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REGULARITY AND THE GRAND LODGE OF ALL ENGLAND AT
YORK On the 6th February 2007, at the invitation of The Conference
of Grand Master of Masons of
North America, The Commission on Information for Recognition, a detailed
submission was
supplied by The Grand Lodge of All England which included the following:-
Preamble:-
" The Grand Lodge of All England, at York is the Ancient and Honourable
Society and
Fraternity of Freemasons Meeting Since Time Immemorial in The City
of York, known
variously as The Grand Lodge at York and The Old Grand Lodge at York.
The Grand Lodge of All England, at York is the governing body of
Freemasonry in England,
Wales, The Channel Islands and its Districts and Lodges Overseas
working under the
authority, and acting in conformity with The Old York Constitutions
of A.D. 1600-1704
inclusive.
That the City of York was fixed as the Seat of The Grand Master of
all Masons following a
congress called by King Athelston is an acknowledged historical fact.
(REFERENCES:
Anderson - Book of Constitutions Grand Lodge at London 1723; William
Preston -
Illustrations of Masonry, London 1812; Lodge of Antiquity - Manifesto
1778).
It is beyond contention that The Grand Lodge of All England, at York,
was reponed
according to Ancient practice, and in full compliance with Masonic
procedural law. The
Grand Lodge of All England, at York has deliberately and energetically
stood as a Grand
Lodge exemplifying the Masonic Virtues of Legitimacy, Adherence to
all the Ancient
Landmarks, and Regularity in its conduct, ritual, and practice. (REFERENCE:
Book of
Constitutions - Grand Lodge of All England).
The Grand Lodge of All England, in order to avoid any possibility
of error, requests the
Commission to affirm its previously stated view (REFERENCE: Copy
of an email from the
Commission dated 27 Oct 2006 15:09:32 EDT, clearly acknowledging
legitimacy in its first
paragraph, and further stating that Legitimacy of Origin and Adherence
to the Ancient
Landmarks - specifically, A Belief in God, the Volume of the Sacred
Law, an indispensable
part of the furniture of the Lodge, and the prohibition of the discussion
of politics and
religion "... are not in question".) that The Grand Lodge of
All England is a regular Grand
Lodge, not withstanding the indisputable fact that the legitimacy
and authority of The Grand
Lodge of All England is beyond the jurisdiction of The Commission
on Information for
Recognition.
It is acknowledged by The Grand Lodge of All England that The Conference
of Grand
Masters of Masons of North America has the onerous task of making
recommendations on
standards of recognition and suggestions on whether Grand Lodges
in North America should
or should not recognise foreign Grand Lodges. (REFERENCE: The Manifesto
of The Lodge of
Antiquity 1778, and the email from The Commission dated Fri, 27 Oct
2006 15:09:32 EDT).
Notwithstanding the responsibilities of The Conference, The Grand
Lodge of All England,
whilst it acknowledges the right of The Conference of Grand Masters
of Masons amongst
themselves to consider and determine upon matters of recognition,
this right must not
impinge upon The Grand Lodge of All England to any extent, and must
not cause loss or
difficulty to The Grand Lodge of All England. In this, The Grand
Lodge of All England
believes the tenets of Freemasonry must be observed. (REFERENCE:
Long established
Masonic Convention that one regular Grand Lodge does not comment
upon the internal
affairs of another regular Grand Lodge which inevitably brings
Freemasonry into disrepute)."
Copies of correspondence between The Grand Lodge of All England and
The Commission
was supplied together with the following statement:-
" The Grand Lodge of All England recognises The United Grand Lodge
of England as a
regular Grand Lodge. It also expects reciprocation fro The United
Grand Lodge of England
in conformity with those Fraternal and Brotherly Masonic conventions
universally observed
amongst Freemasons and most particularly Grand Lodge to Grand Lodge."
In terms of the question of "Legitimacy", The Grand Lodge at
York stated its
position as follows:-
" It is conceded that in 1738, with the publication of Anderson's second
Book of
Constitutions, the then Grand Lodge at London by a process of self-proclamation
laid claim
to English Freemasonry outside of: "... the Lodges in and about London
and Westminster",
its previously claimed territorial jurisdiction. However, this action
in no way supplanted the
pre-existing jurisdiction of The Grand Lodge of All England. Indeed,
The Grand Lodge of All
England continued to be the authority for Freemasonry in the terms
which had existed since
time immemorial.
On Friday 23rd December 2005, The Assembly of Masons met at Mason's
Loft, York Minster,
where the Master Masons of York and all England according to the
authority originally
granted by King Athelston to Assemble at York, reclaimed English
Freemasonry on behalf of
its rightful custodians.
