All Saints Lodge No 8776
Embracing Traditions, Building Futures
At Freemasons, we honor time-honored traditions while focusing on the future. Our club in Leighton Buzzard stands as a beacon of unity and knowledge.
Freemasonry is a unique members’ organisation which began over 300 years ago in 1717 when the first meeting was held in London
The All Saints Lodge in Leighton Buzzard is a bit younger than that having been founded nearly 50 years ago in 1977. The Lodge meets six evenings a year at Gables Hall on Wing Road, and has an active social calendar around those dates.
Having no political or religious affiliations, we comprise members of all ages, races, religions, cultures and backgrounds. The evenings include some ceremonial traditions (ignore the stuff you might have read elsewhere on the internet – it’s not like that), all around story telling focused on encouraging members to be more tolerant, respectful, and actively fulfil our civic responsibilities. But the largest part of the evening is a dinner and time to socialise, share stories and make new friendships with likeminded people.
All Saints Lodge is a welcoming and lively group that prides itself on its diverse membership, which includes individuals of varying life experiences, and family commitments, with a good number of members still building their careers and juggling the various time challenges that brings. The lodge is dedicated to maintaining the rich traditions of Freemasonry while fostering a supportive and low-pressure environment for members. All Saints understands that members have busy lives, and the Lodge should provide a place of sanctuary from the demands that brings. The Lodge is reasonably unique in Leighton Buzzard as it has a nice mix of life experience, with a number of members balancing the pressures of still building their careers and young families.
What is Freemasonry and Frequently Asked Questions
Freemasonry is a brotherhood of men committed to lives of honour, integrity, and character. The members of Freemasonry are on a journey of self discovery. For hundreds of years, Freemasons, with deep brotherly support, have worked to become the best version of themselves while working to better their communities and our world.
Why should I become a Freemason?
Becoming a Freemason can help you achieve great personal reward by guiding you to build your moral character and connection to your community. Freemasonry is built upon the core tenets of Brotherly love and affection, relief, and truth. Through a commitment to these values, all Freemasons share the common goal of making good men better. In addition to self improvement, a Freemason is a man eager to be part of something bigger than himself, with a reverence for history, compassion in his heart, and a desire to create a better future.
Who can be a Freemason?
Freemasonry welcomes people of every country, religion, race, age, income, education, and opinion. However, to join Freemasonry, you should meet the following qualifications:
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Be at least 18 years of age
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Be of good moral character
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Be motivated to join for reasons unrelated to personal gain or profit
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Believe in the existence of a Supreme Being, although Freemasonry is not concerned with theological distinctions or particular religious beliefs
What is a Lodge?
In Freemasonry, the lodge means two things. It refers to a group of Masons coming together in fellowship, and, at the same time, refers to the room or building in which they meet.
There are thousands of Masonic lodges worldwide.
Is Freemasonry a religion?
Freemasonry is not a religion or a substitute for religion. Freemasonry does not intrude on the religious beliefs of its members, although it does require that all members profess a belief in a Supreme Being. Men of all faiths are represented in Freemasonry. Religion is not discussed at lodge meetings.
Why does Freemasonry use symbols?
Freemasonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. Symbols allow people to communicate quickly, and to transcend language barriers. When you see a green light or a circle with a line through it, for example, you know what it means. Likewise, Masons use metaphors from geometry and the architecture of stonemasonry to inform their continuing pursuit of knowledge, ethics, and leadership skills.
To reflect their heritage, Masons wear aprons while in lodge, at certain public events, and at funerals to demonstrate their pride in the fraternity, and their lineage from stonemasons, who historically carried their tools in leather aprons. The square and compasses are the most widely known symbol of Masonry: When you see the symbol on a building, you know that Masons meet there.
Where did Freemasonry come from?
The exact origins of Freemasonry remain lost in time. The order is thought to have arisen from the English and Scottish guilds of practicing stonemasons and cathedral builders in the Middle Ages. Certain Masonic documents actually trace the sciences of geometry and masonry to the time of ancient Egypt and the building of King Solomon's Temple.
The formation of the first Grand Lodge in London in 1717 marks the beginning of the Modern era of Freemasonry, when members were no longer limited to actual working stonemasons.
Part of the mystique of Freemasonry can be attributed to speculation about its roots. Over the years, historians have never been able to conclusively determine exactly when, where, how, and why Freemasonry was formed.
Rather than working on buildings like the masons of old, today’s Freemasons focus on building themselves as people of integrity, and membership provides the structure to help achieve that goal.
One of the oldest social organisations in the world, Freemasonry is not defined by an ideology. It is open to people from all religions and political persuasions, and provides the common foundation for friendships between members, many of which will last for life.
With a membership of more than 200,000 people drawn from communities across the UK, Freemasonry brings people together irrespective of their race, religion or any other perceived differences that can divide us as a society
Whether participating in events, fundraising for a charitable cause or volunteering for public or community organisations, service is at the very heart of Freemasonry. Our members make valuable contributions by donating time, resources and skills.