The Future of Freemasonry

The Future of Freemasonry
Media coverage highlights
20 March 2012
Prepared by Bondy Consulting
The Future of Freemasonry
Coverage to date
Reach/Monthly
unique users
Publication/Station/Site
NATIONAL
PRESS
Article/title
The Telegraph
ONLINE
BBC News Online
Telegraph Online
BBC News Online
BBC News Online
REGIONAL
PRESS
Handshakes and trouser legs - secrets of Freemasons
1,788,540
09/03/2012
Freemasons: Your questions answered
Handshakes and trouser legs - secrets of Freemasons
Would you want to be a Freemason?
Your questions to the Freemasons
19,000,000
48,292,476
19,000,000
19,000,000
14/09/2012
09/03/2012
09/03/2012
09/03/2012
Bath Chronicle - Avon
Portsmouth News
Southern Daily Echo - Hampshire
Swindon Advertiser - Avon
Yorkshire Post
The Northern Echo - North East
The Journal - North East
Evening Post - Avon
Coventry Telegraph
The Sheffield Star
Manchester Evening News
Freemason report is welcomed
I get such a lot out of being a Freemason
Lodge and interest
The myths about Masons
Women welcome
Myths and Masons
Myth or role model
Opening up in search of a bright future
Nigel's on a mission to bust Masonic myths
Freemasons visit dispel myths
Myths and the Masons
55,769
145,047
111,874
60,043
138,943
139,353
294,541
36,262
114,167
130,393
295,617
138,943
15/03/2012
13/03/2012
10/03/2012
10/03/2012
10/03/2012
10/03/2012
09/03/2012
09/03/2012
09/03/2012
07/03/2012
05/03/2012
02/03/2012
308,621
418,992
599,142
1,492,978
13/03/2012
09/03/2012
09/03/2012
05/03/2012
970,000
265,000
96,000
260,000
46,000
100,000
472,000
120,000
123,000
110,000
152,000
130,000
370,000
134,000
254,000
09/03/2012
09/03/2012
08/03/2012
08/03/2012
08/03/2012
08/03/2012
08/03/2012
08/03/2012
08/03/2012
08/03/2012
07/03/2012
07/03/2012
01/03/2012
29/02/2012
28/02/2012
ONLINE
Portsmouth News
This is Bristol
Coventry Telegraph
Manchester Evening News
BROADCAST
REGIONAL RADIO
LBC 97.3fm (London)
BBC Radio Kent
BBC Radio Wiltshire
BBC Radio Solent
BBC Radio Dorset
BBC Radio Gloucester
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Cambridge
BBC Radio Sussex
BBC Radio Surrey
BBC Radio Bristol
BBC Radio Berkshire
BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Cumbria
BBC Radio Manchester
I get such a lot out of being a Freemason
Opening up in search of a bright future
Top Freemason visits Coventry
Funny handshakes...?
Date
REGIONAL RADIO
Publication/Station/Site
BBC Radio Sheffield
BBC Radio Leeds
BBC Radio Stoke
BBC Radio Humberside
BBC Radio West Midlands
BBC Radio Nottingham
BBC Radio Leicester
BBC Radio Derby
BBC Radio Stoke
BBC Radio Shropshire
BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester
BBC Radio Coventry &
Warwickshire
TOTAL REACH TO DATE
Reach/Monthly
unique users
255,000
260,000
Date
28/02/2012
28/02/2012
210,000
184,000
270,000
212,000
166,000
164,000
210,000
120,000
130,000
28/02/2012
27/03/2012
27/03/2012
27/03/2012
27/03/2012
27/03/2012
27/03/2012
27/03/2012
27/03/2012
85,000
27/03/2012
117,429,699
Daily Telegraph
9 March 2012
Readership: 1,788,540
BBC News Online
14 March 2012
Unique users: 19,000,000 (approx)
The Telegraph
9 March 2012
Unique users: 48,292,476
BBC News Online
9 March 2012
Unique users: 19,000,000 (approx)
Yorkshire Post
2 March 2012
Readership: 119,094
Swindon Advertiser
10 March 2012
Readership:
Yorkshire Post
10 March 2012
Readership: 119,094
Manchester Evening News
5 March 2012
Readership: 295,617
Coventry Telegraph
9 March 2012
Readership: 114,166
LBC Radio (London)
9 March 2012
Audience:
JAMES O’BRIEN: Presenter
Let’s turn our attention back, though, to I think by far the most interesting story of the day. And
you can gauge levels of interest – at least on one level – by the number of people trying to get in
touch with the programme. Since we mentioned our intention to talk about this at 10 o’clock this
morning, we’ve taken into the studio just over 20 phone calls a minute from people either seeking
or succeeding in getting onto air. That’s over… so that’s, you know, knocking on for 1,000 phone
calls into the studio.
