Your Data
Section 1 Applying to join (perfection, joining or re-joining).
Section 2 Use of Members data by Masonic Entities.
Section 3 Use of Members data for events
Section 4 Use of criminal convictions data.
Section 5 Use of data for archive purposes in the public interest and for historical research.
Section 6 Use of Members data for member information.
Section 7 Sharing your data with another recognised Supreme Council
Section 8 Sharing your data with another Masonic Order.
Section 9 Use of your data if you choose to communicate with, volunteer for, serve on the committees of, visit or work for the Supreme Council for England and Wales at 10 Duke Street.
Section 10 contains some definitions for terms used in this notice.
The Appendix lists the categories of data processed under sections 1 – 9.
If you have any questions about this notice then please contact dataprotection@sc33.org.uk or write to The Grand Secretary General, The Supreme Council for England & Wales, 10 Duke Street St James’, London, SW1Y 6BS.
1. Applying to join (perfection, joining or re-joining)
If you express interest in joining The Ancient & Accepted Rite and provide data to a Masonic Entity, that data will be used to assess your eligibility and to try to find the right Chapter 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 Chapter to which you are applying. Those details are your full name, age, profession or occupation (if any), place or places of abode 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 Masonic event in your District/Group, any potential email newsletters for members.
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 perfection, joining or re-joining by notifying whoever you provided your data to, or to your proposer and seconder
2. Use of Members’ data by Masonic Entities
Masonic Entities will never sell your data.
As a Member your data will be processed, retained and shared for any reasonable purposes required by the rules of the Supreme Council for England and Wales or the bodies they sanction from time to time. These purposes include, but are not limited to, the following purposes:
- Assessing any membership applications you make to Masonic Entities;
- Registering you as a member of The Order;
- Sending communications which you are entitled to receive as a Mason;
- Recording the progress of your career in The Order including memberships of Masonic Entities, offices held, roles performed and meetings attended;
- Masonic disciplinary processes;
- If you resign or are expelled from membership, maintaining records to prevent you from improperly re-applying for membership; and
- Maintaining records of your career in The Order 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 dietary preferences and any photographs 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.
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 this Section 2.
Resignation
You may stop your data from being used for all purposes except 6. and 7. above by resigning from the Supreme Council for England and Wales using the processes prescribed in the Rules. If you resign or are expelled, personal data relating to your membership will normally be retained and processed by the Supreme Council for England and Wales 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 Chapter your personal details will remain in Chapter 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 Chapter to contact you for the purposes of understanding why you resigned and if applicable to assist you in finding an appropriate Chapter 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 Chapters but remain a Member then Masonic Entities may also contact you:
- by post to make you aware of Masonic events happening in your area; and
- by email to inform you about significant changes to how your data is used or held, for example if a new IT platform or membership database is introduced which might process your data.
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 recorder of your Chapter will provide on request details of your data controllers and their contact details. The Supreme Council for England and Wales are at 10 Duke Street St James’, London, SW1Y 6BS. Their data protection officer can be contacted at dataprotection@sc33.org.uk
3. Use of Members’ 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 the organiser’s legitimate interests except for mobility needs and some dietary preferences data which is processed based on your consent and 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 and then on the basis of legitimate interests of the Masonic entity in keeping normal tax and business records. 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. Criminal convictions
Criminal conviction data will only be used by your Chapter, the relevant Group or District and the Supreme Council for England and Wales to:
- determine your suitability to become a Member;
- determine your suitability to remain a Member; or
- maintain records to prevent you from improperly re-applying for membership if you have ceased to be a Member by resignation or expulsion.
Members are expected to conform to high standards. In relation to purpose 1. above, as a candidate you must disclose any criminal convictions, except that you may choose whether to disclose a conviction if it is spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The legal basis on which this data is processed is your consent. You can withdraw your consent and request erasure of your criminal conviction data at any time by notifying your proposer and seconder that you wish to cancel your application.
If convicted of an offence when a Member, you must report certain criminal convictions to your Chapter Recorder or the Grand Secretary General in accordance with the rules of the Supreme Council for England and Wales. The Sovereign of your Chapter or others may also report such convictions to other Masonic Entities in accordance with the rules of the Supreme Council for England and Wales. The data in these reports and in any historical application forms is used for purpose 2. above and data in them can be retained for purpose 3. above. The legal basis on which this data is processed is the legitimate interests of the Masonic Entities as membership organisations in upholding their values. The processing falls within the “processing by not-for-profit bodies” exemption to permit processing of criminal convictions data.
