• Interested in joining?

      Tell us a little about yourself and why you're interested in Freemasonry

      94 Birmingham Road Bromsgrove B61 0DF
      Mon-Fri 09:00-13:00
      01527 879300
      01527 879300
      Provincial@worcestershirepgl.org.uk
      Submit

    • Becoming a Freemason

      Just ask!

      What is Freemasonry?

      Our fraternity has a wonderful history, which dates back more than three centuries. It is one of the world's oldest secular fraternities, a society of men concerned with moral and spiritual values. Founded on the three great principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, it aims to bring together men of goodwill, regardless of background and differences.

      "Freemasonry can mean many different things to each of those who decide to join and become a Freemason"

       

      Essentially, Freemasonry is a happy association of friends which provides an interest, a discipline for life, making lots of new friends and acquaintances, which can lead to many social activities for both the members and their families. It has a long history of charitable support for the less fortunate members of our society. All this is combined with a fascinating history going back to "time immemorial".

       

      For most, however, it is an enjoyable hobby, but it has to be stated that this hobby holds something very special not easy to put into words, but is surely felt by all who have joined.

       

      To be more specific: Freemasonry is open to men of good reputation, irrespective of race or creed, provided they believe in a Supreme Being. This belief is an essential qualification for admission and continued membership. However that supreme being can be that of your own specific belief, remembering that Freemasonry is one of the world’s oldest and largest non-religious, non-political, fraternal and charitable organisation.

      "Freemasonry is open to men of good reputation, irrespective of race or creed"

       

      Freemasonry teaches moral lessons and self-knowledge, through participation in a progression of allegorical two-part plays, which are learnt by heart and performed within each Lodge; Freemasonry offers its members an approach to life which seeks to reinforce thoughtfulness for others, kindness in the community, honesty in business, courtesy in society, and fairness in all things.

       

      Members are urged to regard the interests of the family as paramount, but importantly, Freemasonry also teaches and practises concern for people, care for the less fortunate and help for those in need.

       

      In todays modern Freemasonry, members are expected to be of high moral standing and are encouraged to speak openly about Freemasonry.In fact a recent report (which can be read on this site) is in agreement with the claims made here. What may be of interest, is that the report was written by non-masons and concludes:

      " What attracts masons to Freemasonry varies greatly, as we have already touched on. Some are attracted by the friendships they form and the sense of belonging it instils, others by the ‘nudge’ that Freemasonry provides towards living a more altruistic life. Others still will be attracted by the rituals of Freemasonry.

       

      Much like the rituals themselves, however, Freemasonry may deserve a closer look in order to understand and appreciate it more fully, and its relevance and role today. If Freemasonry is able successfully to conclude its ‘quiet revolution’, while at the same time ensuring that its central features are retained to preserve the true ‘spirit’ of Freemasonry, then its future may well be assured – for the next century or two at least."

      (A report by The social issues research centre 2012 )

      Who can join Freemasonry?

      The essential qualifications for admission is that you have a belief in a Supreme Being......we'll explain more when you get in touch. It is usual for candidates to be "mature men of 21 years and over", but in some circumstances candidates between the ages of 18 and 21 can be admitted.

       

      If you are interested in finding out how to become a Freemason, please complete the "Interested in joining? form" in the first instance. By emailing us you are not committing yourself to anything at this stage. We will contact you as soon as possible.

    • Contact details for use by existing members

      You can contact the Provincial Secretary by post, telephone, email or by using the following details

      Iain Sharratt, Provincial Grand Secretary

      The Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire
      94 Birmingham Road
      Bromsgrove
      Worcestershire
      B61 0DF

      Telephone: 01527 879300


      You can also contact the Provincial Communications Officer, by email or at the postal address above.

    • View Our Social Media Channels

      And follow us!

    Legal

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    94 Birmingham Road Bromsgrove B61 0DF - 01527 879300

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    Privacy Policy
We at Worcestershire PGL understand that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used and shared online. We respect and value the privacy of everyone who visits this website worcspgl.org.uk ("Our Site") and will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described here, and in a manner that is consistent with our obligations and your rights under the law.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully and ensure that you understand it. Your acceptance of our Privacy Policy is deemed to occur upon your first use of our Site. If you do not accept and agree with this Privacy Policy, you must stop using our Site immediately.

