Ayesha Camara said that it was through attending events as Phil Falla’s guest that she became interested in the organisation.
‘I’ve thought about it quite a while, and I talked about it with other women, partners or wives of Freemasons,’ she said.
There was a Guernsey all-women’s lodge which started in about the 1980s but Ms Camara said that it seemed to have fizzled out at about the time of the Covid pandemic.
In order to have a new one established she has been in touch with the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons, one of two women-only groups in the UK, the other being the Order of Women’s Freemasonry.
‘They’ve been very supportive, very helpful. We’ve had a Zoom meeting with them and a large number of women who were interested in formulating a lodge here.’
So far more than 20 women have said they were keen to join.
Ms Camara said she had a very different perception of Freemasonry before she met Mr Falla: ‘Like a lot of people I thought it was funny handshakes and lots of secrets. But actually it’s not. I see the enjoyment that Phil gets out of it. I see the enjoyment that other Freemasons get out of it and I see the friendships that are made.
‘I see how it’s very rewarding, and there’s the work they do for charities as well.’
She had made lots of friends of Freemasons and their partners or wives: ‘So I just thought why can’t us women have the same enjoyment and fulfilment in doing this?’
The next step will be to submit application forms to the UK, since the group will have to first join a UK lodge to be initiated after which representatives from the UK will have to come to Guernsey to enable the new members to progress through the next degrees.
She had been pleased to get support from the men’s side of the organisation, too, with several saying they liked the idea and would be encouraging their wives or partners to get involved.
Ms Camara hoped that the new women’s lodge could be up and running within the next 18 months.
Any women interested in becoming members or finding out more should contact the local Freemasons via the form on its website at guernseyfreemasons.org.uk/membership-enquiry.
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