Welcome to the Provincial Grand Stewards Chapter No. 9263 WhatsApp group, and thank you for agreeing to be a part of it. We hope that this group becomes, and continues to be, a useful source of communication for you.
In order to preserve the integrity and etiquette of the group, the following guidelines have been created based on what is considered general best practice for WhatsApp groups. If you would like any additions, amendments or removals to these guidelines, please suggest them and we can make the necessary adjustments.
- Please respect the purpose of the group, it was primarily created to facilitate the sharing of updates related to proposed socials, Chapter events, and other important information. Please consider this and the reason others agreed to join this group when sending your messages.
- Please don’t get disheartened if someone doesn’t respond to your messages in this group. No one is obliged to do so, and you can always send them a direct message in WhatsApp, or if you have their contact details, call or email them directly.
- If you feel uncomfortable with any content shared or posted on this group, please feel free to contact one of the administrators (directly) in the first instance. Consider this group in a similar vein to the Chapter, in that the harmony should be preserved. The group admins are currently :
- Scribe Ezra – Nick Illingsworth
- Assistant Secretary/Dining Steward – Paul Southwick
- IT Support – Simon Leib
- Please be reminded of the UGLE Social Media Policy (2016), which has been posted below in blue font, being particularly mindful of the following part: “These apply to personal accounts, as well as to accounts that individual Freemasons may manage on behalf of a Lodge, Province, District, or other Masonic entity. They apply to any Freemason who is identifiable as a Freemason online, whether he is posting in Masonic or non-Masonic channels.””Acting as an ambassador for Freemasonry online is part of a Freemason’s duty and is within the scope of Rule 179 of the Book of Constitutions, which states that a Freemason “…has a duty not to engage in activity which may bring Freemasonry into disrepute”. Rules (civil and Masonic) and expectations that apply to one’s daily conduct apply equally within the digital sphere, as comments may be taken out of context and used as a representative of the views of the United Grand Lodge of England.
Below is a list of behaviours and topics to avoid when posting on social media. These apply to personal accounts, as well as to accounts that individual Freemasons may manage on behalf of a Lodge, Province, District, or other Masonic entity. They apply to any Freemason who is identifiable as a Freemason online, whether he is posting in Masonic or non-Masonic channels. This list is not comprehensive but is intended to act as an introductory guide to topics or behaviours that are inappropriate for posting to any audience on social media.
When posting on social media platforms, a Freemason must not:- Produce, link to, or refer to any content that is illegal, defamatory, or likely to offend
others. - Cause or contribute to any hostile or unproductive arguments, or carry on any private
piques or quarrels (that is to say, good-natured debate is fine, but one should be
prepared to abandon the exchange if it ceases to be friendly) - Discuss or allude to any of the Masonic Signs, Tokens, or Words
- Claim to speak for any Masonic body (e.g. a Lodge, a Province or District, a charity or committee, or UGLE) on whose behalf he is not expressly authorised to speak (for instance, membership of a Lodge in London does not give one the authority to speak
on behalf of Metropolitan Grand Lodge) - identify anyone else as a Freemason without his express consent
- Refer to any personal information about any Freemason without his express consent (such as address, telephone number, or anything else covered by the Data Protection Act 1998; see: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents)
- Attempt to use Masonic channels as a vehicle for personal profit, or for any other form of self-promotion
- Attack the United Grand Lodge of England or any other legitimate Masonic authority.”
- Produce, link to, or refer to any content that is illegal, defamatory, or likely to offend
- As a Chapter WhatsApp group, it follows the same principles as Chapter meetings – discussions on religion and politics should be avoided to maintain harmony and uphold Masonic values.
- Please consider the time of day when sending messages to this group. Most people set up notifications or sounds to go off when they receive a message, and it would be considerate if we are all mindful of the time of day when others may be sleeping (for example).
- You are free to leave the group at any time (and indeed to ask to be re-added if you leave), if someone leaves the group, please respect their wishes. There is no obligation to be a part of or remain a part of this group.
- If you need more details on using WhatsApp, several helpful resources are available online. Alternatively, you can reach out to one of the administrators mentioned earlier. This includes options like ‘muting’ the group if there’s a surge of messages, allowing you to silence notifications for a while while still staying connected.
By participating in this group, members agree to uphold these principles, ensuring a respectful and meaningful space for communication.