5. Archiving and historical research
Many Masonic records which may contain your data are archived for the public interest and kept for historical research.
6. Newsletters
Every subscribing member of a Chapter under the Supreme Council for England and Wales may receive access to email newsletters sent from time to time.
Both publications are distributed using Mailchimp. If you are entitled to receive a copy then your name and email address will be sent to Mailchimp’s servers, based in the USA, for the purposes of sending the magazine or newsletter to you. More detail on how your email address is protected by Mailchimp can be found here: https://mailchimp.com/help/mailchimp-european-data-transfers/.
The legal basis for this use of your data is the legitimate interests of The Supreme Council for England and Wales as a membership organisation.
Data Rights
If you would prefer not to receive the newsletters then please use the relevant “unsubscribe” link in the newsletter.
7. Other Recognised Supreme Councils
If you are a Member and you choose to apply to join other recognised Supreme Councils 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 Supreme Council.
If you are a Member and you choose to visit Chapters under the jurisdiction of other recognised Supreme Councils those Supreme Councils 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 Supreme Council in complying with their respective constitutions and Masonic customs.
If you resign or are subject to a Masonic disciplinary sanction then your name, address and resignation circumstances or disciplinary sanction may be shared with other recognised Supreme Councils or sent by other recognised Supreme Councils 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 rules of the Supreme Council for England and Wales and the Book of Constitutions of United Grand Lodge of England..
8. Other Masonic Orders
If you are a Member 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 resign or are subject to a Masonic disciplinary sanction then your name, address and resignation circumstances or disciplinary 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 rules of the Supreme Council for England and Wales.
9. Other uses
Communications – If you communicate with the Supreme Council for 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 rules of the Supreme Council for England and Wales, 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 the Supreme Council for England and Wales as a membership organisation.
Contracts – The Supreme Council for England and Wales use the data of contractors for the purposes of performing their contracts and for any other purposes which are required by the law. After performance or termination of a contract data will be retained in accordance with standard commercial practice for business records, on the basis of their legitimate interests, legal proceedings or compliance with legal obligations.
Dining – If you choose to dine after a Higher Degrees Meeting or other event using dining arranged by The Supreme Council for 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 – The Supreme Council for England and Wales 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 Supreme Council for England and Wales staff handbook.
10 Duke Street – If you choose to visit the Headquarters of the Supreme Council for England and Wales at 10 Duke Street St James’ London then your image will be recorded by a CCTV system operated by the Supreme Council for 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 bases for this processing are compliance with legal obligations, the legitimate interests of the Supreme Council for England and Wales as owner and occupier of the premises which purpose includes at its discretion voluntarily sharing data with the police and other public authorities and the legitimate interests of other occupiers of the premises.
If you choose to use the public wifi internet access at 10 Duke Street using a personal electronic device the Supreme Council for England and Wales will store and process details of that device for the purpose of providing the wifi to you. The Supreme Council for England and Wales may also store and process details of the websites that you visit using the wifi for its monitoring and administrative purposes and for crime prevention purposes.
Surveys – If you complete any of the surveys that the Supreme Council for England and Wales uses 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 Supreme Council for 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.
If you accept promotion to the 33o, or appointment as a District/Group Recorder or an official of The Supreme Council for England and Wales then your name and office or rank will be printed in relevant yearbooks and elsewhere. The Supreme Council for England and Wales’s Year Book is on public sale in hard copy format. Your contact details will also be printed in relevant year books 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 year book or consent, as applicable.
As a member of the 33o, you may be asked to provide brief biographical details. The basis on which that personal data is held is your consent.
10. Definitions
“Rules of the Supreme Council for England and Wales” means the General Laws and Regulations for the Ancient & Accepted Rite for England and Wales and its Districts and Chapters overseas from time to time, a copy of which can be obtained from the Recorder of your Chapter.
“Masonic Entities” means all Chapters you apply to join or have joined; their Districts or Groups; and the Supreme Council for England and Wales.
