The Order of Women Freemasons is proud to have recently taken part in a video produced by the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) showcasing the strong relationship between Freemasonry and the Armed Forces and the shared values of service, integrity and commitment that unite us.
This relationship includes the Order of Women Freemasons (OWF) which signed the Armed Forces Covenant in March 2023 demonstrating the Order’s support to its members of the Armed Forces as many members either service in the military, have served in the military or connected to the military through family – whether it is being the wife of a serving officer, the mother of children in the military or the daughter from a military family.
Freemasonry and the military have a historical connection rooted in shared values like discipline, loyalty, and brotherhood. As well as providing support to members who are connected, Freemasonry also provides a familiar structure and team ethos for service members, helping them transition to civilian life.
The number of women Freemasons - of any Masonic allegiance - in this country at the outbreak of the Great War was to be reckoned in terms of a few hundreds. They came from two organisations - the Co-Masons, a mixed male and female Order which started in France in the 1880s and which was brought to Britain in 1902 and an offshoot of the Co-Masons which broke away from the parent organisation in 1908. Then called the Honourable Fraternity of Antient Masonry (HFAM), this latter was the same body known as the Order of Women Freemasons today.
The fact that several of the major support agencies working during the War were set up by women who were also Freemasons. This work was not done by women who co-incidentally were Freemasons, but by women whose belief in the idea of service inherent in Freemasonry prompted them to demonstrate this by taking practical action in creating major initiatives for the relief and support of both participants and home workers during the War.
The concept of service – philanthropy – was embedded in the ethos of the aristocracy. These ladies of the upper classes who were also Freemasons saw in their relief work during and after the War a genuine opportunity of serving others by the practise of their Masonic principles.
