They recently canceled a Master Mason degree and vacated the building in a South Carolina lodge when a mainstream Mason and Past Master (he is an AA) showed up to visit from a regular mainstream Grand Lodge in the Northeast. Flustered and frustrated with finding the lodge on his dues card in the book of recognized lodges, they suddenly declared the degree canceled.
"Despicable" is not a strong enough word, really. My Lodge, when I was initiated in 2005, was an all-white, mostly Jewish lodge. We have initiated 4 Hindu Brothers and 2 Moslem Brothers of Pakistani origin in the past three years and are well on the way to being a fully-integrated Lodge. The enthusiasm of our new Brethren is bringing new candidates of good repute into our Lodge and we are getting stronger as a result.
These Lodges, in denying initiation or advancement to candidates of another colour, are denying themselves the chance to be brethren to men who are, like them, men of good repute who are seeking Light.
I have yet to hear from any Brother in a Georgia Lodge who would defend these incidents. There is, of course, a tradition of a Freemason's ballot being inviolate and unquestionable. But if all those who are blackballed are men of colour, then I would not be the only person who wonders why.
As an English Mason, I am only fuzzily aware of the procedures used in the Scottish Rite to discipline member units. Some thought needs to be given as to how to encourage diversity and discourage discrimination. In that direction lies more Light.
W.Bro. Chris Hansen, WM Goliath Lodge #5595, UGLE, but all opinions are his own and not the Lodge's.
It really is time to put these (not so) Grand Lodges and their ilk out of business, plain and simple. There is no brotherhood nor any light among them.
My lodge could not be more cowboy, old school and well...kinda conservative. And we STILL are very excited to hopefully have a young African American man finish his Fellowcraft and Master Mason degrees. So if we being what we are can be true Masons who do not discriminate, what in the HELL is wrong with these morons in the Old South? For God's sake, our fraternity is international and includes men of all colors and religions. That is what Freemasonry IS ALL ABOUT. It is the hope Freemasonry gives to the world...a place where an old cowboy and young black man will come together and call each other brother and MEAN it.I thank God that I am an Arizona Mason. This nonsense is highly irregular. I don't blame the Scottish Rite tho. Its a GL of Georgia problem. They need to make this right.
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Despicable, utterly despicable if true.
ReplyDeleteThey recently canceled a Master Mason degree and vacated the building in a South Carolina lodge when a mainstream Mason and Past Master (he is an AA) showed up to visit from a regular mainstream Grand Lodge in the Northeast. Flustered and frustrated with finding the lodge on his dues card in the book of recognized lodges, they suddenly declared the degree canceled.
ReplyDelete"Despicable" is not a strong enough word, really. My Lodge, when I was initiated in 2005, was an all-white, mostly Jewish lodge. We have initiated 4 Hindu Brothers and 2 Moslem Brothers of Pakistani origin in the past three years and are well on the way to being a fully-integrated Lodge. The enthusiasm of our new Brethren is bringing new candidates of good repute into our Lodge and we are getting stronger as a result.
ReplyDeleteThese Lodges, in denying initiation or advancement to candidates of another colour, are denying themselves the chance to be brethren to men who are, like them, men of good repute who are seeking Light.
I have yet to hear from any Brother in a Georgia Lodge who would defend these incidents. There is, of course, a tradition of a Freemason's ballot being inviolate and unquestionable. But if all those who are blackballed are men of colour, then I would not be the only person who wonders why.
As an English Mason, I am only fuzzily aware of the procedures used in the Scottish Rite to discipline member units. Some thought needs to be given as to how to encourage diversity and discourage discrimination. In that direction lies more Light.
W.Bro. Chris Hansen, WM
Goliath Lodge #5595, UGLE,
but all opinions are his own and not the Lodge's.
It really is time to put these (not so) Grand Lodges and their ilk out of business, plain and simple. There is no brotherhood nor any light among them.
ReplyDeleteEoghan
My lodge could not be more cowboy, old school and well...kinda conservative. And we STILL are very excited to hopefully have a young African American man finish his Fellowcraft and Master Mason degrees. So if we being what we are can be true Masons who do not discriminate, what in the HELL is wrong with these morons in the Old South? For God's sake, our fraternity is international and includes men of all colors and religions. That is what Freemasonry IS ALL ABOUT. It is the hope Freemasonry gives to the world...a place where an old cowboy and young black man will come together and call each other brother and MEAN it.I thank God that I am an Arizona Mason. This nonsense is highly irregular. I don't blame the Scottish Rite tho. Its a GL of Georgia problem. They need to make this right.
ReplyDeleteThis is ridiculous Bro Marshall completed his 32nd today in the valley of Atlanta.
ReplyDelete