Data Protection Notice
Your data
Section One        Applying to join (Advancement, Elevation, joining or re-joining).
Section Two        Use of Freemasons’ data by Masonic entities.
Section Three     Use of Freemasons’ data for events
Section Four       Use of Freemasons’ data by Masonic charities.
Section Five        Use of data for archive purposes in the public interest and for historical research.
Section Six          Sharing your data with another recognised Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons.
Section Seven     Sharing your data with another Masonic Order.
Section Eight       Use of your data if you choose to communicate with, volunteer for, serve on the committees of, visit or work for the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales at Mark Master Masons’ Hall.
Section Nine        Contains some definitions for terms used in this notice.
The Appendix       Lists the categories of data processed under sections 1 to 9

If you have any questions about this notice then please contact Data Protection Officer at GLMMM write to The Data Protection Officer, the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons’ of England, Mark Master Masons’ Hall, 86 St James Street, London SW1A 1PL.

1.  Applying to join (Advancement, Elevation joining or re-joining)
If you express interest in joining the order of Mark Master Masons or Royal Ark Mariners and provide data to a Masonic Entity, that data will be used to assess your eligibility and to try to find the right Unit for you. The data may be shared by the Masonic Entity which collected the data with other Masonic Entities local to where you live or spend time.

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 to which you are applying. 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. Your details will be checked against records of current members and of members who have resigned or been expelled for the purpose of verifying that you are eligible to make your application.
After submitting your application Masonic entities may use your data to send communications of interest to you, for example an invitation to a Mark Masonry event in your Province.

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 expressions of interest and membership applications is processed on the basis of consent. You can cancel your application at any time prior to your admission, joining or re-joining by notifying whoever you provided your data to, or to 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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

2.  Use of Freemasons’ data by Masonic entities
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 Constitutions and Regulations of the order you wish to join or rejoin or the bodies they sanction from time to time. These purposes include, but are not limited to, the following purposes:
a.  Assessing any membership applications you make to Masonic entities;
b.  Registering you as a member of Mark Master Masonry or Royal Ark Mariners;
c.  Sending communications which you are entitled to receive as a Mason;
d.  Recording the progress of your career in the order including memberships of Masonic entities, offices held, roles performed and meetings attended;
e.  Masonic disciplinary processes;
f.   If you resign or are expelled from membership, maintaining records to prevent you from improperly re-applying for membership; and
g.  Maintaining records of your career in Mark Master Masonry or Royal Ark Mariners for archive and historical purposes.

The legal basis on which your personal data will be used for these purposes is the legitimate interests of Masonic entities as not for profit membership organisations. Additional data is commonly held by Masonic entities on the basis of consent. Examples of this include any photographs or videos in which you feature. If you have provided your religion or ethnicity this data is also held on the basis of consent.

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 may 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 Provincial Grand Master imposes a disciplinary sanction on you that will be reported to all of Units in which you are a member.

The proceedings of Freemasonry are not public but the regular meetings of Governing Bodies and of are recorded in minute books which are made available to the public. If you choose to speak at these meetings, then your name will be recorded in the minutes.

If you are a member of a Masonic entity based outside the UK then your data may be transmitted to, processed and stored in the jurisdiction of that Masonic entity. Your data will also be stored and processed in the UK for the purposes set out in Section II.

Resignation
You may stop your data from being used for all purposes except 6. and 7. above by resigning from the Mark and Royal Ark Mariner Lodges in which you are a member using the processes prescribed in Constitutions and Regulations. If you resign or are expelled, personal data relating to your membership will normally be retained and processed by The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England for 100 years for purpose 6. and indefinitely for purpose 7.

Other Masonic entities may also keep historic records, for example once you cease to be a member of a Lodge your personal details will remain in Lodge minute books which cover the period in which you were a subscribing member.

Your data may also be used within one year of your resignation from a Lodge to contact you for the purposes of understanding why you resigned and if applicable to assist you in finding an appropriate Lodge to join.

If you resign while owing money to a Masonic entity, then your data may be used to contact you to seek payment.

If you resign from all of your Lodges but remain a Freemason then Masonic entities may contact you by post to make you aware of Masonic events happening in your area.

Data Rights
You may request access to the data held about you by each Masonic entity, and rectification of that data if applicable, or object to the processing of that data, by submitting a request to the relevant Masonic entity. Where data is held on the basis of your consent, you may also request that it be deleted.

The secretary of your Lodge will provide on request details of your data controllers and their contact details. The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales at Mark Master Masons Hall, 86 St James Street, London WC2B 5AZ. Their data protection officer can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

3.  Use of Freemasons’ data for events
If you choose to attend events organised by Masonic entities your data will be processed, retained and shared to administer those events. This commonly includes your name on seating plans and attendance lists, details of your mobility needs and dietary preferences and your payment information and, if you owe money, your contact details. This data is processed on the basis of your consent except for the payment information and any personal data arising from seeking or obtaining payment, which is processed on the basis of the performance of a contract. This data is held up to 7 years after the event and is commonly shared with the venue and, if applicable, the caterers to the extent necessary for them to provide their respective services.