1. Definitions and Interpretation
In this Policy, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

"Cookie" means a small text file placed on your computer or device by our Site when you visit certain parts of our Site and/or when you use certain features of our Site. Details of the Cookies used by our Site are set out in section 13, below;

"Personal data" means any and all data that relates to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified from that data. In this case, it means personal data that you give to us via our Site. This definition shall, where applicable, incorporate the definitions provided in the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 ("GDPR"); and

“We/Us/Our” means The Provincial Grand Lodge (PGL) of Worcestershire an organisation whose registered address is 94 Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B61 0DF.


2. Information About Us
Our Site is operated by volunteers. Their details can be provided by contacting us.

3. What Does This Policy Cover?
This Privacy Policy applies only to your use of our Site. Our Site may contain links to other websites. Please note that we provide such links for your convenience and for informational purposes only. We do not endorse or approve any of the products, services or opinions on such other websites. We have no control over how your data is collected, stored or used by other websites and we advise you to check the privacy policies of any such websites before providing any data to them.


4. Your Rights
  4.1 As a data subject, you have the following rights under the GDPR, which this Policy and our use of personal data have been designed to uphold:
   4.1.1 The right to be informed about our collection and use of personal data;
   4.1.2 The right of access to the personal data we hold about you (see section 12);
   4.1.3 The right to rectification if any personal data we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete (please contact us using the details in section 14);
   4.1.4 The right to be forgotten - i.e. the right to ask us to delete any personal data we hold about you (we only hold your personal data for a limited time, as explained in section 6 but if you would like us to delete it sooner, please contact us using the details in section 14);
   4.1.5 The right to restrict (i.e. prevent) the processing of your personal data;
   4.1.6 The right to data portability (obtaining a copy of your personal data to re-use with another service or organisation);
   4.1.7 The right to object to us using your personal data for particular purposes; and
   4.1.8 Rights with respect to automated decision making and profiling.
  4.2 If you have any cause for complaint about our use of your personal data, please contact us using the details provided in section 14 and we will do our best to solve the problem for you. If we are unable to help, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK's supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner's Office.
  4.3 For further information about your rights, please contact the Information Commissioner's Office or your local Citizens' Advice Bureau.

5. What Data Do We Collect?
Depending upon your use of our Site, we may collect some or all of the following personal and non-personal data (please also see section 13 on our use of Cookies and similar technologies):
  5.1 name;
  5.2 address;
  5.3 contact information such as email addresses and telephone numbers;
  5.4 demographic information such as post code, preferences, and interests;
  5.5 IP address;
  5.6 web browser type and version; and
  5.7 operating system.

6. How Do We Use Your Data?
  6.1 All personal data is processed and stored securely, for no longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected. We will comply with our obligations and safeguard your rights under the GDPR at all times. For more details on security see section 7, below.
  6.2 Our use of your personal data will always have a lawful basis, either because it is necessary for our performance of a contract with you (e.g. by applying to join our organisation), because you have consented to our use of your personal data (e.g. by submitting forms), or because it is in our legitimate interests. Specifically, we may use your data for the following purposes:
   6.2.1 Replying to emails from you;
   6.2.2 Supplying you with emails that you have opted into (you may unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of each email or you may opt-out at any time by emailing us directly);
   6.2.3 Analysing your use of our Site to enable us to continually improve our Site and your user experience.
  6.3 With your permission and/or where permitted by law, we may also use your data for marketing purposes which may include contacting you by email with information, news and offers on our services. We will not, however, send you any unsolicited marketing or spam and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that we fully protect your rights and comply with our obligations under GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.
  6.4 Third parties whose content appears on our Site may use third party Cookies, as detailed below in section 13. Please refer to section 13 for more information on controlling Cookies. Please note that we do not control the activities of such third parties, nor the data they collect and use, and we advise you to check the privacy policies of any such third parties.
  6.5 You have the right to withdraw your consent to us using your personal data at any time, and to request that we delete it.
  6.6 We do not keep your personal data for any longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected.