“The Order” means The Ancient & Accepted Rite for England and Wales and its Districts and Chapters overseas
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: Name and contact details
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: To determine eligibility for membership and to communicate with you about your application and about The Ancient and Accepted Rite and any relevant local Masonic events
Category of Data: Post Code/ Country
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: To identify local Chapters that might suit you
Category of Data: Date of birth, profession/occupation, how long known by Proposer and Seconder
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: To determine eligibility for membership
Category of Data: Relevant criminal proceedings or convictions and professional, trade or other tribunal proceedings or convictions and findings of dishonest/ disgraceful conduct
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: To determine eligibility for membership. Information in this category is only relevant and therefore is only processed where it is necessary for determining eligibility.
Category of Data: Membership of similar organisations
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: To determine eligibility for membership
Category of Data: Ethnicity and religion
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: For equalities monitoring
Data of a Member
Category of Data: Name, address, email and telephone number
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: To communicate with you and for the purposes required by the Rules of the Supreme Council for England and Wales or the bodies they sanction from time to time (see Section 2 for detail)
Category of Data: Date of birth, age, information for official visits, administrative comments (e.g. “please do not contact this individual by post” or “arrears cleared 16/1/23”)
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: For the purposes required by the Rules of the Supreme Council for England and Wales or the bodies they sanction from time to time (see Section 2 for detail)
Category of Data: Title, preferred name, post nominals, alternative contact details
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: To communicate with you in the manner you wish
Category of Data: Masonic career (comprising length of service, prefix, status, certificate number, date of perfection, ranks, awards, posts, current offices, Chapter memberships, meeting attendances, roles performed at ceremonies) and memberships of mailing groups
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: For the purposes required by the rules of the Supreme Council for England and Wales or the bodies they sanction from time to time (see Section 2 for detail)
Category of Data: Event attendance and seating plans
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: To administer events which you have chosen to attend
Category of Data: Mobility needs and dietary preferences for events
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: To enable you to attend and participate in events which you have chosen to attend
Category of Data: Payment information (personal payments)
Basis of processing: Performance of a contract / Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: To administer events which you have chosen to attend and to collect payment. Subsequently, to maintain ordinary business and tax records.
Category of Data: Payment information (payments relating to a Masonic unit where personal data is included)
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: To process dues and other payments between Masonic Entities for the purposes of The Order
Category of Data: Disciplinary records and criminal proceedings or convictions and details of any activity which may bring The Order into disrepute or which breached the rules of the Supreme Council for England and Wales
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: To operate and maintain records of the Masonic disciplinary system
Category of Data: Complaints or witness statements provided for disciplinary purposes
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: To operate and maintain records of the Masonic disciplinary system
Category of Data: Duke Street Online or other remote access services users’ credentials, contact details and Masonic role
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: To enable you and others to use remote access services in a secure manner and (where applicable) to receive individualised services on those platforms.
Category of Data: Duke Street Online or other remote access services user history and training history or training declarations
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: 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
Category of Data: A member of the 33o, District/Group Recorder or Officials name, contact details
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: To produce the Masonic Yearbook
Category of Data: A member of the 33o autobiographical details
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: To provide a biography for the 33rd Degree ceremony
Category of Data: Ethnicity and religion
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: For equalities monitoring
Category of Data: Application forms you have completed and other information submitted to Masonic Entities as a Member
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: Maintaining records of your career in The Order for archive and historical purposes and to identify breaches of rules (see Section 5 for detail)
Category of Data: Newsletter mailing list status
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: To maintain records of your communications preferences for newsletters
Category of Data: Name, Masonic prefix and rank, mobility needs, dietary preferences
Basis of processing: Consent
Purpose of processing: To provide a dining experience with a seating plan.
Data of someone who has been expelled or resigned from Freemasonry
Category of Data: Name, date of birth and email address
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: To enable rejoining/ prevent fraudulent rejoining. For archiving in the public interest
Category of Data: Masonic journey (comprising length of service, prefix, status, certificate number, dates of initiation, passing and raising, ranks, awards, posts, current offices, Chapter memberships, meeting attendances, roles performed at ceremonies, date of resignation or date of expulsion
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: To enable rejoining/ prevent fraudulent rejoining. For archiving in the public interest.
Category of Data: Address when ceased to be a Member, joining forms you completed
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: For archiving in the public interest.
Category of Data: Relevant criminal proceedings or convictions and professional, trade or other tribunal proceedings or convictions and Masonic disciplinary system findings and sanctions
Basis of processing: Legitimate Interests
Purpose of processing: To enable rejoining/ prevent fraudulent rejoining. For archiving in the public interest.