Many returned soldiers became Freemasons after WWII. Freemasonry offered kinship in a closeknit organisation where personal friendships could be focussed into community acts of kindness.

Freemasonry also offers the practioner a complex framework to pursue inner growth, through stages of required discipline towards the pursuit of self-knowledge. Brethren enter as apprentices into The First Degree, develop thier craft through The Second Degree and work towards becoming a Master Mason in The Third Degree.

The symbolism of Freemasonry includes The Three Great Lights; the Volume of Sacred Law, the Square, and the Compass. In Christian countries the Volume of Sacred Law is usually taken to be the Bible, but in other countries it is not uncommon to find Lodges displaying the Koran, the Torah, or some other scripture which reflects the religious focus of the Brethren of that Lodge.

My father became a Brother in The United Grand Lodge of New South Wales of Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons at the Lodge at Trundle, on the 4th day of March, 1965, and was accepted into the Third Degree on the 1st day of July, 1965. During his time as a Freemason, Dad served as Tyler in 1965-66 and as Junior Deacon in 1967-68. Dad left the Trundle Lodge on the 5th day of June, 1969.

As children we did not know anything about Dad being a Mason. I became interested in Freemasonry much later. Except for the very gender specific nature of this ancient fraternity, I find the ritual and symbolism fascinating.

Modern Freemasony is not so secretive; they have their Lodge Newsletters published on the internet! They continue to provide an environment where a journey to self knowledge is encouraged, as well as running functions and events to raise money for hospitals and medical research.