Alfred Robbins Lodge

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Paul Gardner challenges the concept that daylight Lodges are neither needed nor supported.

“The night is waning fast…our work is done our feast is o’er”… The Tyler woefully declares. But what of Daylight Lodges – especially those meeting on Saturdays?

One of the concepts behind daylight Lodges was to facilitate older Masons who didn’t like being out late at night. That’s all well and good, but Lodges which aim for older Masons are particularly exposed to health problems restricting mobility and attendance and the inevitable march of time; meaning they are unlikely to greatly expand membership and participation.

Or is that necessarily the case?

One successful Lodge of this format presents its modus operandi in this interview with Jules Smith, exploring their story and success:

What drew you to daylight Lodge(s)?

I may be 74 now, but I have been interested in attracting younger people to Freemasonry since I was initiated in my early 30s. That means understanding and catering for younger people's availability to attend, and their professional mobility. My mother Lodge was formed by shopkeepers and tyled at 15:30 on a Wednesday – because in those times that was “early closing day”.

I was initiated there because it was my father’s Lodge and I knew no other. The older members had trouble understanding why younger men would not join. Why won’t they take a half day off work so that they can get to the Lodge early? The number of shopkeepers in that Lodge declined to zero and the Lodge finally accepted that it had to be more accessible by starting later. It very nearly failed while arguing about that change.

So, your enquiring mind was triggered?

Yes – that set me thinking, as I found weekday meetings were a challenge for me. I worked freelance and spent my weekdays visiting my clients. Saturdays were much better for me and I had a very understanding family. I spoke to other Masons in a similar position and we decided to apply for a Warrant to consecrate a new Lodge in Essex which was aimed at younger working people and met on a Saturday morning. That meant that members could have the late afternoon and evening free if they wanted. It worked really well. I was the Founding SW; and West Essex Meridian Lodge No 9821 was consecrated in March 2007. 20 years later, it’s still going strong and attracting younger members.

Are younger, newer members in need of consideration?

A good example of younger members requiring a little consideration is the Universities Scheme. Saturdays are ideal for students or recent graduates. They don't interfere much with lectures and are better for young men building a career. Tetragon Lodge No 6302 was a warrant rescue. Having heard that the Lodge was about to fail, a large group of younger University-associated Masons visited the Lodge. At that meeting the motion to return the warrant was on the agenda! We demonstrated our sincerity by giving the secretary our Forms M, and gave the treasurer our fees. The motion to return the warrant was defeated. That was in 2008. Next meeting, we were voted in as joining members and the Lodge was ours. In its new form I served as Secretary on and off for 18 years. Membership is currently running at 45 and we were interviewing potential candidates in the pub recently.

Universities Scheme Lodges are unlike ‘ordinary’ ones. The mobility of the members mean that the outward churn rate is quite high, but joining members who have come to live and work in London make up for that. The Lodge is reflecting the mobility of younger people and making Freemasonry accessible by catering for their needs.

Some of the reasons for members leaving are interesting. One of our members graduated in law in London where he was initiated, passed and raised, then he had to decide where to do his post-grad. The two most obvious choices were California or Hong Kong. He chose the latter and had a wonderful time visiting Freemasons in Hong Kong and is now back in the UK. This mobility is what we must sometimes expect of younger Masons.

And that’s nothing new. If you look back at the minutes of Lodges 100 years ago, you will see that they tended to be much bigger than they are today; and because they attracted younger working people, they had a high churn rate. That was normal then, and I think that pattern leads to growth in Lodges today. Lodges which are composed only of older people are not naturally attractive to younger folks.

What in the future may attract Initiates to the Craft?

Let’s look at Special Interest Lodges. When a Lodge is formed, its members tend to have something in common. If your Lodge is over 100 years old, what was it that the Founders of your Lodge had in common? Do you still have that connection 125 years on? I suspect not.

Special Interest Lodges are the perfect antidote to this softening of the natural bond between Brethren. Today there are lots of Special Interest Lodges covering Formula 1, football, hunting shooting and fishing, science fiction and fantasy, cars, craft beer, fine dining and many, many, more. These attract initiates and joining members who have that common interest seeking like-mindedness. These Lodges are not necessarily even newly consecrated – thus the Lodge is reborn with a new purpose.

For example, a recent Facebook post refers to Meridian Lodge No 4106; a Lodge which was failing because its research theme had faded. But it became the Masonic home of the Intelligence Corps. There are many military Lodges, but the Corps had never had a Lodge of its own. It certainly does now. Saturdays are ideal for the members, and they particularly wanted to meet at Great Queen Street. We tyle at 2pm because several of the members travel very long distances to attend. One of our potential initiates lives in Florida!

The leading lights there are truly excellent at communication. After 18 months, the membership is now in the mid-30s, increased from 11. We have raised candidates 7 at a time and just read 14 forms for initiates and joiners. The WM has a personal target of 100 members by the end of next year – and the way he’s going he will achieve it.

What are the markers for future success?

To make your Lodge survive and prosper, you need enthusiasm, commitment and ideally a theme. Social media posts appealing for visitors and potential members for “a lovely friendly little Lodge” don’t have a unique proposition and are less likely to succeed. If your original Founders’ theme is lost, you ideally need a new one to attract new interest. There is no shame in this, recognising that Freemasonry expanded hugely after the two World Wars with returning servicemen seeking the camaraderie they had known in the armed forces and war effort. In 2026 there is no longer that military pull; and yet there is no shortage of young men who seek camaraderie and companionship.

Thank you for your thoughts, Jules, very much ‘in the cold light of day’ and wishing you more success in the future. Let’s hope this helps any failing Lodges and at a minimum promotes some thought, by retaining the option of reviving or repurposing a Daylight Lodge phoenix-like for the future!

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This article is part of Arena Magazine Issue 61 – Summer 2026.
Arena Magazine is the official online magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in Arena Issue 61 here.

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