So you are not a Freemason? There could be a whole host of reasons why you are not a Freemason but the Freemasons of Scotland have a saying: ‘There are millions of Freemasons ‘out there’ they just don’t know it yet’. I expect that Masonophobes will have many other opinions as to why you should not be a Freemason. Those aside one of the most common that I hear frequently is: ‘I have never been asked!’ The reason why you will not be asked is due to the curious history of Freemasonry itself. Freemasonry, as an organisation (and I really dislike that label when applied to Freemasonry but that is for another post), does not recruit! How weird is that! Freemasonry, in the UK and Europe at least, does not go out to ‘sign up’ new members. You will not find people in city centres handing out publicity material. There is a very particular reason for this which is embedded in the history and ritual of Freemasonry, particularly Scottish Freemasonry, but until one becomes a member that reason cannot be revealed.

You could try to join a real secret society such as the Mafia, Triads or Yakuza but I don’t recommend that because, well, those are real secret societies who probably do not want loads of people knocking on their door asking to join. Alternatively you could try to become a ‘real’ Freemason but, of course, how to do that is a secret!

All is not lost however! You could always start up your own secret, ‘secret society’, and should you wish to do so help is at hand! Five years ago to assist people aspiring to become members of a ‘secret society’ but who had some reason not to become a Freemason one Nick Harding wrote a book: How to start your own Secret Society published by Oldcastle Books. DIY Freemasonry!