Insights from Diverse Companions in the Craft and Royal Arch.
Companions of different backgrounds, ages and levels of experience provide insights into how membership of the Craft and the Royal Arch enriches their lives.
BEN FITZPATRICK, BEDFORDSHIRE
I was initially pulled to Freemasonry by the mystery and history of the Craft, the ancient ceremonies conducted to hone you to become a better man. This has stuck with me. The ritual and the meaning behind each piece, when you fully understand, is nothing short of awe inspiring. It has led me to become a better person and to consider things that I would not have before. Becoming Master of my Lodge has brought a different level of understanding to my Freemasonry, as has the Royal Arch, whose story adds a huge depth and wealth of knowledge to my Masonic journey. I live a very busy life, but during a meeting I feel like I am in an oasis where the outside world and the pressures of life are left at the door and a level of tranquility and unadulterated enjoyment can ensue.
MICHAEL HINTON, CAMBRIDGESHIRE
I enjoy the history and traditions of Freemasonry. The formality and dignity of ceremonies and the Festive Board of any Lodge or Chapter meeting are balanced by friendships, new and old, as well as the feeling of working as a team. My Lodge was consecrated in 1754, so I am very aware that I am following in the footsteps of so many other members. I particularly enjoy the ritual – I have always enjoyed the words and use of language, the intricate phrasing and the rhythm of a well-delivered ceremony. There is a lot to learn from the stories told in our ceremonies, especially the Installation, which encourages us to improve ourselves and to think about others. Freemasonry has taught me about teamwork, presentation skills, time management and tolerance. I am fortunate to have made so many new friends and companions and I try to maintain the standards I have been taught by them.
ROBERT J STEER, CAMBRIDGESHIRE
I like the companionship, making new friends for life, the confidence it has given me to be able to stand up and recite ritual and, after dining, speaking at the Festive Board, which I could never do before joining Freemasonry. I also enjoy the language we use, especially in the Royal Arch, and learning the ritual
JON WEST, CAMBRIDGESHIRE
I joined the Craft for the mystery and to share something new with my proposer, my father. As my interests and perspectives change, I can always find another aspect of Freemasonry to enjoy and another piece of ritual to unfold and see how it relates to my daily life. The Royal Arch has not only widened the circle of my Masonic friends, but has also allowed me a glimpse of the final destination of my Masonic journey, the resolution of the story that started at my Initiation.
MORGAN TYE, HAMPSHIRE & IOW
Freemasonry has become an important part of my life, enabling me to meet some inspirational people from all walks of life. Since joining the Royal Arch, I have had the opportunity to further extend the friendship, guidance and support I receive from members and Companions. I had heard about Freemasonry, of course, but when I looked more closely, I discovered an organisation whose aim was to make the world a better place – a unique concept and something I wanted to be a part of. Since becoming a member, I have found Freemasonry has far more to offer than I could ever have imagined. The Royal Arch has only cemented that opinion and taught me additional invaluable lessons. I would recommend the Royal Arch to any Master Mason as it has enriched my Masonic journey and enhanced my enjoyment.
CHARLTON KRENTZ, ISLE OF MAN
For me, Freemasonry is a peculiar mix of rewarding challenges and opportunities, social interactions and personal fulfilment. Although I find these benefits elsewhere in life, they seldom come together in the same way as they do in my Lodge or Chapter. As a small business owner, I find much of my time consumed by work. Too much frivolous socialising and enjoyment is therefore often met with a gentle whisper from my inner voice: ‘There is work to be done.’ With Freemasonry, however, this voice is not only silenced, it is replaced with a genuine sense of productivity, all while enjoying the company of friends both old and new. Indeed, Freemasonry is often seen as a social club, and while the social aspect is hugely important – it certainly is to me – it is only one component of a far bigger picture. I well remember the daunting prospect of being given my first bits of ritual to learn and how I could physically feel myself shake as I stumbled through an arrangement of words of which I could make little sense at the time. As I looked around at all those in their impressive regalia, reciting huge pieces of complex English arrangements, I could scarcely imagine how I would ever be able to learn, let alone understand, even a fraction of these texts. Fast forward multiple years and these seemingly impossible pieces of ritual, which had once filled me with dread and trepidation, had now been accomplished – although certainly not mastered. Their meaning had slowly become clearer to me with each recital. The beauty of Freemasonry is that we all realise how much work it can take. In turn, we reward each other in friendship and fraternity when we see that the effort has been made. It is the dedication, the perseverance and the ability to get over one’s inner barriers that ultimately lead to reward. For me, this practical lesson has been a genuine gift.
ALAN SPARHAM, NORTHAMPTS & HUNTINGDONSHIRE
I have been a Freemason for 13 years and enjoy the camaraderie. Every single day, I enjoy giving and I genuinely never expect anything back. I appreciate the greater family ties between my brother and my two sons since they became Freemasons. Being both a Craft Mason and a Royal Arch Companion, I enjoy meeting the diverse range of members and Companions with a common goal. Selfishly, I enjoy the better person Freemasonry has made me, along with everyone being accepted for what they are without the need for pretence or status. As a teacher, I enjoy bringing that to Freemasonry and helping others to achieve.
