When 2024’s final Quarterly Communication takes place at Freemasons’ Hall in December, all eyes will be on Sir David Wootton as he delivers a presentation about community engagement, the final element of the UGLE’s Three Pillar Strategy for modern Freemasonry. This sort of attention isn’t something that will bother Sir David in the slightest. Whether it’s with his professional career in law as a senior partner at Allen & Overy, his political life as the Lord Mayor of London, or his almost 50 years as a Freemason, Sir David has never shirked a spotlight. That’s something he acknowledged when he first became involved in Freemasonry and explains why he has so enjoyed his years in the Craft.
‘I quickly realised that Freemasonry was something that appealed,’ he says. ‘There was an intellectual side to it, but there was also a theatrical side – and I have a theatrical streak.’ That makes Sir David such a good fit for his new role at UGLE, where he has moved from Deputy Grand Master to Second Grand Principal, with the responsibility of raising the profile of the Royal Arch. ‘There is quite a lot of theatre in Royal Arch ceremonies – they are a bit more colourful,’ he says. ‘The new Strategy for Freemasonry, 2022 and Beyond, talks about “One Journey, One Organisation”, and we want everybody to experience the “wow factor” of Royal Arch. I’ve been telling people that the Royal Arch has all the best parties, and if we can give it more life, we will give the Craft more life.’
Sir David became a Freemason in 1975, joining Argonauts Lodge no. 2243 following an introduction from his university rowing coach. He had gone to Cambridge after leaving grammar school in his home city of Bradford and then pursued a legal career in London, where he specialised in transaction law. That involved long, unpredictable hours which, combined with family responsibilities, meant Sir David’s Freemasonry was confined to his mother Lodge until 1984, when he joined his first Chapter. Indeed, Sir David was such a low-key Freemason that he only came to the attention of UGLE after his time as Lord Mayor of London saw him enrolled in Guildhall Lodge, the traditional Lodge for Lord Mayors. That ceremony involved a Ruler, and it wasn’t long before Sir David was invited to join UGLE as Assistant Grand Master and then Deputy Grand Master.
While Sir David loves the theatrical side of Freemasonry, he also relishes the history and the camaraderie. The intellectual aspect of Freemasonry is another draw, with the careful wording of the ritual appealing to his legal brain. ‘It all means something and it has all come from somewhere,’ he says. ‘I always tell new Exaltees that nothing in the ritual is there by chance.’ That legal brain, and his vast experience at the top of the business world, has been of huge benefit to UGLE over the past 12 years, and the fact such a substantial figure has been appointed Second Grand Principal emphasises the importance of the Royal Arch under the new Strategy.
‘In the past, moving me across from Deputy Grand Master might have been seen as a demotion, but it is now a sign from senior leadership that they are taking the new Strategy seriously. We can’t just say we will do things: we have to do them and be seen to do them.’
As well as helping to raise the profile of the Royal Arch, clarify Royal Arch ritual and improve communication between the Board of General Purposes and the Committee of General Purposes, Sir David has been tasked with solidifying the Third Pillar of the Strategy for Freemasonry, 2022 and Beyond, which concerns Community Engagement. This is another area that appeals to Sir David’s passions.
‘When we launched the 2022 Strategy document, we deliberately changed the word “Charity” to “Service” because we wanted to emphasise that this is about more than financial donations – although that is very important: it’s about donating time and skill to local issues,’ says Sir David. ‘We have a huge untapped reservoir of people with great skills, and we have members who are hugely attracted by the philanthropic side, but don’t necessarily know how or where they can direct help. That’s particularly true of younger people. Freemasonry provides an excellent way for young people to get involved when they wake up one day and decide to do something good, but don’t know where to go.’
As the phrase ‘community engagement’ suggests, much of this service happens locally and Sir David argues that for all the importance of Grand Lodge, the ‘real driver’ of Freemasonry is what happens on the ground in Provinces and Districts. That’s the thread that connects Sir David’s work on the Third Pillar and his role promoting the Royal Arch – both require him to get around the country to meet Freemasons in their home territory, something he genuinely relishes. ‘The essence of Freemasonry is bottom up,’ he says. ‘And members tell us that they get the most out of what is being done locally,’ he says.
Sir David’s Third Pillar review is designed to help Lodges and Freemasons who wish to support their communities by highlighting best practice and identifying the most effective approaches to volunteering and charity. This will allow members to engage in work that raises the profile of Freemasonry while making Freemasonry more meaningful for existing members, attracting new members and helping the local community.
‘A lot of our members do this already with Freemasonry or through other organisations, and we don’t claim that contribution as our own, nor do we wish to interfere with it. But we do want to draw attention to it and tell Freemasons how to do things more effectively.
If a Lodge is seeking to do something new, we can help provide advice and guidance. We can share experiences and build a database to evaluate the ideas that bring the most benefit. It’s about sharing experiences, providing the tools and telling people it’s okay to do it. We want to give fellow Freemasons permission and provide encouragement from the top, and we want Freemasons to be more public about the good they are doing.'
