Brother Peter Renzland who keeps very careful track of these stories, is reporting, on Wednesday July 16 , 2008, the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario has voted to recognize the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, Province of Ontario and Jurisdiction, at their 153rd Annual Communication in Toronto.That leaves the Grand Lodge of Newfoundland & Labrador as the last Canadian GL that does not recognize their PHA counterpart.
Unfortunately, eleven U.S. mainstream GLs remain that currently do not recognize Prince Hall brethren: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Chris, Newfoundland doesn't have a Prince Hall counterpart. There are no Prince Hall Lodges anywhere nearby. I believe the closest one is in Montreal.
ReplyDeleteRecognition shouldn't be a big deal for them. All those Lodges were under UGLE until a few years ago and, therefore, recognised PH at the time. It seems more like a housekeeping item for them.
Justa Mason
Bravo!
ReplyDeleteAu contraire mon freir. Back in the days, when all the Newfie lodges were under the Grand Lodge of Scotland and the Grand Lodge of England, they had no prob with Prince Hall. In 1997, 32 of these lodges broke away to make an independent grand lodge for Newfoundland. At the formation of that grand lodge, they rejected recognition of prince hall. Here is a reference from Paul Bessel's site:
ReplyDeletehttp://bessel.org/masrec/phanonus.htm
Doesn't sound as if the Newfies that are under the independent Grand Lodge are interested in recognizing Prince Hall, whereas the remaining UGLE and GLS lodges are ok with Prince Hall. Hope this clarifies things.
-Doc
1. It is not entirely accurate to refer to the GLCPO as the "Grand Lodge of Ontario".
ReplyDeleteThat was the prior name of what is now called the "Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ontario" (for short).
2. It is not entirely accurate to say that the GLNL is "the last Canadian GL that does not recognize their PHA counterpart".
The GLNL has no PHA counterpart. Moreover, in April 2008, the GLNL BGP voted to request recognition and exchange Grand Representatives from those PH GLs with lodges in Canada. It is the intent of the GLNL to seek recognition from other PHA GLs. (The GLNL was established in 1997 with very much help from the GLCPO leaders.)
The GLAB has a PHA counterpart. It does not (yet) recognize the PHGLAB. Since 1992 the GLAB accepts all PHA as Regular.
3. It is accurate to say that those 11 GLs do not recognize any of the 160,000 PHA Masons.
But it is also a fact that none of the other US "mainstream" GLs recognize even half of the PHA Masons.
For example, the GLIN does not recognize the PHGLGA. Not because the PHGLGA is mostly black. Because the GLGA does not recognize the PHGLGA. This is the American Doctrine of Exclusive Territorial Jurisdiction.
Neither the UGLE nor the GLGA recognizes the PHGLGA. But for different reasons.
It is a fact that most of the PHA Masons are still not recognized by any US "mainstream" Grand Lodge.
The GLPA doesn't recognize 95.6%.
The GLCPO doesn't recognize 99.8%.
The GLGA doesn't recognize 100%.
To the vast majority of PHA Masons, those are inconsequential differences.
By contrast, Queensland and Western Australia unilaterally recognize all PHA GLs.
And all Australian Grand Lodges welcome all PHA visitors.
The American Doctrine of Exclusive Territorial Jurisdiction is still the device, in the US, and in parts of Canada.
Peter Renzland
http://tsmr.org/
Peter, thanks for the clarification.
ReplyDeleteIt is appropriate to say in this manner that the actual 12 Mainstream Grand Lodge's that do not recognize PHA Grand Lodges are those in the Confederate States.
ReplyDeleteAs a rebuttal for any mainstream GL in the US. The PHA is the ONLY Grand Lodge in the Continental US to have, still in its possession a Charter to work in the US from the UGLE.
Further, the argument maintained by the Confederate GL's is that we were formed irregularly. However, the PHGL of MA was formed by 2 Sub Lodges, as was the mainstream GL of NJ and NY.
Citation: Paul Bessel