Cuban Government Places Disgraced Past Grand Master Back In Charge. . . Again

by Christopher Hodapp

(For MUCH more background on this continuing story, see Cuban Freemasons Oust Grand Master in Called Session on May 29th.)

The government of Cuba has forced the Grand Lodge of Cuba to violate its own internal rules in order to re-install their former Grand Master, Mario Alberto Urquía Carreño (photo above). He had been forced to resign a year ago, put back into the job by order of the government's Ministry of Justice, and was removed yet again as the head of the order by the members off Grand Lodge in May, but the government has taken the unprecedented step of interfering with the fraternity yet again, putting their handpicked administrator back in the Grand East. 

Carreño was accused last year of embezzling almost US$19,000 from the Grand Lodge, and stealing another US$20,000 in cash from an office safe. When he resigned, he named his own successor, Mayker Filema Duarte, who was seen by the rank and file Cuban Masons as just another government informer. Duarte was supposed to hold elections on May 25th, but canceled their grand session, suspended elections until further notice, and locked the brethren out of their downtown Havana headquarters.

In protest, 120 Cuban Masons held an impromptu Grand Lodge session on the sidewalk outside, ousting Duarte and naming the then-current Deputy Grand Master Juan Alberto Kessel Linares as the new sitting Grand Master until a called meeting for general elections can be held in September. 

The massive Grand Lodge of Cuba building in Havana is a
prominent city landmark (although it's filled with government
offices that far outnumber Masonic lodge rooms and offices).

Now the government's Ministry of Justice has stepped in once more and demanded Mario Alberto Urquía Carreño be put back in as Grand Master again.

From the English language Cuba Headlines website on June 18th:

The Cuban government's reinstatement of Mario Alberto Urquía Carreño as Grand Master of the Supreme Council and the Grand Lodge has ignited a wave of discontent among Cuban Freemasons. Urquía Carreño was reinstated by the Ministry of Justice's Directorate of Associations (MINJUS), bypassing the majority's decision to reject him following accusations of embezzling $19,000 from his office earlier this year and other actions deemed "high treason" by the Masonic community.

"The Freemasons do not accept Urquía; many lodges will decide not to recognize him and will notify the MINJUS Register of Associations," a Masonic source who wished to remain anonymous told the independent outlet Cubanet. The same source added that there is "a lot of confusion but unanimous feeling of rejection."

The Freemasons appear determined to step down from their positions if the Grand Master does not resign. Others plan to gather in large numbers at the Grand Lodge building to protest and demand Urquía's removal, according to Cubanet.

One such individual is Master Karel Miralles Sánchez, who staged a sit-in at the Grand Lodge of Cuba as a form of protest, asking for Urquía to submit a formal signed resignation. "I am not calling for anything or anyone; I am driven by a personal situation, exercising my right to protest, one of the first rights conferred upon me when I joined this august institution," he stated in a video.

Another source interviewed by Cubanet argued that "if the majority of Freemasons decide we do not want him, he should step down. If MINJUS thinks this is not the correct way to expel him, we will repeat the process immediately." They added that "an overwhelming majority does not wish for him to continue leading our fraternity, as he is materially and morally responsible for the loss of funds donated to aid brethren in distress. Nothing imposed works in a democratic system like ours."

Echoing this sentiment, another Freemason accused the State Security of being behind the situation, suggesting that "they are playing with fire. This might be the push we Freemasons need to finally take the lead in the changes Cuba requires."

Several employees of the Grand Lodge of Cuba have resigned in protest, according to Cubanet. In March, Urquía Carreño was expelled from the semiannual session of the High Chamber.

 

That the Cubans' Marxist dictatorship even permits Freemasonry to openly operate, hold its own elections, and function as a charitable fraternal organization is remarkable among Communist regimes throughout the world. Such governments overwhelmingly distrust Freemasonry because of its reputation for secrecy. After all, you can't prevent an uprising by the Bougies and the Proles if they're going to be members of secret societies, exchanging secret handshakes, baking up black market meat loaf dinners, and telling private dictator jokes in lodge.

"Knock knock!" 

"Who's there?" 

"WE ASK THE QUESTIONS!"

So how did Cuban Freemasons avoid the firing squads under Castro and his successors? The story goes that Marxist revolutionary Fidel Castro and his brother Raoul were hidden and given aid and support by Freemasons during their revolution in 1959 against the Batista government. When Castro seized power, he praised the Masons and gave them the rare consent to keep their lodges and organization intact. 

It's hard to say where all this is headed, but it's been more than half a century since a grateful Fidel Castro clutched the Cuban Freemasons to his heaving bosom and gave them his blessing. The island's present regime may not be so loving anymore.

Masons of Texas Turn Out in Force For Annual Meeting

Photo: Don Comedy

by Christopher Hodapp

Note: This story was updated Monday, January 22nd at 1:00 AM to reflect corrections passed along to me by Texas brethren. Corrections include: a revised list of grand officers who were reelected to the Grand Officer's lineup and retained from last year; addition of GM Chapman's photo; more detail added to summarize what led up to these events over the weekend. Errors in the previous version of this story were mine alone. My apologies to all, and my thanks for those who offered corrections. CH

Revolutions are normally noisy and bloody things, but the Masons of Texas managed to stage their revolt in a remarkably calm and measured manner. The Grand Lodge of Texas AF&AM held its annual communication in Waco over the last three days, culminating in their grand officer elections this afternoon. Attendees eligible to vote – collectively known in Texas as the "Grand West" – numbered more than 3,400 rumored to be their biggest assembly so far in this century. After all the controversies taking place in Texas over the past year, it’s not surprising that events unfolded the way they did. 