7. How Do We Store Your Data?
  7.1 We only keep your personal data for as long as we need to in order to use it as described above in section 6, and/or for as long as we have your permission to keep it.
  7.2 Data security is very important to us, and to protect your data we have taken suitable measures to safeguard and secure data collected through our Site.

8. Do We Share Your Data?
  8.1 No.
  8.2 We may compile statistics about the use of our Site including data on traffic, usage patterns, user numbers, sales, and other information. All such data will be anonymised and will not include any personally identifying data, or any anonymised data that can be combined with other data and used to identify you. 
  8.4 In certain circumstances, we may be legally required to share certain data held by us, which may include your personal data, for example, where we are involved in legal proceedings, where we are complying with legal requirements, a court order, or a governmental authority.

9. How Can You Control Your Data?
  9.1 In addition to your rights under the GDPR, set out in section 4, when you submit personal data to us via email or via our Site, you may be given options to restrict our use of your data. In particular, we aim to give you strong controls on our use of your data for direct marketing purposes (including the ability to opt-out of receiving emails from us which you may do by unsubscribing using the links provided in our emails, at the point of providing your details and by contacting us).
  9.2 You may also wish to sign up to one or more of the preference services operating in the UK: The Telephone Preference Service ("the TPS"), the Corporate Telephone Preference Service ("the CTPS"), and the Mailing Preference Service ("the MPS"). These may help to prevent you receiving unsolicited marketing. Please note, however, that these services will not prevent you from receiving marketing communications that you have consented to receiving.

10. Your Right to Withhold Information
  10.1 You may access certain areas of our Site without providing any data at all. However, to use all features and functions available on our Site you may be required to submit or allow for the collection of certain data.

  10.2 You may restrict our use of Cookies. You can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. Most internet browsers also enable you to choose whether you wish to disable all cookies or only third-party Cookies. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser or the documentation that came with your device. You can choose to delete Cookies on your computer or device at any time, however you may lose any information that enables you to access our Site more quickly and efficiently.

11. How Can You Access Your Data?
You have the right to ask for a copy of any of your personal data held by us (where such data is held). Please contact us for more details using the contact details below in section 14.

12. Our Use of Cookies
  12.1 Our Site may place and access certain first party Cookies on your computer or device. First party Cookies are those placed directly by us and are used only by us. We use Cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of our Site and to provide and improve our services. All Cookies used by and on our Site are used in accordance with current Cookie Law.
  12.2 Before Cookies are placed on your computer or device, you will be shown a pop-up requesting your consent to set those Cookies. By giving your consent to the placing of Cookies, you are enabling us to provide the best possible experience and service to you. You may, if you wish, deny consent to the placing of Cookies; however certain features of our Site may not function fully or as intended.
  12.3 Certain features of our Site depend on Cookies to function. Cookie Law deems these Cookies to be "strictly necessary". Your consent will not be sought to place these Cookies, but it is still important that you are aware of them. You may still block these Cookies by changing your internet browser's settings as detailed below, but please be aware that our Site may not work properly if you do so. We have taken great care to ensure that your privacy is not at risk by allowing them.
  12.4 In addition to the controls that we provide, you can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser or the documentation that came with your device.
  12.5 You can choose to delete Cookies on your computer or device at any time, however you may lose any information that enables you to access our Site more quickly and efficiently.
  12.6 It is recommended that you keep your internet browser and operating system up-to-date and that you consult the help and guidance provided by the developer of your internet browser and manufacturer of your computer or device if you are unsure about adjusting your privacy settings.

13. Contacting Us
If you have any questions about our Site or this Privacy Policy, please contact us by email at secretary@worcspgl.org.uk by telephone on 01527 879300 or by post at PGL 94 Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B61 0DF. Please ensure that your query is clear, particularly if it is a request for information about the data we hold about you (as under section 12, above).

14. Changes to Our Privacy Policy
We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time (for example, if the law changes). Any changes will be immediately posted on our Site and you will be deemed to have accepted the terms of the Privacy Policy on your first use of our Site following the alterations. We recommend that you check this page regularly to keep up-to-date.