One might be inclined to ask why Mike McCabe is being so persistent in trying to get an appeal for his case, an appeal the Grand Lodge of New Jersey is trying to stonewall? Why doesn’t he just let it go?
McCabe tells us:
“I once sat in a Camden County courtroom and heard the attorney representing the Grand Lodge successfully argue that neither a Masonic Lodge nor the members of a New Jersey Masonic Lodge were entitled to be treated fundamentally fair by the Grand Lodge. I sat there and wondered what type of organization had I devoted 20 plus years of my life to, to find out that is how they view me? No Brother I know ever knocked on the inner door, expecting to be treated as a second class citizen.”
Another good reason would be the actions of his Grand Master in regards to his Lodge, Trimble Lodge. That Grand Master forced the three Lodges which met in the same building (worth several million dollars and co-equally owned) to merge. Trimble Lodge was one of the three and was very well endowed thanks to the generosity of several of its deceased members.
Each of the Lodges held meetings and votes were taken. The members of Trimble Lodge and one of the other Lodges voted overwhelmingly against the forced consolidation. After the results of Trimble’s vote was announced, 49-2 against the proposal, the District Deputy acting under the instructions of the then Grand Master, walked up to the East, picked up the Lodge’s Charter and stated that Trimble Lodge was closed.
He left with the charter while the meeting was still in progress.
McCabe then provides us with an explanation of why he thinks that the Grand Lodge of New Jersey is out of control.
On December 1, 2004, Trimble Lodge went to court to obtain an injunction against the Grand Master and the Grand Lodge to prevent this forced merger. This legal action was only taken as an act of last resort, so as to permit the affected lodges the time needed to attempt an amicable resolution of the underlying issues with some members of Ionic Lodge (and Grand Lodge). It would have also afford those lodges the time needed to present the another side to these issues at the appropriate Grand Lodge forum, where actual facts could be presented and hearsay, distortions and misrepresentations could be refuted.
During the course of the court hearing, the presiding judge asked the attorney representing Grand Lodge a question something along the lines of Is a Masonic lodge entitled to be treated fundamentally fair (by either the Grand Lodge or Grand Master)? The Grand Lodge attorney’s reply was NO. The judged then asked If the members of a Masonic lodge were entitled to be treated fundamentally fair? The Grand Lodge’s attorney responded that the members of a Masonic Lodge “Are not entitled to be treated fundamentally fair”.
As to the motivation of New Jersey Grand Lodge in acting this way it could be pointed out that the Grand Lodge had committed itself to donating a significant amount of money towards the upkeep of the Battleship USS New Jersey of which Grand Master Ryan is a Trustee) Also it appears that the Grand Lodge was taking heavy losses in its various financial investments. It could be speculated that Trimble Lodge’s money was Grand Lodge’s financial bailout.
One thing was for sure, the fact that the Grand Master over ruled the votes taken by the Lodges and mandated a merger by edict requiring all Lodges to turn in their Charters with one new Charter granted for the creation of a new Lodge also contributed to McCabe’s persistence in battling Grand Lodge. Once again he tells us:
“An American’s most precious Civil Right is the right to vote and the right to have the results of that vote recognized, regardless of the final outcome.”
Keeping all this in mind, McCabe started to do some deep digging which has continued after his expulsion. And what he found explains how the Grand Lodge of New Jersey can get away with acting as it does.
He found that in 1902 the Grand Lodge of New Jersey’s committee on Masonic Jurisprudence (the Wallis Committee) was charged with identifying “the ancient landmarks of Masonry” and reporting “what those landmarks are, as applicable to the Masonic law of New Jersey”. The Wallis Committee submitted a report that borrowed from MacKey’s 25 landmarks, ignoring some and combining others. It submitted 10 Landmarks for consideration by the Grand Lodge, one of which was entirely new and not found elsewhere in Masonic tradition. Landmark No. 3 stated:
“The Grand Master…may suspend, at his pleasure, the operation of any rule or regulation of Masonry not a ‘landmark’…suspend the installed officers of any Lodge, and reinstate them at his pleasure, and is not answerable for his acts as Grand Master.”
