What's it all about?
It's about making good men better.
Good men, mind you. If you're a criminal, don't ask - you'd be blackballed. We are none of us perfect, but we do try to be moral, fair and helpful.
Not just to ourselves, of course. We contribute a great deal to many different charities. In the UK, Freemasonry is the largest contributor to charity after the National Lottery.
We're not goody-goody, however. We're not a church. We're not a religion - though you have to profess a belief in a Supreme Being if you wish to join. Masons can be Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim or any faith. This is private to them. But we don't accept atheists. One of our rules is that we don't discuss religion or politics!
All sorts of people are Freemasons - fishermen, clergymen, lorry drivers, electricians, teachers - there is no class barrier.
There are expenses, of course - the membership, the rental, etc. There's a time commitment. And it is important that all this has the wife's/ partner's agreement.
What do we do?
In the Lodge we have ceremonies when members are advanced to higher degrees or a new Worshipful Master is installed for the year. We learn the words by heart so that we can perform without books - this makes it more meaningful for the Candidate and the Brethren. It is all about self improvement. But a new member wouldn't be asked to do anything beyond his inclination or ability.
We're not a secret society - there are over five million of us worldwide. The "secret" passwords are given to allow Brethren to pass to higher degrees.
You can get a flavour of the Kingston Lodge by scrolling through the website - we have nothing to hide.
If you're interested, send a message to the Webmaster.
There are links to other information on the FAQ page.
Freemasonry for Women: information can be found on https://hfaf.org/
Costs?
Currently the subs are £150 per annum (adjusted for those joining later in the year); the Initiation fee is £50 and the Joining fee £5. The meal after the meeting is £20.