Inside the Freemasons | Documentary, Reality-TV

[Music] Freemasonry an ancient fraternity shrouded in mystery with roots stretching back to the medieval stonemasons its age-old Traditions have remained virtually unchanged for centuries when people hear the word Freemason they think about funny handshakes uh they think about rolled up chower legs if you do a little bit of Googling it's a cabal of people That are taking over governments and things fre masonry secrecy secret society 100% now as the Brotherhood celebrates its 300th anniversary the United Grand Lodge of England is allowing the cameras in for the first time to reveal what really goes on behind

closed doors right now we you bug her off with unprecedented access we lift the veil of secrecy to discover what it means to be a modernday Freemason feeling a bit quate it's a lot of fancy aprons a lot of fancy aprons from the regalia my mom might say I look like a complete Wally but you can never please your mom forward Brethren to the lavish ceremonies you will seal that with your lips and ancient rituals do you have anything to give in the name of Charity no all of the rituals that we do which are

like little plays I love them and of course the unbreakable bonds of Brotherhood have some that Brother describe it you go why would anyone want to do that but once you're in it you get [Music] it so tell me a surprising Masonic fact surprising Masonic fact what could believe there are no goats involved to spoil the whole illusion oh dear today there are 6 million Free Masons around the world but London is Where it all started 300 years ago Freemasons Hall in calent Garden is headquarters to the United Grand Lodge of England and the spiritual

home of Freemasonry this is the grand Temple for Freemasonry in England it's the if you like the equivalent of twickum to English rugby the right worshipful Jonathan Spence has been a Freemason since 1982 Freemason is a secular organization which encourages its members to become Better members of their Community by using ritual and the metaphor that's used throughout is that of building and how when you build something you improve as you go through life now Deputy grandm Jonathan is one of freemasonry's rulers Third only to the grandm himself his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent how

does one get to be a ruler oh that's an interesting question if I knew the answer to that I might be Able to tell you today Jonathan will be leading one of the year's biggest Masonic events quarterly communication so now we have to get ourselves ready get into a tail coach the next part of the day despite being little more than a glorified business meeting quarterly communication will be attended by 1,400 masons from across the country and even the World grand master of grand of nice to meet you very see welcome toon hello courtly communication

has quite a formal business meeting and the decisions can range from setting the dues for the following year to whether it's appropriate to recognize a Grand Lodge of another country while the content of the meeting May lack color the same can't be said of the buildup I'll try to fiddle with it what I usually Do there's a rather a long procession there quite something when you walk in through those double doors and see the grand LOD open before you and then you have the the daunting Prospect of realizing it's actually all contingent on you actually

starting it um that is a moment of fear when you look around and realize that uh you've got to get it right Freemasonry believes in Brotherly Love relief and Truth as a way to make Good men better the main premise is we're all equal it's as simple as that yes there will be people who do different roles but fundamentally we are all the same [Music] despite its reputation for secrecy or perhaps because of it Freemasonry has prospered for over 300 [Music] years all walks of life everybody could think of our Freemasons and can become Freemasons

from um Dustbin men through to to top judges it's open to anybody the lessons freemasony teaches are 100% relevant for as long as mankind requires morality and ethics Freemasonry has something to teach you Freemasonry enables me to understand myself as an individual as a man I think the type of person that gravitates towards Freemasonry is curious uh and I don't mean curious Weird I mean intellectually curious eager to join the Freemason fraternity is 40-year-old Bedford farmer James wooden by joining the Masons I'm home to meet a broader spectrum of friends people from outside farming people

with different opinions and uh see what's behind all all what goes on so yes yeah I'm excited about it cuz there is so many um tales and things with it that uh yeah we'll see what the truth is hopefully morning Morning well when he came to me and said he wanted to be a Mason it it it's marvelous feeling and my heart near it Mr beat I think it's a great comfort to know I've got somebody very close to me and in the family who uh I can discuss things with and we can help each

other he can watch my back and I can watch his James's father Edward has been practicing the the craft for 50 years and is proud of his family's Masonic Heritage this my father he was in the Lodge and uh he never put me under pressure to join masonry but even then it was apparent to me of the advantages of being a Mason as opposed to not being a mason in the sense that you had a certain amount of ring protection round you which made you comfortable right Paul can't believe it oh can't hit he's very

proud and I I feel as though um I wish I'd perhaps thought of joining earlier because this is his big interest and it Will give me you know sumon in common to um sort of Blossom and bond his father was involved I thought at some point he might decide to join but I didn't know quite when it's quite good to think was joining though his dad has been really very happy about it all but um it's uh there's a lot of sort myths and stories and it's quite hard to find out what really happens and

I'm definitely going to be questioning James later although I'm not sure how much He's going to give away but I'm going to have a go at finding out yeah I got the suit and everything so yeah the um suit my father bought me my father has never never taken me shopping never he's uh quite cautious with his spending so yeah quite an experience that was an experience on its own which perhaps means that yeah it's all going to be quite special this so yeah something new yeah this has be the uh suit I keep that

my father bought so hopefully I've Got all the gear I've got no idea so all the gear no idea what what could possibly go wrong you know there are three stages to becoming a fully-fledged Mason they are known as degrees in each degree the candidate is G given certain Secrets a sign a handshake and a word when you are initiated to the first degree you become an Entered Apprentice during the initiation the candidate must bear one of his breasts this is to show that he Is not a [Music] woman in just a few hours Bedford

charmer James won will become a Freemason look at the class of that animal look at that look at the bum on it fing wrong ahead of the infamous initiation ceremony James's father Edward is Keen to reassure his nervous son and soon to be brother everybody of every generation has gone through this ceremony you are blindfolded when you go Into the temple and there is a reason for that which I can't really tell you now but it will be fully explained why that's the way you are received Leed into masonry and you follow someone in someone

you will have somebody leading you in he is called the Junior Deacon he just lead you around until the point when the blindfold is taken off and then you can walk around it yourself you'll see where you're going right KY something to Uh nervous about but yeah it sounds very exciting like his father and five generations of wooden men for him James is joining the Russell Lodge in Bedford okay right follow me now the candidate this evening will be put in there prior to coming upstairs so he doesn't get to really meet anybody until uh

the ceremon is underway so poor Chap's going to be put on his Lonesome worshipful brother Anthony Henderson is the Lodge's highest ranking Member welcome to the Russell Lodge as in all Masonic lodges signs and symbols are everywhere they help you reflect and uh realize or fully understand what's right from wrong to be charitable and uh mindful of the needs of others in the lodge a rough Stone known as an ashlar represents the as yet unformed initiate so when we have taken the rough Stone and educated and Polished it up we end Up with a perfect

Stone and that's what we hope all the Brethren will [Music] become initiations are very special evening for the for the lodge because it's it's new blood coming into the lodge the whole family comes around thrilled to pieces that they've got a new member of their family because they are like a newborn baby you're right right next time I see you you will be a Mason right KY it's a very proud day for me it's really up there we're getting married quite emotional stone masons wore aprons and gloves as protection when working for Freemasons they serve

a different purpose we're just about to go into the meeting I'm going to get uh my regalia on that denotes my rank in Grand Lodge it is quite peculiar you're in the room on your own you're in Isolation it is a different atmosphere very intimidating in a way with the Brethren assembled in the lodge room the outer guard or Tyler is dispatched to fetch the initiate James come with me please you feel as though you're been summoned you're going up for a the ultimate job interview or something like that really it's not for the fainted

before the ceremony the initiate Must be physic Ally prepared which includes being blindfolded or as Masons say Hoodwinked though we've been given unprecedented access this is one ceremony that cannot be filmed to preserve the mystery for future candidates only Masons can witness the initiation ritual and the Tyler is stationed outside to guard against cowens or eavesdroppers we don't tell candidates necessarily What to expect in the initiation because you can only go through it once and if you know exactly what's going to happen then it will spoil you you walk into the ceremony with certain interpid

their friends might have ribed them a little bit about you know sheeps and goats and things of that sort the candidate is blindfolded the candidate might have a noose around uh the neck and yes there is a roll up Char's a leg but that that's really just To going back to the old days of stonemasons when um workmen had to prove that they were they were fit and able it alludes to a rebirth if you like it is it is your entrance into masonry and uh you get given the light that's when a an individual

becomes a [Music] brother by the time brother James emerges in his new white apron symbolizing innocence he is in possession of a secret handshake a Secret word and a secret sign so that if required he can prove to other Masons that he is an Entered Apprentice very plain apron compared to everyone else's it uh it really marks that you're a you're a newbie so yeah I'm officially officially in yeah you should be yeah just a just a t yeah my father he shook my hand as a as a Mason as a fellow brother and it

was a really important moment it was really you know a real nugget of gold for me that I'll I'll Always remember because you know at my age you know you don't get many of those moments anymore you're not you're not a young boy anymore so to have your dad pleased for you and that that sinks in you know you you feel all puffed up and glad you've done it [Applause] Brethren please stand order to receive your worship Master accompanied by the deputy provincial grandm and the [Applause] Initiate there is an excellent night typical what we

call a russal evening especially with his father being here you know it was such a pleasant lovely experience for him the Brethren all enjoyed themselves and they all performed this superbly it was it was really good and that's what b is all about everyone enjoying themselves and having a great [Applause] [Music] Time look at that amazing how bit dust gets up here you know well this is my little converted Loft um we had this done two years ago now as you can see my collection was growing quite large Tony a regional business manager has devoted

34 years of his life to the Brotherhood and spends up to 15 hours a week on his masonry beautiful but it's not his only passion I know pretty much each one the big Ferrari that's quite a rare animal In 2 weeks time in recognition of his service to the Brotherhood Tony's being elevated to the highest rank in the county provincial grandm it was a bit like wi in the Lottery oh bit I've never I've only won small amounts on the lottery so and that's exciting enough it's quite a a responsibility the Brethren look to the

provinci Grand Master as an example to them of how a free should be right pour them into the bowl Tony's promotion is big news in the Henderson household this next week granddad's going to be made the provincial Grandmaster of Bedford share yeah wow wow the installation of a PGM is a once inade decade event and will be attended by some 500 masons from bedfordshire and Beyond it's coming at me very quickly at the moment so I'm trying to get things organized hopefully I won't get too emotional throughout the day but uh who knows we Willly

today Tony's visiting the regalia Specialists to make sure his apron look their sparkling best if you extremely fortunate to be appointed to a provincial grandmas you're entitled to one wear one of these beautiful things five-pointed Star in the center the three gold levels still there and then we have this NE and elaborate uh embroidery around the edge of PR granates and sunflowers and Vine leaves because they feature in Ceremonial throughout the free and it's a wonderful thing a ornate apron can easily set its owner back up to £1,000 so it pays to look after them

I acquired these from the office uhhuh but unfortunately the panel as you can see is rather worse awar yeah but um it's got these stains on here I think what we could do with that just we get a new skin fitted in that for you right I don't think the belt will need extending I'm slightly glad ler than the previous occupants of these so uh if he ever said to me way back in 1990 you know one day you'll be the provincial Grand Master I would have said you must be joking but here we are

I'll pack these away but there's more to Freemasonry than just rank and regalia the ritual is what makes uh Freemasonry unique there are messages that are imparted through the ritual and this ritual has been passed down from Generation to generation over hundreds of years there is ritual in Freemasonry because ritual is part of the structure it's like amateur Dramatics and and people who want to learn and act out playl as what we do and do it in a Word Perfect manner that that gives a lot of people great satisfaction without the ritual it would be

quite boring to be a Freemason [Music] Brother Walsh as you have passed through the ceremony of your initiation let me congratulate you on being admitted a member of our ancient and honorable institution in Oxfordshire sales engineer brother Josh Spencer is trying to master a 900-word piece of ritual known as the charge ancient no doubt it is as having subsisted from time in Memorial and honorable it must be acknowledged to be as by natural tendency it conduces to Make those so who are obedient to precepts the charge is designed to help the candidate newly admitted into

Freemasonry understand what's expected of him I really like to perform a good piece of ritual and and give it with meaning and and try and ensure that the person who is receiving it um gets a a benefit out of it which I want to put across I feel glad to have already kind of done the main learning I'm now just polishing It being able to deliver that to a new C catee I think is really something special um my grandfather delivered my charge at my initiation um and I saw the tears in his eyes so

I know how powerful it can be when it's delivered well there were two as in mine tonight Josh is attending his Lodge's final rehearsal before the ceremony give me a laugh ear on oh good good I thought you might enjoy from a family of eminent Masons Josh is Currently senior Warden and at the the age of just 25 is soon to become its worshipful master the top man in the lodge Joshua is an excellent officer of the lodge he's a fourth generation Freemasonry and Joshua has been around Freemasonry almost from the day he was born

brother Senor W would you please deliver the charge oh I'd normally certainly worshipable Master brother Walsh as you have passed Through the ceremony of your initiation let me congratulate you on being admitted a member of our ancient and honorable institution we're trying to achieve the accuracy for the officers delivering the work like any uh performance they know how well they've delivered that and that's where they get the buzz from ultimately nailing a piece of ritual be especially careful to main train maintain in their fullest Splendor Those truly Masonic ornaments which have already been amply frustrated

benevolence and charity but it should be fun the learning should be fun the delivering of it should be fun and it is I'm led to hope you will duly appreciate the value of Freemasonry and indelibly imprint on your heart the sacred dictates of truth of honor and of virtue you deliver the charge extremely well just don't forget part of this is timing the candidates Hearing it for the first time so just pause on moments of emphasis you know know where they are and right at the end of it every time you've delivered the charge you

get a little bit stuck on closing just remember that bit but other than that super stuff we work very hard on that obviously yeah thanks happy yeah all good yeah looking forward to it well I think they were suitably pleased so that was good um as you can tell David has quite exacting standards But uh I think we met those so I'm happy for next week but if Josh is to meet his Lodge's exacting standards he must be Word Perfect in just six days of your initiation let me congratulate you on being admitted a member

of our ancient and honorable institution famous foreign Freemasons include Buffalo Bill John Wayne and many many more sorry famous foreign Mason include Houdini napkin Cole Mozart and [Laughter] others in bedfordshire dedicated Freemason Anthony Henderson is still digesting the news that he's soon to become the province's Grand Master the PGM he is the the head of the order within your province he's someone to look up to and when when he comes to visit the lodge uh it's a great occasion the lodge I feel very honored about the presence of the brid grandmas being There and the

