Last week the "white Masons" and the "black Masons" in North Carolina stopped pretending each other didn't exist, and got together in a two-hour "ceremony full of formality and speeches" to sign a resolution of recognition the Charlotte Observer called a "peace treaty" and a "reconciliation.""Today's a historic day, because we're here to say we're brothers again," said M.W. Bro. David Cash, a Methodist minister from Kannapolis and grand master of the Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina.
Sitting at the same table in the old House chambers of the state Capitol where North Carolina's resolution to secede from the Union in 1860 was signed, Bro. Cash and M.W. Bro. Milton "Toby" Fitch Jr. of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina and Its Jurisdictions, signed the document officially recognizing each other's Masonry.
"We are of the same family," said Bro. Dan Blue, a Prince Hall Mason and state legislator from Raleigh. "This is an opportunity to complete a circle."
Congratulations, North Carolina brethren!
Okay, now it's Georgia's turn. As I've done each year since The Burning Taper went online, I call upon the newly "elected" Grand Lodge of Georgia and its new grand master, M.W. Bro. Edward Jennings, Jr., to recognize Prince Hall Masons.
Just do it!
Image: N.C. grand masters Toby Fitch and David Cash in prayer, Nov. 21, 2008
Masons | Prince Hall Freemasonry | Freemasonry | Grand Lodge of North Carolina | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com
Wonderful news Brother Widow's Son. It is only a matter of time that Georgia and the rest come around. Do you know if or where additional photos of this historic event can be found?
ReplyDeleteSorry, no, I couldn't find any other photos.
ReplyDeleteI checked the NC Grand Lodge site, and see that Dan Rice, not David Cash, is the current Grand Master, so I'm not sure the Observer article is correct on all counts, since it refers to Cash as current grand master (as of Nov. 22), yet the most recent Grand Lodge annual communication was in September.
— W.S.
This is excellent! Old habits die hard, but they are dying. One day soon. Thanks for the good news! If we look into it there is no significant difference between a man (using the non-gender specific definition of the word) of African descent and a Caucasian man. Unfortunately, there can be bad blood on either side. Fortunately, there can be and is brotherhood on both sides.
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely wonderful! I'll be getting some of my brothers together and toasting to this tonight for certain! This was, unfortunately, a very long time coming, but the time is at hand, and I for one could not be more excited.
ReplyDeleteAs for your call to Georgia's Grand Lodge and it's Master, I'm one hundred percent behind you. Know that you have the support of all of your brothers in Illinois.
But, brother Widow's Son, I don't take you as the type to be so passive. Find some brothers who agree and start writing letters to everyone with any kind of title in the entire state. Take it to them!!
Once again, congratulations to our North Carolina brethren!
M:.W:. David Cash was the presiding GM of NC AF&AM, M:.W:. Dan Rice was installed as GM last week.
ReplyDeleteIt was MUCH more than a peace treaty - the time has come, for sure.
Dustin Tarditi
James B Green #735 AF&AM
Raleigh, NC
W.S., in case you haven't heard, the PH GL of North Carolina has sent out letters requesting recognition of other GLs. One arrived at our GL office yesterday and has been passed to the Committee on Fraternal Relations for a recommendation in June.
ReplyDeleteI was presiding at an installation last night and the new WM explained it was a Prince Hall Bro. who got him interested in Freemasonry.
Justa Mason
So how many non-recognition GLs left? Bessel's site doesn't seem to be current. It's moving relatively quickly. Very cool!
ReplyDeleteNice...
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry guys, I just cant get that excited about these things anymore. First of all I think very few of us actually understand how this all really works.
ReplyDeletePeople here that GL of so and so "recognizes" PHA, they then think that since they are under that since they are under that GL they are free to sit in PHA lodges all over the world, they are not.
When a GL reconizes PHA they only recognized those that are also recognized by their home GL. That means a GL of NC Mason still cannot speak to PHA of SC Masons. This is something that must be addressed and realized.
The other point is that even if every MS GL recognized (and allowed intervisitation a whole other boondoggle) it would be a good strong event of a change, but we would still have 50% of the population ineligable.
It's nice to be please wil small changes but it is a crime to be satisfied.
S&F,
BC
The only PHAs that are mutually unrecognized are those few states in the country. A person can go and visit a PHA in another state if that state recognizes PHA. Far more than most states do now, and the change has been significant and relatively expedient. Just because one state does not recognize a particular state's PHA does not mean you cannot attend if their state does. It's convoluted, but a member of a GL recognizing PHA can visit anywhere PHA is recognized, which is the significantly larger percentage than where they cannot.
ReplyDeleteIf the GL of the state recognizes your GL, then you can visit any PHA or other body they recognize. It's easy to figure out. Nobody is likely satisfied, but those small changes are cumulative. It's a big picture, and the glass is far more than half-full now.
No person is ineligible. To make the statement suggests that PHA is not Masonry. It is, and men have been eligible there for long before now. There are now Masonic groups for women exclusively, for men exclusively, and co-masonic groups. I disagree with you that those are not necessarily Masonry because of gender or race diffences.
It is easy to get excited for me about this. A chance to share brotherhood with others is NEVER a 'small thing'.
My name is still Nobody said:
ReplyDeleteA person can go and visit a PHA in another state if that state recognizes PHA.
and
If the GL of the state recognizes your GL, then you can visit any PHA or other body they recognize. It's easy to figure out.
That's absolutely INCORRECT - a Mason can only visit Lodge that is under a GL that their GL recognizes.
If it were correct, My Name, then, while GL Minnesota Recognized the Grand Loge de France (and hadn't yet been deRecognized by many US GL's), I could have visited a Lodge under the GLdF, because MY GL, Massachusetts, Recognizes Minnesota.
"When in Rome" or "blanket" policies, do NOT apply in Masonic Recognition issues, except in those GL's which practice it (as of 2004, only Arizona, Connecticut, DC, Hawaii, Kansas, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York) http://bessel.org/masrec/phablanket.htm
M.istaken P.remise wrote:
ReplyDelete"That's absolutely INCORRECT - a Mason can only visit Lodge that is under a GL that their GL recognizes.
If it were correct, My Name, then, while GL Minnesota Recognized the Grand Loge de France (and hadn't yet been deRecognized by many US GL's), I could have visited a Lodge under the GLdF, because MY GL, Massachusetts, Recognizes Minnesota."
You need to learn how to read. You created a strawman and claimed something that's NOT there. IF you GL does not recognize the GLdF, then it doesn't matter where you are-you can't visit them. Never said anything like what you claim.
So, you say it's "absolutely incorrect". While it might be true that it's not ENTIRELY correct, to say it's 'absolutely incorrect' is entirely incorrect. Let's look:
My name is still Nobody said:
"A person can go and visit a PHA in another state if that state recognizes PHA."
So, I travel to a neighboring state where the GL recognizes PHA and my GL recognizes PHA. I can go visit a PHA lodge. You claim that I cannot. If I CAN, then your statement "absolutely incorrect" is absolutely incorrect, as the word 'absolutely' infers that the initial statement is ALWAYS wrong. That just ain't true.
"If the GL of the state recognizes your GL, then you can visit any PHA or other body they recognize. It's easy to figure out."
You can go visit "any PHA or other body" mutually recognized by both GLs-is that "absolutely incorrect"? If it's not, you're "absolutely incorrect" to claim it.