A secret society is an association or organization, the particulars of whose existence or activities are not revealed to outsiders.

Some secret societies are organized for illegal purposes, for example, to break laws or overthrow governments. This has led some people to have a negative view of all secret societies.

Of course, every organization or company has its “trade secrets.” Some companies might have a famous dish or beverage whose secret recipe is safeguarded under lock and key. Technology companies may take extraordinary steps to protect the source code of their software from thieves and competitors.

Likewise, The Ancient Order of Freesmiths was established to provide several layers of protection – like the walls of a castle – around a body of knowledge that has been kept private for many centuries.

As the custodians of those secrets, we teach them with care to qualified people who will use what they learn to benefit others.

We do this while concealing much of our structure and activities from the public. We have kept our achievements very quiet for hundreds of years. We do not seek popularity or attention.

To preserve our anonymity and secrecy, we use a number of legally registered companies and entities to organize our work, carry out our teaching programs, protect our copyrights, help members in need, and so on. These entities pay taxes and comply with all local laws in the jurisdictions where they operate.

While some secret societies are known for their mysterious ceremonies or initiation rites, Freesmiths have no sworn oaths, temples, special handshakes, arcane rituals, or costumes. We are simply a very private group of people safeguarding our “secret recipe” for human excellence.