You have probably seen Friday’s email and Facebook post regarding Province’s new group structure. If you are relatively new to Freemasonry, you may be wondering: what exactly is a Group, and why should I care which one my Lodge belongs to?
From 16th October 2026, the way Lodges and Chapters are grouped across the Province of East Kent is changing. Eight numbered Groups are being replaced by four larger Groups with names that reflect the geography and character of the areas they cover: Estuary, Saxon Shore, Weald and Channel.
First things first – what is a Group?
Your Lodge remains your Lodge. If you are a Royal Arch Mason, the same applies to your Chapter. Neither is being replaced or merged by these changes.
A Group is simply a collection of Lodges and Chapters in the same broad geographical area. It provides a local link between individual Lodges and Chapters and the wider Province.
That local connection matters. A good Group structure can help Lodges and Chapters share ideas, organise activities, encourage visiting, support their officers and identify problems early. The PGM Designate’s intention is that Groups should provide meaningful local support rather than simply being another administrative layer.
Why change something that already exists?
The PGM Designate has reviewed the existing structure and his conclusion is that the needs of our Lodges and Chapters needs a different type of support. The new structure brings neighbouring Masonic communities together into four larger and stronger Groups, with clear leadership and greater capacity to support the Lodges and Chapters within them.
Each Group will have a Chairman supported by two Deputies, with responsibility spanning both Craft and Royal Arch across particular centres. The emphasis is on leadership, collaboration and practical support at local level.
For the individual Mason, there are obvious benefits: more opportunities to visit neighbouring Lodges and Chapters, better sharing of knowledge and good practice, better support for Lodge and Chapter officers, and a stronger sense of local Masonic community.
So, which Group are you in?
The easiest way to understand the new structure is not to worry about the old Group numbers at all.
Find the Masonic centre where your Lodge or Chapter meets:
ESTUARY
Gravesend • Hoo • Rochester • Chatham • Gillingham • Wigmore
Estuary brings together the Medway and north-western part of the Province. It comprises 54 Lodges and 20 Chapters.
SAXON SHORE
Sittingbourne • Sheerness • Canterbury • Faversham • Herne Bay • Whitstable
Saxon Shore runs from Swale and Sheppey through to Canterbury and the north Kent coast. It contains 35 Lodges and 12 Chapters.
WEALD
Cranbrook • Paddock Wood • Maidstone (Ancient College Gateway and Tovil) • West Malling • Ashford • Dymchurch • Folkestone • Hythe • Sandgate • Tenterden
With 45 Lodges and 19 Chapters, Weald covers the large central and southern area of the Province.
CHANNEL
Deal • Dover • Sandwich • St Margarets • Birchington • Broadstairs • Margate • Ramsgate • Westgate
Channel covers the eastern and Channel-facing part of the Province and includes 38 Lodges and 10 Chapters.
What actually changes for you?
For most members, very little changes overnight. You still belong to the same Lodge or Chapter, meet in the same place and enjoy Freemasonry with the same people. What changes is the local network around you and the way the Province supports it.
But there is an opportunity here too.
Instead of thinking of your Masonic world as stopping at the door of your own Lodge, your new Group gives you a ready-made community of neighbouring Lodges and Chapters. It should make it easier to visit, meet other members, share events and ideas, and find help and experience when your Lodge needs it.
So when someone asks, “Which Group are you in?”, you won’t need to remember a number.
You’ll be Estuary, Saxon Shore, Weald or Channel.
And hopefully, before too long, that will mean rather more than simply a name.
