FOREWORD
VW Bro. Julian R Soper, PGSwdB Deputy Metropolitan Grand Master
As the most recently appointed DepMetGM, I wanted to use this foreword to Arena to say a few words about what Freemasonry means to me.
The Craft has so many facets that it is difficult to summarise them, but I concentrate here on one particular aspect that for me is key.
A friend of mine runs a well-regarded restaurant, and so he is often asked what his favourite restaurants are. His answer is simple: “where I am known”. This may seem a strange answer at first, but I believe that there is indeed great value in going somewhere where they know you and by extension appreciate your presence. This is something that Freemasonry is very good at – it gives you that feeling of belonging and being amongst people who appreciate your presence. Every time I come into Freemasons’ Hall (which is now quite often!), I know that I will bump into friends who will be happy to see me and with whom I can have a quick catch up. The Masonic term for this is of course “fellowship” but we use the term so often that we rarely reflect on what it really means – and how powerful it can be. Like all of us, I have had difficult times in my professional and personal life, and Masonry and the support of my Masonic friends have been an enormous help in getting through them.
I also saw the value of being known, and the feeling that you belong, during Covid. Lockdown by definition was very physically isolating, but Masons adapted quickly and soon Lodges, Chapters and other Masonic groups started holding regular “virtual meetings”. Whilst we could no longer meet physically, we found ways to keep in touch and be with friends. My mother Lodge had a “virtual pub” that was open for an hour or so every night where anyone who needed company could drop in and have a chat.
The challenge in London is that most Lodges only meet about 4 times a year, and so it takes a while for new members to get to know the other members and to feel that they belong. We must all put effort into reaching out to newer members to involve them. Lodge social events and Lodges of Instruction have a role to play here, as indeed does attendance with friends at prestige events such as the twice yearly meetings of MetGL, etc. The Members Pathway has a name for all of this – New Member Engagement – and it is vital that newer members start to feel that sense of belonging as soon as possible; as once they do, they are much more likely to stay and to contribute to the life of their Lodge.
New Member Engagement is a major initiative for MetGL going forward, as it has such an impact on retention and the enjoyment that everyone can get out of Freemasonry. We all have a part to play and need to reach out to all our Lodge members – particularly newer ones.
