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Skegness Freemasons of St Clement Lodge have learned not only that women can be Freemasons, but also that they’ve been doing it for more than 100 years.
Lodge members invited wives and partners to join them to hear Lorraine Pearcey talk about women’s Freemasonry, which has Lodges in Grimsby, Scunthorpe, and Lincoln.
Lorraine had been a Freemason for twenty years, and is a Past Master of her Lodge. She explained how women’s Freemasonry had developed, and now mirrored the men’s version.
The women have two discrete organisations; the largest is The Order of Women Freemasons, of which the Lincolnshire Lodges are part, and the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons.
Men’s and women’s Freemasonry acknowledge each other’s shared objectives, and come together in the Joint Council for Freemasonry. However, there are no plans to integrate the two. Women see their Lodge meetings as a safe space they wouldn’t want to compromise. Asked about a possible merger in the Freemasons’ podcast Craftcast, on of the women’s order Grand Masters said; “Not on my watch.”
Our picture shows Mrs Pearcey with the ladies who visited St Clement Lodge to hear her talk.