In one stroke of the pen the Wallis Report vastly expanded the scope of a Grand Master’s authority while at the same time making much of the Grand Constitution worthless, null and void. Nowhere in the entire text of Mackey’s seminal work, “The Landmarks, Or The Unwritten Law,” or in his complete 25 Landmarks, is any language found that remotely suggests that a Grand Master has that type of unrestricted authority granted by the “Landmarks.” Nor can one find this Landmark in any other Grand Lodge in the United States.
The acceptance of a Landmark should not be taken lightly. For something to be a Landmark it must me universal and have existed since time immemorial. Something dreamed up in 1903 to increase the power of Grand Masters does not meet the criterion of being a Landmark.
Sometime after 1903 these 10 Landmarks were inserted into the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey and for any number of years Grand Masters have used Landmark No. 3 to do whatever they wanted and to rule and govern in whatever manner they so desired.
Application of Landmark No. 3 over rules provisions in the Grand Constitution that were there long before it was.
“The Grand Lodge shall have power…to make all by-laws, rules and regulations not inconsistent with this Constitution.’ (Section 2-18).
“A Lodge cannot deprive a Brother of his Civil rights.” (Section 29-27).
But Landmark No. 3 is inconsistent with the Constitution and does deprive Brethren of their Civil Rights.
How is this Landmark reconciled with the General Regulation?: “You admit that it is not in the power of any Man or Body of any Men to make innovations in the body of Masonry.”
It can’t and it has increasingly been used to deny due process, suspend or expel members at will, and overturn the results of votes taken by the Brethren.
McCabe remarks, “That one important issue that has been completely ignored is the primary purpose for any Constitution. That is to limit or restrain arbitrary authority. Landmark No. 3 eliminates that restraint.”
In 1983 Past Grand Master Rutledge, an attorney, was brought up on charges of theft, tried and found guilty at his local Lodge. However, the Grand Lodge stepped in and said that a local Lodge cannot decide the punishment process in the case of a Past Grand Master, and moved the penalty sentencing phase to the Grand Lodge level. Rutledge objected and took his case to the civil courts, all the way to the New Jersey Supreme Court. On May 10, 1983 the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in Rutledge v. Gulian that “Landmark 3 explicitly authorizes the Grand Master to intermit any rule or regulation other than a Landmark.”
The court’s precedent setting ruling, upheld both the primacy of New Jersey’s 10 Landmarks, and the Grand Master’s authority in dealing with the organization’s internal controversies.
If that was the end of the story it would be bad enough and perhaps prompt us to suggest that the Brethren of New Jersey meeting in Grand Session should change their Constitution. That’s not an easy thing to accomplish with a Grand Master who rules with an iron fist and who has the power to overrule and negate any votes taken by the Brethren.
But that is not the end of the story. McCabe dug deeper and he found New Jersey Grand Lodge’s dirty little secret.
In July of 1983, only two months after this Supreme Court case had been decided, the Masonic Service Association of North America (MSANA) published its revised Sixth Edition of Ancient Landmarks of Freemasonry – As Adopted, Followed or Undecided by the Fifty-One Grand Lodges of the United States.
New Jersey’s then Grand Secretary supplied the information to MSANA and McCabe 
checked with Richard Fletcher, director of MSANA, to ascertain that no additional information had been added since 1983 nor any revisions made. After listing New Jersey’s 10 Landmarks the Grand Secretary of New Jersey added this note:
“Our records from 1903 show that the report of the Committee was received and adopted, but nothing in the report recommends that adoption of the ten Landmarks reported. We have adhered to them even though there was no official acceptance by the Grand Lodge.”
So New Jersey’s 10 Landmarks including Landmark No. 3 were never voted on and thus were never legally accepted by a majority vote of the members of the Grand Lodge meeting in Grand Session as required by its Constitution. They were just inserted into the Constitution without approval.
Section 2-23 of the Grand Lodge’s Constitution stipulates that “no alteration or addition shall be made to this Constitution unless proposed in writing, and supported by representatives of five Lodges: and a fair copy thereof, certified by the Grand Secretary, shall be forwarded to all the Lodges under the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge for their consideration, until its next annual communication, and such proposed alteration or addition shall not take effect unless there shall be thereof the votes of two-thirds of the members present.”
