Arkansas masonic liscense plates

[david918]

Here is a link from one of our members blogs on the Masonic license plates in Arkansas:

http://www.freemasoninformation.com/2010/03/grand-masters-ruling-hurtful/

 

[Jamesb]

How sad

 

[Bigmel]

Our city is a Twin City with a street separating the two states of Texas and Arkansas. Our Lodge had three Arkansas brothers who wanted to join our lodge as plural members; they were members of the Arkansas lodge. Texas Grand Lodge had no problem. Arkansas M.W. Hedge, refused to let them join as plural members, We had had a agreement with the two Grand Lodges allowing either lodge to accept petitions from within the city limits of both cities. "Since 1984", The M.W. Hedge refused to honor it. And he refused to let them join our lodge as plural members. Arkansas has few quirky Laws and rules. He has the same type opinion on the AR license plate. Maybe the new Grand Master will have a different opinion on several things.

 

[JTM]

wow. what a shitty thing to do.

 

[MGM357]

I bet if some the money was going to the other Grand Lodge, there never would have been a letter.

 

[JTM]

Can anyone find me where I should send my donation to prince hall lodge in Arkansas so they can send this to their charity?

If the AFAM GL in AR is going to get in the way of helping a charity, I guess I feel the need to step up and at least put my $20 where he won't.

 

[owls84]

Seconded JTM.

 

[david918]

Here is an up date on the Arkansas license plate controversy from brother Chris Hodapp's blog as well as brother Fredrick Milliken's blog .Glad I'm not an Arkansas mason.

http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/

http://www.freemasoninformation.com/2010/03/collateral-damage-the-aftermath-of-the-arka

 

[Casey]

As a new mason... I can say that if I were experiencing this in Arkansas I would be very discouraged about my future as a mason.

 

[Blake Bowden]

http://sebastianlodge.com/

 

[TexMass]

So, has the masonic year changed in Arkansas? Is that why it say's their is a different GM?

 

[Blake Bowden]

So, has the masonic year changed in Arkansas? Is that why it say's their is a different GM?

Yup

 

[Bigmel]

Their masonic year changed in Arkansas in Feburary. does not look like much change.

 

[TexasCop]

I don't want to bash another state's GL, but this seems financially motivated. However, I've read the charges against the brother and the accusations refer to him purchasing or using a code book, not for posting stuff on their website. I am left to wonder if we're getting the full story here.

 

[Bryan]

It is my opinion that the State of Arkansas is partially to blame for this.

In Louisiana, we (The Grand Lodge of Louisiana F&AM) have state issued License Tags. However only members of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana are eligible to purchase these plates. If you wish for example to purchase a Ducks Unlimited tag.. you must be a member of that organization, or.. if you wish to purchase a Louisiana Educator's tag you must be a Louisiana teacher.. and so on. ...

When applying for a GLoLA License plate one must or is required to provide a copy of a current GLoLA Dues Card. These plates are not available to anyone but the members of our Grand Lodge as with every other group that has special plates or tags in Louisiana.

It seems to me that the state of Arkansas should have set it up so that only members of the PH GL of Arkansas should be eligible to purchase said plates or tags. That would have prevented this controversy.

 

[TexMass]

The AR plate that was shown online only had a S&C on it and no mention of any GL. So the plate was universal only the proceeds were different.

 

[TexMass]

A clip from Chris Hoddap's blog.

Brother Fred Milliken, who is a member of a Prince Hall lodge in Texas, passed the following message along:


Having just returned from the 138th Grand Session of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arkansas I can testify to the fact that the Masonic license plate is an official license plate issued by the state of Arkansas, what some of us in other states would call a "vanity plate." It is not a decorative plate for the front of the vehicle but would be a purchaser's official vehicle license plate. It is also a generic plate neither geared toward Mainstream or PHA. The fact that Prince Hall initiated this program and got it approved by the state of Arkansas and thus a portion of the sale of every license plate goes to the Prince Hall Grand Lodge seems to have Arkansas Mainstream Masons' knickers in a twist.


According to Janet Beck at the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, the specialty fees for the plates go to the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge Community Outreach Inc. in Pine Bluff, which grants scholarships to Arkansas high school seniors

 

[Bryan]

Exactly my point. I think in all fairness they should not have made it generic.. but rather let each masonic group have their own.. like we do here in Louisiana.

 

[TexMass]

I guess if it works for you in LA. They're just mad because they didn't think of it first. it's rediculous and embarrassing.

 

[Bryan]

I don't understand why they don't request their own plates.. Whatever the motives for the actions of the GL of Arkansas are.. i don't know.. but it certainly seems like it could have been handled better. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about but based strictly on what I've read it seems like a Knee Jerk reaction on the part of the GL of Arkansas to something that really wasn't that big of a deal.

I applaud the PH GL for taking the initiative to get a masonic license plate created. We have been working on the one in Louisiana for sometime now and it does take a lot of time and paperwork to get it done.