Brethren you know have something to Aspire to I'm sure they're here here they are oh God we in trouble tonight this is Tony's mother Lodge where he was initiated 34 years ago hello J you good thanks you hello John Did you sort me fruit salad yes it's coming it's I bought one myself how things good you Tony K well yes thanks you joh good you know what they say it's not the cough that carries them off it's the coughing they carry them Off in hello Jeff how are you all right good luck mate nice to

see you thanks the thing I think will be different is when I come to Lodge meetings wear this the new regalia be prent Grand Master be saluted in a different way uh be looked upon by the brethren in a different way I'm sure but uh it won't change a great deal it'll be in fact I'm hoping we shall enjoy the The Experience even more in just a few days time Tony will Be officially installed and take over the running of the entire Province brotherly love right let's go get ready most Masons when visiting a lodge

will request admission as provincial Grand Master he demands admission that's how important he is a brother that attains to such Heights takes his Freemasonry very seriously no brother will get that form Of promotion if they're just willy-nilly with Freemasonry he's the boss he's the man that uh that guides The Province and he's appointed by London by United Grand Lodge we are all equal but as with most things some are more equal than others this is the current preng Grand Master is in the center at the back there uh his predecessor is this one over here

it's it's a it's a likeness but it's not him and he wasn't very pleased but I Know bit disappointed when he saw it Tony has always been destined for the top um when um the current proval man grandmas announced that uh he was standing down everyone thought that uh Tony would be the man for the job if he wanted it these will change around so Mike will be moved into a position over here and then uh a picture of myself I presume they'll put somewhere in place of honor which uh we haven't had done yet

So he he will be a very very good pastor he's one he's one of us and there's the chain I should be wearing and it'll be quite a heavy chain to wear in Oxfordshire brother Josh Spencer the rising star of his lodge is having a last run through the ritual he must deliver during an initiation ceremony later tonight indeed no institution can boast a more solid foundation than that on which Freemon rests this time with The help of girl friend Naomi justice justice I think it's really important to deliver a piece of ritual to actors

really an initial explanation and guide as to what is expected of them so do you do this charge when you're purely just initiating someone yes the initiation probably has about an hour's worth of work by other people beforehand and then the kind of stag is set for me to deliver that to deliver this yeah yeah that's it so um all eyes are on me at That point quite important left of [Music] it I think the night of initiation is probably the most important for any candidate um and so we like to really make sure that

it's the best night you can possibly have cheers that working good evening have a good evening thank you very much yeah it should be Good forward to are yes the ritual involves members of The Lodge acting out a short symbolic two act play Josh's piece known as the charge is the ceremony's big [Music] finale it's busier than I was expecting it to be but this is uh this is good I'm sure our R to the occasion being able to deliver a piece like the charge after initiation is really special I don't think you can ever

deny That um it's elating as always the ceremony is for Masonic Eyes [Music] Only masonry is a society regarded as having secrets but they're not secrets that are horrible or Sinister Freemasonry uh isn't a secret society it is a society with secrets we try and keep bits of it secret because that makes it more enjoyable it's like having surprise party and knowing everybody Who's coming and what your gifts are it's not going to be the same if it's not a surprise [Music] right good evening good night yes very good well done thank you I think

it panned out well for everyone really once you get to this stage and you've done the work that's required then you just relax into it and enjoy the evening in Freemasonry a meeting is always followed by a meal Known as the festive board the festive board it's initiation is superb uh you've got the ENT apprentices he is sat next to the worshipful master and there are sets of toasts which are given um for various positions so there's always a set order to the toasts during a festive board the first half really is to do with

the lodge and the evening and the people present the worshipful master now like to take wine with all the provincial Offices the worshipful master would be very pleased to take wine with our new initia those are followed by Heartfelt toasts to the worship Master for his work and of course the visitors the worshipful master would now like us all to take wine with [Applause] our and then the second half is more formal so there's always a toast to the queen and the craft as well queen and The craft but they'll toast his Ro highness juk

Kent Grand Master they'll toast program Master assistant Grand Master and so [Music] on there are toasts to the provincial or the Metropolitan um Grand lodges as [Music] well Grand Master after an initiation there is a song to The initiates um and it's something that people normally within The lodge hold quite dear to their heart before they deliver come let us prepare we brothers that are assembled on mer occasion let's drink let's drink laugh and sing our wine has a spring his a health to an accepted Mason let's drink laugh and sing our wine has a

spring his a health to an accepted Mason it would go a little bit like that then join in hand each and on What Mortal Can toast free and [Music] [Applause] unac good tip to tell every brother to try his apron on well before he goes to Lodge in Bedford Henderson has taken delivery of his newly restored provincial Grand Master's apron well don't capatch that wow absolutely fantastic look at that Wow who would ought it wish my father was alive to see it today Tony's installation as provincial grandm for bedfordshire is just 24 hours away an

install for the province it's a fantastic massive occasion you know such a thrill for everybody and uh it's day of nervousness bit like the wedding day this is it there's no turning back the Square and Compasses are the universally recognized sign of Freemasonry originally the Square and Compasses were used of course by stonemasons but Freemasons view them symbolically the square represents Square conduct as we go through our lives the compasses remind us to modify our conduct and to keep ourselves in due bound if you are a Freemason you are said to be on the Square

Freemasonry is basically one big building analogy but instead of working on a real building you work on yourself building character worshipful brother Anthony Henderson has a date with Destiny I can't believe the day is here already time has flown so quickly I've got me regalia got some cash going to Che my phone gifts and of as long as you don't forget anything well I can always ring you out can I I'm at work i' got to go to work right I'm just going to check the mirror it's worse than a woman yeah I'm nervous now

is see we tend to lose sight of what's truly important in life And the right way to treat our fellow human beings and that's the beauty of Freemasonry there's no distinctions amongst men they're all Brothers together and that is what the world should be about clear boy have a lovely day enjoy yourself love you too see you call you later yeah thanks I'll [Music] try today at the Bedford corn exchange with an audience of masons from across the country Anthony is to be installed As bedford's new provincial [Music] grandm looking forward to looking forward to

this Steve thanks so much for being here the icing on the cake for Anthony and his Bedford your brethren is that the ceremony is being conducted by one of English freemasonry's rulers hello I'm John how the deputy Grand Master hello very nice to meet you hello the provinces of if a ruler attends I hesitate to say this but they Do seem to rather enjoyed hello how do you do and you and certainly the incoming P grandmas will want to make sure that their Province performs very well so that London goes away with a very good

opinion of how they do things ceremonially right enjoy it enjoy it come on do the [Music] [Music] grip all right I think that'll do yeah [Music] Calm before the [Music] storm keep V of FY all is an say the [Music] preacher this is the first time cameras have been allowed in in to an installation [Music] ceremony you Advanced the pedestal Place both hands on the volum of the Sacred Law and you read your obligation to order bre I Anthony Paul Henderson in the presence of the most high and before this worshipful provincial Grand Lodge of

ancient free and accepted masons regularly convened and assembled do hereby and hereon most solemnly engage myself to accept the office of provincial Grandmaster of the Masonic province of Bedford you will seal that with your Lips rise duy obligated provincial Grand Master brother Anthony Paul Henderson who gives me much pleasure on behalf of the best SW for the grandm to invest you with your chain as provincial grandmas for this distinguished province of B I just wanted it to last for such a long time I wanted the moment to just go into real slow motion but it

all goes over so quickly you know so you think oh you Want to sort of bottle it and savor it and then use it again and again and again again again [Music] ready yeah it was a wonderful moment a wonderful [Music] moment wow where can I go from here home leadership is a very difficult thing but you've got to remember rather like Andrew boner La said in the 19 1920s about the conservative party I am Their leader I must follow them a provincial grandm not only has to have the vision of where he wants to

take the province but he has to remember to take his members with him Mike as always you've been a superar than congratulations well done have a great one thanks for being here guys take careers many people have said that Freemasonry will make good men better and that certainly has been the case in my case um because I dread to think what Sort of man I would have been if I had not had freeas do you pledge your honor as a man and your Fidelity in Oxfordshire Josh Spencer is now worshipful master of his lodge which

means a lot more ritual to learn po while in bedfordshire for Father and Son Edward and James won masonry has done its work you ready yeah go on in and at the Russell Lodge Anthony is Provincial Grandmaster of all he surveys wow look at this God who would ever thought it yeah place in history for a while now so it be so it be shout out to all my brothers through Freemasonry let's meet on the level I earned three degrees had to kill me cuz they couldn't and get my secrets from me so mod it

be so mod it be shout out to all my brothers through freeas and re let's meet on the level I earned three Degrees had to kill me cuz they couldn't get my secrets from [Music] me Freemasonry an ancient fraternity shrouded in mystery with roots stretching back to the medieval stonemasons its age-old Traditions have remained virtually unchanged for centuries when people hear the word Freemason they think about funny handshakes uh they think about R Up Cher legs if you do a little bit of Googling it's a cabal of people that are taking over governments and things

Freemasonry secrecy secret society 100% now as the Brotherhood celebrates its 300th anniversary the United Grand Lodge of England is allowing the cameras in for the first time to reveal what really goes on behind closed doors right now we you bug her off with unprecedented access we lift the veil of secrecy to discover what it Means to be a modern-day Freemason feeling a bit inadequate it's a lot of fancy aprons a lot of fancy aons from the regalia my mom might say I look like a complete Wally but you can never please your mom forward Brethren

to the lavish ceremonies you will seal that with your lips and ancient rituals do you have anything to give in the name of Charity no all of the rituals that we do which are like little plays I love them and of course the unbreakable bonds Of Brotherhood that brother describe it you go why would anyone want to do that but once you're in it you get [Music] it some of the biggest Masonic conspiracies were that Freemasons were responsible for the assassination of JFK faking the moonlanding and sinking the Titanic is that true actually all of

it yeah yeah we hold back the electric car as [Music] Well in the heart of London's Cent Garden lies Freemasons Hall spiritual home for the crafts 6 million members [Music] worldwide Freemasonry is an intricate system of morality and for nearly 20 years worshipful brother Andrew Ross has been focused on one core value in particular a a belief that's enshrined in the very fabric of the building well that window here depicts prudence and this one Temperance and Then this one over here charity and there's a rather nice passage that's given to every initiate on the very

first day that he's made a Freemason and he's and he's charged with letting Prudence direct you Temperance Chase you fortitude support you justice be the guide of all your actions but be expecially careful to remember those truly Masonic ornaments benevolence and charity and we're Reminded of it even as we walk into this building it's a nice bit of work isn't it hello George when I became a Freemason over 40 years ago I thought it was this was a rum Affair I wasn't at all sure what I was getting into and over the years it somehow

got under my skin this is Lodge of fortitude and old Cumberland number 12 and I'm very proud to be a member of It because it's one of the very first lodges and we have records going back to about 1720 right from the very beginnings of uh masonry in this country today Andrew and his Brethren are welcoming new blood into their Lodge they're holding an initiation ceremony the first of The Three Degrees a man must go through to become a fully-fledged Master Mason for the first time they've agreed To show us a part of the initiation

in which the candidate stripped of all valuables is made to experience what it's like to have nothing [Music] you now stand to all external appearances a just an upright Mason I shall immediately proceed to put your principles to the test by calling upon you to exercise the distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason heart I mean charity in that initiation ceremony Once puzzled by the whole thing the language is is archaic uh some of it's absolutely Splendid some of it's a bit clumsy but these words have meaning not to be taken seriously it's about integrity it's about

compassion for the needs of our fellow men whatever you feel disposed to give you should deposit with the Junior Deacon do you have anything to give in the name of Charity no were you deprived of Everything of value prior to entering the lodge yes if you hadn't would you have given freely yes the natural response is to say of course I give but actually you can't because youve had it all taken away from you you are in a helpless State you can't do anything about it and so you actually got to think about that should

you at any time meet a brother in distressed circumstances you will remember that peculiar moment when you came into Masonry poor and penless and gratefully despite this emphasis on charity and being charitable it's probably not the first thing the general public Associates with Freemasonry secret society Illumina sex scandals match fixing it's a bit weird sometimes when I watch some of the things on the television which they sometimes include masonry and me there was a midsummer murders it got so much wrong for a Start I'm not a violent man but sometimes you just scratch your head

I've heard things about goats and uh drinking blood how dare they it's not goats blood it's sheep [Music] yeah like many 27-year-old Rowan sham knew little about Freemasonry before his initiation 3 months ago today he's preparing for an equal equally daunting ceremony his marriage To Sharon his girlfriend of 8 years are you okay n okay thanks you need any help well I like this but I have to see what the M says if she'll allow me to wear it is she the boss yeah well she thinks she's the boss well she is the boss she's

the boss yeah so what made you want to join the Freemasons to be honest I think it was mainly because of the secrets you know that's why I wanted to join I wanted to Learn about learn about it smile maybe we're getting married I used just used to watch YouTube videos and I used to think wow how do you how do I become part of this secret special Society I had this perception if you're a Mason you'll benefit in monetary terms yes I'll try that one please I think I'll like that Freemason summon rule the

world I don't know maybe one day I'll rule the world I'm a Fason now from humble beginnings maybe in a few years I'll be a billionaire or trillionaire with his dreams of Untold wealth and secrets revealed Rowan has thrown himself into Freemasonry leaving fiance Sharon to organize their wedding I ring him on Friday nights oh what we doing tonight and he be like oh I've got plans I'm like with who and he's like my friends I'm like what friends he starts naming all these friends I've never heard of before I'm like who the hell are

they he's like oh they're just my Brothers and like your brother brothers who what brothers and all these fancy restaurants which I want to go to he's already been to it like with who with his brothers so um I don't know Rowan's currently preparing to take his second degree and tonight he and his brothers are meeting for a final rehearsal known as a lodge of instruction so this is a Amy Lodge West Minister I'm feeling the Jitters actually but good good good Jitters good Good know if you pick him up and then the ceremony will

see Rowan pass to the level of fellow craft the second of three steps on the road to becoming a Master Mason well were you first prepared to be made amazing in my heart the only part of the ceremony that the candidates allowed to know about before the big day is a section where they must recite the Answers to 11 preset questions name the grand principles on which the order is founded Brotherly Love relief and truth you have to undertake a lot of work study it's slightly daunting I'm not very good at learning lines I'm not

a very good actor I used to be rubbish at drama at school how do you account for that which at first view appears a paradox the Earth is constantly revolving around its axis in its orbit and and the Sun is being universally spread it's like an exam you know you have to go in prepared if you go unprepared then you don't really appreciate anything and the Earth uh excuse me Rowan has just two weeks to master the answers to these 11 questions just upright men of just upright and free men despite what many people think

