Freemasons' Names Leaked Onto 'Net

This from the Sunday Times last month on names of Scots Freemasons made public through a leak on the internet.

"The names and addresses of 2000 freemasons, including 18 church ministers and justices of the peace, have been made public after a list of every senior Scottish member was published on the internet.

The document, believed to have been posted on the Wikileaks site by a former member, is an embarrassment for the organisation which has long been shrouded in secrecy.

The names of current members are published in the Grand Lodge's year book, which is available to the public on request at individual lodges.

However a list of office-bearers from all 1,100 Scottish lodges in Britain and abroad, has never been published on the internet before.

Among those named is William Renwick, 78, a retired justice of the peace and former convener of West Lothian council.

He said he was "not averse" to being known as a freemason but added that other members would not be comfortable with their association being made public.

"I have been a freemason for 50 years, there's nothing wrong with it as far as I'm concerned. Of course we have our rituals but it's not a secretive movement.

There will be people who will be uncomfortable that this list has been made public."

Reverend Peter Price, a retired Church of Scotland minister from Bothwell in Glasgow, whose name also appears, said: "I was aware this list had been published, and why not? I'm not bothered at all."

A source close to the Grand Lodge confirmed the list was genuine, saying: "The publication has not been endorsed by us, we simply would not have done this.

It looks as if someone has taken the names of office bearers from a yearbook." The Scottish parliament, police forces and judiciary, encourage staff to declare any masonic links to avoid suspicion.

Last year, Michael Russell, the culture minister, revealed he had relinquished membership of the freemasons after being elected a nationalist MSP for South of Scotland in 2007.

Other political figures who have admitted being freemasons include the former Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie and fellow Tories Jamie McGrigor, Brian Monteith, Phil Gallie and Keith Harding.

Freemasonry is one of the world's oldest secular fraternal societies. The Grand Lodge of Scotland was formed in 1725 and there are currently about 75,000 masons in Scotland.

There are around 5m worldwide.

Members are expected to show respect for the opinions of others, to behave charitably and to "strive for truth".

Prominent Scots masons have included Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, Arthur Conan Doyle and Sir Harry Lauder.

Russell, who followed in his grandfather's footsteps by joining the masons in 2004, said he had quit because membership of the organisation would have left him open to suspicion.

At the time, he said: "I felt it was best to declare membership of the Freemasons and in those circumstances I thought it would be best to resign.

I did not think it was appropriate to be a minister and a member of anything that people would be suspicious of."

However, he added: "I will not criticise it. If it was good enough for Robert Burns, it was good enough for me."

Last year, the police complaints commissioner for Scotland ruled that Northern Constabulary failed to properly investigate a claim that some of its officers were influenced by the freemasons."