It would be unprofessional and disloyal of me to tell you the, sort of,
volumes and levels that you might expect at other parts of the day. But just trust me, that’s
almost Mystery Hour levels of interest; that is almost unique for an issue that is essentially news based rather than a, sort of, competition or an invitation to ring in and moan about a parking
ticket.
All of which probably explains why Nigel Brown, the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge
of England since 2007, is so keen to shrug off some of the reputation for secrecy and worse that
has bedevilled freemasonry since the back end of the 18
th
century. He joins me on the line now,
and as the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge, is responsible for the report published
today into the reality, as opposed to the secrecy.
Nigel, thank you so much for your time.
NIGEL BROWN: Grand Secretary, United Grand Lodge of England
It’s a great pleasure to join you.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Good. You will be more aware than I was of the astonishing levels of suspicion and worse that
surround your organisation.
NIGEL BROWN:
Well, very much so, and I think your programme has just illustrated this mess of a myth. And the
problem is that… when all this myth then becomes the reality. But I have to say that – and I think
you’ve got the same sense – that a great deal of rubbish has been talked today.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
It would certainly seem that way.
I will put some of the questions that callers raised to you
imminently, but before that, what do you think explains the scale of what you describe, probably
with some justification, as nonsense?
NIGEL BROWN:
Well, the scale is enormous. I think the thing is that we want to put right immediately things…
that we are not a secret society.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
But why is there so much suspicion? I mean, where does this reputation come from? I mean,
you must have given it rather more thought than the average man.
NIGEL BROWN:
Very much so. I think there’s… I mean, we’ve… as I say, we’ve never been a secret society, but
we’ve… over periods of time, we’ve had to be defensive. Can I give you, James, one example of
that?
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Yes.
NIGEL BROWN:
Just before the Second World War we were very overt and, you know, newspapers were writing
about us and so on. And, of course, when Hitler was going to invade this country – and thank
goodness he didn’t – he actually was very anti-Masons as well as Jews. For example, when he
invaded the Channel Islands, he ransacked our Freemasons’ Hall; sent the Masons – just for
being Masons…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Really?
NIGEL BROWN:
…to concentration camps, and we think upwards of 200,000 Masons were ac tually sent to the
gas chambers. So of course people in England then became very defensive, thinking he might
invade. And James, then that was compounded with people coming back from the war who,
having shared this experience of bonding…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Yes.
NIGEL BROWN:
…you know, on fighting on the front line, then formed Lodges and became very inward -looking.
And the result of all of that was that people got out of the habit of talking about it, which then
compounded the myths.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
That’s absolutely fascinating. And it tallies with some of the other coverage I’ve read, which
draws that parallel again with Jews, because Catholic reactionaries after the French Revolution,
looking to blame anything that went wrong upon a… well, I hesitate to say “mysterious and
secretive” in the context of a religion, but upon people who weren’t really well -placed to answer
back.
NIGEL BROWN:
Well, that’s absolutely right, and I think that, you know, this is a classic historical case where if
people don’t know about something, they start to fear it, and that fear then manifests itself in
probably hatred and discrimination.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
So in a nutshell, why would one join? Why did you join? What is offered by membership of a
Lodge that is not offered by other avenues or alternatives?