Voting members approved a resolution permitting the consumption of alcoholic beverages in a Masonic building after a lodge meeting. In a normal year that would be seen as an almost cataclysmic event, but it was a mere footnote to the drama of choosing whose vision will lead Texas Freemasonry into the future.

In a major upheaval and repudiation to "the Old Guard" of grand lodge officers, last year's Deputy Grand Master H. Bart Henderson was passed over for advancement by voters in favor of electing MW Tommy F. Chapman, Past Grand Master from 2018, whose name was placed into nomination from the floor. 

The new officers of the Grand Lodge of Texas for 2024 are:

Grand Master: Past Grand Master Tommy Frank Chapman
Deputy Grand Master: Raborn Reader
Grand Senior Warden: Jim Rumsey
Grand Junior Warden: Justin Duty
Grand Treasurer: Rick Townsend
Grand Secretary: Brad Billings

Officers remaining and advancing from last year's line were: Raborn Reader (last year’s GSW), James Rumsey (last year's GJW), and Grand Treasurer Townsend. 

[NOTE: A previous version of this story said there had been a major shakeup in the Grand Lodge Trustees, as well. I've since been informed that these six elected grand officers actually make up the Trustees in Texas, which is quite different from many U.S. jurisdictions in which the Trustees are a completely separate group of brethren, that sometimes may include the current grand master. Apologies for my misunderstanding.]

At the heart of this year's tensions were previous attempts by PGM G. Clay Smith's administration to isolate, suspend or otherwise blunt the popularity of 2023 Grand Master Brad Billings and other brethren who were seen to be his allies and supporters in order to prevent a major change in the leadership's direction of the Grand Lodge. Even before Billings left office last January, clashes arose between him and what Jim Tresner used to refer to as Masonry's "mossback turtles" who disapproved of his younger, brasher style. 

An attempt had been made last January to prevent James Rumsey from being installed as Grand Junior Warden after his election and immediately after the installation of the new Grand Master, but mere moments before Rumsey's installation as GJW. The installation was halted and charges were read out against him by the GM, but the assembled brethren made such an uproar over the obvious ploy to scuttle Rumsey that the charges were deferred to a later time. Rumsey was subsequently suspended by Grand Master Smith the week after the annual meeting. The Grand Secretary at that time, Justin Duty, was also seen to be allied with PGM Billings last year, and GM Smith suspended him last month after Grand Trustees had voted against his making such a move. The political machinations and the misuse of the Grand Lodge rules became repugnant to the rank and file Masons in the state (along with countless Masons outside of Texas who watched events unfold via social media posts), which is what led to this weekend's proceedings.

This year, the voting brethren had their say all weekend long. A resolution was adopted forbidding the grand officer elections from taking place until the completion of all other business in order to prevent last minute shenanigans once the bored crowd left town (something that is extremely commonplace during previous long sessions in years past).

In a brief moment of online embarrassment, the internal Grandview website of the Grand Lodge of Texas was updated Saturday morning with 'the new Grand Lodge officers for 2024' showing Bart Henderson as GM, along with the slate of officers who had been expected to advance normally through the line. But as the election began to unfold, it was hastily removed. (That page fortunately never went onto the public website.)

Similarly, the Grand Lodge booth in Waco selling "H.B. Henderson 2024 GM" commemorative coins, belt buckles, pins and more was immediately shuttered when elections concluded, making those items truly rare and unusual collectors' items.

In his acceptance message, GM Chapman addressed the subject of appointed District Deputy Grand Masters, committee members and others by inviting them to remain in those positions for his administration if they wished to continue serving the grand Lodge. Otherwise, they could turn in their officer aprons and a new appointment would be selected. 

On Friday, a resolution (Resolution 10/24) was passed that had a huge effect on the activities and elections that followed. It immediately moved that all charges against anyone making themselves available for a grand office be openly tried under jurisdiction of Grand Lodge, and not behind closed doors in a subordinate lodge. It specified that all charges had to be handled by the Grand Lodge prior to the upcoming elections. This was why the order of business was such an important issue this year. Despite the Grand East's attempts to force the elections to take place earlier in the session, the Grand West insisted on the completion of all business (including the disposition of this resolution) before the elections were to be held. Passing the resolution made it effective immediately, which led to an immediate trial for RW Brad Billings on Saturday morning where they would have to explain everything to the Grand West. In a major development, negotiations went on between Billings and the Grand Lodge in which he dropped his defamation lawsuit against the GL in return for the dropping of all charges brought against him. By Saturday morning all parties had settled all charges, and Billings was permitted to run for grand Secretary - a position he subsequently won.

In other action, the Grand West also shot down a resolution to permit "one day classes" and the power to create a "Mason at sight" by grand masters. Other resolutions that passed:

• Approved the printing and display of lodge minutes an hour before opening a meeting for inspection by members for correction, and dropping requirement of the actual reading of the minutes;
• A special session of the Grand Lodge may be called by 50 or more lodges (this is a constitutional change that must hold over until 2025 meeting for final vote);
• Lodges may sponsor and permit the Boy Scouts to meet in their buildings;
• Restoration of the charter of Austin Lodge 12.

Ben Franklin was famously asked by a lady outside of the committee meeting in which the U.S. Constituution was drafted, "Well Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?" His classic response was, "A Republic, if you can keep it." Texas Masons seem to have taken that job of keeping their republic over a monarchy quite seriously this week.

Photos: My apologies for some missing photo credits. These were grabbed from various Facebook posts and text messages I was following all weekend, and I was unable to notate the sources at the time. Tough to do while driving. If I've used one of your images, let me know and I'll either credit you or take it down.