What Are the Core Values of Freemasonry According to UGLE?

The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) names four core values: Integrity, Friendship, Respect and Service. UGLE describes these as "the underlying principles behind who we are, what we stand for, and what we do," and says they are vital to understanding Freemasonry. They apply to members across England, Wales, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and a number of Districts overseas, and UGLE asks members to practise them in both their private and public lives.

The Four Values and What Each One Means

Integrity

UGLE frames integrity as the foundation of a virtuous character. The specific qualities it lists are:

• Honesty
• Trustworthiness
• Honour
• Reliability
• Conscientiousness

The stated purpose is that these qualities foster trust, maintain integrity and demonstrate commitment, leading to "a life of strong principles and dependable actions."

Friendship

UGLE presents friendship as something Freemasonry actively creates rather than merely encourages. The site says members get many opportunities to make "a wide circle of friends for life who share common interests and values." It describes the result as a bond of friendship and a sense of belonging, which promotes enjoyment and fulfilment.

This connects to how UGLE describes lodge life in practice: members meet in individual Lodges around the country, follow ceremonial traditions, and "make time to eat, drink and meet together, and form lifelong friendships."

Respect

Respect is the value most closely tied to who is allowed to join and how members treat each other's beliefs. UGLE says Freemasonry has respected the beliefs of its members "from its earliest days" and promotes an environment where diversity is valued — "a space where different" beliefs can coexist.

This is consistent with UGLE's broader description of itself as an organisation with no political or religious affiliations, made up of members of all ages, races, religions, cultures and backgrounds.

Service

UGLE lists Service as the fourth core value and links it to civic and charitable responsibility. Its description of what members do includes "actively to fulfil our civic and charitable responsibilities." The values are also framed as something members should practise in their public lives, not only inside the lodge.

How the Values Fit Together

The four values are not presented as separate slogans but as a chain:

UGLE's stated aim is to attract people "from all backgrounds and walks of life," help them develop into "more thoughtful and confident people," and inspire them to practise these values. It also sets an organisational goal: over the next seven years, to strengthen its reputation as an organisation people aspire to join and to broaden membership across all age groups.

What the Values Do Not Require

Because the values sit alongside UGLE's statement that Freemasonry has no political or religious affiliations, the expectation is not that members share a religion or a politics. Respect, as UGLE describes it, is specifically about valuing members' differing beliefs. If you are considering membership, the practical test is whether you are comfortable with an organisation that asks for honesty, sociability, tolerance of difference and charitable effort — rather than doctrinal agreement.

For the fuller context — what Freemasonry is, what Freemasons do, and what UGLE itself is — the related questions on this site cover those separately.