A Typical Meeting

A typical Wyke Millennium Lodge meeting consists of a ceremony of one of the three degrees that a Craft Mason passes through from Entered Apprentice, to Fellow Craft and finally to Master Mason. These ceremonies are imitative of operative stone masons and are used as an allegorical representation of a person’s passage through life, learning by example and through these illustrative events how to be a better person and how to relate to your fellow human beings in a positive way.

Our ceremonies are sometimes likened to the Mediaeval Mystery Plays that are still performed in places like York where there are 48 such pageants, bringing in that case a religious message to the streets. Freemasonry isn’t however a religion, it’s open to anyone who believes in a Supreme Being, not necessarily a formal religion, but a higher power that guides our lives and actions.

The ceremonial of Freemasonry is described as ‘a peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols’. That is exactly what it is. It is an enjoyable thing in its own right, but also reinforces by illustration  what a good life is all about and how to live it with regard to others.

The language of the ceremonial is arcane and hasn’t changed with the times; it has a peculiar attractiveness because of that and makes for an interesting occasion. Spending an evening (most Lodges, but not all meet in the evening) in a Lodge is a period where the troubles of the World can for a while be set aside and a quiet period of contemplation can be enjoyed in the company of other like-minded men (or women in the case of women’s Freemason Lodges).

Some evenings we will simply have a talk on an interesting topic or learn a little more about Freemasonry. As a Mason you can enjoy the fraternity at many levels and the history and the esoteric meanings behind the ritual can be fascinating.

Every Lodge meeting is followed by a Festive Board. Quite simply we have dinner together and enjoy each other’s company. Music plays a part in both the ceremonies and at the Festive Board, where a new initiate will find he is the centre of attention and will have a very memorable evening to start off his Masonic career.

The Wyke Millennium Lodge is privileged to meet at the Tickton Grange Hotel and the quality of the food is excellent, and often commented upon favourably by our visitors. It’s a great night out!