and takes a summer break in July, August, and September. Although attending meetings could be your only commitment, there will be opportunities for you to become more involved if you want to, in which case the time commitment will increase.

No, but it would be a shame to join and then not take part. You’d be missing out on a great deal.

You will be expected to wear a dark suit, white shirt, and black, or other suitable, tie, and in due course you will need to buy your own regalia.

Wearing regalia is historic and symbolic. Like a uniform, regalia indicates the rank of the wearer in the organisation.

Freemasonry under the United Grand Lodge of England, which includes St. Lawrence Lodge, is an all-male organisation. There are two parallel women-only organisations, which won’t let men join. The Order of Women Freemasons has Lodges which meet in Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Lincoln.

That depends on what you put in. Freemasonry can be enormously rewarding, and you’ll certainly make friends with people you couldn’t have met in any other way. Like everything, the effort you put in is proportionate to the enjoyment you get out. There is no reason why you can’t be an officer of the Lodge, and ultimately its Master, though doing those things requires time and commitment.

We’d like you to take part in our ceremonies. There is ritual to learn and enact, but if you don’t feel comfortable doing those things yet, we recognise that. When you’ve seen it a few times, you may feel you’d like to take up the challenge.

Yes. These vary enormously, but there is usually a Ladies’ Festival for each Lodge once a year, which is usually a black-tie event with dining and entertainment. There are also concerts, carol services, barbecues, and you’re free to organise informal gatherings with other members. Your attendance at events organised by other lodges is always welcomed.

Don’t expect that to happen; it’s highly unlikely, although there’s nothing to stop you asking for help from other brethren any more than from people with whom you’ve become friends in any other walk of life.

The common theme running through all the ‘bad press’ is that someone, somewhere, distrusts us, often for unexplained reasons, and often because of opinions based on untruths and hearsay. A common theory is that we are some sort of secret organisation intent on ruling the world for our own ends. That’s simply not true.

No. Members in craft Freemasonry are required to believe in a Supreme Being, but which one is left to the individual. Religious discussion is not permitted.

Certainly. Four Grand Masters of English Freemasonry have been Roman Catholics. Today there are many Roman Catholic Freemasons.

No. Political discussion is forbidden.

There is an initiation fee when you join, and each lodge charges an annual subscription to cover its running costs. Each meeting is normally followed by a dinner, with the cost depending on the venue. However, there is no requirement to attend that if you are unable to. Members are invited to donate to charity, but this should always be within your means, and it is entirely up to you how much you wish to contribute. Costs can vary considerably from lodge to lodge, particularly for the dining, and your proposer and seconder will make those clear to you before you join.

It is donated by Freemasons ourselves. We don’t ask third parties to make donations.

It depends on the Lodge. It can be as little as four or five times as year, or up to nine or ten. Attending meetings could be your only commitment, but, as with all things, if you feel you want to get more deeply involved, then the time involved will grow too.

No, but it would be a shame to join and then not take part. You’d be missing out on a great deal.

You will be expected to wear a dark suit, white shirt, and black, or other suitable, tie, and in due course you will need to buy your own regalia.

Wearing regalia is historic and symbolic. Like a uniform, regalia indicates the rank of the wearer in the organisation.

Freemasonry under the UGLE is an all-male organisation. There are two parallel women-only organisations, which won’t let men join. The Order of Women Freemasons has Lodges which meet in Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Lincoln.

That depends on what you put in. Freemasonry can be enormously rewarding, and you’ll certainly make friends with people you couldn’t have met in any other way. Like everything, the effort you put in is proportionate to the enjoyment you get out. There is no reason why you can’t be an officer of the Lodge, and ultimately its Master, though doing those things requires time and commitment.

We’d like you to take part in our ceremonies. There is ritual to learn and enact, but if you don’t feel comfortable doing those things yet, we recognise that. The people who sell raffle tickets at our dinners are no less important than the people who deliver the ritual. And who knows; when you’ve seen it a few times, you may feel you’d like to take up the challenge.

Yes. These vary enormously, but there is usually a Ladies’ Festival for each Lodge once a year, which is usually a black-tie event with dining and entertainment. There are also concerts, carol services, barbecues, and you’re free to organise informal gatherings with other members. Your attendance at events organised by other lodges is always welcomed.

What organisation or individual doesn’t? KFC’s 11 herbs and spices are a secret, as is the recipe for Coca-Cola, and so are your own pin numbers and passwords. There is nothing whatsoever sinister about anything we do, but we do like to share one or two key elements of our rituals with members only. (It’s also worth pointing out that books of ritual are available in our own shop at Freemasons Hall in London, and they can be bought online). Be careful about exploring ritual in too much detail before you join; doing so can detract from the experience of becoming part of our world-wide fraternity.

Don’t expect that to happen; it’s highly unlikely, although there’s nothing to stop you asking for help from other brethren any more than from people with whom you’ve become friends in any other walk of life.

The common theme running through all the ‘bad press’ is that someone, somewhere, distrusts us, often for unexplained reasons, and often because of opinions based on untruths and hearsay. A common theory is that we are some sort of secret organisation intent on ruling the world for our own ends. That’s simply not true.