NIGEL BROWN:
Well, I think the great thing about it is it’s just a wonderful club to be a member of, and what I
enjoy, it’s a microcosm of society.
For example, we’ve got people from all races, colours,
religions, social and economic standard… standing, and the great thing is we all meet as equals,
and I don’t think you can find anything quite…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
So you don’t have… this is one of the questions – there aren’t… there isn’t a, sort of… I
apologise for the flippant language, but there isn’t a league of super-Freemasons?
NIGEL BROWN:
No, there isn’t, not at all. And as I say, the wonderful thing is people come from all backgrounds
and we all meet together, and I would also like to stress that we’re a non-religious and nonpolitical organisation, and I’m delighted there were a couple of, you know, Masons who came
on…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Yes.
NIGEL BROWN:
…who were stressing the… you know, the giving side, the universal giving.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
So there’s no Christian foundation to it?
NIGEL BROWN:
No, other than we do, actually, ask people to believe in a supreme being…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Ah, I see.
NIGEL BROWN:
…in other words, you know, in my case it would be in God.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Yes.
NIGEL BROWN:
But it’s not in any way a religious organisation at all.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
But there’s a purpose to actions on Earth which might be fully understood later, so to speak.
NIGEL BROWN:
Well, I think it’s as straightforward as this, James: that our values and, you know, really… I ’ve
heard some people talking about our history going back many, many years – this really goes back
to 1717, when the Grand Lodge of England was formed. We’ve lasted all this time; in 2017 we’re
going to be 300 years old…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Yes, of course.
NIGEL BROWN:
…and we’ve… although we’ve adapted to society around us, our values have never changed, and
if I may say, they’re based on integrity, kindness, honesty and fairness.
And we’ve never
changed that and, you know, we’re 300 years old in 2017.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
And that explains your current interest in shrugging off some of this mantle of suspicion and
secrecy. Would you mind if I put a few of the classic canards to you?
NIGEL BROWN:
Oh, please do, yes.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Well, is there a handshake, Nigel?
NIGEL BROWN:
The first… there’s not a handshake, no, there is not, and I’d like to put that myth to bed.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
But there must have been some sort of greeting at some point, because this… I mean, I’m…
smoke without fire. I mean, it’s such an integral part of anybody’s understanding from the outside
of Masonry, it’s hard to imagine there wasn’t even a kernel of truth to it.
NIGEL BROWN:
Well, we shake hands like you and I would if we met now, we’d just shake hands ordinary, and I
think it’s the one thing that always surprises me when it’s said, ‘well, that seems like a perfectly
ordinary handshake’, and they’re actually terribly disappointed.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
[Laughs] What a let-down.
NIGEL BROWN:
And I think what people confuse themselves with is that in our one-act plays – and one of your
previous callers referring to – where you have to learn your lines and…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Yes.
NIGEL BROWN:
…participate in, you know, it’s purely symbolic, that as you’ve travelled round the world, you ju st
had to, sort of, explain where you were in your trade, what level; you know, you wouldn’t want
someone putting this cornerstone, the main stone down who wasn’t actually a craftsman and able
to do it, and the whole building fell down, whereas today you’ve got diplomas and you can…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Of course.
NIGEL BROWN:
…look up the qualifications on the internet.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Indications [as heard].
NIGEL BROWN:
But I think they mix up that part of the one-act play. But we don’t have a Masonic handshake, no.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
How does one establish another Mason’s membership, or if you meet at, sort of… on neutral turf,
if you see what I mean?
NIGEL BROWN:
Well, just going around the world, the idea is you wouldn’t really know. I mean, I would alway s
say to somebody, you know, ‘are you a Mason?’ and he would say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. But there’s no…
it’s no more complicated than that.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
And would… I mean, how often would you personally ask that question, though? Because you’re
quite senior in the… well, very senior in the organisation, presumably you’re more interested in
knowing whether you’re talking to another Mason than a lowlier member, maybe.
NIGEL BROWN:
Well, I’m interested in talking to everybody, and actually, my whole life, my soc ial life as well, you
know, when I go out to parties and drinks in the pub…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Yes.
