A Freemason is a man who belongs to the Freemasons, a very old worldwide club. Learner books often call it a secret society, because members have private meetings, special signs, and ceremonies they do not explain to outsiders. Though actually, it is not a cartoon hidden government: many towns have a Freemasons’ hall you can see from the street, members raise money for charity, and plenty of men will tell you they belong. What stays private is the ritual inside the lodge (that is their word for a local group).

The club grew out of the world of stone-builders. Members are supposed to help one another live decently and, yes, they may also help one another get on in work — that is the part the school-book line stresses. They also talk a lot about character, brotherhood, and old building symbols (the square, the compasses).

Traditional Freemasonry is for men. Women’s and mixed orders exist, but if someone says “a Freemason” they almost always mean a man in the old male order. It is a grown-up, often professional word, not a children’s word. People praise the charity and also worry about any private network that can look like unfair help. Spell it with a capital F.