Yesterday the Grand Lodge of North Carolina officially passed by a vote of 642 yeas to 328 nays the Resolution for Mutual Recognition of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina and Its Jurisdictions, Inc., according to an article posted on Bro. Chris Hodapp's blog on Friday."Bravo, brethren. Bravo," he wrote.
Brother blogger Palmetto Bug, a Mason working under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of South Carolina, writing in the comments section to the announcement, responded to the news by saying, "The train wreck continues," evidently refering to the past decade's trend towards recognition between maintream Masonry and Prince Hall Masonry.
The Grand Lodge of South Carolina, along with those of nine other states — all in the South — still remains steadfastly against mutual recognition between mainstream and Prince Hall Masonry, much to my continued embarrassment. I am a member of a Georgia lodge working under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Georgia.
Besides South Carolina and Georgia, the mainstream grand lodges of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and West Virginia do not recognize Prince Hall Masons as "true and lawful brothers" or as even being Masons.
Within moments of my being raised a Master Mason in a Georgia lodge several years ago, I was official told, while the ceremony was still being conducted, that I was not to hold "Masonic discussion with clandestine Masons, and the only clandestine Masons that we know of are the black Masons."
I join with Bro. Chris and open-minded Masons throughout the world in saying "Bravo!"to the North Carolina Masons who have joined the 21st century by finally accepting brother as brother, based not on the color of his skin but the content of his heart.
Masons | Masonic Recognition | Southern Racism | Freemasonry | Grand Lodge of North Carolina | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com
I was there when it happenned! After the vote results were read, over 300 Masons got up and left the room.....even after MWGM Cash left the East and prayed on bended knee that the results of the vote would be well accepted.
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding? Over 300 Masons left the room because they no longer were in the majority? How utterly Masonic of them.
ReplyDeleteOh, right. I forgot... there's a train wreck comin', because a southern state's grand lodge has recognized Prince Hall Masonry.
W.S.
Brethren,
ReplyDeleteLike Brother Cheek I was there and voted. I also witnessed the Exodus.
What I also saw was "representatives" who were there for only one agenda and not for the good of Masonry. If this were not so, they would have stayed as there was another full days business to be conducted.
Yesterday was a great day for Freemasonry in North Carolina.
Steve Viers
Hats off to the the Grand Master and members of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina. They deserve our congratulations. I am sure that for some of them this was a long time in the making and difficult. They should be commended.
ReplyDeleteHi, WS. I'm catching up on blogs hither and yon, having been tied up in the real Masonic world these days.
ReplyDeleteThe basic story is nice to read, but the comments are pretty disturbing. Here in Beautiful British Columbia, nothing like that ever happened. A report came in from the Committee on Fraternal Relations came in, everyone voted in favour (if there had been a hand raised in opposition, I think I would have seen it) and life went on.
My only caveat I wrote in our Masonic Bulletin at the time (1996) was not to let the novelty wear off and to continue to take advantage of the opportunity to visit the PH Lodge here, just as a Mason would any Lodge in a recognised jurisdiction.
Last I checked, our train was still running. At least, I keep reporting on the Secretarial forms to the dispatch office that new passengers are boarding on a journey to the East.
Justa Mason
This is a great day in Freemasonry. More Brothers finally standing up for what they know in their hearts to be the right thing. Racism is ugly and this is just one more nail in it's coffin and a long time overdue. GREAT job Brothers, except the 300 that stormed out of course, I say good riddance to them.
ReplyDeleteGOD made everybody!!!!!!! I'm a Miss. PH Mason, but we will make a man no matter what race he is! He must first believe in GOD!!! If you think you are better than someone cause of your race then you want make it to Heaven anyway.How can you take something that started in Egypt and call it yours and say you don't recognize somebody?? JESUS want recognize you as one of his on the last day. May all Mason have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis rocks! We're getting there, slowly but surely. I have spoken to many PH brothers, and am proud to name them amongst my Masonic brothers.
ReplyDeleteThank God!
ReplyDeleteI quit going to Masonic meetings 5 years ago because I was disgusted with the racism that existed in Masonry today. I wanted to remain a member and I prayed that this day would come. I was raised in schools where I was good friends with black students and so the older generation that kept this racism alive in our great organization turned me off. This is a pray answered for me. Let's go improve Masonry as a team now!
Not sure what the big deal about recognition might be. It is not like lodges are merging or there are joint initiations and meetings.
ReplyDeleteI am not a mason but hopefully will be soon:
http://www.myfreemasonryjournal.blogspot.com/
I was perusing the internet and found information about Lodge Vitruvian #767, Brother Hodapp is a member of this Lodge, I wanted to attach some of the pictures of the members but couldn’t figure out how to do it, so here is the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=mf&gid=439404065482
I find it odd based on Brother Hodapp’s frequent and vociferous condemnations of them redneck crackers from the former Confederate States of America, for failing to observe the principle of Universality, that I did not see the first black, brown, red, or yellow man in the picture. No, they all appear to have a lilly white complexion.
Now, my old Pappy used to say that “those who live in glass houses should not throw stones” and that you “should practice what you preach” but I guess Brother Hodapp adheres to the school of thought that others should do as he says not as he does.
None the less I am sure that Brother Hodapp and his good Brothers at Lodge Vitruvian, have a great time slapping each other on the back and congratulating each other on how they are superior and know, understand, and practice the true priciples of Freemasonry, as they are adorned in their best finery and enjoying them fancy vittles.
While I know that none of the members of my little country lodge would be welcome at Lodge Vitruvian because none of us own one them tuxedos, and most couldn’t afford the dues they charge (I wonder how much of the dues go to help the less fortunate?), nor do they know or care about the myths and mysticism that bunch of pseudo intellectuals yammer about, they do know and care about the their Obligations; the symbolism of the square, plumb, level, compass, the greater and lesser lights; the lesson of charity, the lesson of caution, and the northeast corner lecture. These are men good and true, who were first masons in their heart, who actively work in their churches, who perform their civic duties, and who practice their Master Mason Obligation everyday by doing things like driving a Brother 100 miles round trip to take chemo treatments and holding Charity Projects to raise money for the family of a young boy suffering from a very rare disease to to help defray the costs they incur that are not covered by insurance.
These are men that are known in the community as Masons, by other Masons and non masons, and they are why for the most part people in these communities have a favourable opinion of Masonry.
Not recognizing PH is just pure racism and hiding behind that excuse. I was raised in a AFAM and I still go through the same thing just because I am black. They will allow Asians for whatever reason though.I'm in Virginia now and they are the biggest Hippocrates I have ever seen look at their website. They have blacks and whites on their page as if that's whats really going on.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.grandlodgeofvirginia.org/
Mike,
ReplyDeleteDo they allow Brothers of African Descent to join their lodges? I honestly do not know. I know PH has in the past not desired recognition, and I would like to hear the entire story rather than a comment posted to a blog or take someone posting African Americans, who may be members of their lodge (I do not know), as 'evidence' of their hypocrisy. I do not wish to offend, I'd simply like more information.
In Alabama the racism continues. A white friend of mine was warned not to speak to me, a Black PHA Mason, during his interview! Funny thing is, his interest in freemasonry came as a result of his taking note of my active involvement in the fraternity. He asked me if I thought he should still join, and my response was that if he was a good man, and they deemed him to be so, certainly. It is my hope that his disgust will one day become a vote to accept mutual recognition between our Grand Lodges.
ReplyDelete