Freemasons using their Masonic membership for their own pecuniary Advantage will be subject to Masonic Discipline this is the apron worn by a second degree fellowcraft the second degree is about how a Freemason lives his life the candidate is seen as symbolically coming of age where were you made a mason in my heart at Freemasons Hall in London Entered Apprentice Rowan sham is preparing to go through his second degree ceremony my Masonic career is progressing very nicely you know I Pretty much got everything to a tea uh so this morning you know before I woke up

after I woke up trying to perfect everything what does the second degree what does it mean uh good question I'm not too sure I'm not too sure for me the importance of the second degree is it introduces the legend that lies behind craft Freemasonry in that the building of King Solomon's Temple and um the role of uh Haram ath the architect of the temple who becomes enormously significant in the third degree a little bit nervous now more nervous than when I was before so uh yeah I'm just going to start doing my breathing exercises just

to settle the nerves down yeah have you memorized your lines yeah you know all of them yeah but obviously well it's good it's better to be prepared than not be prepared you Know yeah Breen shall we be up standing to receive the worful master and the time has come for Rowan to demonstrate his Mastery of the 300-year-old ritual the aprons that we get are not the great not the bestest are they Brethren brother Rowan Cham is this evening in a candidates to be passed to the second degree the second degree is about your Development as

a Freemason starting to learn your craft and to learn the secrets of Freemasonry you come in and you're Entered Apprentice B like when you're at school and you're not allowed to play in the big playground and then you know you get to a certain age and then you're allowed to go and play in the big playground and then when you get to the end of that process you're out in the common room it's overlooked cuz a lot of people Think oh it's just the middle one you know just a little bit go through that then

you before we do the big one before you become a Master Mason it looks at charity it looks at intellectual Improvement it looks at bettering yourself after a 2-hour ceremony Rowan emerges as a second deegree fellow craft Mason a step closer to reaping the rewards that come with being a fully fledged member of the Brotherhood congratul thank you very Much when I first decided that I want to become a Mason I thought that you get all these you know pecuniary benefits and I said look I really want to become a Mason and it was all

about I want I want I want and now it's not about I want it's about you know I like I enjoy oh thank you very much sir can't call me sir you're a brother now oh thank you very much as Rowan joins his Brethren at the Festive board it's clear the hard work he's put in has paid off viring for master distinguished Brethren Brethren all today we had two uh candidates for the passing weren't they good they were they were LED I often see candidates coming and struggle with the words no problem with you two

you had done a lot of work you were demonstrating that if you put something into masonry you're going to get it back and I'm sure that that is Going to all go well for your long career with masonry and I wish you very much Brethren masonry is safe with them and it's safe with Abby Lodge Westminster thank you very much [Applause] indeed before I was a Mason I didn't have patience didn't have any tolerance but it's helped reinvent myself you know be more appreciative about life about giving I'm still perfecting it because as a Mason

you always want to progress You want to continue to progress It's all about self-improvement and being a better person and helping [Music] others key to the lessons of the second degree is that a Freemason should not only work hard to improve his own character but also to benefit wider society and in the basement of Freemasons Hall there is an entire floor dedicated to doing just that you let me in thank you very much worshipful Brother Andrew Ross is a trustee of the Masonic charitable Foundation a central fund made up of contributions from Masons across the

country the Masonic charitable Foundation is now in the first rank of Grant giving charitable foundations in this country and I don't think the general public has any idea that that's the case in 2015 of Grants totaling around 20 million nearly 5 million went to non-masonic causes like the Scout Association and air ambulance Give us a little bit more detail about the circumstances the remaining 15 million went to help Freemasons and their families from hospitals to schools or just individ uals in need some of these Masonic Charities predate our we welfare state by up to a

couple of hundred years so it's certainly part of our ethos to support our Brethren it's this institutionalized support for fellow Masons that has led to accusations of unfairness and Self-interest from those outside the Brotherhood the idea that uh Freemason solely exist to uh look after each other is is uh is complete nonsense yes there's there's a tradition of charitable givings to support the families of Freemasons but you see on top of that we want to do what we can to make a difference in society there are Freemasons lodges supporting causes all over the country on

top of what they contribute to the Masonic charitable Foundation there's money raised at at at lodge meetings Raffles there's money raised at social events such as dinner and dances is family fun days when people say to what will the Masons do then so Char what do you do then last night at the proms riverbat shuffles charity walks up killer Manjaro and you sometimes wish you could go that's what that's what we've done cycling from Jonah GRS the Land's End jumping out of airplanes AB sailing down buildings if You're trying to be charitable you are not

far wrong in becoming a very fine human being is that enough in gloustershire final preparations are being made for yet another money raising event a white collar charity boxing match organized by 35-year-old brother alist Chambers it's hard cuz you got 30 people and you're trying to match them up as best as you can 15 fights for the charity everyone's Got their own individual charity it's going be really exciting the boss of a construction firm alist is a third degree Master Mason who joined the Brotherhood 5 years ago I was the youngest child I grown up

I was quite a selfish boy probably into some aspects still am unfortunately but that's something that in myself I'm sort of growing out of and Freemasonry is about learning those mistakes I've always wanted Peacocks had a much nicer male than him Indian blue lovely and uh the fox ripped him apart you you clearly did all right for yourself if you got a nice pads you got peacocks you a self-made man no just big big [Music] D 10 seconds on here F punches let's go for 10 weeks the amateur boxers taking part in alistair's charity Fight

Night have been training hard at a gym he part owns had a my first White Collar boxing Event September last year raised over £600 for charity and I'm enjoyed the experience so much that I wanted to be part of that and give people that opportunity to to fight for the charity close to their heart sorry Gabby we just going for your names again so we've got Gabby Hit Girl Hancock canc research it gives him that that much more sort of encouragement and um and fight on the night and it's a dog dog charity all right

this time alist is not fighting as He's awaiting surgery on an injured shoulder how's it going you okay instead he's roped in 30-year-old painter and decorator and fellow Freemason Lee green names for the fight night yeah yeah what we going to go for you V Lee you no I'll give you a helping hand Lee Lee way you're good with names you come come and think of a name for um Lee Le the grenade do you like that do Le than The grenade green and what charity you represen him when you said to represent him are

you going to do sparks for me oh thanks for that man it means a lot for me no cheers thanks a lot Al's charity involvement with them personally is is phenomenal because his son had to be treated through [Music] them when anybody has a tragedy in their family I think it it can either break you as a person or it can make you a Stronger person when Alistair and Steph's son Harry was born he was fighting for life and without oxygen for 20 minutes the doctors gave him no chance of survival just remember the consultant

turning to me and saying look I'm really sorry and um they discussed ourselves going with Harry into a room called they called the lavender room and then they said they uh then Unfortunately have to turn off the equipment machine we probably get like 30 minutes with his body I can remember looking out the fourth floor window um to the pavement and wanted to climb out and jump out cuz the pain the pain of this was so much that ended my life that point look a much better Option after refusing to turn off Harry's life support

machines alist and Steph were approached by medical research charity Sparks triing a new tech teique they put Harry into a hypothermic state to give his brain time to heal it saved his life well without this I just really don't think there' have been any hope for him you know there would just he either wouldn't have survived that or He'd be severely severely disabled now you we're really really lucky there are some parents that look at photos like this and that's what they've got that's must be terrible for them Harry is is now 7 years old

and doing well charity for me was a personal issue that I've sort of that's made me go into charity and it's just great that it goes hand in hand with being a Freemason with the big night fast Approaching it's time for alist to reveal to the participants who they'll be fighting right first everyone well done for getting here this this far as you know a lot of people have dropped out it's a hard journey even to get this far is such an achievement let's get some attention and more importantly let's raise some money for charity

and for your chosen [Applause] Charities first match up for the evening Lee green for the red team against Carl Pepper for the black [Applause] team bit nervous of course cuz I've never sort of really had a proper fight before hopefully don't beat me up too bad it's bigger than me I'll just put weights in my gloves quite un Masonic but hey winning is winning Masonic Lodge refers to the congregation of people that meet there not just the name of the building the Fundamental principles of Freemasonry a brotherly the fundamental principles of Freemasonry are Brotherly Love

relief and Truth in glester It's the final training session before the big charity boxing Gara Le come on hurry up get moving baby come on this is last week of your fight Camp fix up and make sharp moves despite an injured shoulder event organizer Alister Chambers is Keen to lend a helping hand to fighter and Fellow Freemason Lee the grenade [Music] green hey Lee when's the your go wait a minute to show you some love in a minute my first show you some five fingered love Yeah ready go that brother for painter and decorator and

Avid Freemason Lee tending his horses is a welcome break from getting beaten up for charity come on move you know what I want from You yeah OT it is my little escape from absolutely everything even from Freemasonry cuz although I love to do it it can be quite demanding if you're in as involved as I am unless that's my choice to be that involved you can't get anywhere if you don't work for it the ultimate aim of Freemasonry is to make good men better and the second degree in particular teaches a man how life should

be Lived but different Brothers approach masonry in different ways there's always somebody like me on the one end who wants to do any of the major works in the in the lodge and then there's always somebody's like aliser can't find my suit jacket I can't imagine him taking time out to read a ritual book I'm probably not the best organized Freemason out there can't find my black shoes and can't find my bow tie I can't Even find my briefcase so um I'll have to smuggle it in them but as long as you don't tell anyone

it'd be fine he's a scatter brain isn't he do never forgets his food though does he never forgets to eat and that's evident how so you oh God Lee and aliser are members of different lodges but tonight Lee has invited his bigger brother Alistair to attend a meeting at his the Royal Gloucester Lodge yeah there's a lady somewhere follow you then Lee cheers sorry I I get help it as long as you don't hang me with it I'll be fine Lee's approach to Freemasonry is pretty different to mine he really enjoys it he does take

it pretty seriously which is good great stuff hang on look at these there's a lot of work it's done in there look at this look at mine look at that it's disgrace for like slapping you was it was it you just get Slapped across the face I I get mean's dirty he's a working man's gloves Lee is Masonic SWAT to some degree um the wording he knows the ritual he remembers um he's definitely sort of taking it all in but for myself I haven't got that time alist usually avoids any active role at meetings but

as Lee's guest Masonic tradition demands that he deliver the visitor speech at the the festive board worshipful master brother wardens Distinguished Brethren and brein all Lee um as you're aware is taking part in a boxing match which um he's actually putting the money raised towards a really really important charity to me I've got five children I'm not what you call a hardcore Freemason my youngest son had to have help got quite a large business so I don't want to do anything unless I do it properly so until that time comes when I can sort of

dedicate to it will do and I just enjoy going Along watching other people do it thank you very much worful Master for such a splendid evening thank [Applause] you that's very kind thank you very much thank you that's very we're basically promoted is Mason versus [Music] Mortal perhaps surprisingly alistair's casual attitude to Freemasonry is precisely what is recommended the balance is quite Simple it comes family work Freemasonry that's that's the order it can be a bit addictive and you can join more than one Lodge and as a consequence be out more than might normally be

the case which your other half might find objection to how can you justify that it takes up two three evenings a week sometimes and that you need to spend some time at home learning your ritual uh if you do and that can be a bit of a downer on any relationship the wives thoughts are very Varied some of them find it quite amusing uh others are quite casual about it and say well you know at least I've got the TV controls now and you know you just get on with it family comes first family business

they are more important than Freemasonry but only [Music] just in London members of the Friendship Lodge are gathering for their monthly meeting in one of the 23 Lodge rooms at Freemason Hall you right mate yeah good You're yeah I think so Gary southam has only been a Freemason for 5 years but is already worshipful master of two separate lodges the master is the boss the ultimate Freemason in that room that's it just under the lip of the collar that's it it entails lots of hard work and as my family will tell you there's very very

few days where I don't do anything masonically um sad really it's not Sad relax it'll be fine but for Gary Freemasonry is just the latest in a long line of pastimes that he's taken to extremes good luck [Music] everybody before becoming a Freemason adrenaline junky Gary was a skydiver base jumper and motorcycle racer whenever I get involved with something I want to give my all or my 100% to it I want to be the absolute best Doesn't always work but get it go come on go there's very little in a man's life that will give

him what Freemasonry gives him it allows you just to take a step back and look at your life reflect upon it and you start then to get into the whole thing and it just becomes this this whole way of life where were you first prepared to be made a mason in my heart where next convenient room join in the lodge Gary's currently focused on Perfecting a second degree ceremony he'll be conducting in a few days time as worshipful master this means committing many pages of ritual to memory I would estimate that I've spent anything between

10 and 15 hours learning reciting going through the whole ceremony and I'm sure there's lots of dog walkers around in hampsh here they must think there's something wrong with me when I walk past nod good morning and carry on chuntering away to Myself the day Gary's been preparing for has arrived don't [ __ ] it up don't get it wrong you right here we go but he's not the only one who's had lines to learn the candidate is expected to have memorized the answers to 11 questions that test his Masonic knowledge is the first time

that candidate has had to learn the ritual so there's an expectation that if you've been given this task that you will do your absolute Best to deliver it and deliver it with the purpose that it um should be delivered with let's just go through them once and that's it and if there's any stumbling don't worry about it just move on okay um so if you can remember where were you first prepared to be made a Mason move on where were you made a mason you just think you were in this and you're in here weren't

you in the body Of a lot yeah you know it's just going to be [ __ ] awful if you like this and I'm going to get walk out now what is Freemasonry A peculiar system do I think they need put the work in no no in the second degree we encouraged we in the second degree in the second degree we're encouraged to study the Liberal arts and sciences and after all that I forgot in the second half these columns are either up or down depending on whether the lodge is open or [Music] closed at

Freemasons Hall in central London a second degree ceremony is about to begin and the candidate is doing some much needed last minute revision so I I I've pretty much nailed in my heart the first question the Second one in a convenient room adjacent a joint Jason a joined the lodge um then I get stuck the ceremony will be conducted by worshipful master and Masonic perfectionist Gary southam this is a square that this is placed here because when he takes his obligation in the second degree um his left arm is supported in the angle of a

square and this whole ceremony is about squaring life and actions so it's everything that he does in terms of his posture he's Done in the angle of a square you have to excuse me I just need to go and get ready for the last time the candidate wears the plain white apron of the Entered Apprentice as a man advances in Freemasonry his apron becomes increasing ly elaborate to show his progress and rank sit down mate what just going to sit down sit down where inside all right anywhere need my gloves I do I you need

gloves oh yeah yeah I need gloves yeah Yeah yeah you need that's it I was told I didn't yeah you do right you need everything and the answers to the questions you physically need those it'd be fine possibly go wrong as always the ceremony is conducted in private but today the lodge of friendship has agreed to show us one crucial part the questioning of the candidate where were you first prepared to be made a mason in the heart where Next in a convenient room adjacent to the lodge ad joining it's not adjacent it's a joining

where were you maer Mason in the body of the lodge just perfect and regular what is Freemasonry peculiar systems of moral try again A peculiar system of Mor and no I know the type of person he is I know how uh confident he is normally and it just went to Pieces so what is Freemasonry A peculiar system of mort mortality morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by signs um disappointed of course you know obviously um but Freemasonry isn't about having expectations of people really you know all I asked that he could do his absolute best

but one thing that should happen happen as if you are going to say you're going to do something in a masonic Temple that you put the work in to do it but it's it's another part of my Masonic education the second degree instructs a Mason how to live his life but to put its teachings into practice he'll require discipline hard work and a genuine desire to improve himself oh the wrong reasons for joining Freemasonry are the same today as they've always been if you're thinking about in monetary terms or career terms Or financial terms but

if you're hoping to gain something from it personally then you're going to the right place masonry is an experience it is a journey and it sounds very much like a sect I'm me kind of afraid to even say that but masonry is about discovering life as it is and making it ever so slightly better it's enabled me to sort of take things to another level with things like charity and giving to other people and the more you give the more you Get at cheltonham Town Hall the day of the charity boxing event has arrived and

