When the Open University (OU) was founded in 1969, it was along principles that any Freemason would surely applaud. This was a university open to anyone in search of knowledge and self-improvement, an educational establishment with no barriers around class, race or religion.
This pioneering approach has enabled millions of people to obtain qualifications that have transformed lives and broadened minds – among them Cheshire Freemason Mike Steggles, who took an OU degree in earth science for fun. As Mike browsed the online offerings for OU students, he noticed that there were associations covering almost every imaginable leisure pursuit – anything from an amateur radio society to one for yoga lovers. But there was nothing for Freemasons.
While discussing this on a train to London with fellow Freemason Paul Crudge, Omnium Lodge –
the Lodge for the Open University – was born.
‘I told Paul that I was surprised there wasn’t a university Lodge for the OU and wouldn’t it be great to have one,’
says Mike.
‘By the time we got to London we agreed to do it.’
The idea was a showstopper, says Paul, who, with Mike, had been part of the team that founded the University Lodge of Chester, so he had some knowledge of the University Scheme. Following consultation with the Province, an email was sent in 2018 to Freemasons in Cheshire and neighbouring Provinces to gauge interest.
‘We’d done some basic maths based on the number of OU students and realised there must be a large number of existing Freemasons with OU connections,’
says Paul.
‘We were getting hundreds of emails from people just in the north-west who were interested.’
Omnium Lodge – omnium means ‘belonging to all’ – was consecrated in November 2021 at Freemasons’ Hall in Christleton, outside Chester. It attracted Freemasons from across Cheshire, including then Deputy Provincial Grand Master David Dyson, who has just followed Mike into the chair at Omnium Lodge as Worshipful Master and is also Cheshire’s new Provincial Grand Master.
‘I want to see Omnium flourish and become a significant Lodge for the Province and the wider Constitution,’
he says.
‘We know that there is significant potential for the large number of men with connections to the Open University who might wish to swell our numbers, whether as initiates or joining members. I am delighted to be in a position as Worshipful Master to see us harness that potential.’
One of those present was Kishore Balgobin, a Freemason since 1995. Kishore is a nurse and former OU student who completed his degree in sociology and psychology in 1987. He was delighted to see so many fellow Freemasons had hitherto unknown OU connections.
‘I saw an email about the Lodge from the Provincial Grand Lodge asking for founding members and I knew I would find like-minded people,’
he says.
‘I hadn’t met any OU students since I finished my course so when I went to the first meeting, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many Freemasons I knew from other Lodges on the Wirral. I had no idea they were OU graduates. The OU, like Freemasonry, takes people from all walks of life, with no geographical, cultural or religious boundaries. It transcends all prejudice.’
Kishore, who is Omnium Lodge’s Charity Steward, was born in Mauritius before moving to the UK. He believes the OU gave him an educational opportunity that would have been otherwise impossible. It’s this spirit that makes the OU and Freemasonry such a fine fit.
‘I am a big fan of the OU and think that a lot of people doing an OU degree would get a lot out of Freemasonry and a lot of Freemasons would get a lot out of the Open University,’
says Mike.
‘We can bring Freemasonry to OU students and we can bring knowledge and learning to Freemasons.’
Omnium Lodge has initiated its first Freemasons and currently meets twice a year. The plan is to draw numbers not just from among existing Freemasons with OU connections, but to recruit new Freemasons from the OU population, much like any other university Lodge.
One new Freemason is Lewis Chambers, the Lodge’s first candidate. Lewis, an undergraduate of the Open University, was Initiated into Omnium Lodge at an emergency meeting on 29 June 2022. He was due to be Initiated in April, but the Lodge had to postpone the ceremony due to the arrival of his baby daughter the night before. He feels that Omnium Lodge in particular suits his requirements, in that he will be in a community and network of fellow alumni of the Open University. He’s really looking forward to meeting up with other members to discuss mutual Open University topics and experiences.
One in 30 men in the UK has a connection to the OU, offering a vast potential pool of members. Omnium’s founding team has created a Freemasons Club through the online OU student association that they use to raise awareness, recruit new Freemasons and allow Freemasons and OU students located outside the north-west to learn about the new Lodge. Enquiries from female students are also welcomed, with Omnium forging links with the Order of Women Freemasons (OWF) and inviting a representative to pre-consecration founders meetings. This is a Lodge with huge ambitions and the founders have been quick to grasp the potential of aligning with a vast, virtual organisation such as the OU.
‘When you think about that, this is a Lodge that could have thousands of members,’
says Paul.
Mike outlines a long-term plan that would see the Lodge satisfy potential regional demand by travelling to different Provinces rather than be located solely in the north-west. Alternatively, this could be the first in an interconnected family of regional OU Lodges.
Another advantage of being part of the University Scheme network is that interested candidates or existing Freemasons unable to get to Chester for meetings can be directed towards a local Lodge.
‘There are all sorts of possibilities as to what people can do when they get in touch with us,’
says Mike.
‘A lot of OU students are of university age, and we can put them in touch with young people through the University Scheme – especially if they are not based in the north-west – and we can point them in the direction of their nearest university Lodge. Once you join the University Scheme family it opens all sorts of doors. The scheme has been going for a while, so there’s a lot of knowledge that we can draw on and adopt.’
The OU pioneered the concept of distance learning, but has its own physical campus for residential courses. Similarly, while most OU student associations started life as virtual organisations, many of them now hold regula in-person meetings. This sets a precedent for Freemasons and bodes well for the future of Omnium Lodge. Mike believes the Lodge is opening a new frontier for Freemasonry, one that might take a more flexible geographical approach to the traditional concept of a local Lodge.
‘We are breaking new ground, there’s no doubt about it,’
says Mike.
‘It won’t be plain sailing, but I am confident we will become very successful as we evolve.’
