Initiating a new Brother into the Lodge

At the April meeting of the Lodge we were delighted to be able to initiate the 52nd person into the Lodge since it was founded in 1985.

We have information about Freemasonry on other pages, but many people wonder what happens in the joining process. Once you have emailed the Lodge secretary at stedfastunity@outlook.com and had an initial discussion to answer any questions you might have about Freemasonry you will be invited to meet some of the brethren to find out more. If you decide to proceed and the Lodge feels like a good fit for you then your details are entered by the secretary into a system called Hermes. This system now manages a process where you confirm your details and answer some key questions about yourself. Every candidate has a proposer and seconder from the Lodge who then enter some details about your application.

Every candidate has an interview with a committee formed from the Worshipful Master of the Lodge and some of the Officers to confirm the answers that have been given in Hermes and meet with others from the Lodge. The result of the interview is confirmed in Hermes by the Worshipful Master. At this point the candidate's application is added to the agenda for the next Lodge meeting where the candidate's details are read out to the members of the Lodge. At the following Lodge meeting there a vote to admit the candidate. If the vote proves in favour then the candidate can be initiated into the Lodge at the same meeting, or at the following meeting.

Immediately before the candidate enters the Lodge for their initiation we have one final piece of administration. A handwritten entry is made into the Lodge's membership book which has served us well from the time before email and the internet.