Vale of Itchen Lodge
We Value Integrity, Friendship, Respect & Charity.
We are Located in Hampshire, UK.
We meet at " Kings Court" 81 Winchester Road, The Hillway, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh SO53 2GG.
On the first Saturday of February, March, May, October, November & December.
Take 3 Steps to Improve your Life...
We have vacancies in The Vale of Itchen Lodge for like minded individuals.
Why Join - 'The Vale'
A Friendly and Helpful Lodge with a good support network
Late Afternoon business meeting followed by dinner at 6:00pm; all complete by 7:30pm so you are ready to move on for a party night out.
Some Demands of Freemasonry from its Members
Freemasonry and Society
Freemasonry demands from its members a respect for the law of the country in which a man works and lives. Its principles do not in any way conflict with its members' duties as citizens but should strengthen them in fulfilling their private and public responsibilities. The use by a Freemason of their membership to promote his own or anyone else's business, professional or personal interests is condemned, and is contrary to the conditions on which he sought admission to Freemasonry. His duty as a citizen must always prevail over any obligation to other Freemasons, and any attempt to shield a Freemason who has acted dishonourably or unlawfully is contrary to this prime duty.
Secrecy
The secrets of Freemasonry are concerned with its traditional modes of recognition originating from the works of Stonemasons. It is not a secret society, since all members are free to acknowledge their membership and will do so in response to inquiries for respectable reasons. Its constitutions and rules are freely available to the public. There is no secret about any of its aims and principles, however, like many other clubs and societies, it regards some of its internal affairs of administration and finance as private matters for its members.
Freemasonry and Politics
Freemasonry is non-political, and the discussion of politics at Masonic meetings is forbidden.
Other Masonic Bodies
Freemasonry is practiced under many independent Grand Lodges throughout the world with standards similar to those set by the United Grand Lodge of England. There are however some Grand Lodges and other apparently Quasi Masonic bodies which do not meet the standards of the United Grand Lodge of England, or which allow or encourage their members to participate in political matters. These Grand Lodges and bodies are not recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England as being Masonically regular and Masonic contact with them is forbidden.
Conclusions
A Freemason is encouraged to do his duty: -
First to God or the Supreme Being within his faith. (Freemasonry recognises all regular Faiths)
Then, without detriment to his family and those dependent on him, to his neighbour through charity and service.
None of these ideas are exclusively Masonic, but all should be universally acceptable, and Freemasons are expected to follow them.
To become a Freemason in the Vale of Itchen Lodge you must:
- Be a man of at least 21 years of age.
- Be of good moral character.
- Have a personal belief in a Supreme Being (the definition of a Supreme Being is a personal matter for everyone) your religious beliefs are not important.
- Decide to become a Freemason of "your own free will" without an expectation of any material gain or benefit.
- Be loyal to your country.
- Be dedicated to providing for your own family.
- Have a sincere determination to conduct yourself in a manner that will earn the respect and trust of others.
- Possess a desire to help others through community service and universal benevolence.
To pursue your interest in becoming a member follow these steps:
Read liturature, possibly take a Freemason for a coffee and chat (one of our favourite activities!). however, if you don't know a Freemason already, and you choose to contact us, we'll arrange for an introduction.
Once you've done all of your reading and research, and you decide that Freemasonry appeals to you, the next step is to contact us! We don't solicit members, so you will need to make the first contact to The Lodge Membership Officer who will reply promptly and will get the ball rolling for you.
Initiation as a Freemason with The Vale of Itchen Lodge is a rare and sought-after privilege; we initiate only one or two candidates in a year. Lodge Members, Officers and Mentors will spend many hours sharing the wisdom, joy, mysteries and discoveries of Freemasonry with you which is mainly why we are limited in the number of new Brethren we can admit each year. Before you are formally introduced by the Membership Officer, there will be a number of informal meetings and discussions with you to ensure that both you, your family and of course the Lodge will be well-served by your membership. You may also be asked to attend some Lodge social occasions, or other Masonic social functions, in-order to have an opportunity to meet other Brethren. If you go on to the formal membership petition stage, you will need two Lodge Members as sponsors - we call them Proposers and Seconders. One of Freemasonry's greatest joys is to extend the fraternal hand of welcome to new Members, and the social functions are the perfect way to find your sponsors!
After you have gone-through the above steps, and remain fully-decided that you would like to become a Freemason, and the Lodge Committee has concurred with your interest and fit within the Lodge, your membership petition will be formally presented at a regular meeting. You will be proposed for initiation into The Vale of Itchen Lodge Number 7816, and the Members of the Lodge will ballot on the proposal.
You will be advised of the results of the ballot, and by this stage, there would be no reason to believe that your application would be other than successful; you will be given a prospective date for your initiation ceremony (the First Degree) and the commencement of your Masonic Journey! This will most probably be the next meeting of the lodge but may be planned to suit each in the months ahead, there will then be a further two ceremonial steps to complete the Three mentioned at the beginning of this article…
The first step teaches that we are all created equal, the second step teaches that there is merit in improving ourselves and the third step that we have but one life to use wisely.
