In the past, Freemasons were often regarded with suspicion and paranoia but, in recent years, they have become more open about their charitable works and their image is changing. The success of Dan Brown’s latest novel, The Lost Symbol, has propelled them into the limelight and here Freemason Roger Newhouse gives their point of view on how they contribute to communities in Craven.

Freemasonry in the Dales is thriving. Long before the publication of Dan Brown’s latest best-selling novel, The Lost Symbol, this area, which falls under the umbrella of the Province of Yorkshire West Riding, has never been short of candidates keen to join this ancient and honourable institution.

Founded on three great principles of brotherly love, relief and truth, it’s the relief, or charity side of Masonry, that will, perhaps, come as a surprise to many.

Freemasons don’t always shout about their achievements. In the dark days before the Second World War, Hitler began persecuting Freemasons in Germany. They were incarcerated, their meeting rooms ransacked and possessions confiscated. In fact, more than 300,000 Freemasons were murdered.

In the UK, Freemasons have also been the victims of persecution, this time from a suspicious press and hostile politicians, hence the reluctance of many to raise their heads above the parapets.

However, over the last decade or so, this “Let’s just keep quiet about our organisation and activities” attitude has shifted and the number of positive articles about Freemasonry now far outweigh the negative ones.

The internet has also played its part. Provinces like ours have their own websites and the names and photos of the “rulers” are published for all to see. Our site gets thousands of visits every week and Mr Dan Brown has certainly had a big part to play in this.

But back to relief. After the National Lottery, Freemasons are the greatest givers to charitable causes. Just days after the Haiti earthquake, the Freemasons Grand Charity – run by Grand Lodge in London – donated £30,000 towards emergency aid efforts.

And a little closer to home, following the flooding in Cumbria, a similar amount was given to help those affected.

But it’s not just the major disasters that receive donations. The majority of money raised within the Province – which is based on the geography of the old Ridings (West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the Harrogate and Craven districts of North Yorkshire) – is given locally.

Just before Christmas, £38,000 was given to 14 hospices in the Province, including Martin House Children’s Hospice and Sue Ryder’s Manorlands care facility in Oxenhope. Without the support of organisations such as the Freemasons, these hospices would be hard-pressed to continue offering the fabulous care they are renowned for.

Only the other month, the British Red Cross (Yorkshire) was given a grant of £40,000 towards the purchase of two non-emergency ambulances to help ferry patients to and from appointments in Sheffield and Bradford.

Sick and injured children attending the Accident and Emergency department at Airedale Hospital are given a teddy to help take their minds off their ailments. These have been donated by local Freemasons as part of their TLC (Teddies for Loving Care) campaign. To date, nearly 20,000 have been supplied across the Province since it started in April 2008 and over 600,000 nationally.

Local good causes to benefit from Craven Freemasons include the Cave Rescue Organisation in Clapham, which received a grant of £30,000 from West Riding Masonic Charities Ltd. The application was made by Wenning Lodge in Bentham and was one of five £30,000 grants across the Province to celebrate 150 years of continuous charitable giving by West Riding Masonic Charities Ltd.

Many other local good causes have received thousands of pounds in donations from all the lodges in the area. Members not only donate their money, but also their time to various groups in the Craven area. The oldest lodge in the area is Craven Lodge in Skipton, which was founded – or consecrated – in 1860. On February 14, Craven Lodge celebrated its 150th anniversary.

Freemasonry in Skipton can, in fact, be traced back as far as 1789 when the Albion Lodge was formed. Sadly it ceased working around 1851, but the Bible which is still used today in Craven Lodge meetings is the original Bible from the Albion Lodge from 1789.

The youngest lodge in this area is to be found in Settle – that of the Old Giggleswickian Lodge (whose members have an association with Giggleswick School) which was founded 109 years later in 1969. Castleberg Lodge also meets at the Masonic Hall in the market town’s Chapel Square and was founded in 1885 by some of the members of Craven Lodge who either lived in Settle or had associations with the town.

Other Craven lodges meet in Skipton (Mawsis), Barnoldswick (Faith, Hope and Charity; West Craven) and Bentham (Wenning).

As well as their regular lodge nights, a number of members are active in promoting Freemasonry in the community.

In the Craven area, as in other parts of the Province, one such profile-raising activity is by taking a stand at agricultural shows, including The Great Yorkshire Show and Broughton Game Show, The Skipton Waterways Festival and, for the first time this year, Armed Services Day.

Here, regalia is displayed, information leaflets given out and, more importantly, members of the public can ask questions. Freemasonry is not a secret society as some think, but it is a society with secrets. There are two subjects which aren’t discussed in Masonry – religion, as Masonry welcomes members from all religions, and politics!

Those whose interest in Freemasonry has been piqued by something they have read or watched on TV often make tentative inquiries through the internet. And these inquiries are always responded to. Some, as you might expect, fall by the wayside in the very early stages. They decide it’s just not for them or they aren’t suitable candidates.

However, for those genuinely interested in pursuing their inquiry further, they will ultimately be welcomed into a lodge where they can progress and, hopefully, begin to appreciate those three great Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth.

Information about Freemasonry in the region can be obtained by visiting the website at wrprovince.co.uk