4.  By Masonic charities
The Masonic charities need to keep their donor databases accurate and up to date. If you choose to donate to a Masonic charity, then Masonic entities may permit that Masonic charity to access your name and address data to verify your information. The legal basis for this processing is the legitimate interests of that charity.

Masonic charities provide, among other work, support to Freemasons, former Freemasons, their relatives and dependants. When a Masonic charity receives an application for relief which is dependent on your status as a Freemason or former Freemason, for fraud prevention purposes it may be granted access to your personal data held by relevant Masonic entities. The charity may only use this personal data to verify your status as a Freemason to the extent that it is relevant for an application for relief it has received.

5.  Archiving and historical research
Many masonic records from the Orders administered from Mark Masons’ Hall which may contain your data are archived and kept for historical research. This archive is an internal function of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons and the information is not transferred to any external organisation.

6.  Other Recognised Grand Lodges
If you are a Mark Master Mason and you choose to apply to join other recognised Mark Grand Lodges they may request that you consent to Masonic entities sharing the details of your Masonic career, including certificates of good standing, with them for the purposes of enabling them to assess your application. If you do not consent then we recommend that you make this clear on your application to that Grand Lodge.

If you are a Mark Master Mason and you choose to visit Mark or Royal Ark Mariner Lodges under the jurisdiction of other recognised Grand Lodges those Grand Lodges may enquire with Masonic entities about your Masonic status. The legal basis for sharing your Masonic status is the legitimate interests of Masonic entities and of the applicable recognised Grand Lodge in complying with their respective constitutions and Masonic customs.

If you are subject to a Masonic disciplinary sanction then your name, address and sanction may be shared with other recognised Mark Grand Lodges or sent by other recognised Mark Grand Lodges to Masonic entities. The legal basis on which this data is processed is the legitimate interests of the Masonic entities as membership organisations in upholding their common values in accordance with the Book of Constitutions and Regulations.

7.  Other Masonic Orders
If you are a Mark Master Mason and you choose to apply to join other Masonic Orders, they may request that you consent to Masonic entities sharing the details of your Masonic career, including certificates of good standing, with them for the purposes of enabling them to assess your application. If you do not consent then we recommend that you make this clear on your application to that Masonic Order.

If you are subject to a Masonic disciplinary sanction then your name, address and sanction may be shared with other Masonic Orders or sent by other Masonic Orders to Masonic entities. The legal basis on which this data is processed is the legitimate interests of the Masonic entities as membership organisations in upholding their common values in accordance with the Book of Constitutions and Regulations.

8.  Other uses
Communications - If you communicate with the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons’ of England and Wales they may monitor, record, store and use any telephone, email, webform or other communication with you in order to communicate with you in relation to your query, respond to the issues raised or deal with them in accordance with the Book of Constitutions and Regulations, check any information you have provided, maintain records of recent communications for legal reasons and improve the quality of the services they offer. The legal basis for this processing is the legitimate interests of each as a membership organisation.

Surveys - If you complete any of the surveys that the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales use to collect feedback then the data you submit may be used to contact you if there are specific concerns raised but otherwise will be used in aggregated, anonymised form. The legal basis for this processing is your consent.

Volunteering - If you volunteer for any committees or other roles at the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales then they will process your name, contact details and any other personal data relevant to the role for the purposes of enabling that role to be performed safely and efficiently including security passes and login details if applicable. The legal basis for this processing is your consent.

Grand Rank - If you accept promotion to a Grand Rank or to Provincial, District or Overseas Grand Rank then your name and office or rank will be printed in relevant yearbooks and elsewhere. The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales Yearbook is on public sale in hard copy format and a version may be made available online to Freemasons through a members’ secure website. Your contact details will also be printed in relevant yearbooks and elsewhere to the extent necessary so that you can be contacted in order to discharge the functions of your office or in all other cases will be included only with your consent. The legal bases for this processing are the legitimate interests of the Masonic entity publishing the relevant yearbook or consent, as applicable.

As a Grand Officer, you may be asked to provide brief biographical details if you attend certain events with a Ruler, to form part of the pre-briefing for the Ruler. The basis on which that personal data is held is your consent.

Mark Masons’ Hall - If you choose to visit Mark Masons’ Hall at 86 St James, London then your image will be recorded by a CCTV system operated by the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales. The purpose of the CCTV is to protect the health and safety of all building users, protect the premises, identify the owners of lost property and to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour. The legal basis for this processing is the legitimate interests of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales as owner and occupier of the premises.

MMH Public Wi-Fi - If you choose to use the public Wi-Fi internet access at Mark Master Masons Hall using a personal electronic device the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales will store and process details of that device for the purpose of providing the Wi-Fi to you. The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales may also store and process details of the websites that you visit using the Wi-Fi for its monitoring and administrative purposes and for crime prevention purposes.

