This speech was given by a member of Imperial College Lodge, who has over fifty years in Freemasonry:

At the time our Worshipful Master asked me if I would deliver a short, maximum of 5 minutes talk on "Freemasonry – Why do we join?" I thought it would be easy.

Knowing our Worshipful Master, I should have known this was not the case and as I started to think about the subject I realised that in the fifty enjoyable years I have spent in the Craft I have never tried to put into words the answer to that most important question.

The R.W. Bro. Tom Jackson – Vice President of the Masonic Restoration Foundation and Secretary of the World Conference of Masonic Lodges - in one of his papers suggested that the principle objective of Freemasonry is "to make good men better".

How do we make good men better? We cannot aim to improve the technical or professional skills of a Brother so what should we be doing?

The answer is, I believe, we should be developing his charitable instincts in the broader sense of the word charity. That is his love and compassion for mankind in general and his Brother Masons in particular. 　

We achieve this in a large part during the ceremony of the three degrees where we remove all the social, political, and religious barriers of the world outside and create an atmosphere of unfettered Brotherly Love. Where he feels that every Brother in the temple is "on his side" and willing him, and the officers involved, through the ceremony whilst they all forgive any small errors that may occur. All they all want is that the candidate experience something he will remember, and can build on, for the rest of his days.

If this is the objective of Freemasonry then we should be joining because we, ourselves, wish to become better men.

If we are fortunate, as I was, we will have met, worked with and become friends with men who exhibited charity in this broader sense of the word 　and for whom we developed a great respect. They were not saints, far from it, but were honest, hardworking, individuals who were always available to provide advice and support when needed without thought as to the personal cost of same. We then discover they had one thing in common – they were Freemasons. This would then provide the best possible incentive for wanting to join the Craft.

Alternatively a Brother might get to know someone whom he thinks would make a good candidate for Freemasonry and raise the subject with him.

The less fortunate are only aware that Freemasonry exists, generally believe it to be a charitable organisation in the financial sense, and possibly a good dining club which they could be interested in joining.

It is the duty of the Brethren to engage with every such possible aspirant and meet and talk with him over an extended period so that he might get a better understanding of what Freemasonry is and the Brethren might decide if he is a suitable candidate. That is he believes in a Supreme Being, is a good man who will fit in with the ethos of the Lodge and has no other ulterior motives.

Freemasonry has always been, and should continue to be, extremely selective. 　Not every aspirant is suitable material.

So Brethren, the answer to "Freemasonry – Why do we join?" - should be because we are good men, who wish to be better.

This, I well realise, may be simplistic and may better be expressed as a wish to become involved with a group of men who demonstrate kindness, understanding and all the other broader aspects of charity to one another, and to mankind in general, and as a result – to use another Masonic expression – "are happy in what they do and communicate happiness".

If you had a chance to ask a number of Freemasons these three questions:

1. What were your reasons for joining Freemasonry?

2. Has Freemasonry met those expectations?

3. What have you got out of Freemasonry, now you’ve joined?

The answers to the first two questions would be pretty standard across the board:

1. What were your reasons for you joining Freemasonry?

The reasons for joining being:

• Friendship, a sense of intrigue about the unknown, a wish to join a Fraternity;
• a wish to become a better person;
• to meet with like minded individual.

Basically it is probably what you as, the reader, are thinking about, when you are contemplating on becoming a Freemason. You can also read a speech given by a member of Imperial College Lodge about this subject by clicking here.

2. Has Freemasonry met those expectations?

This would be a resounding yes and more!

3. What have you got out of Freemasonry, now you’ve joined?

The answer will probably be more complex and unique to the Freemason being asked. The enquirer would be able to build an eclectic view of what Freemasonry means to its members. It shows that Freemasonry offers the opportunity for an individual to become a better person through its history, mysteries, and philosophy. Freemasonry promotes.

• Development of the Individual

There are a number of ways that Freemasonry can help develop an individual; it does depend on the person joining. However once a person is involved they can accomplish many things, which can assist them not only in Freemasonry, but in dealing with situations outside of the Fraternity. These include getting involved in the Lodge management through committee and charity work (this presents the opportunity to develop leadership and organisational skills). The learning of the ritual and participating during the ceremonial, builds self-discipline through commitment, poise and self confidence. It also increases presentation and public speaking skills. All this is done without ridicule or judgement as the individual is amongst friends, all of whom have had the experience of being in a similar position in the past, and their contribution would ultimately be encouragement and advice.

• Sense of Achievement

Participating in the ceremonies is an accomplishment within itself. However there are other Lodge projects in which an individual can get involved in whether they are charitable or social in nature; they provide the opportunity to improve the success of the Lodge and encourage teamwork.

• Friendship

Today the modern work environment has reduced or destroyed the social infrastructure that used to exist between co-workers; joining with like minded individuals in fraternal surroundings can assist in re-balancing that workplace fellowship loss.

• An Escape from the Daily Work Routine

Freemasonry brings together men from differing and diverse backgrounds, where the daily pressures of a career, criticism and the excesses of modern life can be left outside the door and where friendship is the norm.

These attributes are summarised in the tenets, or fundamental principles of Freemasonry: Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth or to give them a more modern meaning: Friendship, Support and Integrity. If these values meet your requirements then Freemasonry would welcome you.

Every candidate for Freemasonry must affirm a belief in a single Supreme Being. This belief is a matter for the individual and Freemasonry recognises each person’s own beliefs. Religion along with politics is NEVER discussed within the Lodge. Each member is free to pursue his religious convictions in a manner best suited to him.

Freemasonry is a fraternal association of men of good will and high values. Our constitution is in the public domain and there are a number of web sites that explain what Freemasonry is about. The secrecy behind the rituals or ceremonies is there to increase and focus the meaning and values of those rituals on to the candidate involved with them (to avoid spoilers). It also means we can identify people who say they are Freemasons but are not.

As a fraternity, Freemasonry provides a chance for men to enjoy a friendly atmosphere away from the hubbub of work. It encourages good will towards all mankind regardless of sex, creed, race etc. It promotes self-improvement and teaches the basic principles of Brotherly Love (Friendship), Relief (Support/Charity) and Truth (Integrity), which Freemasons also carry out in their daily lives.

Freemasonry welcomes men who seek harmony with their fellow man and who wish to take part in making the world a better place to live for everyone.

Contrary to popular belief Freemasons are not allowed to solicit people for membership to the fraternity. Each member has had to make their own decision about joining.

Becoming a Freemason is not something to be taken lightly. It is an ancient fraternity steeped in tradition, ritual and symbolism. A lot of thought should go into making the decision about joining. If you are considering joining Freemasonry, feel free to discuss the matter with family and friends. If you have family or friends who are Masons then talk to them and they will be able to explain what they can about the fraternity. If you do not know any Freemasons you can always contact Imperial College Lodge via the ‘Contact Us' page and someone will be in touch with you.

The next thing is to find a Lodge that you will want to join. You may wish to join one that your family member or friend of which is a member. However if you wish to join a Lodge connected with Imperial College then you have come to the right place.

If you wish to join Imperial College Lodge and you know a member of the Lodge then please speak to them about joining. Otherwise please contact the Lodge via the ‘Contact Us' page and someone from the Lodge will contact you and give you the details about joining.

Arrangements will be made for you to meet a few members informally or you can attend one of our social events and meet some members of the Lodge. If you still wish to join, you will be given an application form to complete, which includes a joining declaration.

You will then in due course meet a committee of Lodge members, prior to being balloted for membership of the Lodge.

All being well, you will then be given a date for your admission.