Considering that the MSANA probably took a number of months to compile the data for its publication it is fair to say that the Grand Lodge of New Jersey knew that its 10 Landmarks were not legally adopted while the New Jersey Supreme Court was hearing Rutledge v. Gulian and which was decided favorably for the Grand Lodge of New Jersey based on the validity of Landmark No.3.
McCabe put it this way, “The funny thing is that the Rutledge decision was handed down only a couple of months before the MSANA pamphlet was published (The Grand Secretary along with the elected Grand Line were defendants). I believe that this information would have (could have) changed the entire outcome of the decision had the court known the information divulged in the MSANA Publication 2 or 3 months later.
And now you know the rest of the story.
I received this personally.
““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““
And yet again, the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent Fred Milliken somehow has divined pure truth based on something he either found on the web or received in an e-mail from someone he has never met, and has rendered his verdict with all the name-calling and righteousness he often claims to abhor.
As one who was momentarily, tangentially, inadvertently, somewhat, sort of involved in McCabe’s problems with the GLNJ, let me appeal to everyone’s common sense and remind you there are more sides to every story, and more information about this one that none of us — especially Fred Milliken — will ever possess. Our rituals, lectures, and charges repeatedly caution us against being manipulated by such tactics. Fred Milliken seems to be immune to all that wisdom, and this hero appears to take great pleasure in lambasting every grand lodge except his own.
Bro. Lenny, you would have no way of knowing, but Masonic Light has an unfortunate history both with Fred Milliken and with such frequently exaggerated “causes celebres” that appear on the web. It was Oct. 20, 2006 when this group actually had to be closed for a month, to allow for cooling off after a person from Georgia generated so much heat with his own propaganda. Not as the moderator, but only as your brother, am I asking you to not post a Part 2 or other follow-up to this matter. It’s just not what we’re here for. There are other forums where Masons salivate over gossip like this.
(For the record, I am not a past, present, or future officer of my grand lodge, nor have I even attended an annual meeting of the same.)
C&F,
Jay Hochberg
New Jersey, USA
It’s a shame when the way to win a debate is to trash the messenger rather than address the message. Jay Hochberg booted me off the private Yahoo Group “Masoniclight” ,which he manages , a few years back because he didn’t like my point of view. I have never had anything bad to say about Jay.
While I can be very critical, I try my best to confine myself to issues not personalities. That is why in the Mike McCabe story, like many others of this kind I have written, you will not even find many names. I do criticize people but in most cases it is a whole group such as a Grand Lodge and numerous Grand Masters. Ad hominem attacks are not my style.
The fact is that in this case we have another example of Grand Lodge tyranny. That’s the issue. It’s not about any one particular person. Resorting to name calling to prove your case and win your argument is a sleazebag way of conducting yourself. It’s particularly offensive when it is done from behind a private fortress where the perpetrator feels that he is immune to common decency and discovery.
Frederic L. Milliken
The Beehive
Mike McCabe Replies:
Dear Brother Jay,
And yet again, the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent Fred Milliken somehow has divined pure truth based on something he either found on the web or received in an e-mail from someone he has never met, and has rendered his verdict with all the name-calling and righteousness he often claims to abhor. It seems that you have decided to add your two cents to something that you yourself readily admit to having only momentarily, tangentially, inadvertently, somewhat, sort of involved (in other words admittedly very limited knowledge.) …in McCabe’s problems with the GLNJ Exactly what part of the current published article would you say is inaccurate? Whatever problems you have with Fred Milliken, you have with Fred Milliken. Not with me, or the facts as presented in this or any future articles about my problems with GLNJ.
…let me appeal to everyone’s common sense and remind you there are more sides to every story. While there may be 2 sides to ever story, what is most important is the TRUTH, which has to date been conveniently ignored. …and more information about this one that none of us possess (Does this include you? If so, why would you comment so authoritatively on things you know little to nothing of?) … or will ever. Especially if you were to get your way and suppress the Truth!
Exactly how much of whatever limited knowledge concerning this matter do you possess? What information did I ever provide you with about the Charges or the Trial? (Copies of the Masonic Charges or either of my Appeals?) Were you present at the Trial, or the penalty phase? Are you a member of the US New Jersey Lodge, are you affiliated with any Lodge in the 18th District? Did you observe the various violations? Or are you relying wholly on hearsay?
