Onslow Freemasons Lodge
Data Protection Notice

Your data

This notice is for all candidates and Freemasons of Onslow Lodge 2234. It applies to the processing of your personal data by the Lodge. 

Section I sets out the purposes for which your data will be used by the Lodge if you are a candidate. 

Section II sets out the purposes for which your data will be used by the Lodge if you are a member.

Please note that your personal data will also be processed by the United Grand Lodge of England and the Provincial Grand Lodge of Surrey as separate data controllers and so you are also referred to their respective Data Protection Notices.

     I.        Use of your data during your application to become a Freemason

As a candidate, you consent to the processing, retention and sharing of your personal data submitted on or with your application, including details of criminal convictions if applicable, for the purpose of assessing your membership application and any other membership applications you may make to Masonic entities. If you choose to answer the optional questions about your religion and ethnicity these will not be visible to those assessing your membership application(s) and will be used for the sole purpose of equalities monitoring.

The assessment of your application will include printing some of your personal details on the summons which is sent to all of the members of the Lodge. Those details are your full name, age, profession or occupation (if any), place or places of abode, business address or addresses and names of your proposer and seconder.   

If you apply from outside the UK then your data will be transferred to the UK and processed for the purpose of assessing your application. It may be transferred from the UK to Masonic entities local to you for the purpose of assessing your application. 

The personal data in membership applications is processed on the basis of consent. You can cancel your application at any time prior to your initiation, exaltation, joining or re-joining by notifying your proposer and seconder. If you provide your data but do not complete your application within two years, it will be deleted. If you complete an application but are not initiated within ten years, it will be deleted. If you wish to delete your application data sooner then please contact [email protected].

    II.        Use of your data after you become a Freemason

Masonic entities will never sell your data.

As a Freemason your data will be processed, retained and shared for any reasonable purposes required by the Book of Constitutions or the bodies it sanctions from time to time. These purposes include, but are not limited to, the following purposes:

1.    Assessing any Masonic applications you make;

2.    Registering you as a member of Freemasonry;

3.    Receiving communications to which you are entitled as a Mason;

4.    Recording the progress of your career in Freemasonry including memberships of Masonic entities, offices held, roles performed and meetings attended;

5.    Masonic disciplinary processes; and

6.    Maintaining Lodge records for archive and historical purposes.

You may stop your data from being used by the Lodge by resigning from the Lodge. If your data is included in Lodge Minutes, Signature Books or other records it will be retained indefinitely for archive and historical purposes. If you resign while owing money to the Lodge then your data may be used to contact you to seek payment.

Sharing your data

Please note that data provided to any Masonic entity will be shared with any other Masonic entity for which it is relevant. For example, if you move house and provide your new address to your Lodge, that data will be shared with all other Masonic entities which communicate with you by post. Also data about you created by a Masonic entity will be shared with any other Masonic entity for which it is relevant. For example, if a disciplinary sanction is imposed on you that will be reported to all of your Lodges and Chapters. 

Contact Details

The Lodge is at Guildford Masonic Centre, Weybourne House, Hitherbury Close, Guildford GU2 4DR. Please contact the Lodge Secretary by post or email to [email protected] if you wish to:

1.    Object to the Lodge processing your data;

2.    Request access to your data; or

3.    Request rectification of your data.

The legal basis on which your personal data will be used in accordance with this Section II are the legitimate interests of the Lodge as a not for profit membership organisation.

In this notice:

“Book of Constitutions” means the General Laws and Regulations for the Government of the Craft of the United Grand Lodge of England from time to time.

“Masonic entities” means:

a.    all Lodges you apply to join or have joined;

b.    their Metropolitan, Provincial or District Grand Lodges; and

c.     the United Grand Lodge of England.

for Royal Arch Masons, and applicants to the Royal Arch, it will also include:

d.    all Chapters you apply to join or have joined;

e.    their Metropolitan, Provincial or District Grand Chapters; and

f.     the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England