{"id":2983,"date":"2024-08-25T10:56:34","date_gmt":"2024-08-25T09:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alwarestoch.co.uk\/?p=2983"},"modified":"2024-09-25T11:08:16","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T10:08:16","slug":"why-i-became-a-mason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwarestoch.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/08\/25\/why-i-became-a-mason\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I became a Freemason"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2983\" class=\"elementor elementor-2983\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70247813 e-flex e-con-boxed wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"70247813\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d3002f7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2d3002f7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" 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elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-31c002e0 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no\" data-id=\"31c002e0\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-17f6c80a\" data-id=\"17f6c80a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2169cdc9 wpr-logo-position-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-wpr-logo\" data-id=\"2169cdc9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"wpr-logo.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpr-logo elementor-clearfix\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<picture class=\"wpr-logo-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/alwarestoch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1746533.gif 1x, https:\/\/alwarestoch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1746533.gif 2x\">\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alwarestoch.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1746533.gif\" alt=\"\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"wpr-logo-url\" rel=\"home\" aria-label=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/alwarestoch.co.uk\/\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"wpr-logo-url\" rel=\"home\" aria-label=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/alwarestoch.co.uk\/\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1bae57ec\" data-id=\"1bae57ec\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a56457d elementor-button-info elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"5a56457d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"#\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Return to News<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-32dea82c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no\" data-id=\"32dea82c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;gradient&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3df309ec\" data-id=\"3df309ec\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ae20447 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1ae20447\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Alwarestoch Lodge 7805<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-49b2532d e-flex e-con-boxed wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"49b2532d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ad85983 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5ad85983\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>How I became a Freemason<\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">My first acquaintance with Freemasonry goes back to the end of the second World War in 1945.\u00a0 My elder brother and I were choristers in our local church choir, and we were both asked by one of the senior members of our choir to attend a hall in Woolston to sing carols to some men who were meeting there.\u00a0 I recall all these years later how we were fed well with sausage rolls and other goodies, a real treat in those austere times.\u00a0 We were aware that a meal was going ahead in the nearby hall, and when this was over, we were taken in and duly sang carols to those assembled.\u00a0 It was only later that we realised that these gentlemen were Freemasons.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">I suppose that it was this event that sparked my interest in Freemasonry, but as our current Worshipful Master relates in his article on this website, Freemasonry was kept very secret, no one knew for sure who was a member, and one had to receive an invitation to join.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">It was around 1980 when I was working in the Bitterne area of Southampton, that the subject of Freemasonry came up in a conversation with a colleague.\u00a0 He asked whether I was interested in joining, and when I replied in the affirmative, he stated \u2018I may be able to help you\u2019.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">The following day, my colleague came into my office with a list of names, and enquired whether I knew anyone on that list.\u00a0 There were three or four names who were people familiar to me, and I pointed them out. We then chose one that he felt would be most suitable, and together we went to see this gentleman.\u00a0 As a result, my colleague became my proposer into Freemasonry and the other gentleman kindly seconded my application.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">So it was that I became a Freemason, and incidentally became a member of the same Lodge that my brother and I entertained with our carol singing all of those years previously.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">I enjoyed many very happy years at that Lodge, and became its Worshipful Master in 1994, the same year that I took early retirement.\u00a0 It was only in 2015 that, with advancing age, I found the numerous journeys that I needed to make from my home in Gosport to my Lodge in Woolston were becoming a strain.\u00a0 It was for this reason that I made the decision to transfer my membership to a Lodge in Gosport.\u00a0 To this end I became a joining member of Alwarestoch Lodge, a decision that I am very pleased that I made and I really appreciate the manner in which I have been welcomed by the members of my new Lodge.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">You may wonder what I have gained from Freemasonry.\u00a0 I can honestly tell you now that if that is in respect of advancement at work or any pecuniary advantage, then the answer is \u2018nothing\u2019.\u00a0 But if I look at the many excellent people that I have met through Masonic meetings and events, and also to some extent my outlook on life, the answer is an immeasurable amount.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">It used to be a clich\u00e9 that Freemasons looked after their own.\u00a0 This is correct, but they also donate to numerous non-Masonic charities, often local, but also national.\u00a0 One only has to check the World Wide Web to discover just how much support Freemasonry gives to charity.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">I trust that you have enjoyed reading the \u2018potted history\u2019 of my Masonic career.\u00a0 Can I say to anyone who may be interested in joining, don\u2019t be put off by the thought that you may be required to learn ritual to take part in the ceremony, there is no pressure on anyone to do so.\u00a0 You may be put off by the thought of having to donate more than you can afford to charity, this is never the case.\u00a0 Freemasonry is a fraternity of like-minded men, and it is rightly said that in a Freemason\u2019s Lodge you will never see a stranger, there will only be a friend you have yet to meet.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Gerry Mansell<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2e99ff60 e-flex e-con-boxed wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2e99ff60\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2df50110 elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon elementor-view-default elementor-widget-divider--element-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"2df50110\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon elementor-divider__element\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fab-ethereum\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M311.9 260.8L160 353.6 8 260.8 160 0l151.9 260.8zM160 383.4L8 290.6 160 512l152-221.4-152 92.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-157f2d40 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default wpr-particle-no wpr-jarallax-no wpr-sticky-section-no\" data-id=\"157f2d40\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3520e0c2\" data-id=\"3520e0c2\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-240c8c53 elementor-widget elementor-widget-elementskit-heading\" data-id=\"240c8c53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"elementskit-heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ekit-wid-con\" ><div class=\"ekit-heading elementskit-section-title-wraper text_center   ekit_heading_tablet-   ekit_heading_mobile-text_center\"><p class=\"ekit-heading--title elementskit-section-title \">\u00a92024.Alwarestoch 7805<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3d681ab1\" data-id=\"3d681ab1\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to News Alwarestoch Lodge 7805 How I became a Freemason My first acquaintance with Freemasonry goes back to the end of the second World War in 1945.\u00a0 My elder<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":975,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[12],"class_list":["post-2983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-public","tag-public"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why I became a Freemason - Alwarestoch Lodge 7805<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/alwarestoch.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/08\/25\/why-i-became-a-mason\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why I became a Freemason - Alwarestoch Lodge 7805\" 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