Creating a Lodge Website

All material (written or recorded) copied from another source must appear with a credit line acknowledging the source of the original material, if known. This is both a courtesy to the original author(s) and protection against misquotes and claims of copyright infringement.

Most graphics that are on the internet are copyrighted and cannot be used without permission. We discourage individuals from using images found on search engines. For official copies of branded graphics, please visit our Brand Center.

For over 200 years, the Grand Lodge has protected the confidentiality of its members by not revealing their names or involvement without their consent. Selling of mailing lists has never been condoned, and marketing to members has been selectively approved by the Grand Master. It is not permissible to publish the names, addresses and phone numbers of members without their permission.

Always be sure to respect the privacy of those who may benefit from the lodge’s charitable efforts both in website text and photographs.

It is always a good idea to have the permission of those in the photograph for publication on the web.

Be sure that the Masonic sites to which you link maintain a high quality and adhere to principles of common decency and courtesy. Links to general interest sites, including any third party advertisements, should only be included if they do not conflict with the principles of the fraternity, or present controversial, political or otherwise inappropriate content.

You may establish an online partnership or affiliate relationships with well-known and non-controversial businesses, only if the lodge membership approves it by resolution adopted at a Stated Meeting.

Websites and their content are subject to state, national and international law, which may change over time. It is recommended to review ADA, privacy and other applicable laws with a qualified professional before proceeding.

It is recommended to include the following basic information:

• The lodge originating the site, clearly identified as a part of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, with a link to the home page, either from the lodge homepage, or from a page linked to the homepage that is clearly labeled.
• A contact form or email address for users to contact a lodge official for questions, concerns or technical issues.

Static content tends to be straightforward to create and does not require updating often. This type of information might provide basic information to the public and prospective members such as place and time of meetings, names of officers, a brief history and who to contact if a viewer is interested in joining.

Dynamic content, on the other hand, is updated more frequently. This type of content may include blogs, calendars with upcoming events and more.

Most websites include a mix of static and dynamic content; however, if you don’t feel comfortable creating dynamic content for your own website, you may consider linking to the PA Masons event page, news page or other content. Our setup guidelines have basic instructions to add static and dynamic resources to your website.

When deciding what information to include on your lodge’s website, it’s important to consider what might be valuable to your members and prospective members. In addition to the homepage and basic identifying information, lodge websites might include any or all of the following:

• An About page, which covers what the fraternity is and what Freemasons are all about. Alternatively, you may choose to link to the PA Masons FAQ page.
• A page dedicated to your lodge history, especially as it relates to the lodge’s involvement in the community. The history page is a great place for potential members to see the impact your lodge has made through the years.
• Information on how a prospective member can join your lodge or a link to the PA Masons Join page.
• A listing of your lodge officers.
• A contact page, with a way to get in touch with the lodge both physically (address and phone) as well as virtually (via an email address or contact form).

If you want a more dynamic site, the following information may be included:

• A news or blog page, which publishes the latest happenings in your lodge.
• A calendar of events, with information on upcoming functions and who may attend them. See setup instructions in our Setup Guide.

In most cases, building a website is the easy part. The most challenging aspect is keeping the site up to date with current information. The more dynamic your site, the more updating and time it will require to maintain. We recommend having a committee of several people who help keep the site fresh. This group can share the workload of site maintenance and new content creation.

Lodge Notices are not permitted by Masonic Law to be posted on a public website.

Each lodge is responsible for the content presented on its respective website; however, duplicate material should be kept to a minimum. If the content already exists on the Grand Lodge website, the lodge should provide a link to that content instead of duplicating the information. This will provide a single source of input, revision and ownership.

When you have a website that is ready for public viewing, please notify us via our contact form to have your lodge’s website listed on our Visit a Pennsylvania Lodge page. Once that request has been acknowledged, it could take up to two weeks to fulfill the request.

A lodge website is the property of the lodge, even if it is hosted by an individual member. The control of that website is always the responsibility of the Worshipful Master, who is accountable for all material placed in public. It is a good policy for the Worshipful Master to approve everything that is posted on a lodge website.