Our rituals, lectures, and charges repeatedly caution us against being manipulated by such tactics. Doesn’t Logic direct us to form clear and distinct ideas of things? Certainly the Brethren can discern for themselves? As Free men they have that Right. Doesn’t our O&O demand that we “ stn t @ ab b +I byls, rls, @ rgls % ths…, also +I cnstn, byls, gnrl rglns @ edcs % +I ms wfl gr ::.”, that we will obey the civil magistrates, seek Justice, and more importantly, stand up for and support the Truth as it is the Center of our Craft?
Not as the moderator, but only as your brother, am I asking you to not post a Part 2 or other follow-up to this matter. It’s just not what we’re here for. As you have no knowledge whatsoever of what will be included in any follow up article, how or more importantly why would you make such a plea to suppress the opportunity to gain more knowledge (light?) or further intelligent discussion about how New Jersey Freemasonry is operated? Or is it, that you (and your Masters) are afraid that this information may set them free? I would suggest that you stop jumping to conclusions, stop making assumptions or presupposing facts which you may be unaware or entirely lack any firsthand knowledge of. Let out all of the facts (as opposed to those that the GL only chooses to speak of), receive the light of day. Is it that you believe that your GL is incapable of making mistakes or materially erring? I assure you that each and every one of them that knocked at the inner door is human and is capable of error even though he may wear a gold collar about his neck.
(For the record, I am not a past, present, or future officer of my grand lodge, nor have I even attended an annual meeting of the same.) Congratulations on your having been nominated to receive the Scottish Rite’s 33rd Degree. For the record, I am a 6 time Past Master (4 times in New Jersey and twice 2 in Virginia.) I will not trouble you with listing my bona fides. Suffice it to say, you thought enough of my contributions to the Craft back in 2002 that you wanted to write an article about me for some Masonic publication (I declined your offer). In the past I have attended many of the Grand Lodge annual communications including the emergent meetings (like the one convened to strip Trimble and Universal Lodges of their Charters, despite the overwhelming vote of the memberships of both Lodges against the consolidation to create the politically driven USS New Jersey Lodge.) I am curious however, how can anyone make informed comments on the State of the Craft in New Jersey if they do not attend annual meetings of the Grand Lodge?
Fraternally yours
Mr. Mike McCabe
Man, I feel for New Jersey Masons. What a mess.
Wow!!!!!!
Sometimes Masonic Light can be too bright!
Thanks Brother Milliken and Brother McCabe, Thanks
The Craft should really look at becoming more relevent to our modern times, but it takes an effort from the old to pass-on the traditions and have faith in what they teach us, and for the new to respect the traditions and introduce (confidently) new ideas. Then it takes a collaboration of either side; this cannot be done without LISTENING with OPEN MINDS. This is another case in which Brother’s on one said speak, and a Brother elsewhere has not listened. We’ve all accepted are charge in the 3rd, how is it that we forget so easilly and return to our own ambitions, forgoing what matters to the Craft as a whole.
Just my thoughts.
s/f
Bro. Roy Arellano
San Antonio, TX
I presently live in Florida. My father was the WM for Trimble Lodge years ago when the Grand Master attempted to force consolidation between Trimble Lodge, Palmyra Lodge and Camden Lodge. My father successfully led the resistance against said consolidation. Later, Lodge “Members” of Trimble, Ionic and Camden established a Private N.J. Non-profit Corp, called the West Jersey Masonic Association. This N.P. CORP. Purchased land and constructed a Masonic Temple for their needs. Universal Lodge came on line later and Camden Lodge merged with Haddonfield Lodge.
The Grand Lodge has temporarily Stolen this property from men who happen to be Free Masons the rightful owners and awarded it’s ownership to the USS New Jersey Lodge. Yet the N.J G.L. Constitution specifically states that NO LODGE MAY OWN THE TEMPLE/PLACE IN WHICH IT MEETS, And all property in possession of any lodge is ultimately the property of the Grand Lodge.
