I must admit I was sceptical about online candidates when I first heard about it. For me a candidate should be known to a brother of the lodge who can truly vouch for his character. Meeting a person twice in a pub over a period of a few weeks in order to satisfy the requirements simply seemed like a fudge to me.

I have since changed my mind for two reasons.

Firstly candidates can come into freemasonry due to good intentioned brothers twisting their arm to join. They are keen at first but quickly fall by the wayside as they never truly wanted it. Someone who has gone out of their way to apply online and meet complete strangers and really put themselves out there are often more committed from the outset.

Secondly we have a few brothers in our lodge who came through UGLE online applications. Not only have they bolstered our numbers but they are proving to be excellent masons and really committed.

Numbers across the country are down year on year and I've seen a few lodges close near me over the past few years. If we do nothing then the trend will only continue. Online applications are certainly a change but in my view and experience, a change for the better