Ardingly College Lodge No 4410

What We Do

The Lodge meets four times a year. For details follow the When and Where link.

Freemasonry went through a very retiring phase in the twentieth century, and we are not sure why. Before that, Masonry was much more in the public view. Local papers would carry notices of lodge meetings and reports of public Masonic activities. Today, we understand that keeping quiet about Masonry doesn’t help our image, and openness is the order of the day, though our meetings remain private.

So why are they private? First, because a Masonic lodge meeting is a meeting of a private society, and as a private society we are a members-only organisation. Second, because we have many guest visitors from other lodges and there are formal signs of recognition that we would like to keep private among Masons (although it is easy enought to look them up). Third, because much of our work is charitable and we may discuss cases of need which are very private matters for the persons concerned. And fourth, because Masonry is concerned with living a moral life, and in many of our meetings we conduct our members progressively through lessons in the form of set speeches and demonstrations, and we believe that these have most impact if they are not trailed publicly in advance, but come fresh to each recipient.

At our meetings, we cover that ground briefly touched on above, with much traditional formal ceremony; and deal with routine lodge business. At our Installation meeting in September, we install the new Master for the ensuing year, and he appoints his officers. At the other meetings we may take candidates through the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason, or engage in a talk or presentation or discussion on a subject in some way relevant to Freemasonry. And after every meeting we dine together and enjoy the good company of our lodge members and our guests.

At its core Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation based on three traditional principles: brotherly love, relief (charity), and truth. These govern all we do. We will only accept a new member if we believe that he will strive to live up to these principles; if he will not, he will not make a good Mason.

Besides the conduct of our regular meetings, we:

• Give to charities
• Visit other lodges, both among the public schools lodges and elsewhere
• Enjoy membership of other lodges and Masonic orders
• Maintain links with Ardingly College in particular

You can find out more about Freemasonry by following the external links.