On Monday, 20th February 2006, The Assembly of Masons at York met
at Jacob's Well,
Micklegate in the City of York and set a date for The Grand Lodge
of All England, at York,
the premier Grand Lodge of All England, to reconvene according to
Ancient custom.
On Monday the 12th June 2006, at Jacob's Well, Micklegate in the
City of York, at
Convocation of The Grand Lodge of All England, a Grand-Master Mason
pro temperore, Most
Worshipful Brother John Gordon Graves, was duly elected and proclaimed.
The Draft Book
of Constitutions was subsequently ratified by those Master Masons
of All England called
together in Assembly and representing St John's Lodge at York and
the members of the 10
Old Time Immemorial Lodges, namely: Talbot Lodge, Halifax 1738; French
Prisoners Lodge,
Stonegate, York 1762; Three Tuns Lodge, Scarborough 1762; Royal Oak
Lodge, Ripon 1769;
Crown Lodge, Knaresborough 1769; Duke of Devonshire's Flying Childers
Lodge,
Macclesfield 1770; Hovingham Lodge, North Yorkshire 1773; Druidical
Lodge, Rotherham
1778; New Inn Lodge, Snainton, North Yorkshire 1778; Fortitude Lodge,
Hollinwood 1790.
The Act of Reponement of The Grand Lodge of All England and the reclamation
of its
subordinate Lodges were duly accomplished, executed and comprehensive
Notice given
internationally by way of divers means of communication."
In respect of "Adherence to The Ancient Landmarks":-
" The Grand Lodge of All England is aware that its Ancient Landmarks
are acknowledged by
regular Grand Lodges, although it notes that not all Grand Lodges
publish and proclaim
identical lists of our Landmarks, a fact which is regretted by The
Grand Lodge of All England
that wishes to see a declaration of full compliance by all regular
Grand Lodges.
(REFERENCE: "The lists of Landmarks vary in number from author to
author. Albert Mackey
presented 25 Landmarks, but others reduced the list to 7 or even
5 principle Landmarks,
which incorporate Mackey's twenty other Landmarks as subdivisions." -
Athena Stafyla, The
Masonic Landmarks, Pietre Stones Review of Freemasonry http://www.freemasonsfreemasonry.
com/athena1.html)
The Grand Lodge of All England proclaims all the Landmarks identified
since time
immemorial i.e. The Old York Constitutions A.D. 1600-1704. These
Landmarks are
elaborated and referred to in its Book of Constitutions, and promulgated
upon the website.
(REFERENCE: www.grandlodgeofallengland.org)."
In terms of "Regularity":-
" The Grand Lodge of All England from time immemorial through to the
present has been
wholly regular. It is consistent in its full compliance with those
unchangeable and Ancient
Landmarks originally identified by this Grand Lodge, and calls upon
all Grand Lodges
throughout the world to recognise and act upon this doctrine which
is so fundamental to
Freemasonry."
And finally, in respect of "Exclusive Territorial Jurisdiction":-
The Grand Lodge of All England is aware of the doctrine of Exclusive
Territorial Jurisdiction
but notes that The United Grand Lodge of England has never enjoyed
exclusive territorial
jurisdiction, that the doctrine represents a rule only in connection
with North America,
especially The United States of America, and that the doctrine is
consistent only in respect of
the inconsistent manner in which it has been applied. The Grand Lodge
of All England, at
York is disinterested in this entire concept which it regards as
being profoundly un-Masonic."
Signed under the seals of Prince Edwin - A.D.926 by M.W. Bro. John
Gordon Graves, Grand
Master of Masons and under the seals of Grand Lodge by V.W. Bro.
Peter Joseph
Clatworthy, Grand Secretary.
STATEMENT ISSUED AT YORK - SATURDAY 21st DECEMBER 2007
It is to be regretted that The Commission on Information of The Conference
of Grand
Masters of Masons of North America, far from entering into any form
of an exchange of
fraternal courtesies has seen fit to publish a response on open public
websites without
extending the most perfunctory of mannerly replies, or even an acknowledgement
to The
Grand Lodge of All England at York, despite the courtesies and considerations
amply
extended by the Grand Lodge of All England to The Commission.
Furthermore, The Commission's most recent statement purports to be
an integral part of its
2007 report which was published in April 2007 when, in fact, it was
added to their website,
a full 7 months after the publication of their 2007 report (November).
The suggestion that
documentation in support of our submission has not been supplied
is clearly false and
misleading.
This statement is published by The Grand Lodge of All England as
a result of the obstructive
conduct of The Commission and the Commission's failure to act fairly
in this important
matter.
Grand Lodge of All England At York
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