though event organizer Alistair may not give his all to Masonic ritual tonight will be the culmination of months of preparation stressful so much to do um just trying to like get my head around what needs to be done what hasn't been done don't even worry about doing them as well as you're doing them just get the wrinkles at them cuz you got these red things going on them and eatting Orell I've been up since 6:00 in the morning literally setting everything up but like charity wise he want it to be a success because everyone's giving

and everyone's giving to a charity and it's not necessarily a charity for them ladies and gentlemen [Music] [Applause] show [Applause] Time fighting to raise money for alistar's chosen charity is his friend and fellow Freemason Lee the grenade green you've spent the last 12 weeks suffering going a training dieting nobody likes to eat broccoli and tuna all day you don't know what's going to happen L and gentlemen leave the grenade in the audience a table full of Freemasons from Lee's Lodge including his dad have come to cheer on their Brother grenad [Applause] [Music] [Applause] green yes

on finish him it is a brutal thing but it's not just to have a fight on a Saturday night there is a meaning and a reason behind why you've put yourself through those 12 weeks and Mason re is a part of [Applause] that ladies Gentl round of please unanimous decision it is a [Music] draw please [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] it was a draw wasn't happy with a draw I thought I won I'll be honest um but the main reason I did it was to Have P masonry how P um charity you know with Alistair and

that's what matters to me personally but the night is far from over at the last minute one of the fighters has dropped out and his opponent who's raising money for his chosen charity still wants to compete for Alistair the real hard work is about to begin I'm fight last fight some brought out last fight maybe yeah That has anyone got spe I'm short I see aliser going off to the back and I think where's he going so I follow him out and I'm like what's going on now I've got to step in I'm going to

fight him hey Alistair was due to have shoulder surgery and he hadn't trained at all that takes some melons to do that it really does I'd say a guy who steps in and gives everything he's got he is a good Freemason because it shows somebody who's not selfish [Applause] [Music] I like to think that Freemasonry is sort of given me like a second string of morality it's just like another stepping stone in your personal development get yourself right then help others that's sort of that's like the mentality of It [Applause] back there's a time in

the fight where I was like don't even want to be here and I saw his eyes and he was like not really too sure if I want to be here either it was just just like a fight you'd see obtained by two drunk guys rolling it's like watching Rocky I mean he gave it everything he won as well and that was a really good [Music] [Applause] moment ch is inspiring it does mean a lot to me personally to see him like that the night from start to finish was mentally physically exhausting it was hard was

part of the bigger picture all together the pot money a grand total pot was over £8,000 into various different charities now ultimately is a is a massive [Music] success I'm tired I want to go to so it be so it be shout out to all my brothers through Freemason re let me on the level I earned three degrees had to kill me cuz they couldn't get my secrets from me so mod it be so it be shout out to all my brothers through Freemason re let's meet on the level I earned three degrees had to

kill me they couldn't get my secret [Music] [Music] Freemasonry an ancient fraternity shrouded in mystery with roots stretching back to the medieval stonemasons its age-old Traditions have remained virtually unchanged for centuries when people hear the word Freemason they think about funny handshakes uh they think about rolled up Cher leg if you do a little bit of Googling it's a cabal of people that are taking over Governments and things Freemasonry secrecy secret society 100% now as the Brotherhood celebrates its 300th anniversary the United Grand Lodge of England is allowing the cameras in for the first time

to reveal what really goes on behind closed doors right now will you bug her off with unprecedented access we lift the veil of secrecy to discover what it means to be a modern-day Freemason feeling a bit inadequate it's a lot of Fancy aprons a lot of fancy aprons from the regalia my mom might say I look like a complete Wally but you can never please your mom forward Brethren to the lavish ceremonies you will seal that with your lips and ancient rituals do you have anything to give in the name of Charity no all of

the rituals that we do which are like little play I love them and of course the unbreakable bonds of Brotherhood that brother describe it you go why would anyone want to do that but once you're in it you get [Music] it you know the New Year song order Lang sign that's Mason Masonic take my hand there's there's a second verse which goes take my hand my trusted brother and sing along with me [Music] Yeah 6 million men across the globe are members of the world's oldest fraternity for some it provides a social network a moral

code or a reassuring sense of a order for others it's just a good meal out with mates but whatever their reasons for joining as they're immersed in freemasonry's Traditions they bound together by ritual and sacred Oaths to become brothers one of masonry's biggest Brothers is PR Grandmaster Peter louns second only to The Grandmaster his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent I'm afraid people are going to have to listen to me for a bit in the usual way but I'm probably going to be speaking for a little bit longer than usual myself today Peter summoned his

fellow rulers to finalize plans for one of the year's key events quarterly communication where the big decisions regarding Freemasonry are Made we meet four times a year without the qulet communications we really actually couldn't run Freemasonry and then everybody will have heard enough of me and we can re retire for lunch processing these Masonic Titans into the grand Temple and choreographing the entire event is the considerable responsibility of the grand director of Ceremonies R would you like take a seat please the aptly named Oliver Lodge unless your guest speakers you're In the wrong seat it's

my job to direct Grand Lodge so that means that it's for me to make sure that everybody knows what they're going to do and that they're in the right place at the right time I need to be able to deal with the situation if something goes wrong you're on your own at the back at the moment is that right in which case your no out want to have the end seat rather than one in being Grand director of Ceremonies in the united Grand Dodge of England is without question the best job in the whole of

world Freemasonry because everybody has to do what you tell them to do over the past 9 years Oliver has presided over more than 40 major ceremonies right Brethren let us do simple things well such as remaining in Step say that this looks impressive right let's try it heads up your grand stewards now at this time every year Oliver must break In a new team shambles at the back you don't need to get very close to the man in front it will just make it difficult for you to step off later the purpose of the ceremonies

is to be impressive not quite so good at the back I was in the Army for half a dozen years like all officers I spent a while at Sandhurst in advance uh doing a lot of drill and other bits and pieces be SE Brethren no Sit first one second it's still not out of its stand now it is you're with us here you see The Grandmaster or the pr Grandmaster presiding over Grand Lodge so it is a a symbol of the structure that we have the procession and the whole ceremony is a symbol of the

the worldwide Brotherhood which is fre most to become a fully fledged member of this worldwide Brotherhood every Mason must first go through the most powerful of All Masonic rituals the third degree CRA Freemasonry is divided into three degrees the first degree deals with your birth the second degree deals with your time in this world and the third degree deals with your departure from this world learning about the fact that one day you'll die that's what makes the third degree even more poignant nobody who does that ceremony or goes through that ceremony if it is done

well will forget the Experience although I do play a mean r g but I'll avoid that I can't sing what else can I do in Greek ages no that went wrong 25-year-old Gary hacking will soon go through his third degree and become a Master Mason he lives in Bolton with his girlfriend [Music] Laura I'm not singing the rest of it ever would you Dance if I ask you to know go away as a full-time nurse Gary Works alongside 50 women so was in search of male company he joined the Freemasons 9 months ago I moved

away from my friends in Berry move somewhere else and then it's very hard to maintain like a that sort of male bonding which I know some people say sounds quite wet but I think men do need other men to associate with it's part of life and as great as the women I work with are and as amazingly funny and Social as they are you sometimes just need a bit of that manto man bonding time really for months Gary's been consumed with preparing for his third degree ceremony and learning his part in the secret ritual which

has remained virtually unchanged for 300 years I'll have to answer some questions but I have to get them right obviously um and then from there they will then proceed to sort of raise me to the third degree but getting his question It's the language is of bit sort of archaic so it's very hard to try and get your head around it you want to get it right though because you carry on the tradition it shows that you you know you've put the time you've put the effort in and that you're interested I keep asking him

questions about it and he like I'm not allowed to tell you I don't know stop asking me questions and then he'll um he'll randomly run out of the room you can hear himing to himself And then he'll come back in him like who you talking to it's like oh just masing stuff and I get really annoyed cuz he won't tell me what it is but tonight Laura's being allowed a first Glimpse inside Gary's Secret World he's taking her to a mic ladies night you know you got to kiss the grandmas don't you no yeah with

Tong it's part of the ritual I I highly doubt that's part of the ritual I've got to do it you've got to do it oh you can Go first then show me how it's done tonight's event is being held here here at Bolton wanders football club oh I didn't print the tickets out oh the annual grand ball has been running for 156 years and this is the first time that non-master Masons like Gary have been invited it's a lot of fancy aprons a lot of fancy aprons this is like the Masonic equivalent of penis in

Freemasonry the apron signifies Rank Gary's currently second degree so he wears the slightly underwhelming fellowcraft apron ladies and Brethren will you please stand to receive the president of the 156th Grand Masonic festival and ball right worship brother James Anon harison Mrs Mor har ladies nights in masonry are not only a chance for long-suffering wives and partners to see what their men get up to they're also meant as a thank you for their Indulgence and Port the climax to the evening is the 150-year-old grand March when over a thousand Master Masons and their Partners parade around

the ballroom though no one really knows why tonight is one of the last events Gary will attend as a second degree fellow craft Mason it's been a dream of 11 years to be a a Master Mason I don't know what's going to happen everyone keeps telling me it's like a really good Ceremony so I'm looking forward to it bit scared but excited at the same time cuz it's just going to be the Fulfillment of something that I've been wanting to do for years that experience that you have in that third degree ceremony might change you

[Music] forever when I go through the the third it's going to be big [Music] this is the apron of a third degree Master Mason no buer no the basic story of Freemasonry is the building of King Solomon's Temple and it's from that story that we take our ritual in Bolton it's the day of nurse Gary hackings third degree ceremony when he hopes to be raised to the rank of Master Mason in here is the final thing for the Third degree you allowed to see in this you are right okay so um tie gloves and then

this last month was the final time I'll have to wear that that's the apron of a fellowcraft you've seen that before I'm sure by now but this is what I've been waiting to wear for some time so this is the Aon oh gosh this is the apron of the Master Mason this been encased in there for good six months now um just waiting to crack this out I can't wait um really excited and as soon As you do that not even kidding business you mean business the third degree is the most powerful most secretive and

most dramatic of all Masonic rituals in it the candidate is put through a reenactment of the legend upon which all Freemasonry is based the murder of hyam abff the stonemason responsible for the building of King Solomon's Temple killed for refusing to divulge the secrets of a Master Mason not time to kick it off now Half six half six I've got enough time to neck half a pint nothing can prepare you for the third degree it's is um mindblowing you all right yeah I'm fine thanks you ready for tonight nervous nothing to be nervous about I

know I know by the end of tonight's ceremony Gary will have been made to come to terms with his own death I'm totally nervous is this time The rumors going to be true where they're going to whip out a goat or is this time gonna be the time I need clean boxers yeah you never really know what you're actually gonna be doing nervous P why is there a sheet on floor F out very it's real now it's proper [Music] real please be upstanding to receive the worshipful master and his Wardens to preserve the mystery and

drama for Future candidates the third degree ceremony must remain [Music] secret the third degree although it deals with death is not a morbid ceremony at all um quite the opposite it's an enlightening ceremony it looks at your departure from this life and your rebirth into into life in the future you as a brother experience something which happened to our Master harth being Slain there is a grave and in this country that grave is always empty and just has the emblems of mortality displayed upon it rebirth comes into it very strongly because you're brought back to

life as it were within that ritual in Ireland somebody is actually lowered into a grave as they do up in Cambridge and they walk across of the gaau while a Gong sounds it's preparation time so that you will indeed live respected and die Regretted part of the ceremonies is understanding that your life is finite and you have to deal with that in your own way if you considered the fact that you're going to die would you not make the most of that life knowing with the emotional intelligence that you were going to die eventually and

that's what it gave for me you know I work with death all the time it's it's a sad part of life but it's a part of life Nonetheless at that profound moment if you sit there and take it in you know that you've got to spend the next however long you've got your life making the absolute most of [Music] it HRA abff the master stonemason at the center of the third degree ceremony is a a Biblical character around whom Freemasonry has constructed their entire building analogy in Masonic circles he's also Known as The Widow's [Music]

son these hairy bikers are all Freemasons they're known as The Widow's Sons members must have passed through their third degree C ceremony and be fully fledged Master Masons but as the Suns gather for one of their charity bike rides there's one notable absentee their Leader Peter younger raised a Freemason Branda The Widow's Son the Pinnacle of my freem Mason he was joining the Widow Sons it's just a brilliant organization the the strength of friendship is just unbelievable and it's it's some of the happiest times of my life has been through its membership and although I've

put an awful lot into Widow Sons what I've came back from it's just been immeasurable but recently outings with his biking Brothers have been rare just Before Christmas in 2015 while out with his wife an Marie tragedy struck this is anarie and I this is actually taken um just before she collapsed we at a uh black by Christmas function we hadn't been there long but gone to the bar of reception drinks and we're walking along to the dining room and uh we stopped for a photograph to be taken and just as the photograph was taken

she says I don't feel well and she collapsed she was taken off um into a Recovery room and I never saw her again alive and then you faced with the how would it tell the seven-year-old I just lost a mon which is the most difficult thing I've ever to my life an Marie had suffered a heart attack ever since Peter's Focus has been on helping his daughter Amy come to terms with their loss first I'm going to tell you about this necklace here which is All the things are connected to a memory about her so

this is love that is jewelry that is hugs supporting Brothers in need is a fundamental principle of Freemasonry and Peter and Amy have not had to cope alone widow's sons and the Freemasons were incredible I mean Amry died on the 12th of December it was the day of 's birthday party it couldn't have been a more tragic time but Christmas Eve when there's a knock on the door and there Two smiling faces standing there with a car full of presence that was the Widow's sons and also members of of my Lodge we we could barely

get in the lounge on Christmas Day morning for for the amount of presents stacked up behind the door it was just amazing to see to see a happy and it been probably the first time since since it happened meet Dad the Brotherhood has not only provided emotional support for Peter they've also helped out with child care And counseling they me and Mom had a little competition I won a pug you want to see it it has to look like that we have the energy from those good times to take us forward and a lot of

Amy's counseling has been based around that and that has been the tonic for me and that's what's kept me going as well after such a devastating loss Peter's own now feeling ready to get back in the saddle and out on the road With his brothers beautiful the bond that exists between many and Freemasonry is really uh Brotherhood your friends your colleagues in the lodge are your brothers the bond between Freemasons is unique I don't think there's any other organization that's quite the same if somebody does become upset then it's kept within the lodge and then

they can come out strengthened it certainly it's been valuable to me And I know many others you know I'm a brother they're my brothers I'm their brother so we kind of just get get on with that and you know it's all for me it's for Life Brotherhood is woven into the very fabric of Freemasonry in London Freemason itself is a monument to this belief in comradeship it was built as a lasting Memorial to the 3,000 English Masons who died during the first world [Music] war the United Services Lodge the old wellingtonian Lodge and T law

