Guest editorial: Authority of a grand master

Update, Tuesday, Dec. 11: Bro. Diogenes continues to update the story he tells here, providing names of those affected by the tyrannical acts of past grand masters in Arkansas. Be sure to read his updates in the comments section following this article.

Recently in the comments section of an article on The Burning Taper, a discussion has begun over whether grand masters have the legal authority to expel a brother without due process and a Masonic trial.

That such expulsions have taken place is without question. Witness recent events in Georgia and West Virginia.

But are these expulsions Masonically lawful or legal?

Bros. Gregg Hall and Theron Dunn were quick to jump on the "of course it's legal!" bandwagon, citing Georgia Code to prove that a grand master has authority to expel without trial. It's a bit amusing to have two brothers from California citing Georgia Masonic Code as if they're powdered-wig barristers, but they're welcome to their "considered opinions." After all, they've already proven to be experts on civil, criminal and Masonic law in Ohio.

In their pleadings in the court of public opinion, though, they confuse a grand master with a grand lodge.

The following guest editorial was written by a brother from Arkansas, who prefers to remain anonymous.

* * *

1-103 — Authority — The Grand Lodge is hereby declared the highest legitimate source of Masonic authority...

77-110 — Grand Lodge may Expel — The Grand Lodge may on its own motion expel any Georgia Mason, though not a member of its body and with or without the recommendation of the Constituent Lodge.
-----------------------------------------------

The people posting the information above are (intentionally or unintentionally) confusing the "Grand Lodge" with the "Grand Master."

The "Grand Lodge" is a GROUP. Typically, it convenes once each year, and consists of the "elected" Grand Master, Grand Wardens, Grand Deacons, and other grand officers. Depending on the jurisdiction, it may also include all active Worshipful Masters and principal officers of blue lodges in the jurisdiction, all Past Masters, all Grand Lodge committee members, etc..

The Grand Master is one man, who is the chief executive officer of the "Grand Lodge."

Unfortunately, in my home state of Arkansas, recent Grand Masters have endeavored to browbeat the craft into submission. When resolutions have been proposed for consideration at the annual Grand Lodge sessions, Grand Masters who oppose those resolutions have simply declared them "un-Masonic," and denied the members of the Grand Lodge an opportunity to vote.

In another notable instance, a Grand Master denied the assembled members of the Grand Lodge the right to vote on a candidate for Grand Lodge office. At the annual session of the Grand Lodge in February, 2005, Past Grand Master Arthur "Buddy" Mhoon (now deceased) attempted to nominate one of our state's most senior and respected brothers for Grand Master. The presiding Grand Master rapped him down, however, and told him he wouldn't accept that nomination, which was in opposition to his own handpicked successor.

When Masons here have expressed dismay and/or opposition to their Grand Master's actions, recent Grand Masters have simply declared those Masons "suspended pending trial," then appointed Grand Lodge "trial committees" composed of their closest friends to "try" the wrongfully accused brothers.

Trials in the lodges of the accused are not permitted, but are instead convened at the Grand Lodge offices, where only invited witnesses are allowed to attend, and crowds of ordinary Masons have been turned away at the door with threats of trespassing charges. Such trials can't be held on any "degree" of Masonry, because the accused have already been suspended, and therefore aren't entitled to attend "regular" lodge functions. Needless to say, no one has ever been acquitted under those circumstances, and never will be.

Arkansas Masonic law specifically says that "every man is to be presumed innocent until proven to be guilty," and the mere fact that charges are filed, does not deprive a brother of any of his Masonic rights or privileges. "No brother," it says "can be declared suspended or expelled" prior to Masonic trial, but that's happened more than 20 times in the last four or five years, and the only people who've tried to stand up for what's right, have become the newest names on the list.

If a significant number of Masons who perceive the wrongs would rally behind those who are persecuted, the situation would immediately change, but we've all forgotten the lesson of Grand Master Hiram Abiff, and courage within our fraternity is about as rare as it is among wildebeests facing lions on the African Serengetti.

God help us — we've become a fraternity of sheep led by wolves, "democratically" deciding on what to have for dinner. It's a sad, sad situation, with very little hope of remedy.

— Diogenes

Masons | Masonic Trial | Grand Masters | Freemasonry | Grand Lodge of Georgia | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Guest editorial: Repulsion, revision, revolution, and reformation

Repulsion, revision, revolution and reformation by Diogenes

Much of the behavior exhibited these days in Masonic forums can only be described as repulsive. When people exhibit so little regard for each other's thoughts and concerns, it isn't just an embarrassment to Masonry, it's an embarrassment to all of humanity.

A common complaint is that Masonry hasn't kept pace with the times, and needs to be revised. Indeed, even the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, has recently "revised" its rituals to eliminate the last vestiges of Albert Pike's work. I don't know if that makes the ritual better, but it's certainly less "ancient" than it used to be.

It seems to me, however, that Masonic "revision" is really just "evolution"; progressive changes over time, adopted to meet changing circumstances. When such changes occur quickly, or when they involve institutions rather than living entities, the term "revolution" is often applied, which in a nutshell, is really just institutional "evolution."

That said, I believe the phenomenon we're witnessing in American Masonry today can best be described as "Masonic reformation." It's very similar in motivation and philosophy to the "Protestant Reformation," ushered in by Martin Luther when he posted his list of "grievances" on the door of his local church (the "bulletin board" of its day).

From the time of Christ until the Protestant Reformation, Catholicism was the only "mainstream" and "officially recognized" form of Christianity. People who chose not to acquiesce to the authority of the Catholic Church, were not recognized as "real" Christians, and were widely denounced and persecuted by those who chose to remain subservient to the established authority.

Today, after hundreds of years of hostility and bloodshed, most Christians seem to have learned to tolerate different "denominations." A few still insist that theirs is the only "true" church, but most seem to accept the idea that people can arrive at the same salvation through different denominations, just like they can arrive at the same destinations in different types of automobiles.

How long will it take for Masons to realize that no one has an exclusive copyright on Freemasonry, or Masonic philosophy, and that no one has a right to point fingers and unilaterally declare that others are "clandestine," "bogus," or "fake"?

Will wars have to be fought, or blood have to be shed? Shall we go on witch hunts and vilify common "enemies" to unite us, or can we find room in our hearts, our minds, and our lodges to embrace our similarities, and set aside the petty differences that divide us?

We can all say what we want about brotherhood and brotherly love, but our actions will always speak louder than our words.

— Diogenes

Image: Diogenes, mid-17th century, by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, from Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Masons | Masonic Reformation | Diogenes | Freemasonry | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com