Becoming a Freemason in Derwent Lodge No. 40

If you are interested in becoming a Freemason then your first step should be to ask yourself if you already know a freemason in your family, among your friends or colleagues. If you do then you should first approach them and have a conversation in which they will be able to explain Freemasonry to you and answer any questions you might have. Following that conversation, and if you are still interested, then they will be able to help you find a suitable local lodge to introduce you to.

Freemasonry is a voluntary organisation and in the first instance you, the would-be new candidate, should be asking to be considered for membership.

Of course, you may not know anyone who is a Freemason, and in which case you should get in touch with us. We will be more than happy to answer any questions you have. The next step is for us to meet you socially to find out more about you, and of course, for you to find out more about us! Should all be well, we will then start the process of moving you towards admission to the Craft.

The first step in the process, and nothing to worry about, is an informal meeting with a committee of Lodge Members at the Masonic Hall, St Leonards on Sea. [map]

Masonic Hall St Leonards on Sea. Derwent Lodge meets here. Pictured in the 1840's

Following a successful interview you will be proposed as a suitable candidate and a ballot of Lodge Members taken. Having passed the ballot you will be admitted to the Lodge at a suitable meeting shortly after.

Derwent Lodge No. 40 is a busy and very active Masonic Lodge. We welcome the opportunity to speak to prospective new applicants. Your next step is to ask us to contact you by emailing us on secretary@derwent40.org.

More for you...

Resources on this website

We have a lot more information on this website for you to read. You can look at our answers in the frequently asked masonic questions page.

Take a look at our History page. Our lodge is a very old one and we are very proud of that! We recently celebrated our 200 year anniversary as you can see below.

We are a very active lodge and are regularly visiting other lodges all over Europe. Take a look at our news feed and take a look at some of the places we have been to over the past year!

There is also a blog of masonic articles of interest and you will find them on the home page of this site.

External Resources

We have a booklet, created by the Province of Sussex Freemasons, that you can either download or read called "Are you thinking of becoming a freemason?". It address many of the questions a non mason will ask prior to contacting us. It addresses what freemasonry is, what we do and to a degree, how we do it!

The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) has an interesting video library recently released that is an introduction to Freemasonry. It features freemasons explaining why they are freemasons and what it is that makes it a rewarding experience. You can watch it by clicking the image below.

The UGLE also produces a magazine which covers the activities of Freemasonry in England and around the world. If you would like to have a look at the current issue, or any of the back issues, they are on-line to read here.

Lastly - we have a local copy of a booklet produced by the UGLE called "What's it all about?" You can download or read it on-line here.

Some Famous Freemasons

and many, many more...