Lodge a lodge which comes from a small town in County darl when the war ended in 1918 350 new lodges were set up as traumatized ex soldiers sought out Freemasonry to recreate the camaraderie that experienced in the trenches Grand director of Ceremonies Oliver Lodge is himself an ex Army Officer I think there is an appeal because there is that Fellowship of men but also there is a sense of order about Freemasonry and so in sum ects that reflects service life many servicemen serving and retired become Masons that is the case now and it was the

case [Music] before one typical example is painter decorator and Northern Soul Enthusiast Dave stubs who became a Freemason after A career in the Army a lot of people would join masonry for their own reasons mine is that sort of sense of belonging Dave left school at 16 and spent the next 20 years as a soldier serving in war zones all over the world one of the places I did go was to the first Gulf War and um that picture there was me as a young man and um that was a certificate of commendation that I

received for services in the uh the gulf But like many ex-servicemen Dave struggled to adjust to life back on civvy street that support structure's gone you're on your own and you're the one who sits up at night time in the dark and there's nobody to talk to and you feel thrown away just feel thrown away the military was a big part of my life looking back in retros respect you know it's got that similarity that parallel with Freemasonry you know blly love and you know friendship and looking Out for each other Dave has thrown himself

into Freemasonry and is about to be rewarded for his dedication to the Brotherhood he's been nominated to become worshipful master effectively the boss of his lodge I'm very proud of him I think he's a brilliant Mason for the length of time he's been in free masonry he's done very well to get to worshipful master at this stage he always looks smart always presents himself wonderfully and I think It's going to be a big buzz for him to be honest so I can't wait to see the smile on his face when he comes out of Lodge

that day my granddad used to say you know you can tell a man by the tiey ties and the shoes he shines and I just think that you know is when you're wearing a a suit especially on a masonic occasion you should make every effort to look uh as smart as you can um in particular you know me going to the chairs of the Worshipable master is a case of uh set an example Dave's a member of Old Ben Lodge at the moment he's at the nomination stage and today there's a meeting to give his

Brethren a chance to voice any last minute objections good to see you thanks for being here thanks for being he's still uh to use an old expression he's still wet behind the ears and he's going to he's going to mature into the role Handling proceedings is old Ben's director of Ceremonies Phil niblock the role of a master in a Freemason Lodge is to maintain the standards of his lodge that's important and I get involved in that to to remind him if necessarily what those standards are but he's there to to lead [Applause] [Music] worful Master

it's a highlight of your Masonic career you know the Cornerstone If you like sometimes you sort of say to yourself I don't think I'm really worthy and etc etc and you try and talk yourself out of it but I think you know there was men before me there' be thousands of men after me and I can know now that you know my name has definitely been written in history there's the Freemasons all there you see it the tower the third degree involves close Questioning which is where the term giving someone the third degree comes from

the top man in the lodge is the worshipful master who always sits in the East to represent the Rising Sun today in Shrewsbury Gulf War veteran Dave stubs is attending a lodge meeting where he's hoping to be confirmed as the worshipful master it gives the opportunity for any of the Brethren to Um say yes or no Brethren we'll take item eight on the agenda unless there is a nomination or any brother calls for a ballot to declare the senior Warden Brother David stubs as worship Master elect for this Lodge for the ensuing year are there

any other nominations as there is no other nomination I declare that Brother David stubs is our worshipful master elect for the insing Year wishable Master brother w ens distinguished Brethren brethen all I thank you for your mark of confidence in me and I look forward to upholding the customs and the traditions and the fine work that you've um set um for me to follow in the uing Year brother ornes will'll now sing the closing [Music] ode as top man in the lodge Dave will be expected to keep order during meetings Lead the rituals and decide

which charity the lodge will support he'll be officially installed next time the lodge meets I'm just very very proud to be part of something that does nothing but look after its own it certainly focuses on that brotherly love and uh all the aspects of humankind humankind it's good in Newcastle widow's Sons Leader Peter younger is also looking forward to a big day since losing his wife his motorbiking brothers have taken a back Seat due to recent events I Haven been able to get out in as many rides as I would like to but I always

make sure that that one date in the year every year the Widow Sons National rally uh come hella high water I will be able to attend today with daughter Amy staying with friends Peter can hit the road life throws many things at you for some people they might hit a bottle of whiskey for other people they might go Out for a meal for me to climb on board a motorbike is just incredible moments when you're on a motorbike and you see 15 to 20 people on bikes in front of you and the same number behind

you and that's sudden you think struth they're all Mas that's that's quite a [Music] [Music] moment the best thing about the Widow's Sons I personally have experienced is Just the people I've met through it the term brother comes from the ceremonial side of it but I they're more like family obviously I've known Peter for quite a a long time I've known Amy since she was born over the last few months since Amar re died I mean Amy's pretty much been Peter's Rock um obviously also Hees being her rock as well but she's she's been an

absolute godsend for Peter chokes people up when you tell them you know to be Fake jokes me up as well um we're all big soft CHS they're in great Bunch but the thing is what the thing I get what's amazing about this is you see them standing here and they're dressed in letters and jeans and boots and all this sort of thing but if they were standing in a lodge in a full regalia nobody would know that they did this you know that they seem like Polar Opposites but in fact they're very very close and

very very similar to all Poor and distressed Brethren wheresoever they may be on the land sea or in the air out brother [Music] at Freemason Hall in London 1,400 of the brotherhood's leaders are assembling for their quarterly communication when you see the end of the column go past you by a couple of yards that's the moment for you to proceed and follow them okay let's get Cloud the man leading the lavish Ceremony is Peter louns the pr grandm English Freemasonry second in [Music] command despite appearances quarterly communication is really just a run-of-the-mill business meeting anything

that's done for Freemasonry has to be voted on and passed and agreed by Grand Lodge so why bother with all the pomp why do we have The Changing of the Guard why do we have the um Queen's Birthday parade um why do we have any of these things um of course they're not essential Brethren coming together at meetings and if camaraderie that that it um that it produces that that really interests me Brethren I have to announce that the most worshipful grandm has made the following appointments woral brother Ian Chandler as provincial grandm forari in

succession to right woral brother Eric St banford who retired on 24th of May it It's one of the few organizations that I've been involved with where I think everybody is on everybody else's side now you can't say that in every organization there's often backbiting hoping somebody will fail so you can take their job just simply doesn't happen they're coming to the end of the current Masonic season enjoy the summer and I look forward to seeing you again in September thank you [Music] Brother a little further down the Masonic hierarchy in Shrewsbury it's a big day

for Gulf War veteran brother Dave stubs he's about to become the worshipful master of his lodge I think he's so I'm necessarily nervous to be honest I think it'd be absolutely fine I have every faith in him was the first time Dave came in the pub dressed in his Masonic stuff and I thought didn't see many men in the PB With a three-piece SE to tell you yeah DA has been working towards this moment since he first joined Freemasonry 8 years ago I think I'm going to be quite overwhelmed in some ways because you know

the the support that I've got um and the people that are attending today like I say they're looking out for me and um I think I'm going to be quite overwhelmed and quite touched see you later have a good day you'll be fine I Know all right love you too bless you see you later take care the basic principles of Freemasonry are that all men are equal within the lodge which is why we call each other brother in the lodge room you will find a black and white squared carpet this represents our check of existence

happiness and sorrow life and death was that all right I look away a bit there former Lance corporal Dave stubs Veteran of the first Gulf War painter and decorator and dedicated Freemason is about to be made the 20 fourth worshipful master of Old Ben Lodge in Shrewsbury you're well on your way and you just sort of get your your heart pumping a little bit you know a little bit of that sort of positive adrenaline that you need to prepare yourself hello it's Dave stubs I've got a small amount of nerves as it were but I

think like nerves are important because they keep You sharp and I'm definitely going to have an audience there and um it just means a lot to me personally to get things right and make the ceremony only go the way it should do and good high quality ritual it's an immense day for David cuz it's his special day and we're going to make it as special as we possibly can very happy for him he's worked hard for it as well you know couldn't put a bit of bloke in the chair you please be up Standing to

receive the worful the immediate past Master of the old Ben lodge number 9,461 accompanied by the warden during this 2hour ritual Dave will receive a new apron a new collar and a gavel later his name will be engraved on Old Ben's Master's board worshipful master you having been installed in the chair of this worthy and worshipful Lodge cannot be insensible to the obligations Which devolve on you as its head or to your responsibility for the faithful discharge of the duties annexed to the appointment these ancient words remind the new master that his conduct must always

meet the standards expected of the leader of a lodge you will be enabled to lay up a crown of joy and rejoicing which will continue when time with you shall be no more and may God give you strength and health to perform The duties of your high office with satisfaction to yourself and advantage to your Lodge so might it [Music] be I could almost describe it as being the same sense of Pride as when I first put my regimental headdress on you know passed out the British army and wearing the Queen's uniform and likewise as

a worshipful Master I have that same amount of pride I feel well and worthy David congratulations you're a top man cheers Che that's it thank you my day a very very special one which is certainly written in my heart for for as long as I'll ever remember that's for a fact Dave's first role as worshipful master is to preside over The Lodges post ceremony banquet known as the festive board it's director of Ceremonies and Close friend Phil niblock's job to deliver the toast to Old Ben's new master I want just to very briefly give you

an insight to this fine young man early in his life 1986 he joined the the Armed Forces he transferred to the assault Pioneer regiment these are people who are first there and last out and that is an amazing amazing attribute he has received a commodation from the Royal Humane Society for bravery he got that by saving somebody's Life Wow question Master you're a good man you're a brave man and I think there's a great deal of room and you've noticed it as well in Freemason lodges for those who serve their country enjoy your year wor

Master it's not going to last very long Brethren I demand you stand and drink a bump of toast to our worful master hon Brethren Point Left Right Point Left Right Point left right one [Music] two we have toast in the craft among others the way that Phil delivered his speech it just s of reminded me that um I have done a few things in my life and um I'm not just uh Dave stubs the painter and decorator who gets dressed up in the morning goes to work at 7:00 and comes home at 5 beloved by

us all on the Square may your name in The Craft with all horor be qued and prosper the art everywhere get on that [Music] [Applause] [Music] chair I just could feel the genuine brotherly love you know the genuine belief in me and uh I was quite overwhelmed really by the whole experience everywhere [Music] I felt humbled loved Brotherly Love is at the heart of Freemasonry but as all Masons are told family should always come first ready yeah in Newcastle chairman of the Widow's son's Masonic bikers Association Peter younger is preparing his seven-year-old daughter Amy for

her initiation into the biking fraternity Are you going to put the um engine on no we're just going to wheel outside so how we feel nice progress how's that is that good yeah oh I feel nice now starting the engine no go on just a little bit no it won't be loud no it won't be loud with you h no just don't don't just don't no even a little bit just no we'll try something else instead no just put it back in we'll I have to drive it In a okay ready how's that you want

to try to go a bit further yeah come on in oh my God come on you doing in heyy wo I'm scared wo I think getting through recent events would have been considerably more difficult without the support of Freemasonry in the Widow's Sons my challenges now with Amy are you just trying to give her a normal life And just trying to be there for as a good dad I can't believe mom's watching this she will be I I think about Armory every day I don't think that'll have a change those poignant moments where you know

she would have enjoyed it woo [Music] W we're not going to go far on a bike but it's just something you can enjoy together so we'll see what happens Next it be shout out to all my brothers through Freemasonry let's me on the level I earned three degrees had to kill me because they couldn't get my secrets from me so mod it be so mod it be shout out to all my brothers through Freemasonry let's meet on the level I earned three degrees had to kill me CU [Music] they Freemasonry an ancient fraternity Shrouded in

mystery with roots stretching back to the medieval ston its age-old Traditions have remained virtually unchanged for centuries when people hear the word Freemason they think about funny handshakes uh they think about rolled up Cher legs if you do a little bit of Googling it's a cabal of people that are taking over governments and things Freemasonry secrecy secret society 100% now as the Brotherhood celebrates its 300th anniversary the United Grand Lodge of England is allowing the cameras in for the first time to reveal what really goes on behind closed doors right now we you bug her

off with unprecedented access we lift the veil of secrecy to discover what it means to be a modern-day Freemason feeling a bit inadequate it's a lot of fancy aons a lot of fancy a from the regalia my mom might say I look Like a complete Wally but you can never please your mom forward Brethren to the the lavish ceremonies you will seal that with your lips and ancient rituals do you have anything to give in the name of Charity no all of the rituals that we do which are like little plays I love them and

of course the unbreakable bonds of Brotherhood that's that brother describe it you go why would anyone want to do that but once you're in it you get [Music] it Freemasons Must Believe in a Supreme Being of their own choice but it is forbidden to worship the devil there are around 200,000 Freemasons across England and Wales though exactly why men join is a matter of WID spread speculation for 300 years the United Grand Lodge of England in the heart of Central London has been headquarters to this secretive Brotherhood to non-masons What goes on behind this imposing

facade is the subject of endless speculation the doors are always shut so I don't know if I can I I can't imagine what crazy things happen behind [Music] there secret society very much where you don't get in yeah unless you are got the secret handshake and you know what's going on when I think of Freemasons I don't know I just don't get a good feeling About it I think it's like a religious I always thought it was like a actual like a cult sir David woodon a former Lord mayor of London and one of the

highest ranking Freemasons in the country is well aware of the public suspicion that surrounds the craft because free messenger has the reputation of being secret uh others are very uh prone to imagine uh What uh what goes uh on and all you have to do is Look at the internet to see some of the Wilder theories that we're designing a new world order or getting up to uh bad things Freemasons have not always been secretive before the second world war they would par laid down local high streets in full regalia but Hitler changed all that

it's not wonderly known that during the 1930s and 40s up to 200,000 Freemasons died uh under Nazi occupation and the perception uh that uh That might happen should the Germans under Hitler arrive in this country was a a real source of concern uh the only part of uh British countries uh that was occupied was the Channel Islands uh and there there are photographs here of the sacking of the Masonic temple in St Helia and that was one of the factors leading during the war and after uh the the war to masonry to go a bit

secret low profile Hitler murdered Freemasons for Being a subversive force and in the decades after the second world war with secrecy now the norm public suspicion of The Craft grew so the secrecy element made basically an easy target and it takes time to recover from that because once these conspiracy theories these perceptions uh have common uh currency they keep on being repeated in the media and elsewhere it just takes time but for many non-masons clinging onto a culture of secrecy isn't the only Way that Freemasonry is stuck in the past we've been a a m

only Grand Lodge for for 300 years some people have very strongly held opinions that you know the women shouldn't be allowed to join and some people think the women should be allowed to join and um I think it's just a it's just one of those things really I've absolutely no idea what would happen if women were Freemasons but all I know is is that it will never happen in this Country I think some people would feel that perhaps the the character of of a meeting would change if they were they were mixed genders if you

had men and women in the same meeting there's nothing wrong with that it doesn't do anybody any harm and our wives love us being Masons because they know where we [Music] are I mean I think any um open-minded woman out there watching me listening to me right now she could probably think so What I don't want to be a free bason I'd say there you go though the membership is small in comparison women do have their own separate Masonic [Music] organization and for many members of the all male United Grand Lodge of England that's the

