Masonic bikers kickstart revival in ancient secretive society
FOR centuries the Freemasons have been regarded as a secretive society with ancient and arcane initiation ceremonies, whose adherents rarely discuss their membership.
But a surge in enquiries from those seeking initiation into the order is being spearheaded by a very unexpected group – leather-clad bikers.
Their powerful machines and dramatic appearance have helped drive up the number of enquiries about joining from 12,000 in 2020 to 18,000 in 2021.
Visitors to the website of The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) are also up from 65,000 in 2020 to 83,000 in 2021 – a rise of almost 30 per cent.
The Widows Sons Masonic Bikers Association (WSMBA) said: “Our chapters have helped to increase Masonic membership through our presence and visibility during public motorcycle events and rallies.”
There are nearly a dozen motorbike lodges, which support charitable causes and raise awareness among other bikers.
These include the Mike Hailwood Lodge in Warwickshire, named after the motorcyclist and racing car driver; the Freewheelers Lodge in Lincolnshire and the Chevaliers de Fer in Leicestershire. Their initiatives included distributing food during Covid.
The motorcycling masons point out that although they wear patches and other regalia on their leathers they are not biker gangs. “They are bound by the Masonic Book of Constitutions and are expected to represent the fraternity positively at all times,” said the UGLE, the governing Masonic lodge for most freemasons in the country.
Ian Chandler, provincial grandmaster of the Surrey Lodge, said: “Motorcycle lodges might be a long way from people’s idea of the Freemasons, but it’s the reality now.”
Other specialised lodges include the Armed Forces, classic car enthusiasts, farmers, golfers and rugby players. UGLE has a waiting list of 6,000, with more than 8,800 membership enquiries received in less than three months.
Jonathan Spence, the Pro Grand Master of the UGLE, said: “We have been experiencing, post Covid, an increasing trend of new joiners.”
Today’s freemasons insist the organisation’s reputation for secrecy is a hangover from the 1930s, when freemasons were persecuted under the Nazis and maintained a low profile for selfpreservation. Mr Spence said: “We are not a secret society. We are about getting the best out of yourself as a human being while at the same time contributing to society at large.”