Much will be revealed at Masonic open day.

HAVE YOU ever driven past the Masonic Centre on Broadway South and wondered what goes on there? This Saturday, April 12, is your chance to find out. Lodge Hinemoa are opening their doors for the second time in 116 years to give the public an insight into what freemasonry is all about. From 10am-4pm, members of the lodge will be on hand to answer any burning questions the public may have and will have cups of hot tea and coffee to go with the lively conversation. In the past, freemasonry has appeared to be clothed in secrecy, and while they do keep a few secrets to themselves, it is anything but sinister.

Freemasonry is fraternity, a brotherhood, and members are expected to have a belief in something higher than themselves. While there is still some ritual involved in Masonic meetings, the lodge is a place where Masons can come together with like-minded friends. "We are all great friends here. It is a great opportunity to build lifelong friendships and have good fellowship. People of all religions are most welcome," said Mason Lindsay Drinkwater.

Freemasonry is the oldest fraternity in the world and is thought to have derived from stonemason guilds. Many of the symbols that are associated with freemasonry today can be traced back to the art of stonemasonry, such as the square and compass and the letter G, which stands for geometry. Freemasonry in the Stratford district also has a long history, the first lodge was established in Midhirst 1892. Numbers grew quickly and the lodge was re-located to the corner of Celia and Juliet Streets in Stratford in 1910, before they moved to their current location on Broadway South in 1930. A great many of Stratfords men have been associated with Lodge

Hinemoa and still are today, membership sitting at around 40 members. They are active within the community and donate often to charitable causes. So despite all the mystery, misconceptions and stereotypes, freemasonry is a community-minded brotherhood who stand by the adage, "freemasonry -making good men better." If you would like to find out more about Lodge Hinemoa and Freemasonry, go along to the open day armed with questions.

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