way it should stay if the perception is that Freemason me is a big boys club absolutely right it is a big boys Club in Bedford din o Connell is worshipful master of the Russell Lodge Freemasonry is traditionally from way back way way back a male thing it has always been a male thing exclusively a male thing and as long as it continues in anywhere near its current form it will always be purely a male thing it is the way it's always been and the way it should always be they're lining up now so prob one

minute the Brethren remain standing what the worship Master women may be excluded from this ancient Boys Club but that doesn't mean they're ignored Freemasonry and Free Masons do hold our ladies in very high regard and every Lodge every year generally has a ladies night a big ball a big event to thank Our Ladies very especially for letting us out because we want to be let out again next next month how many of these we got today we got the last two we have 98 as top man in his lodge it's Dean's Responsibility to organize this

year's event assisted by his wife Mitch three course meal wine a gift and you get treated like a lady for one night just one night any more than that too many nights on the L's night evening is a tradition that the woral master is called president for the evening m is then the first lady or the uh the uh the president's bird as president's bird wrapping gifts for the lady guests is not Mitch's only Contribution a traditional part of the ladi's evening is that there's a toast to the ladies from one of the Brethren of

the lodge thanking them for everything they do and then the lady of the night will give a return of speech in thanks it's a situation that I've been put in that I haven't chosen myself so Dean is a master and my view of it was is he's a master why am I having to stand and do a speech I don't like speeches I don't like being sent of Attention and it's the fact that everybody's going to be looking at you and you have to say something you got to kiss all these women as it's the

ladies night to say hello not all of them necessarily 98 women I suppose I can cope the things I have to do when he got into it I was told he would just be out a couple of times a month and then he really got into it and now he's a member of like five lodges and he really likes it but in the week it's good for him if He's worked hard then he can go out and play hard with the um doing the Masons women can become Freemasons with two grand Lodges of their own

and they still call each other brother Freemasonry has traditionally been male only but in the 18th century A lady called Elizabeth Alworth managed to surreptitiously go into a lodge meeting and to keep the secrets secret they made her a [Music] Mason okay with [Music] that short T short T short in Bedford worshipful master Dean o Connell is preparing to host the Russell lodges annnual Masonic ladies night in a local hotel this goes with that for the steward where his wife Mitch as first lady is expected to deliver a thank you speech on behalf of all

the female guests I need a drink I think I need a drink just to calm me just to chill me Mitch has been exceedingly nervous not sleeping particularly well and stressing about it an awful lot oh cheers to you good night how you feeling about all tonight anyway I'm not going to be able to eat properly the fact there's only six on the table now which means I'll feel even more like exposed but doesn't it feel like it's good that we're all there supporting you and that you're not in a room full of strangers or

would no it be better i' Would be better really yeah I think I would be better because it wouldn't matter if I do it wrong nobody's going to know if you've done it wrong anyway when I said it first I cried oh bless you and I know I'm going to cry I am hugely supportive as much as I can be she might not think so but in my own way I'm hugely supportive I say it'll be fine a lot you'll be absolutely fine white eyes you look fabulous darling look fabulous bald Hair look come on

chip chop CH go I've got to get my bag darling waiting for your lady to get ready is always something that Demands a huge amount of patience I'm sorry I've got to do my lipsit before we go down again sorry come on I can't it is it is the nerve-wracking moment it is the last the last preparation before then making your way downstairs and presenting yourself in front of everyone I think I need a we I'm really sorry I can't help It if I need a we I'm probably better to go for a we now

yeah go for we now so it's it's it's is quite a nerve-wracking moment I don't know if I want to go yet it's time we go going a c my eyes look really red they're fine gentlemen and Brethren please remain standing to receive the president accompaning his beautiful lady for men like Dean bitten by the Freemasonry bug it can be an addictive and timec Consuming hobby smile smile like you enjoy yourself ladies nights are a rare opportunity for wives and partners to join the fun I think most of the wives and partners of Masons once

they get to understand that little bit about what goes on would um rather boil their eyeballs than actually have anything to do with it call you princess or queen Mitch I don't know just call me anything I'm Petrified to me it's not an interest but the social side and their brotherly get togethers are something special I think I think for them they do take it very very seriously I know that and and I think they also um from the people I've spoken to including my husband they find it quite emotional it's strange the the things

not the things they do but the like the penny in my mind it's a little bit weird but not so weird that I kind of think please don't do that I like Supporting him and I like the social side of it but I'm not interested in what goes on behind the acon the toast is the ladies the ladies with the meal and the formalities and the traditional Mason's Song to the ladies out of the way I'm a Mason's wife get me out of here it's time for Mitch to deliver Her speech ladies gentlemen and Brethren

I now claim a reply from our lady Mitch oon a thank you on behalf of all the Ladies in the form of a poem [Applause] hello okay standing here in front of you is really terrifying something I've got to get through um although I really feel like crying but my fears I'll put aside to say I appreciate you being encouraging and supportive I'm just not sure about your singing so thank you Ben for your speech on behalf of all the ladies but if you really want to thank us buy us all a new Mercedes well

done well done you did it I did it so has Mitch's Masonic Adventure given her a taste for joining up thanks guys no I'm quite happy I'm not got this yearning to go and be a Freemason no i' not no and I'm not even the sort that we'll want to know and find out about it either it's a boys club basically it's an excuse for group of men to get Together and do a few masoni ritual funny handshake things and have a drink and a tat and go out quite a lot women May struggle to

see the appeal of Freemasonry but it clearly holds a Fascination for many men I enjoy all sides of Freemasonry uh the ceremonies the work we do in the community all of it I I enjoy freemasony totally I enjoyed dressing up I enjoy learning rituals I love stories I love Heritage I Love history so all of the rituals that we do which are like little plays I love them the skuret points that straight and undeviating line of conduct laid down for our pursuit in the volume of the Sacred law in general most Freemasons meetings wouldn't get

a ba nomination the pencil teaches us that words and actions are observed and recorded by the almighty architect to whom we must give an account of our conduct through why it's a bit like brain training but when You do get it right there is a sense of achievement the compasses remind us of his unerring and impartial Justice who having defined for us the limits of Good and Evil will reward or punish as we have obeyed or disregarded his Divine commands there are suddenly logic where people really take pride in you in learning a pece inside

out and delivering it like a kind of miniature performance [Music] Perhaps surprisingly performing ritual is part of the attraction for many Masons Chaz Elliot a former actor and theater producer is worshipful master of a lodge that's famous for giving particularly good ritual Master are right Chelsea Lodge is an entertainment Lodge it was founded in 1905 by a group of entertainers past members include Bob monk house dick Emory and Peter cers in this Lodge putting on a good show is a Matter of Professional Pride the criteria for membership is that they make their living from the

entertainment industry we've got Comedians and ventriloquists musicians so we know what is expected if one is to give a a good performance well welcome and members of Chelsea Lodge are expected to give a good performance with masons from across the country booking in advance to attend their Lodge meetings the success of Chelsea comes From having lots of visitors we literally have Coach parties how are you here I think they're star spotters yeah I don't think they come to see me current Stars they do come to spot include ventriloquist Roger dorsi not forgetting Nookie bear are

you both good at learning your ritual yes I'm uh brilliant brilliant yeah can't do these we're both brilliant no and 7s progue rocker Rick Wakeman some Lodges Of course are very strict you have to Chelsea you're expected to learn it and not just say it you're expected to understand it project it and act it unlike most lodges Chelsea meets once a week to hone their performance skills in what's known as a lodge of instruction today they're rehearsing a second degree ceremony for one of their younger members Jonathan Chandra Pandy jc1 is his stage name uh

I understand That Jonathan is a a rapper and a beatbox artist uh he speaks uh fluent French and and is apparently well known in France so whoever said variety is dead is wrong cuz it's alive and well and living at Chelsea Lodge brother Jonathan where were you first prepared to be made a Freemason in a convenient room ad joining the lodge I don't think so it's very difficult cuz it doesn't rhyme and it ain't got a beat I Can't Rap it where were you first prepared to be made a Freemason in a convenient room ad

joining the so yeah it puts your brain in a different perspective you have to start using other bits of the old gray matter with just days to go before the ceremony and an audience of more than 200 expected it's down to chance to make sure everything runs smoothly the pressure is on the Worshipful master whoever it is um and I think yeah the master has to take the lead it's the swan syndrome uh yeah so you have to Glide elegantly on top of the water uh and padal like mad underneath to make sure everything's going

fine the date on the paper is night the 14th of January 1966 and it was great fortunately CH has Decades of sh's experience to call upon that's me aged about 19 I think I've been butlin's red coat been a blue Coat a green coat uh I then worked uh on a cruise line as entertainment officer that was the first pan M I was ever in that's great isn't it I think the entertainment business is really is just so absorbing and it's just it becomes people become passionate about the business we've got that in common in

Chelsea Freemasonry and a business that we all love we have those conversations all the time like uh funny old men around putting the world to rights and Particularly the entertainment business we talk about Brotherly Love within Freemasonry and without being too sentimental about that there is a a bond and that's that's very special I work in Show Business um I do kiss men and I kiss men at lodge meetings uh and they kiss me and it's and it's lovely Show Business Freemasons includes Rick waitan Joe pescar Harry H Corbett Jeremy Beetle and Peter cers I

don't know who these people Are after you've done your three degrees and you're a Master Mason then there's a whole plethora of different degrees you can join their side orders so-called side orders include Rose qual Royal Arch Mark Mariner Knights Templar Mark Masons Knights of the Scarlet C [Music] Masonic side orders exist for those who just can't get enough Freemasonry the master Mason's apron worshipful master Chaz Elliot completed The first three degrees or steps of craft masonry nearly 40 years ago but was still hungry for more what's known as the fourth step is into Royal

Arch or chapter and then you doing another degree and that's called The Mark degree and then we have a colorful apron for Royal art Mariners there's one other degree that I'm interested in so I hope I yeah keep In good health to be able to uh continue the journey I think a lot of Masons after they've done their third degree don't want it to stop there they want to find out what comes next there's a massive world of Freemasonry a massive world of different degrees all telling different stories all got different meanings we tend to

call them side orders which does bring up images of um onion rings but sometimes if you go to Too many orders in a week sometimes you do forget which one you're in and you get it all wrong I think it's quite easy to become a semi-professional Freemason if you're not care to find that your your calendar is just full of masonic meetings every degree in Freemasonry helps you understand Freemasonry a bit more and every single degree has a lesson which you can apply to in life I'm Royal Arch I'm also um Rose qua which is

a wonderful order yeah Prince Of the East and West you can call me Prince not like Prince the singer real Prince [Music] with its numerous side orders Freemasonry is an extraordinarily intricate story with a moral message some impressive sounding ranks and a variety of colorful outfits but for many Outsiders that's not enough to explain masonry's enduring popularity sir David woodon one of Freemason rulers is in five different orders there is a perception that masonry has an element of self-interest in IT stand second assistant Grand SOA people think masonry is an exclusive club and the advantages

are ped around to the advantage of the members and to the disadvantage of uh other people and uh uh in my experience that is uh not the case Grand scribes Ezra we are told in the rules you do not Misuse business purposes for personal advantage or Masonic uh connections and from what I've seen of the Masonic disciplinary process it is very strict in all organizations there are those who break the rules listeners uh accountants architects people will always think there's something going on behind the closed doors but by large people don't become Masons for reasons

of self-interest and If they did they're going to be [Music] disappointed do you get back scratched no if that was the case I wouldn't have any points on my driving license rather than rather than those it's it's another one of those great Urban myths I've never had a business conversation in masonry it would be far too boring to be fair when you've worked for 10 hours or longer um the very least thing you want to do is explain your own business to Your Chums you're not going to get any money from it you're not going

to get a better standard of living a better mortgage rate you know you're really not there's no Financial benefit of joining free Maj in fact it can be quite expensive has he ever scratched your back not at all the hand goes inside yes but Freemasonry does look after its own in more transparent ways through Masonic [Music] Charities the pipes the pipes are Call in Swansea local Undertaker Matthew Sims has reaped the rewards of a system established hundreds of years ago as a pre- welfare state saf detet for Masons and their families the music was actually

quite recent I did my master's degree in 2012 and 2013 um with financial assistance from uh the Royal Masonic trust for girls and boys and without their assistance I just wouldn't have been able to afford to to Go and obtain a degree which was something that I always wanted to do in sunshine or in Shadow not everybody gets to to graduate with with a master's degree you know but but I still want to I still want to give something back I still still have a great deal of gratitude Matthew love you to hello hello Matthew

you Matthew's desire to give something back to masonry is about to come to fruition we need 147 people in total including the Das for More than 18 months he's been working to set up a brand new Lodge are there any ones with taller Bo for the purpose of my OCD all members of the new Lodge will share Matthew's passion for music and the official consecration ceremony is less than 24 hours away these are quite important people so we decided to reserve them a seat and it helps the uh director of Ceremonies who's going to be

bringing The people in it just helps them to be able to identify where they need to be seated you see we don't need this working alongside Matthew is provincial and director of Ceremonies worshipful brother Peter Jones can you put one in the back over there a consecration is like a birth and that's what we're looking forward to now with the music Lodge oh no no no not a big one no you need a small one just a small one yeah it's it's a job I love oh I know what We're missing we're missing the three

here I I can't even say it's a hobby because I don't think that's right it it it's not just a hobby it's more than a hobby but we can finish the row off and we we can put a couple more in there pet the perfectionist it's like being director of a play really you know you have to look at the ceremony then you have to work out exactly how it's going to work these are the new collars of the officers new officers of the lodge And we didn't have anything to hang these uh on and