NIGEL BROWN:
…you know, everybody says, ‘ah, Nigel, you’re a Mason’, and we talk about it, and we talk very
openly about everything and anything.
And do you know what?
After every one of those
conversations, people say, ‘gosh, I really never knew that. Tremendous. Gosh, if only we’d
known about that’.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
I must say, I’m not surprised, given the nature of our conversation so far.
NIGEL BROWN:
Yes.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
One early... very early caller wants to know what the Freemasons’ plans are.
NIGEL BROWN:
th
Yes, well, I can tell you. I mean, we’re obviously building up to our tercentenary, our 300 , in
2017 – I mentioned that a moment ago…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
No, feel free.
NIGEL BROWN:
The main thing is that we want people to understand that we are transparent. We want to regain
that positive reputation in society today that I mentioned we had before…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Yes. The Second World War.
NIGEL BROWN:
…up to and before the Second World War. And we honestly do want to be recognised for our
universal giving. And can I just mention, James…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Of course.
NIGEL BROWN:
…one of your callers was saying we tend to keep that quiet, our giving. The thing was, we…
what we said was, ‘give, but don’t ask for reward’.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Precisely.
NIGEL BROWN:
But what happened was that nobody knew what we were giving. And what I’m saying to all our
members now, ‘yes…’
JAMES O’BRIEN:
[Laughs]
NIGEL BROWN:
‘…you know, element of humility, yes, but please let people know you’re giving, and people then
know what we’re doing’. I mean, for example…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
It’s a balance between hiding one’s light under a bushel and doing something for t he wrong
reasons.
NIGEL BROWN:
Exactly right. And, you know, not many people know, for example, we’re the biggest benefactor
to the Royal College of Surgeons for their research, which benefits all of us – our children and
our children’s children. There’s a rather nice little touch – I can give you examples of all sorts of
charities we give to, right across the board – but a rather nice little touch; and we’ve just given
away our one billionth teddy, which we give to children, little children who go into A&E, get
frightened – probably not with their parents – and they get a little teddy from the Freemasons.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
That… I… you put me in a very difficult position, Nigel, because having told us about the one
millionth [sic] teddy that the Freemasons have given to children going into A&E, the next question
I have on my list, culled from earlier contributors to the programme, is: “Did the Freemasons kill
Tupac?”
NIGEL BROWN:
No. [Laughs] We’ve got these wonderful conspiracy theories which, I have to say, just make me
chuckle, because there’s just no truth in it at all. And can I just add, too, that, you know, we don’t
do business with each other – we don’t promote our own business, we don’t promote other
people’s business.
And I think one of your previous callers, who’s a Mason, has already
rubbished the thing about the police and judges…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
And the judges.
NIGEL BROWN:
…it just couldn’t happen.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
No. And final question: what is the “all-seeing eye”?
NIGEL BROWN:
Well, the “all-seeing eye” actually is really just a reminder of the importance of God. It’s not
originated as a Masonic symbol – in fact, there’s no symbol that has been originated through
Masonry. It just reminds us of the importance of God, and just… to be honest, it’s just a highly
traditional symbol, and my old regiment in the war had the “all-seeing eye” on the side of its
tanks…
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Did they really?
NIGEL BROWN:
…and I think it was just to keep a good lookout for everything that’s going o n around you.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
It is… well, obviously there will be some people listening to this who will be using your measured,
informed and extremely illuminating analysis of the Freemasons somehow as evidence of
conspiracy and secrecy and sinisterness, but may I assure you that I am categorically not one of
them.
NIGEL BROWN:
Well, that’s very good of you, and it’s been tremendous to have the opportunity to, if you like, put
the record straight.
JAMES O’BRIEN:
Well, good luck with the celebrations, the looming celebrations, and with the continuing attempt at
transparency. Nigel Brown, the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England since
2007.
I think it’s only fair to indulge in a little bit of reaction to that exchange, but I normally on ly promise
you at 12 o’clock on a Thursday that you’ll know more by one o’clock than you do now. If you
haven’t learnt anything today then, well, you obviously weren’t listening.