Freemasonry: What’s it all about?
A simple ‘mission statement’: “Making good men better”.
The true origins of Freemasonry are lost in time. However, today’s Freemasons are no longer active stonemasons as they once were, particularly during the Middle Ages when many of the great European Cathedrals were being built. In the 17th century, stonemasons’ lodges began to admit men who were not involved with their trade but were attracted by their strict code of morality. Many distinguished men of that time, such as Sir Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin and William Hogarth, became Freemasons. This tradition continued into the 20th century and notable Freemasons include HM George VI, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Malcolm Campbell, Duke of Kent, Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher and Rudyard Kipling.