The Order of Women Freemasons and The Armed Forces 

Freemasonry and the armed forces share several core values and organizational structures. Both emphasize discipline, loyalty, service, and fraternity, with Freemasonry providing a sense of identity, structure, and team ethos similar to what military personnel experience. Click here to view a video about Freemasonry and the Armed Forces. 

 

• Discipline: Both Freemasonry and the armed forces place a high value on discipline, whether it's adherence to a code of conduct within a military unit or the principles and rituals of a Masonic Lodge. 

• Loyalty: Both organizations stress loyalty to their respective structures, whether it's to a military chain of command or to the principles and brethren of Freemasonry. 

• Service: A commitment to service, whether to one's country in the armed forces or to the community through Masonic charitable work, is a central tenet in both. 

• Fraternity: Both Freemasonry and the armed forces foster a strong sense of brotherhood and camaraderie among their members. 

 

• Structure and Hierarchy: Freemasonry, like the armed forces, has a structured organization with defined roles, ranks (or degrees), and a clear chain of command. 

• Ceremony and Ritual: Both involve ceremonial practices and rituals that reinforce their values and create a sense of shared experience. 

• Community and Support: Freemasonry, particularly through its network of local lodges, often provides a support system for its members, mirroring the close-knit community found within military units. 

 

The Order of Women Freemasons signed the Armed Services Covenant at a ceremony held at their headquarters in Notting Hill Gate on 21 March 2023, led by the then Grand Master, Most Worshipful Brother Zuzanka Penn. By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, the Order of Women Freemasons demonstrates its support to members of the Armed Forces. 

 

The Order of Women Freemasons has many connections with the military through its members, who, over the years, have included Lady Dorothy Haig, who set up the Lady Haig Poppy factory in Scotland (now known as 'Poppy Scotland') to give financial assistance to ex-soldiers and the Royal British Legion. Also, Dame Florence Burleigh Leach, CBE, who founded the Women’s Legion, and who enabled the Women’s Volunteer Reserve (WVR) to be accessible to women from all classes of society. In 1917, she oversaw the WVR move into the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, among others. Click to here to read about the Order's connections with the Armed Forces over the years.