I thought it would be appropriate if I brought a music stand along which does the job and sinks to the ground as a founder of uh of the lodge um which you don't say very often it's almost like our baby you know so it's important that that it goes correctly and go smoothly that we can consecrate the music Lodge with a bang how smoothly the ceremony goes will depend largely on Peter so we're all ready now yeah for the morning we need is people as the Director of Ceremonies you're here to direct the ceremony to

direct the thespian element of it you talk to everyone and make sure that they're absolutely sure in what they're doing look are you okay with your bit now are you are you happy the way we're processing in are you happy with that and then I panic just a little bit you know sort of to make sure that I've done Everything [Music] let's go for a pain I think music can help us an awful lot to understand how masonry works the words that are in the ritual for me work a little bit like their music when

you see ritual delivered well you know that somebody has really spent a long time going going past just knowing the the notes to knowing the music if the ritual is performed well then I I think you do Get the message that is contained within the ritual over far better if it's just monotone then people do tend to go to sleep I think all Masons are very secret actors at heart definitely definitely when I was first started as a Mason I I was just so impressed by looking at people from all different walks of life that

was smashing this ritual there are lodges out there which are ritual Superstars yes that definitely want to make me you want to Go and see them [Music] yeah at Freemason Hall the ritual superstars of Chelsea Lodge led by worshipful master Chaz Elliot are preparing for curtain up always have to carry one of these with you do I get nervous before Lodge meetings yes I do but I think performers know if you're not nervous you're not going to do a good job so fear is only bad when it shows You see me sweating there I'm sure

we'll be fine we got over 200 people here so and everyone's been quite excited um and I haven't had a moment to go and stand in the corner and M the whole Ser me to myself I'm sure it' be fine but the wonderful R de is going to be on my left is our chap B and you're going to help me aren't you R oh no got new shoes shoes my mom bought me for my birthday Topping the bill at today's ceremony is beatbox artiste Jonathan Chandra Pandy formerly the world's fastest rapper there's a few

people in there who are opera singers drummers they've smel the grease paint they know what the lights are like they know what the RO the crowd is so you're not that special you are just another [Music] brother with it Show's Brethren meetings at Chelsea are a little different from a Run of the- Mill Lodge rever [Music] Showtime here they really do put on a show for their guests what Master is it your desire and wish that we can now speak with a comedic tongue it's what I live for Fred because we have several professional comedians

as members um they can't wait to jump to their feet to fill a pregnant pools there's a very good Christmas present it's a SAT now for the over 70s Lads cuz it tell you where to go and how to get there and when you get there it also tells you why you went Tesco now do this new dating agency so I've put my mom on it uh but sadly uh nobody really wants a bag for Life bless me mother she loves that gag she really does once the laughters subsided the serious Masonic business can begin

the myth that Freemasons ride goats into the lodge has never been true But still survives as a way for Freemasons to wind up their initia the rituals in Freemasonry are intended to be a shared experience which strengthened the bonds of oh I'm really sorry I'm having such a shocker for many members performing ritual is the most enjoyable part of Freemasonry and the Showbiz Masons of Chelsea Lodge led by worshipful master Chaz Elliot Pride the themselves eles on being among the best Brethren our Brother Jonathan Chandra Pandy is this evening a candidate to be passed from

the first to the second degree when they're about to discover where rapper and beatbox artist brother Jonathan can live up to their high standards Bron Jonathan where were you first prepared to be made a Freemason in the body of a lodge just perfect and regular and when when the sun was at its Meridian in this country Freemasons lodges are Usually held in the evening how do you account for that which at first appears a paradox the sun being at the center of our solar system and the Earth consistently revolving around it on its axis and

Freemasonry being universally spread over the Earth's surface it necessarily follows that the sun must always be at its Meridian with respect to Freemasonry he performed incredibly well it was uh I've never seen a performance like it who are fit and proper persons to be made Freemasons just upright and free men of mature age sound judgment and strict morals I did I he thought we were at the globe I think yeah it was I bless him Brethren those are the usual questions if any brother wishes me to put others I will do so [Music] Brethren uh

I'd now like to uh hand over To our compare Roger Dei with Jonathan safely passed to the second degree it's time for the traditional post meeting social event known as the festive board but this being Chelsea Lodge it's a festive board with a difference a cabaret performed by the members okay good evening hello everybody and hosted by Roger dorsi and nookie there [Applause] um we'll do some Impressions film Impressions film titles film film titles film titles yeah look back in anger no [Music] um for worshipful master Chaz Elliot it's Masonic Heaven I love Chelsea meetings

they're always good I'm not sure my wife be would be very happy when I say this but it it it's like being your own wed theather up T on the people that are suspicious of Freemasonry I honestly believe they're missing a tree you've got that that common Bond and that's that's the great appeal to me all my best friends are Freemasons [Music] all right the public may continue to believe that behind closed doors Freemasons are plotting a new world order and giving each other a leg up the Greasy pole but for Chaz at least it

doesn't appear to be the priority Touch The Sky Touch The Sky Touch The Sky Touch The Sky summer time if the world was R like Freemasonry it would be a far better place uh I don't know where I would be without it I would be a lost soul there are definitely people who joined Freemasonry um for the uh the kind of mystery side the um the side where they think they're sort of Dan Brown style secrets to be found Illuminati devil worshippers but I'll say one thing if you don't understand something how can you judge

it it's a shame that there is a public perception of Freemasonry that it's a kind of Professional Network when it very much isn't what it stands for is a Brotherhood that helps and cares about other people and also at the same time You can have a lot of fun doing it I could go anywhere in the world and visit a lodge and I'm going to meet someone who's just comes from a totally different background with for me but he was initiated we shared that in common it's a wonderful thing I can't wait for you to

join for those who have joined Freemasonry can become much more than a [Music] hobby how are you your name is on the list there John in Cardiff the consecration of the new music Lodge 2 years in the planning is just minutes away okay let's get the show on the road it's time for founding member Matthew Sims chance you you two need to be on the reserved seats and director of Ceremonies Peter Jones to discover if their hard work has paid Off nervous but I'm just we were just wait you know there's nothing nothing worse than

just waiting for the event to happen is it you remember that when we line up down there you leading the back yes all right here we go as they say yeah well sort of [Music] [Applause] I had a feeling of Pride you know um because it's a historic day and you're going to be in uh bringing a lodge into South Wales province which hopefully is going to be in the history books for a long time it went superbly well every every element of it just just flowed um Everybody did their job to Perfection if anybody

had never seen a Consecration and came to see that they would be blown away it was worth every minute every Sleepless hour when I was thinking about it every Rehearsal we had every meeting I had with the team worth every minute so it was [Music] great I was elated and you know that everything went as well as it did this pride and the privilege of being involved in something um so great and you know hopefully the lodge will will go on to succeed for many years I talked to Peter afterwards and he was delighted with

the way things Went mission accomplished and I think a beer or a very large gen toic is is the order of the day now so if you excuse me I think I'll run off into that thank you he certainly earned his jonic yes yeah and several afterwards and at the new music Lodge's first festive board Matthew gets to put his masonically funded singing skills to good use CL Inine are open serenading the newly appointed worshipful [Music] master I've always be indebted to Freemasons I've come from not a rich background and you know a working class

background I supp POS and um I've had assistance from people on the way there's nothing like helping another is making good men better men and there's a number of things we all Take get in different understandings um there's a there's a charity connection but it's really about making a good man a better man and and we are we're all we're all sort of a family of brothers and that's what freem missonary gives you you know it's a universality uh and something that I'm really proud to be involved with and I'd encourage anybody to become a

free [Music] Mas and his to his Health and on and on and on so it be so it be shout out to my brothers through Freemasonry let me on the level I earned three degrees had to kill me cuz they couldn't get my secrets from me so mod it be so mod it be shout out to all my brothers through Freemasonry let's meet on the level I earned three degrees had to kill me cuz they couldn't get my secrets from me [Music] [Music] Freemasonry an ancient fraternity shrouded in mystery with roots stretching back to the

medieval stonemasons its age-old Traditions have remained virtually unchanged for centuries when people hear the word Freemason they think about funny handshakes uh they think about rolled up trouser legs if you do a little bit of Googling it's a cabal of people that are taking over governments And things Freemasonry Secret SEC y secret society 100% now as the Brotherhood celebrates its 300th anniversary the United Grand Lodge of England is allowing the cameras in for the first time to reveal what really goes on behind closed doors right now we you bug her off with unprecedented access we

lift the veil of secrecy to discover what it means to be a modern-day Freemason feeling a bit inadequate so a Lot of fancy aprons a lot of fancy aprons from the regalia my mom might say I look like a complete Wally but you can never please your mom forward Brethren to the lavish ceremonies you will seal that with your lips and ancient rituals you have anything to give in the name of Charity no all of the rituals that we do which are like little plays I love them and of course the unbreakable bonds of Brotherhood

that brother describe it you go why would anyone want To do that but once you're in it you get [Music] it so so what do you know about Freemasons and the French Revolution nothing I have to be quite honest I'm sure we to blame for it anyway no no no for 300 years the United Grand Lodge of England has been freemasonry's governing body from their impressive headquarters At Freemason Hall in central London they manage the brotherhood's 200,000 members and Safeguard its Traditions but Freemasonry is on the decline since the war it's lost around a third

of its membership every year nearly a 100 Masonic lodges close and when they do assistant Grand secretary Tony Raina is responsible for administering the C de well this is the least favorite part of my Job uh I have to cancel the warrants of lodges that have been erased by the Grand Lodge at its courtly communication and they sit on my desk for months so this is a batch which I really should have done in September but um I've been putting it off and putting it off CU I hate it this top one was the royal

warrant holders Lodge and here's the original warrant which dates from 1899 at the time The Grandmaster was in fact the Prince of Wales Albert Edward Who went on to become April the 7th I can imagine that the Prince of Wales had his hand close to here when he put his signature there part of the problem for Freemasonry is its aging membership just 2% of Masons are under 30 and there the deed is [Music] done but Freemasonry is fighting back City investment fund chairman brother James long has spent 38 years in The Brotherhood and climbed the

ranks to become Grand sword Bearer with a seat on the board of general purposes the challenge for us going forward is to show that we we we have something of um attraction to to people of all ages and and certainly um young people are what we need there's tradition there's ritual there's structure um actually a lot of people um are looking for that in their lives they're looking for that element Of of of social guidance they're looking for the camera they're attracted by by uh the way we treat one another and and are encouraged to

treat the rest of the world as a big charitable aspect to it I don't think masonry is a difficult cell even in the age of clubbing or in the age of modern uh virtual activities it's not outdated it's not uncol if either is pretty cool I think it's a preconception that Mostly is only for old people um ambitious sales managers that kind of thing free have fun I'll tell you C I was in my 50s when I came in I'd have loved to have been in my 20s when I came [Music] in part of freemasonry's

battle plan involves targeting students via their specially created University [Music] scheme on the front line is Dr David Staples tonight he's attending his Mother the Apollo in Oxford the Apollo University Lodge is the University Lodge for Oxford University it's the lodge that I was initiated into some 21 years ago um and it has members who are in some way connected with [Music] alord we usually have between 40 and 50 people um as you can see a various variety of uh costumes worn by all and As you see a number of people from all different ages

there certainly enough people I know to make it a a fun promising evening for me former Brothers at the Apollo include Oscar wild cile rhods and Albert Edward Prince of Wales who would later become grandmas Jeffrey how are you nice to see you I wondering where you were oh no I've been sort of lurking lurking about upstairs with J no quite right right looking good Thank very much Jeffrey uh I still remember my interview with you3 years ago absolutely what you say to me um absolutely nothing whatsoever you told me absolutely nothing the Apollo has

been attracting young men into masonry for nearly 200 years and has picked up some unusual Traditions along the way the dress Co for um Apollo is steeped in history uh we will wear black tie um or white And if you are an active officer you will be in court dress uh which involves persuading people that it's a good idea to wear uh stockings and little go with buckles on their shoes well they're not really costumes they're uniforms um so the uniform comes from uh one of the Crown Prince is I think he was Austrian um

or no he could have been Frederick I think his name was um and he basically gave us the rights to wear effectively his Livery Court dress so that's why we All end up in in tights and breaches and uh and why don't you wear Court dress uh because there's a limit how much of a numpty at 41 years old I'm willing to uh willing to look the Apollo has no problems recruiting from Oxford's Bright Young things current membership is in the region of 300 and tonight the lodge will be conducting Ceremonies for five more Brothers

in each degree in Freemasonry uh there's a need to prepare the candidate uh it seems a little bit strange but there is a uh reasons for doing this in this particular case um they are asked to remove amongst other things item amongst other items of clothing they removed their shoes and they put these uh slippers on instead but the uh the nature of the preparation unfortunately um you cannot witness I'm sorry to say you'll be unable to witness the preparation of the candidates [Music] David Staples is vice chairman of freemasonry's University scheme and when it

comes to attracting students into masonry Apollo University Lodge is the Prototype student lodges can't um be too rigid they can't have dinners that go on for hours because people will just get bored of them and they'll go once or twice and they think my God this isn't for me and they'll leave so you have to Make them Lively vibrant interesting and relevant and part of the University scheme committee that's what we do students join Freemasonry because they're looking for something [Applause] different perhaps unsurprisingly persuading undergraduates at less historic universities that Freemasonry is the best use

of their spare time is more of a challenge the man who spent years Meeting that challenge headon in Leicester is worshipful brother Professor Andy green the university scheme is incredibly important to to bring new uh life uh and blood into the fraternity and we see that as a way of being able to uh bring new enthusiasm into the craft Andy's day job is finding a cure for cancer but any spare time is dedicated to Freemasonry and persuading students that it's the best use of their Time and money hi Ryan yeah hi hi yeah nice to

meet you come in it's the first time in Freemason Hall yeah it's not really about A Hard Sell it's just really raising awareness that hey you know we're a Freemasons Lodge and you can come along and enjoy what we enjoy so you're at leester University yes studying physics with space technology wow any man can join the Brotherhood as long as they believe in a Supreme Being and don't have a criminal record what I get out of Free Mason what Paul gets out of free masony may be completely different um but we're all there wanting to

better ourselves and it's it's a it's a real self self-improvement program I guess being Amazon and and learning to be better people in society and in life I think they see it as as escapism from from that that environment of being drunk and going out and doing Pub crawls and and Such with money often an obstacle students are enticed in with reduced fees so our subscription per year uh is £215 there also a provincial Grand Lodge registration fee of £25 and then there's a Grand Lodge fee which will be £31 so there's a oneoff fee

for £1 plus then the subscription of £10 as as a Mason we expect some Mone contribution to our Charities and also then the dining costs okay so we have a dinner um we don't eat for free Unfortunately so a dining meal is generally £24 23 depends on the menu if you want wine on top uh that's generally about5 or six so I think I'm done about done and uh you got anything else to add no you actually cover everything anything else you'd like to ask while you have us at the moment here I think it's

just a case of thr and thinking it over to be honest yeah absolutely one of my roles I think within Freemasonry is enthusing these Young adults to to join masonry and and why wouldn't [Music] they in 1717 four lodges met in the goose and grid iron Pub to form the first Grand Lodge of England interestingly the guillotine was named after Dr Guillotine who was a Freemason [Music] at Freemasons Hall in central London they're preparing for the biggest day of The Masonic calendar annual investure the Masonic equivalent of the New Year's honors list this ticket only

event will see 1,800 Masons packing the grand Temple where the Grand Master his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent will personally invest those that have been honored with grand rank Grand sword Bearer James long is looking over the letters that will set Masonic Hearts racing it's a great privilege uh To have it's a great honor uh people will feel particularly um pleased tomorrow um when when they get these I've received them in the past and you know you it's something you're you're always rather knocked um uh backwards by it I see somebody from um my

Lodge the Apollo University in Oxford dve Staples he's becoming a deputy Grand uh director of Ceremonies there's only one of those a year to go from being an assistant Grand director of series as David's going to do to a deputy Grand director of series that is [Applause] big so this is my letter which has come from the uh Grand secretary and it's appointed me to this which which is a active role within Grand LOD so how many of those are there cuz it's only Deputy not the actual Grand director yeah I think it's quite unlikely