KEVIN FOREMAN, NORTHAMPTS & HUNTINGDONSHIRE
Initially, I was attracted to Freemasonry by an interest in the history of such ideas as the Holy Grail and King Solomon’s Temple, and believed that Freemasonry would be a way to learn more. After joining, I quickly developed a love for learning and performing the ritual and got a real buzz from taking office in Lodge. Soon after, I took an interest in the Royal Arch, looking for the next stage in my journey. My Exaltation was a wonderful occasion, literally a wow moment when being restored to light. The colour and drama in the Exaltation Ceremony continues to excite me and I feel honoured to have completed the journey through the three Principals’ chairs. Additionally, as Chapters source their members from various Craft Lodges, this has increased my circle of friends. My enthusiasm for the order has never waned over the past 20 years.
CONNOR GOSLING, BEDFORDSHIRE
The thing I love most about Freemasonry is the brotherhood we share. No matter which Lodge I visit, there is never a struggle to strike up a conversation with another member. Taking the next step in my Masonic career into the Royal Arch has opened a whole new world to me. I’ve met new Companions and visited their Lodges and Chapters. Joining the Royal Arch has not only expanded my Masonic career but has also allowed me to make new friends, not only within my own Province, but in the surrounding Provinces, too.
STEVE BYRNE, GUERNSEY & ALDERNEY
I joined Mariners Chapter No. 168 in May 2019 in the Province of Guernsey and Alderney. It was made extra special as my stepfather, Excellent Companion Bryan Waddell, visited from the Province of South Wales to see my Exaltation. We all have our own journey in Freemasonry and many will say that the Royal Arch is the next step. No matter how long you have been in Freemasonry, it is without doubt a wonderful progression and inspiration in many ways – but until you join you will not know. It is important to seriously consider which Chapter to join and, when you take this step, your Masonic connections will grow, which results in many new friends overnight. The ceremony is wonderful and as I progress through the offices, each meeting is followed by an excellent evening at the Festive Board with good friends, great company and fabulous food.
ANDREW JENNINGS, YORKSHIRE NORTH & EAST RIDINGS
The principles of decency, integrity, honesty, and friendship have been shared both in my role as a family co-ordinator and as a Freemason. We have a responsibility to care for and support others in times of need, and to share positive relationships with our peers and anyone else we may come into contact with. I joined the Freemasons to be a part of this ethos – to share some of my spare time with like-minded people in an environment where I was surrounded by friends who I could trust – and with whom I could enjoy socialising. My membership of Constitutional Lodge No. 294 and, ultimately, Constitutional Chapter, has enabled me to discover that I can be a part of a significant history. My Royal Arch Freemasonry has given me an additional and invaluable insight into the true meaning of Freemasonry and an opportunity to learn from my Companions in the knowledge that I may one day pass on my knowledge to others.
CARL BASSO, CUMBERLAND & WESTMORLAND
Being an armed forces veteran, I enjoy Freemasonry because it has given me a sense of purpose and belonging. Since joining in March 2018, I have embarked on a journey that has consisted of four elements – from being initiated, passed, raised and ultimately exalted into the Royal Arch. In a short space of time, I have progressed from Steward to Principal Sojourner, Scribe N and now occupy the office of Joshua. I’m very much looking forward to 2025 when I will be installed into the Chair of Zerubbabel. I enjoy the camaraderie that Freemasonry offers. I’ve met some fantastic people across the Province of Cumberland & Westmorland whom I now call friends. I enjoy learning new skills, such as rituals, taking part in the ceremonies we perform, public speaking at our Festive Boards and, most importantly, charity. It’s amazing that we can help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
WILL LAMBARTH, SUFFOLK
Initially, I enjoyed Freemasonry as a connection to my late grandfather. However, as I progressed through the Craft, I realised that my enjoyment also came from the ritual and story of Freemasonry, from the shared experiences with other people and from the friends I had made. The Royal Arch enhanced all of these. The ritual adds additional depth and meaning to my experience in Freemasonry, the story of the Royal Arch completes both the allegorical and historical story began in the Craft. And because of the smaller meeting sizes, you develop even closer friendships with other members. The Royal Arch, like Craft Freemasonry, is rooted in shared experiences that bring members together. On a practical level, the Craft and the Royal Arch offers a space for me to turn off from work – you really can’t think of anything else when you’re taking part in the ritual.
DAVID TURTON, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
I love the challenge offered by long pieces of ritual – and the afterglow if all goes well. I love being a fourth generation Freemason, and I am proud to have two great grandfathers who were Freemasons. I love the history that underlies Masonic Ritual. Such inquisitiveness has led me to write essays and lectures about things I have researched. I love the ‘shelter from the storm’ that a Masonic meeting can give. Even when at work in the Master’s chair, or as the Director of Ceremonies, I have experienced an innermost calm that only the warmth and affection of a group of Freemasons can create. And, finally, to my latest love. I am loving being a member of the Prince of Wales Royal Arch Chapter No. 951. The Royal Arch was the love of my father’s life and I am now following in his footsteps, albeit much later and in not such grand style. Shortly before his investiture as Most Excellent Grand Superintendent (MEGS), he assisted in my Exaltation into the Chapter of St Mary, Torquay. As I was still making my way in life in Gloucestershire, he said to me, ‘I don’t expect that you will be able to do much in Chapter for some time, but I am sure you will enjoy it when you do.’ I don’t think he envisaged that ‘some time’ would amount to more than 40 years, but I’m sure he would have been thrilled by my Installation as Third Principal of Prince of Wales Chapter this year. I’ve joined a happy band of Companions that are great fun to be with while taking their ritual seriously. My next three years will be a challenge.
