The Free Masons society under the auspices of the District Grand Lodge of Ghana, English Constitution, has downplayed the perception that the organisation is a secret society dabbling in occultism. They are asking Ghanaians to dispel that notion and rather see them as people who shape society for the benefit of mankind. The society which has charity as one of its core principles expressed these concerns after handing over a renovated Assembly Hall of the Tarkwa Secondary School in the Western Region to authorities of the school. The refurbishment consisted of tiling of the entire floor, renovation of washrooms, fixing of new fans and glass windows, and painting amongst others at a cost of 26,000 Ghana Cedis. The fraternal organisation which used the school’s Assembly Hall as a venue for their Half-Yearly communication for its members across the country saw the need to put the facility in good shape. The Headmistress of the Tarkwa Secondary School, Paulina Manu expressed appreciation to the Freemasons for the gesture and appealed that they use their various positions to get government to address the perennial flooding in the school anytime there was a downpour. She added that the school’s Assembly Hall which was in a bad shape until the renovation was not spacious enough to accommodate the student population of about 1,900. An Assistant District Grand Master in charge of the Western and Central Regions District Grand Lodge of Ghana, English Constitution, Dr. William Husunukpe, noted that the organisation did not only provide support for needy brethren, widows and orphans of Freemasons but also for many others within the community. He said Freemasons in Tarkwa have in the past few years given various forms of assistance to educational institutions and some individuals with the aim of bringing relief to the under-privileged. Since the evolution of Freemasonry in Ghana in 1810, misconceptions and misinformation about the aims and objectives of the Lodge has impeded its growth and posed a major threat to its survival. Due to such misconceptions, the Lodge was banned by the erstwhile Peoples National Defence Council, PNDC, but was later allowed to exist since their activities were not deemed a threat to society. A Past Master of the District Grand Lodge of Ghana, English Constitution in Sekondi-Takoradi Edwin Philips, said Freemasonry is not a secret society. He said the society’s members have high moral values and do not accept ex-convicts. He said the Queen of England was the only female member of the society which only accepts men until recently when women were allowed to be masons in England. He also mentioned that several influential politicians and individuals in Ghana and around the world are members of the society which is not a religion and thus accepts anyone who believes in a supreme being and upholds the principles of brotherly love, relief and truth.