When first contemplating joining Freemasonry I wanted to make sure that what I was joining wasn’t a society that was great in the past but didn’t hold much weight any more and was no longer relevant in today’s world.
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So, I did what most people do in this day and age and Googled as much as I could about the Craft. Of course, the trouble with Googling information is that so much time is wasted disregarding all the nonsense that is out there. Conspiracy theories, and all those who think they know our ways but clearly don’t having never stepped foot inside a Lodge. It really is a minefield of disinformation. I tended to stick to trusted, reliable sources such as The Square Magazine, Freemasonry Today, UGLE and the Provincial website here in the Province of West Lancashire.
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The other thing I did was to read. Reading, just like writing, is a passion of mine. I read only from trusted sources from authors within Freemasonry and I learned so many things about the history of the Craft. I could clearly see that Freemasons are not only still relevant today but they are also very much needed in our society.
One of the things that I love about Freemasonry is that, as Masons, we are in a position to do so much good in the world around us. I actually can’t imagine now a world without Freemasonry in it, what a terrible, lonely world that would be. To think that, here in the UK, we are the second biggest givers to charity behind the National Lottery is simply amazing, especially when you take into consideration that it is only our members who donate and not the general public. That makes me feel very proud to be a Mason. I’m sure you feel the same in your country.
Freemasonry is the oldest fraternal organisation in the world. Just let that statement sink in for a moment. Of all the fraternities that come and go, Freemasonry has withstood the test of time and continues to flourish around the globe. It is the oldest fraternity and steeped in tradition. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling each time you step foot in a Lodge, perform a ritual or raise your glass at a social board to know that what you are doing at that exact moment has been done by millions of men from all walks of life for hundreds of years.
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It is very easy to take this for granted after years in Lodge. We can all too easily just accept that this is how things are done and not give it much thought at all, but if we contemplate just for a moment on the enormity of the situation and think how each brother before us and each brother to come will be doing the exact same thing that we are doing now, you find yourself overcome with a pure sense of belonging. It’s a wonderful feeling. To me that history and that sense of belonging is like a magnet drawing me in to learn more and to do more, to be a part of it all. Each one of us is a part of a chain that started way back in the middle ages and will continue to flourish way in to our future and we all have our parts to play.
With this in mind I realise that my section of life in Freemasonry is short, even if I’m a member for over 50 years, it is still short in respect to the hundreds of years that have gone before me and the hundreds still to come. Therefore, I want to make sure that my years in Freemasonry count and that I do all I possibly can to learn and grow as a Mason and be of as much service to society and all those within it as is humanly possible in the time I am given to do so.
I was recently very honoured to be invited to attend Foundation Lodge 5394, here in the Province of West Lancashire, for a celebration of 50 years in Freemasonry of WBro. Jeffrey Newbrook PPrGSuptWks Master. I’m sure you will all join me in congratulating WBro. Jeffrey. It was a fantastic celebration of 50 years of Jeffrey’s life in Masonry and as I listened to stories of his years of service I was deeply inspired and felt a real sense of the brotherly love that each of the brethen has for Jeffrey.
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The thing I took from this wonderful celebration was that although 50 years is a long time, in the grand scale of life it’s just a blink of an eye. It goes by so quickly. I really want to do as much as I can in the time I have to be of service just as WBro. Jeffrey has been of service in his 50 years and continues to be so.
I also took from the celebration that a Masonic life is not a sprint but rather it is a marathon. Although time goes by in a flash, we must try our best to take our time and enjoy it. We must remember that Freemasonry is our hobby, yes it’s our way of life but it’s a hobby nonetheless. So try as we must to be of service we mustn’t take ourselves too seriously. This is why I love the social board. After all the serious business of our Lodge meetings we can sit as brothers and laugh and chat and let our hair down. Unfortunately, letting my hair down is sadly only a figure of speech these days with my follicly-challenged head!
So, I believe that joining Freemasonry was the best decision I ever made. I believe that Freemasonry is as relevant today as it ever has been and I believe that if we keep working at it, keeping our traditions but moving with the times, Freemasonry will continue to thrive well into the future for new generations of Masons to enjoy. So mote it be!
I’d like to finish this month’s column with a thank you. I have had tremendous feedback from readers of my first column and I am very grateful that you took the time to read it. I very much appreciate your support and I hope that you will continue to stand by me as I write each month.
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It is my ambition to write as if having a conversation with you – brothers having a chat. It is my hope that new and young Masons and those who might be thinking of joining us will gain some insight from my column, and also those who have been in for many years with far more experience than me might enjoy the read and be reminded of what it was like when Freemasonry was all new and exciting to them in the hope that spark might reignite in them. Or, I hope I can simply keep you company for a while as you read my thoughts and views on Freemasonry as we go on this journey together. Whatever your level of experience, newly entered or over 50 years service, I thank you all equally for being with me here in Wayne’s ‘Masonic’ World. We are all in this together.
See you next month brethren!
Article by: Wayne Devlin
Wayne was initiated into Freemasonry in 2019. He is a member of Flixton Lodge No. 4869, West Lancashire. (UGLE).
He lives in Manchester where he is a well known personality through his many years of working in the entertainment industry as an actor, singer and presenter.
Wayne has been a columnist for a Manchester newspaper for over four and half years and he also writes television show formats.
For the past two decades Wayne has raised a vast amount of funds for various charities and community groups. He has received many commendations for his fundraising including those from HRH The Duke of Kent, The Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester.
You can find more about him on his website www.waynedevlin.com
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