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Freemasons have been accused of conspiring with aliens, being sexual deviants and of secretly running the planet.

But one of the organisation’s most senior members in Britain says: “We’d rather talk about sport.”

In a revealing insight into the world behind the closed door of the lodge, the body in Wales says there is no conspiracy behind freemasonry – and that its members are “good men”.

“There are very few things that are secret in freemasonry, what they call the modes of recognition – the funny handshakes, the words given to candidates when they come in,” provincial grand master Gareth Jones said.

“They are just part of a bit of theatre and drama, which takes people through a journey which is meant to represent their journey on this earth.”

He said there is nothing sinister about their ceremonies.

“Why do we roll up our trouser leg when we are getting initiated?” dad-of-two and grandfather-of-one Gareth said.

“There is a good reason. It is meant to demonstrate that you’re a free man, that you’re not wearing a shackle.

“Why do we bare our left breast? It’s to show that you’re a man.”

The 58-year-old was speaking in Cardiff’s Masonic Hall, tucked away behind the Motorpoint Arena and next door to a restaurant on Guildford Crescent – home to more than 40 lodges.

Inside are three “temples”. One has a huge painted eye staring down from the ceiling.

“That is the all seeing eye,” said Roger Richmond, one of four assistant grand masters in South Wales.

“In the context of meetings you are under the auspices of the all seeing eye, your god.

“It’s the ancient CCTV.”

Another temple has a wall decorated with the ornate banners of different lodges.

Its chequered floor is covered with candles, more banners and symbols of the organisation.

There is a shovel, pickaxe and crowbar, a crossed trowel and sword, a square and compass and a bible bearing Masonic emblems.

At one end is a small altar. On it are more designs and the letters S, R, I H, R, T and another H.

“People like to believe the myths, that there is some sort of conspiracy and that we like to help only our members,” Gareth said.

“But there is no conspiracy. The masons in my province are good men.

“One hears a lot in the press about freemasons infiltrating the heart of decision making in government and infiltrating the judiciary and police.”

Gareth, a retired director-general of natural resources in the Welsh Government, has been a Freemason for 31 years.

“I’ve never had any advantage, either in work or pecuniary,” he said.

“The advantages I have had are that I have enjoyed it and that it has made me a better man.

“I have been able to use it to contribute to society.”

He had “never” experienced corruption in freemasonry.

“Anyone who sought to use their position to gain pecuniary or business advantage would obviously be frowned upon to the extent it could be a disciplinary matter,” he said.

The freemasons are not a charity but “it is an organisation that gives a lot of help and support to charity.”

Politics and religion are banned conversation topics.

“The discussions you hear most are about sport,” Gareth said.

“Particularly in South Wales. It’s football and rugby rather than anything cerebral.”

(Image: Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

Masons must believe in a supreme being

There are some requirements to join.

“One of the absolute landmarks of the order is that you must have a belief in a supreme being,” Gareth said.

“Though we would probably draw the line at Satan.”

Roger Richmond, one of four assistant provincial grand masters insisted they “welcome everyone.”

“We used to have a Jewish league, although it was not entirely made up of Jewish members,” he said.

“I’m actually a past master of that lodge. But it closed.”

Religions have not always looked kindly on Freemasonry.

Until 1983, Catholics could be excommunicated for joining.

The Methodist Church has admitted “hesitations about the wisdom” of its members becoming masons.

In 2003 then Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams apologised to Britain’s 330,000 masons after saying their beliefs were incompatible with Christianity.

But Cardiff-born Gareth claimed he knew priests who were in the brotherhood.

“We have good relations with the church in this province,” Gareth said.

“We have a good relationship with all branches of the church and I am keen to maintain that.”

Freemasons do not officially welcome women, although there is an Order of Women Freemasons.

“We do not recognise them formally as Freemasons,” Gareth said.

“I don’t know any lady masons. It’s a very small organisation.”

Roger had heard only good things about them.

“I have never been to a ceremony but I am told their ceremonies are better than ours,” he said.

People’s reaction to Gareth being a mason were “a mix of positivity and apathy”.

The women he worked with in the Welsh Government found it hilarious.

Roger once met hostility when he was manning a stand at the Royal Welsh Show.

“There was someone whose husband had been dismissed from his job,” the dad-of-one and grandfather-of-one said.

“They thought it was all down to Freemasons who had ganged up.

“But by and large it is all fiction.”

Members have been kicked out of the organisation.

“There have been variations in the past of masonic practice and there have been lodges that were excommunicated,” Roger said.

This could have been for “all sorts of things.”

“They might have been failing to adhere to one of the landmarks, they may have been expressing a political view openly,” Gareth said.

The biggest problem the masons face is arresting the decline in membership.

“We are doing a lot to encourage new people to join us, particularly young men,” Gareth says.

“You have got to be at least 18 to join but we have a young masons club.”

Masons are forging links with universities.

Students like “the secret element.”

“The mysteries interest them, they like the formal dinners after meetings, they like the idea of the organisation,” Roger said.

The masons have entered cyberspace.

“We are trying to modernise our organisation without compromising our principals and values,” Gareth said.

“Our website is a very good one. It’s very open. We don’t have any private sections on the website, it is available for anyone to look at.

“We are trying to embrace new technology to encourage people to join.”

They get “quite a lot of interest through the website.”

“We’re using social media too,” Gareth said.

“I have just reached 1,000 followers on Twitter.

“I’m @PGMSouthWales.”