I will ever be actual Grand director but there are three three deputies well well Done thank you very much thank you very much just I think it is quite difficult to um get excited when you don't really understand but I took you down to signicant no I I took you and my parents I did see lots of people with sticks [Music] do I consider myself a high achiever I suppose I do now but it's taken me a while to get there I have never gone out of my way to in any aspect of my life

to try and get Something that I wasn't entitled to I've never had a huge interest in promotion just for promotion sake um but I have done rather well masonically against the odds and and I have done rather well in my career Brother David Staples was first given Grand rank for his work attracting new members through the university scheme in Leicester Professor Andy green has also had some good news dear s brother I have received the Commands of the most worshipful the grandm his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent to inform you that he proposes to

appoint you to the rank of past assistant Grand standard Bearer in the united Grand Lodge of England and that's signed by the grand secretary Grand rank uh for any Mason is completely high honor and I think receiving it at a young age um I'm still not quite used to to it and and you know I'm still flabbergasted congratulations Join the clan indeed you're now going to find out some the expenses yeah well done thanks Tony yeah you know I'm Still Still shell shock to be honest I didn't smile on your face now didn't expect to

see that in the envelopes on Saturday morning at all drop it on the map yeah well absolutely this cuz it has a square and compass on the front I thinking I don't usually get letters with Square and Compasses on or address to the worful Brother oh yeah yeah yeah good stuff we no doubt see you in April if not see you tonight yeah see you tonight absolutely see you later I think it's it's incredibly nice to be recognized for some of the work that I put in not that that's what I've ever done it for

how are you how are you very well thanks congratulations again you got your news frck on tonight no not tonight it's um week on Wednesday I ow everything to masonry I think of who I Am uh and how I am uh in in life be a fantastic evening can't wait yeah well it would be lots of lots of gold for about yeah absolutely yeah yeah good stuff I suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome or me as it's more commonly known um and and that really hit me just after I joined masonry back in 1999 uh and

and there were really dark days I was practically unable to walk um you know I couldn't couldn't get out of bed Um obviously um with that fatigue um then set in depression and you know you have suicidal thoughts and you you're in a really really dark place I think with masonry always being there and being there to support me uh and you know friends phoning me up are you okay can we do anything can we help can we do your shopping can you know you're relying on on people masonry gives you that that that Comfort

um that you can go into a lodge You know exactly what to expect um there's no tension there's no arguments there's you know sort complete enjoyment um which you don't get anywhere else you know either in work or or home life Brother Andy has been honored with grand rank for attracting new blood into masonry through University [Music] lodges back at Freemason HQ they're looking at other options to Inc Membership including the creation of new special interest lodges this is a warrant for a new Lodge the football lodge number 9921 David Richard Lana who will be

the first Master sha Jared wheelen uh Leon Michael Whitfield these will be the first wardens and others they've said we want to um found a new Lodge it has been considered um and this is then the warrant that we will give to that Lodge so it's very important I mean anybody Body in this country can say I'm forming a lodge of Freemasons and and you can but to us you are irregular Freemasons uh this is your uh stamp of approval this shows that you're one of us you really are part of the United Grand Lodge

of England it is a very special thing when a new Lodge uh is born in whatever area and of whatever topic and with whatever idea for the consecration especially as lodges are a Way of encouraging members with a particular interest to group together um so they've not only got the bond of Freemasonry but they've got the bond of it may be classic car ownership it may be that they enjoy the same sport football Lodge all for it maybe we'll have a maybe we have a Mason United three Masons United it that' be quite good would

it really [Music] along with his friend sha wheen the new Specialist Lodge is the brainchild of David Lana Freemason lifelong football fan and father of Liverpool and England star Adam Lana football is an integral part of our community what better way to attract the younger male and what brings people together more than Hobbies with the football lodges official consecration looming David and his team are making their final preparations as you asked we've gone for the new Square en compasses so instead of having the the markings on the the square or the round bit on the

top of the compass we've gone to much more of an absolute pleasure we've looked at how we need to drive Freemasonry into the 21st century if you stand still you die end of virtually everything in the football Lodge will be football themed even the gavels superb is that what you wanted that is absolutely better than I Expected ever that's superb that gra like that yeah is that right and it's yes proper studs as well oh yeah n of the blade stuff mine that table what you do short because otherwise I'll be looking for a new

home tonight it's about bringing Freemasonry to the people they can identify not just with an ordinary gavl that a gavl that's got a a football boot we are a football Lodge if this Doesn't fit the bill what does absolutely So This is Our Song of go Blue is the color football is the game Masons together supporting is our Aim so cheer us on through the Sun and Rain the football lodes our name no no no no footballers Stanley Matthews Dixie Dean we're all football well all sorry Stanley Matthews Dixie D were all Freemasons and Nat

loft house as well and including Nat loft house I never knew that England's World Cup Winning manager Alf Ramsey was a mason so were his successors Joe Mercer Don reevy and Ron [Music] Greenwood let check the gloves jewels open worshipful Brother David Lana is preparing for the biggest day of his 24-year Masonic career right we're there I'll tell you what the most important thing is that there we got 250 black cases in one room people are going To walk out with the wrong case VIP after 18 months of planning his dream of bringing masonry to

the Common Man by founding a football themed Lodge is about to become a reality ready the birth of a new Lodge it doesn't happen every day people always focus on the death of a lodge but we should always focus on new life oh got a lovely sound to him oh sorry guys attended by 200 50 Masons the Ceremony is being held in the conference room of a local hotel transformed for the occasion ultimately as the master everything revolves around what you do and you want the standards to be high I felt under pressure massive pressure

but it's pressure we bring on ourselves to do as well as we can [Music] the consecration of a lodge is a very rare event in masonry few Masons have Seen one but our cameras have been given permission to film this unique spectacle I knew all the the bricks were in place to ensure that the house was built properly but uh you still you still get very nervous of course you do I scatter corn on this Lodge the consecration ceremony is conducted by the highest ranking Mason in the province the provincial Grandmaster as a symbol in

order to Bring the lodge into existence he scatters corn wine and oil of Plenty and abundance these offerings bless and sanctify the new Lodge may the blessings of morality and virtue increase under its orices producing fruit and hundredfold I pour wine on this Lodge as a symbol of joy and cheerfulness very few people have the privilege of being a Consecration member I pour oil on this Lodge as a symbol of peace even fewer people are in the privileged position of being primous master of a lodge that they're passionate about armed with the Lodge's personalized football

David can officially take up his role as Master of the first ever football Lodge brilliantly well done cheers Thanks for your support thank you so much for coming appreciate that congratulations if a Mason doesn't enjoy a consecration there must be something wrong with him there's no doubt about that and now for the enjoyable part we're going to relax let the festive board be built and enjoy ourselves let your hair down a [Music] bit football is the game together supporting is our so cheer Us through the and Rain [Music] the breathing life into the football Lodge

has taken the best part of two [Music] years they think it's all over is and David's hard work has not gone unnoticed by the powers that be at the upcoming annual investure he's to be rewarded with the grand rank of past assistant Grand sword Bearer if somebody said to me in 1992 When I first became a Freemason that in 24 years I'd be a grand officer I would have laughed at them but it's something that just happens to you uh but what I do know is if you get it you've worked hard for it and

you deserve [Music] it Grand rank is one of the highest offices you can attain in Freemasonry you are then a member of Grand Lodge and uh it's a very important position indeed Grand rank is probably something That I went see for quite a few years I'll tell that grand rank isn't sought after by matens because it is very very elusive it's like going swimming every Saturday in the local po but hoping to win an Olympic medal we uh shouldn't be uh perhaps putting too much store by the grand names um even though of course we

respect them very much is there one going there wheen wh e l a n yeah sorry go on [Music] each year only one in 500 Masons will achieve Grand [Music] rank with annual investure fast approaching Dr David Staples the soon to be Deputy Grand director of Ceremonies is attending a meeting at his London Lodge in the city this evening I'm going to the middle sex Lodge which is my main London Lodge I am the Secretary of that Lodge Which is effectively the administrator for it and I joined it about 20 years ago when I came

down from University and it holds a very special place in my [Music] heart this is Brother Staple's first visit to the middle sex since news of his forthcoming elevation was made public I seem to hear of you you seem to be going up the um the magical staircase it's um it's a cross it's it's a cross the DC must be sh it is AC cross but one Of us has to Bear it the middle sex Lodge has an illustrious history stretching back nearly 300 years its Discerning members are movers and shakers in the city and

demand the highest standards Chris Stewart is our um what we call Brother wine so he is somebody who knows a huge amount about wine and he is involved in selecting various things that we drink do you know what we're drinking yes we're drinking a White wine a gra from the bordeau area and then red with main course we are finishing up the remains of our 2008 chatow Bowmont and then we'll be going on to the new Kon Santa which we haven't T tried yet 2009 thank you oh it's got lovely those to it really [Music]

has while the Freemasons get down to work hidden away from crying eyes The Lodges mishan Chef is busy preparing their ceremonial dinner now for the masonics uh they love their food and they like an element of traditional food hence that why we got coava and rice pudding as Lodge secretary it's David's responsibility to make sure the evening runs smoothly it always makes my job just a little bit more interesting when 10 minutes to go you feel go and tell the slightly grumpy Michin starf that There's another three dinners needed but anyway let's see how that

goes it's a responsibility that includes entertaining the assembled Brethren with an after dinner [Music] [Laughter] speech worshipful master brother warden's Brethren speak up this is the part of the evening when we look back on our history there's a lot of history around this Table but for David public speaking hasn't always come naturally and I have this evening the original minute book from 1916 the lodge met at the prince's Hotel German Street on Wednesday the 21st day of March I have grown enormously in confidence since uh since I became a Freemason I was really quite a

shy young thing I think at the age of 17 18 as I was coming out to school um I went up to Oxford never Having really expected to get into Oxford um as I don't think anyone really does um from a very ordinary background to those original Brethren who founded this Lodge in the early days of speculative masonry Brethren our ancient brethren an I will now regularly stand in front of very large meetings having not prepared a huge amount for it and I will speak confidently and reasonably um and hopefully vaguely knowledgeably about What I'm

talking about Freemasonry really has given me that confidence and ability to do [Music] that masonry is about something that happens in you and to you sometimes you are successful in in it sometimes you are very unsuccessful at being the kind of person or Mason that you want to be it's a personal Journey so each and every brother out there has their own interpretation of what they're going Through and what they're experiencing it's a real Brotherhood of people who care about each other and actually care about other people as well for myself I will always be

a Freemason that is the way for most of us that once we join that is it we're AE Mo for life we never [Music] stop stiff colors color studs cufflinks annual investure the biggest event in the Masonic year has arrived and with grand promotion looming David can't Leave anything to chance these are the Implements of object torure that I'm going to have to be wearing for the next two days I'll say thoroughly uncomfortable I think it really is his thing and I'm not really that excited about it cuz I don't really understand it right I'm

off bye-bye little one see you on Friday a big one see you on Friday Friday okay I hope it all goes well fingers crossed see you later [Music] specialist lodges include scouting lodges fly fishing oh God fly is it really a fly fishing lodge don't be having a bubble the present grandmas is R the present grandmas is his Royal Highness the Duke of [Music] Kent the United Grand Lodge of England is making last minute preparations for annual investure the biggest day in the Masonic calendar with the Grand Master presiding everything has to be perfect it's

very exciting to see the Grand Master here uh he comes once a year well the grand LOD he comes once or twice a year it's a great honor for him to place the chains on people and and colors on [Music] them today 1,800 masons from across the province and around the world are Descending on London to attend this golden spectacle 373 of whom will be honored with grand rank representing the province of leerer is Professor Andy green who's being rewarded for taking Freemasonry to the Next Generation it's all come a bit of a reality now

I think you know little bit more real so uh uh I think the nose will kick in probably inside [Music] Will you forgive me I'm going to do it hold on hold on hold on man otherwise you're going to look bad all day okay do yes I've got a spare St don't worry about it right now we you bug Her Off With a Little Help from his brothers Dr David Staples is preparing for his big moment if you put a tiin in that at the bottom that that will not ever come out again great thank

you very much Michael okay so he's done that in about I don't know 3 minutes took me 13 minutes this morning to do it completely [Music] wrong right let's go and get gowned up then let's find a place also attending is football Lodge supro David Lana full of Masons that's the problem put in that apron on uh the start of the annual investure was a very special moment very proud moment for me as well would you mind just um doing my uh for me it's mine up I don't know if Mine's in the right place

I I'll talk to right excuse me man would you just do me uh do the honors thanks very much some of the 90 grand ranks in masonry are purely symbolic and some are considerably grander than others I am the the grand sword Bearer but today I'm actually going to be invested as the deputy president of the board um and therefore I'm actually going to come in wearing my new apron Which is as Deputy president but because I'm going to be carrying the sword in I'm going to wear the sword uh bearer's uh Jewel and collar

um so I'm a bit of doing a bit of crossdressing today but never mind we'll get there [Music] okay while the Brethren take their seats excitement levels are building as the United Grand Lodge of England eagerly awaits the arrival of their grand [Music] Master as the grand procession forms Dr David Staples the new Deputy Grand director of Ceremonies is feeling the heat there are people who have fainted um as Deputy Grand director of Ceremonies and they are legendary now um there are people who've done all sorts of things it is known as doing an X

I do not want doing a Staples to be enter the Masonic Legend of uh of things which go wrong [Music] Despite our unprecedented access out of respect for the Grand Master this ceremony will remain behind closed doors the grandmas is a big deal obviously um he's somebody that especially Us in the provinces um won't ever have seen at any kind of event the Grand Master is J Ken isn't it is that right I don't know him personally I regret that I hope to run into him at some future stage uh I think he's been Doing

a spiffing job the Grand Master well actually I know I know him quite I know him quite well um the uh dear old Michael uh I shouldn't call him Michael sorry have very much hope that um uh The Grandmaster will continue in this function and in fact that he has a good succession plan as well if the time ever comes [Music] [Music] I managed to get through today without either dropping the stick falling over fainting or saying the wrong words so yeah that's [Music] good absolutely fantastic experience something uh that will stay with me for

the rest of my life um I really take my hat off to his Royal Highness the Kent who stood on his feet for over 2 hours to actually hand deliver those collars fair play to Him immense it was uh absolutely all struck I was up there but happened so quickly and such in a Flash but what a memorable day what a memorable day I'll never forget for 300 years Freemasons have dined together as brothers and tonight is no exception ction this is the grand festival wonderful [Music] Grand no one can predict what the future holds

for the world's oldest fraternity But what is Undisputed is the importance of the Brotherhood to its members yeah masonry is um incredibly special for me and I'm very heartened with the way that we are being really understood by people who AR Masons of of what what we're about what we do and why we enjoy it 300 years five six Generations incredible we've stood the test of time I think the future's bright I really [Music] do if Freemasonry didn't exist in the World would the world notice you know I'm not convinced that it would but it

would certainly have lost something [Applause] so it be so it be shout out to all my brothers through Freemasonry let's meet on the level I earned three degrees had to kill me cuz they couldn't get my secrets from me so it be so it be shout out to all my brothers through Freemasonry let's meet on the level I Earned three degrees had to kill me cuz they couldn't get my secrets from [Music]