Universities Scheme & Freemasonry
Athol Lodge No 74 have now been awarded membership of prestigious Association of Medical and Legal Universities.
Joshua Mangwiro joined Athol Lodge No.74 in March 2023
under the UGLE Universities Scheme.
Our newly made Brother under the UGLE Universities Scheme, Joshua Mangwiro joined Athol Lodge No.74 in March 2023 and is studying for a BSc in Nursing at the Edgbaston Campus of Birmingham City University.
He is passionate about the NHS and when he completes his degree in Nursing, it is his ambition to study as a Doctor and remain here in Birmingham to repay all the kindness and belief his NHS colleagues have shown in him.
Originally from Zimbabwe, 20-year-old Joshua is self-funded by his parents for his degree course and in addition to his full-time studying and hospital placements, he works three twelve-hour night shifts at weekends inside at a Birmingham Courier company to pay his living expenses.
His education in Zimbabwe saw him gain several ‘A’ stars at GCSE and ‘A ‘levels and he has also studied German and French languages at which he is fluent. If that was not enough he has also won regional and National public speaking competitions.
On the rare occasions when he is not studying or working, Joshua, a devout Christian, is happy to volunteer for Birmingham charities.
His other passions are Formula 1 Racing and when he has a spare and rare Sunday he uses his Student Rail Card to travel throughout the country to seek out and photograph unusual Masonic buildings as the Athol Lodge roving reporter.
Joshua has impressed all his Athol brethren with his determination to succeed and is hugely popular with all his Athol brothers with his irrepressible smile and sense of humour.
To begin his masonic studies Joshua has been taken under the wing of the Athol Lodge Secretary, W.Bro. Nigel Bister, PPrAGM, the Senior Past Master of Athol Lodge whom he sat next to in the temple and the festive board.
W.Bro. Les Leek. Joshua’s proposer as Lodge Membership Officer said, “Joshua is an incredible and determined young man who works 36 hours a week at weekend nights to finance his degree course. He sees freemasonry as his opportunity to practice his Christian charitable beliefs, study the liberal arts and make a contribution to Athol Lodge and freemasonry in general. Joshua is a good example of why the UGLE Universities Scheme was introduced and I know he will, in the years to come, make us all very proud of him”.
UGLE Universities Scheme Bi-Annual Conference at Bristol. Saturday 26 March 2022
Over 250 delegates from all over the country took part in the conference in Bristol where a full days programme had been scheduled with a line up of interesting speakers headed up by UGLE Chief Executive and Grand Secretary, Dr David Staples together with Sir David Hugh Wootton, Assistant Grand Master.
Athol Lodge Universities Scheme Co-ordinator, W.Bro Les Leek and Bro. Bobby Singh Gill attended the conference where a number of new initiatives were announced designed to make freemasonry more transparent to the general public by a whole range of social media platforms, delivered by Michelle Worvelle, Director of Marketing and Communications together with Shaun Butler, Editorial Manager of Freemasonry Today, who is also responsible for member communications.
Senior members of women’s freemasonry from the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons and the Organisation of Women Freemasons, now recognised as an essential part of UGLE gave very interesting presentations during day.
Universities Scheme & Freemasonry
Athol Lodge is proud to be one of just 85 Universities Scheme lodges in the country out of a total of over 10,000 freemasons lodges.
During the past three years alone, five graduates, four undergraduates, have joined us together with senior academics and lecturers, all enjoying the camaraderie of belonging to not only a historic lodge but of a forward-thinking, vibrant, group of people.
Please contact us to find out more and how you can become a member of Athol Lodge in the heart of the City of Birmingham.
You’re never alone at Athol Lodge.
Tradition and continuity are two of the values which characterise the relationship between Freemasonry and Universities.
It was nearly 200 years ago that the first University Lodge, Apollo University Lodge, was founded at Oxford, with Isaac Newton University Lodge following soon afterwards at Cambridge. Since then many thousands of young men have been introduced to Freemasonry through these two Lodges, and they provided the inspiration for the Universities Scheme. This was set up at the beginning of 2005 with the objective: ‘To establish and/or enhance arrangements and opportunities for undergraduates and other university members to enjoy Freemasonry’.
There are now over 85 other Lodges pursuing a similar, yet distinct, course. Their membership consists of undergraduates, postgraduates, senior members of the university and alumni, ranging in age from 18 upwards. All under-25s benefit from the recent decision by Grand Lodge to halve their dues in order to make Freemasonry as accessible to as wide an audience as possible.
The Scheme is headed by the Assistant Grand Master, Sir David Wootton, who explains: “We know from these long-established university lodges that students – whether undergraduates or postgraduates – enjoy Freemasonry to the full. Through the Universities Scheme, we hope that university members from all over the country will be able to gain the same inspiration, fulfilment and enjoyment.”
Read More at The Universities Scheme Website
Why I joined the Freemason Universities Scheme - Interview with Stephen
Why I joined the Freemason Universities Scheme - Interview with Raj
Why I joined the Freemason Universities Scheme - Interview with Rachel
Why I joined the Freemason Universities Scheme - Interview with Matt
Why I joined the Freemason Universities Scheme - Interview with Joel