Dining – If you choose to dine after an Annual Investiture, Quarterly Communication, Convocation or other event using dining arranged by the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales then your data will be used for the purposes of providing the dining and collecting payment. Your name, Masonic prefix and rank and any mobility needs or dietary preferences will be shared with the venue or caterers which will use it to provide the dining services, store it for up to 7 years afterwards and use it in accordance with their published data protection notice.

Employees and contractors - The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons uses the data of employees for the purposes of performing their contracts of employment and for other purposes which are required by the law or which fall within its legitimate interests as an employer, including sharing that data where appropriate with pension providers and HMRC. Further detail is set out in the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons staff handbook.

The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales uses the data of contractors for the purposes of performing their contracts and for any other purposes which are required by the law.

9.  Definitions
“Book of Constitutions and Regulations” means the General Laws and Regulations for the Government of Mark Master Masonry of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales from time to time, a copy of which can be found at https://www.markmasonshall.org/mmm-info/mmm-constitutions

“Masonic entities” means:
      a.  all entities administered from Mark Masons' Hall you apply to join or have joined;
      b.  their Provincial or District Grand Units; and
      c.  The Grand Lodge Mark Master Masons of England and Wales
If you have any questions or complaints about how your data is processed, please contact the relevant Masonic entity. If you have raised your concerns but not received a satisfactory response you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office or outside the UK to your local supervisory authority (if applicable). More information about UK complaints can be found at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/.

The Appendix

Data of applicant/ someone who has expressed interest in joining

Category of Data	Basis of processing	Purpose of processing
Post Code/ Country	Consent	To identify local Lodges that might suit you
Membership of similar organisations	Consent	To determine eligibility for membership
Name and contact details	Consent	To determine eligibility for membership and to communicate with you about your application and about Mark Master Masonry and any relevant local Masonic events
Date of birth, profession/occupation, employer, business address, how long known by Proposer and Seconder	Consent	To determine eligibility for membership
Ethnicity and religion	Consent	For equalities monitoring

 

Data of a Mark Master Mason

Category of Data	Basis of processing	Purpose of processing
Name, address, email and telephone number	Legitimate Interests	To communicate with you and for the purposes required by Book of Constitutions and Regulations or the bodies they sanction from time to time (see Section II for detail) To verify your details for a Masonic charity (see Section III)
Date of birth, age, occupation, information for official visits, administrative comments (e.g. “please do not contact this individual by post” or “arrears cleared 16/1/23”)	Legitimate Interests	For the purposes required by the Book of Constitutions and Regulations or the bodies they sanction from time to time (see Section II for detail)
Title, preferred name, post nominals, alternative contact details	Consent	To communicate with you in the manner you wish
Masonic career (comprising length of service, prefix, status, certificate number, dates of initiation, passing and raising, ranks, awards, posts, current offices, Lodge and Chapter memberships, foreign constitutions, meeting attendances, roles performed at ceremonies, references such as visiting officer reports or honours candidate comments) and memberships of mailing groups	Legitimate Interests	For the purposes required by the Book of Constitutions and Regulations or the bodies they sanction from time to time (see Section II for detail) To share with masonic charities to which you or your relatives or dependants have applied for relief, to confirm your or their entitlement to that relief (see Section III for detail).
Photographs, quotes and videos	Consent	To enable others to recognise you or to add your photo to briefings for visiting officers.  To use for newsletters or publicity to which you have consented
Event attendance, seating plans, mobility needs and dietary preferences	Consent	To administer events which you have chosen to attend
Payment information (personal payments)	Performance of a contract	To administer events which you have chosen to attend and to collect payment.
Payment information (payments relating to a Masonic unit where personal data is included)	Legitimate Interests	To process dues and other payments between Masonic entities for the purposes of Freemasonry
Disciplinary records and criminal proceedings or convictions and details of any activity which may bring Mark Master Masonry into disrepute or which breached the Book of Constitutions and Regulations	Legitimate Interests	To operate and maintain records of the Masonic disciplinary system
Complaints or witness statements provided for disciplinary purposes	Legitimate Interests	To operate and maintain records of the Masonic disciplinary system
Keystone, Members’ Websites or other remote access services users’ credentials, contact details and Masonic role	Consent	To enable you and others to use remote access services in a secure manner and (where applicable) to receive individualised services on those platforms.
Keystone, Members’ Websites or other remote access services user history and training history or training declarations	Legitimate Interests	To provide and maintain remote access services in a secure and lawful manner, to detect any misuse of those services and to facilitate disciplinary action in respect of misuse
A Grand Officer’s name, contact details, photos and passport details	Legitimate Interests	To produce the Masonic Yearbook and, where the role requires, to publish their photos online or to arrange travel for Masonic visits
A Grand Officer’s autobiographical details	Consent	To provide a pre-briefing to Rulers where applicable
Ethnicity and religion	Consent	For equalities monitoring
Application forms you have completed and other information submitted to Masonic Entities as a Mark Master Mason	Legitimate Interests	Maintaining records of your career in Freemasonry for archive and historical purposes and to identify breaches of rules (see Section IV for detail)
Name, Masonic prefix and rank, mobility needs, dietary preferences	Consent	To provide a dining experience with a seating plan.