District Grand Lodge SA Western Division
Lodge in Cape Town

Our Masonic Order is a society of men concerned with moral and spiritual values.   Members are taught its precepts by a series of ritual dramas, which follow ancient forms, using stonemason customs and tools as allegorical guides.Admission into, and continuing membership of, our Order, is a belief in a Supreme Being.  Membership is open to all men regardless of race or religion who can fulfil this essential qualification and who are of good repute.Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for any religious denomination. In fact, members are expected to continue to follow their own faith and we strictly discourage all religious or political discussion in our Lodge meeti. This is an essential qualification which opens our Order to all men, regardless of their religion.

Freemasons in the Western Cape are supporting the urgent humanitarian effort in the wake of the devastating fires and storms in the Eden District of the Southern Cape. Knysna Fires Freemasons in the Western Cape are supporting the urgent humanitarian effort in the wake of the devastating fires and storms in the Eden District of the Southern Cape. All proceeds will go to the Mark Benevolent Fund of which the De Heide Special Care Centre will be the beneficiary. Steven Botha went in as Commander, Willie Wagener as Senior Warden and Hilton Oates as Junior Warden. Twelve District Officers were in attendance which made for a very good evening. District has now had car decals made which can be attached to vehicles when they are used for official Mark functions or trips. The Degree of Royal Ark Mariner (RAM), although worked under the aegis of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons, has no real historical connection with the Mark Degree. In essence, the Royal Ark Mariner Degree stands alone and, is entirely unrelated to any other Masonic degree. The subject matter, being taken directly from the Volume of the Sacred Law, is therefore both beautif ul and instructive, guaranteed to make a lasting impression on every candidate. Upon entering the Temple the attention of the Candidate is directed to three points and at a certain stage the Ark is symbolised in terms similar to the ark of salvation. The candidate is finally instructed to advance in the spirit of the cardinal virtues. A particularly interesting aspect of this Degree is the position of the two Wardens, as in an old Craft Lodge. The first authentic record of the Degree appears in the minutes of a meeting held in Bath in A Grand Master’s Royal Ark Council was subsequently formed to regulate the Degree and since then the fraternity has grown apace. This ensures that RAM Lodge subscriptions are kept to a minimum. Under the English Constitution the qualification for membership of a Royal Ark Mariner Lodge is, perhaps not surprisingly, that of being a Mark Master Mason. The aim of this site is to improve communication between Freemasons of the English Constitution in the Western Cape District of South Africa, as well as between Masonic Constitutions recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England, under whose authority we operate. To members of our wonderful Order we hope it will provide further Masonic knowledge and education and to those who are not, it may give you some insight into our Fraternity.