I know Mike McCabe personally. I am absolutely aware of his plight and this entire story. Mike McCabe is telling nothing but the absolute truth. I am the sole person who is in possession of all of the evidence needed to put several N.J. Grandmasters and an Attorney in jail and bankrupt the remainder. I am the individual who discovered the link between the USS New Jersey Battleship Memorial and the Grand Lodge of New Jersey. This crap really began way back in 1990. I have the evidence in a safe place!
The only reason I have not forwarded this evidence to the Attorney General of the State Of New Jersey is that I recognize the horrible effect that this disclosure will ultimately have on Freemasonry through out the entire nation. I remain deeply troubled over this matter for us all.
All we wanted was to preserve our Lodge’s Identity. Now I fear that the only resolution for the matter is for N.J.Freemasons to close this grand Lodge, disband the leadership, and begin again with new Worthy Persons. My father would roll over in his grave.
YOU MAY PRINT MY NAME Joseph T.Clarke Jr. “So Mote It Be”!
BROTHERS——ARKANSAS MASONRY IS NO BETTER——-MY LOCAL LODGE——JASPER 21–OF JASPER ARK=—–HAS EXPELLED ME —–BY THE MOST UNMASONIC TRIAL IN THE HISTORY OF ARKANSAS——YES GRAND LODGE KNOWS OF THIS——BUT HAVE DENIED ME AN APPEAL FOR TRIAL IN GRAND LODGE——-YET THEY KEEP MY PERPETUALS—–AND SLANDER MY GOOD NAME—-DONT ANY ONE UNDERSTAND—–NO MAN SHOULD GO WITH OUT THE CHANCE TO CLEAR HIS NAME——ITS UNCHRISTIAN—-IF ANY READING THIS THINKS DIFFERANT——THEN YOU NEED TO GO READ THE BIBLE —-TO BE INLIGHTENED—–RIGHT—-IM A 20 YEAR MASON——4 EX COPS—-HAD ME THROWED OUT OF LODGE—–3 I LECTURED–AND WERE NEW MASONS–THE OTHER WAS A D.D. DEPUTY—MASONRY——-WHATS HAPPENED—-I WILL TELL YOU——-THE GRAND LODGE OF ARKANSAS ARE DRUNK ON POWER—–THEY ARE LIKE A WINO——–THEY HAVE NO LOVE OR FEELING FOR MAN KIND—–JUST NEED MORE POWER—–HOW SAD—–I BELIVED MASONRY MORE THAN ANY THING ELSE—–I STILL DO———-BUT——–ITS SAD WHATS BEING DONE TO IT——AND ITS MOSTLY DONE AT THE TOP——–MY NAME IS RONALD CHASTEEN——–IM PROUD OF MY NAME AND MY LIFE—–IM JUST A LONE STONEMASON BUT THE REAL MEN THAT KNOW ME——HAVE RESPECT FOR ME—-IM NO LIER AND I DO AN HONEST DAYS WORK FOR MY PAY
I was also chastised by the operator of the Yahoo Group when I inquired about CONSTANT solicitation for donations and unwelcomed business propositions by brothers whom I suppose needed work in their professional lives.
Anyone who would read this article and caution others to not believe without presenting the people and their other side of the story is simply a grand puppet of the grand lodge.
What happened to the worthy Past Master McCabe is nothing short of unmasonic or unamerican.
If you support anything or anyone that continues to be against him you are it seems also unmasonic and unamerican in your conduct.
Remember where we were 1st made, brothers. And remember who is the most grand of all masters of all lodges. If you can answer to him, who else must you answer to? May God bless these who have been slighted by Grand Lodge in New Jersey and may God have mercy on the rest of you who have contributed to these crimes or simply done worse, by being indifferent toward them.
Let the record show that I have forgiven you all and continued to love my fellow brothers regardless of the last time we sat lodge together in good standing.
My faith punched your faith right in the eye.
Bro. Milliken,
With the Day of Atonement only hours away, I take this opportunity to apologize to you publicly for making my comments about your polemics in a forum where you neither could see nor reply to it. I do not retract what I wrote, but the place and manner of writing it was plain wrong. I regret that and any headache it may have caused you.
