Group News

The following article was published in the Winter 2009 issue of Freemasonry Today.



Pro Grand Master Peter Lowndes told the London Grand Rank Association centenary dinner that Grand Lodge had persuaded Justice Secretary Jack Straw to withdraw his 1998 Ministerial Instruction requiring judges, magistrates and others involved in the criminal justice system, as a condition of accepting appointments and promotions, to declare whether or not they were Freemasons.
Straw’s letter only referred to judges and magistrates, but the Board of General Purposes has gone back to him to ensure that the same instruction no longer applies to the police or the prison and probation services.
Mr Straw’s letter stated that the instruction was being withdrawn as no evidence had been produced to show that a judge or a magistrate being a Freemason had had any affect on their carrying out their judicial roles, therefore the instruction was not proportionate. The reality is that he had no choice to withdraw it.
In the last seven years, the European Court of Human Rights has heard three cases relating to Freemasons in public office or public employment. They have made two very significant rulings from those cases.
First, they ruled that Freemasonry is neither a secret society nor a criminal or illegal organisation. Secondly, they have ruled that in a modern democracy it is discriminatory to require anyone accepting public office or public employment to declare whether or not they are Freemasons.
With that case law as backing, the Board was more than willing to seek a judicial review if Mr. Straw had not withdrawn the instruction. The European Court rulings apply to all public bodies, and the Board has stated that they will be willing to investigate and take forward any cases of such discrimination which are brought to its attention.
Those rulings, again, are cause for quiet celebration. Freemasonry has drawn its strength and much of its leadership from the professions and those in public office. There is no doubt that, because of the Straw Instruction, which was gradually creeping across government departments and local government, many in the professions and public employment were beginning to see membership of Freemasonry and the need to declare it as not being a smart career move. That impression should now dissolve, which can only be good for future membership. In the last ten years openness has done a great deal to turn public perceptions of Freemasonry and in most areas the local media is back to reporting masonic events as interesting local social and charitable news. At national level, we get very little reporting, but the old knee-jerk conspiracy theories have disappeared. The recent Channel 5 television programme resulting from Dan Brown’s latest book was, in general, a balanced programme with very positive views being expressed by Freemasons.
Dan Brown’s novel itself is very positive about Freemasonry. When you consider that it will be read by millions and promotes a positive view, Dan Brown is giving us worldwide good PR that none of us could afford to buy!
Soft PR, like the Dan Brown book, is one of the reasons behind the marketing of this building as a venue for non-masonic events. Those events bring thousands of people into Freemasons’ Hall who would otherwise not come in.
One of our main lines for openness is the Grand Lodge web site, which has been redesigned and very successfully relaunched. It has been deliberately targeted at recruitment of new and younger members and is starting to have an effect.
I understand that a steady stream of enquiries from men under 35 is running and likely to produce good candidates. This, combined with the University Lodges scheme, looks set to produce the quality candidates we need to ensure that Freemasonry has a future.
The days when we could assume that Freemasonry would continue regardless of what happens, are long gone. At both the central and the local level we are beginning to change attitudes and small green shoots of a revival are beginning to appear.
Those we need to foster and build on. We cannot afford to slip back into complacency. We need to be positive about our reemasonry and, above all, to be proud and open about our traditions and history and “the beneficial effects of our ancient institution”.