I have asked around in recent days for information about this tragedy, and as I suspected all along, there is a lot more information than is being offered here. Do not ask me to elaborate; I will not subject myself to you any further, but I must comment on the post above from “Bro. Joseph T. Clarke, Jr.,” who claims to possess the smoking gun that would both vindicate Mike McCabe’s cause and bring the grand lodge to justice… but he withholds it all. For the good of the Craft, y’understand.
And everybody is angry at ME.
May you all find the peace and happiness that now elude you.
Jay
To add for the record Grand Secretary Plasket of the Grand Lodge of NJ was contacted on July 15th, with a reply on July 21, saying that the request for comment would be forwarded to the Grand Master. Unfortunately, no comment has since been received.
One could argue that they did not want to discuss this in a public forum, but buy not offering ANY comment to the allegations it becomes impossible to air all sides of the story.
Continuation of what I see posted online regularly. Mainstream has become pathetic and it can’t even hold for the “truths” it claims. One day these men will die, and when they do each will stand before their Maker and have to answer why each swore upon the Bible and knowingly and continually broke the Word.
New Jersey, Arkansas, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, and so on. All Mainstream destructive entities of evil and each deliver peril to a good man who enters and takes what he had sworn on the Bible seriously.
“LEON JUDIA NOSTRA SPES,” Our faith is in the Lion of Judah
I was Worshipful Master of Trimble Lodge 117 in 1991 & 1995 & 2002
The hardest words I ever heard was when I asked a Grand Lodge Officer?
with the history that we have gone throw they know if they force this merger
many of our brothers will leave the Fraternity! His answer was they know., They list it as acceptable loses!
Grand Lodge of New Jersey will not provide the total number of Brothers (from the 3 former lodges involved in the creation of the USS New Jersey Lodge No. 62.) who either joined another Masonic Lodge in New Jersey (rather than be a member of the USS New Jersey Lodge); severed their Masonic affiliation with the Grand Lodge of New Jersey outright (by taking membership in another Masonic jurisdiction); or quit the Fraternity outright.
Vladimir Lenin once remarked that “people vote with their feet.” I was present when the members of the USS New Jersey Lodge voted to suspend approximately 100 members for non-payment of dues (N.P.D.) in one evening. (I believe the exact number was 104, with another 40 pending future suspension for their failure to pay dues.
These Brethren, made the decision to vote with their conscious and their wallets, rather to leave the Fraternity as free men, than bow to tyrants. Their statement fell on deaf ears as Grand Lodge had already determined that regardless of the cost, these loses were acceptable. Grand Lodge representatives had even remarked that they knew that members would go to their graves years later, angry over what had occurred, but again those were more acceptable loses.
Mike McCabe, PM6X
Worshipful McCabe:
Why do I have the feeling I know you from a past association having to do with Arlington Cemetery?
Dick Pierce, PM
Culver City, California
Hello Dick Pierce. You do! I was the Master of the Civil War Lodge of Research in 2002 when you helped me cut through the red tape for our wreath laying ceremony.
The biggest casualty here is obviously the ‘craft’ of Freemasonry. If we continue to allow these “tyrants” to continue without being questioned, the institution is doomed.
Unfortunately, when we do question the actions of those, with even the slightest influence in Grand Lodge, we are labeled as trouble makers and the problem continues as if nothing were wrong. When does the “equality” of being a brother catch up with the superficial titles we give to men that happen to memorize some words of ritual? Are Past Masters given the right to make their own rules and expect others to ignore the abuse of power of that office?
WB McCabe, I do not know the details of your situation but your struggle is shared by many of us that care about the future of our fraternity. We now have a Secretary, Treasurer, Jr. Warden, Sr. Deacon, Jr. Deacon and a Tyler along with many other brothers that will not return to our lodge due to the actions of those that use their “status” to hide behind serious violations of our Grand Lodge Constitution. These men are openly racist and verbally abusive to those that disagree with them (for starters) but it seems that because they served in the east they are immune to any discipline or criticism from those that have not.
The fact is that when we do not question the actions of those we elect we will end up with the mess we are in now. It’s as if the system is far too polluted with ego-maniacs and shallow, undeserving leaders that a recovery seems almost impossible. I hope I am wrong.
I mentioned in a letter to our DDGM; Freemasonry has introduced me to some of the best men I have met in my lifetime… that quality of friendship will never require a dues card! These are men that were attracted to the craft for the same reasons most of us were: to become better men. I feel, by knowing them, I have done just that. However, on the other hand, I have also witnessed a level of deceit and treachery that is so easily accepted as status quo, that it is hard to see myself involved again any time soon.
making good men worse…….
an ancient landmark.
A MM who has dealt with shady GL individuals and their puppets they send at you
jay hoschberg also found it necessary to offer his $.02 up in the Halcyon situation a few years back, so Karma is a Bitch, Bro
It is EXTREMELY DISTURBING to me as a Free Mason for 35 years that basic Masonic ritual and doctrine is stomped on. King Solomon himself , along with the forefathers of our country, would surely roll over in their graves, or impose the penalty of their obligations to those here who have forgotten theirs. This is not about a Grand Lodge, a Grand Master, this is about MASONRY. Those behind the mishandling of this matter are no better than Ja, Jo and Jm, and should be dealt with as they were.
I’m sadden to read about the actions that are taking place among the members of New Jersey’s Grand Lodge. Being a member of one of the lodge’s in the 18th district, I heard the stories of Trimble lodge & the Mike McCabe incident. Truly all masons don’t meet on the level. GLNJ meets on a higher level then the rest of us & if we so much as discuss it, we get into trouble. The actions of a few spread poison to the rest. As a fairly new member of this great fraternity, I hope there is change for the better & people like Bro. McCabe and Bro. Clarke take action & clean up GLNJ. The only groups that I can think of in the past that suppressed information and penalized people who challenged them where the Nazis & other communist nations. I took my oath in the United States of America! We are all on one level, equal to all!
LMAO……..
Take off the rose colored glasses….
Truth and equality have been absent in American Masonry since 1813 with the American Grand Lodges bending knee to Britain and its Royalty Grand Master’s.
Since Britain’s Royalty were never held accountable for its atrocities to the human race, the”Fraternity” has not had to change in over a few hundred years. When Freemasons want to be called High priests, Kings, Most excellent this or that, or Sir Knight, etc….. they stopped being MM’s and strove to be something “different” than a MM. American Freemasonry is a joke of an org that donates money every now and then to keep the dogs off their trail as a fraudulent group. Building Grand Easts while widows and oprhans go hungry or get evicted. lodges do not have masonic facilities, but Grand Lodges spend money on travel for Grand Lackey’s and hospitality rooms that accomplish nothing towards the betterment of society.
keep being tyrannical and embezzlers while the spotlight is not on you. Once the veil is pulled back, you are exposed for wht you are, immoral ego maniacs with small man syndromes.
As long as brothers continue to pay dues and vote for jokers, all will remain the same.
I will probably will be brought up on Masonic Charges for this but I feel compelled to speak for what I think Masonry is about. I’m a past master which I’m very proud of. As such I was also part of NJGL which I’m still not proud. We go thru the degrees learn the ritual and advance in our various stations. With each step we learn the lessons of our genital craft. Once you turn down the corner of the white leather apron and become a master mason you are a brother! We are here to help each other in times of need not GREED! A gold collar and a wide purple stripe means no more than the white leather apron that made us brothers as a Master Mason. Without the Blue Lodges the Grand Lodge is nothing. It seems to me they do not understand this basic premise. Maybe we should revolt! Throw out our Grand Lodge and get a charter from another authority. Prince Hall got a charter to conduct Masonic Work From the Grand Lodge of England. Now 31 States recognize Prince Hall Masonry. If our Grand Lodge cannot understand that they serve at our pleasure and not vice versa then there needs to be a change. We are taught that a Master Mason is the highest degree that we can obtain. Caring for a brother his widows and orphans is one of our most honored tenets. The hailing sine of distress means help me not f### me!
Correct Email. boowho5@verizon.net
wow
guess someone did not like having been told “no” to consolidation or that accounting could go awol and did not want to know or acknowledge the fact……..(and must question except that a charter was taken and a lodge was merged; if, I read correctly) And it certainly did not care about unintended consequences in order to impose control!
shheeez
sad and pathetic
is it really in the best interest when perversion and extremism becomes the norm!