Scottish Rite SJM recognizes PHA Scottish Rite

[chrmc]

Saw below on Phoenixmasonry's facebook page, and just double checked with the video feed from the biannual session and it seems to be legit.
Thought it'd be of interest to brethren in here.


Exciting news today from Washington D.C.! The Supreme Council, 33º, of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, and Mother Supreme Council of the World, in session this week, announced that it is formally recognizing the Prince Hall Scottish Rite Supreme Council. Further, the Sovereign Grand Commander for the Northern Jurisdiction said that if the Southern Jurisdiction recognizes the Prince Hall Supreme Council, they would do it also.

Federal Lodge has long been on the forefront of working for mutual recognition and fraternal relations between mainstream Masonry and Prince Hall Masonry. In 1980, Federal Lodge hosted the meeting where the Grand Master of D.C. and the Prince Hall Grand Master of D.C. signed a concordat of mutual recognition.

Prince Hall Masonry is, in essence, a "separate but equal" organization of Freemasons in the United States who are of African ancestry that dates back to the post-Revolutionary War era. Today, almost all mainstream U.S. grand lodges recognize the validity of Prince Hall grand lodges, and there is free visitation and fraternal relations back and forth between the systems, without the unfortunate prejudice and segregation of yesteryear.

 

[Blake Bowden]

That's awesome!

 

[bupton52]

What does this mean for Texas?


S&F
Bro. Byron Upton

 

[BryanMaloney]

Unlike York Rite, Texas does not have its own independent Scottish Rite governing body. The decisions of the Southern Jurisdiction are binding on SR for Texas SR. I think it's wonderful because it also undercuts the bogus "Scottish Rite" organizations.

 

[crono782]

Although am I not still bound by the GLoTX laws? I may be allowed under SR, but I'd be breaking blue lodge rules in tx, ya?


Freemason Connect HD

 

[jwhoff]

What does your law book from your grand jurisdiction say? In Texas I am obliged to follow The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas and that of the jurisdiction I am located in at any given time. Therefore, whether I am in New York, Florida, or Texas I am obliged to adhere to the laws of The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas in addition to "any further" laws of the jurisdiction in which I reside. In no way am I relieved of the Texas laws. Or so I read my obligations.

 

[dfreybur]

Exciting news today from Washington D.C.! The Supreme Council, 33º, of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, and Mother Supreme Council of the World, in session this week, announced that it is formally recognizing the Prince Hall Scottish Rite Supreme Council.

This is excellent news as it puts pressure on the hold-out states to recognize.

Further, the Sovereign Grand Commander for the Northern Jurisdiction said that if the Southern Jurisdiction recognizes the Prince Hall Supreme Council, they would do it also.

I find this part puzzling. I have visited a reunion in Chicago (NJ) that had a degree team from SJ perform a degree (one of the mandatory ones so I'd seen it in my mother valley). The same reunion had a PHA degree team perform a degree. At the blue lodge level Illinois has exchanged full recognition with PHA for years but if the same was not true at the AASR level that should not have happened. The degree teams for each of the visiting degrees were in the front row to witness the other degree team's work.

I take it PHA SR is also divided into NJ and SJ and what just happened is PHA SJ just got recognized all around with PHA NJ having been recognized at least by NJ long ago?

What does this mean for Texas?

Exactly. An SR meeting is not quite the same as a tiled blue lodge meeting but it is within the jurisdiction so authority overlaps. I'd want a decision by both GMs following by a ruling voted on by both GLs. I think right now the combination would be - AASR-SJ says okay, GLofTX says no, most restrictive applies. Answer is no. At least it's added pressure on both GLs to vote to add visitation to the agreements. (A couple of months before I can say my GL as the dual affiliation paperwork winds its why lodge-GL-GL-lodge).

As usual if you're visiting an SR meeting in a state with visitation you have no need to leave if a PHA SR Mason attends. I have no idea if the no-visit rule in Texas means you can't present yourself at a PHA (or vice versa) SR meeting in another state. Probably.

 

[BryanMaloney]

Given the popularity of SR, it could put additional pressure on the GLoTX. Insist that, in Texas PHASR aren't really SR but in other states they are? What next, 3 = 4?

 

[AF&AM]

You might want to check on that interpretation. You are obliged to obey the laws of the jurisdiction you are IN, not where you are FROM.

SC Masons could sit in tyled meeting with PHA Masons in Oklahoma.

I was in DC for the session and the event was well rec'd. The SR is always one step ahead.

 

[BryanMaloney]

You might want to check on that interpretation. You are obliged to obey the laws of the jurisdiction you are IN, not where you are FROM.

SC Masons could sit in tyled meeting with PHA Masons in Oklahoma.

If they did, and news of that got back to GLoSC, there would be absolutely no possibility of repercussions?

 

[dfreybur]

If they did, and news of that got back to GLoSC, there would be absolutely no possibility of repercussions?

That depends on the rules of your jurisdiction. Many jurisdictions have an "act like the locals" rule when visiting. Other jurisdictions don't. If the username "OKGRSEC" means the brother is current or past Grand Secretary of Oklahoma he's an expert on Oklahoma Masonic code. It doesn't mean he's an expert on South Carolina code, though.

 

[Bro. Stewart P.M.]

You might want to check on that interpretation. You are obliged to obey the laws of the jurisdiction you are IN, not where you are FROM.

SC Masons could sit in tyled meeting with PHA Masons in Oklahoma.

I was in DC for the session and the event was well rec'd. The SR is always one step ahead.

This is not correct for all jurisdictions.

 

[hidonmesahj]

A little off topic...but, would I be able to petition a lodge of my choosing? In other words, I live in nj but there is a lodge in Manhattan that kind of intrigues me. Could I just travel to n.y. to "travel" my degrees?

Sent from my HTC One SV using Freemason Connect HD mobile app

 

[dfreybur]

A little off topic...but, would I be able to petition a lodge of my choosing? In other words, I live in nj but there is a lodge in Manhattan that kind of intrigues me. Could I just travel to n.y. to "travel" my degrees?

That question needs to be answered from the rules of the two jurisdictions. Generally there is a traditional limit on how far a lodge's territory extends. Farther than that (often 50 miles) and in theory you need written permission from the lodge closest to you to petition a lodge farther away. Grand lodges can easily have different territorial rules, though. For some it ends at the state border and it doesn't matter if your back fence is the state border you need to file paperwork. For others it's the radius around the specific lodge that matters. I suggest you'd be able to do it but there is likely to be extra paperwork and several extra months of delay.

Making sure you understand how visitation and affiliation work - Once you are a Master Mason you'd be able to attend that foreign lodge without issue. And likely be able to affiliate and become a member. Affiliation across state lines takes extra paperwork and delay - I am currently in the process of affiliating in Texas based on my previous California and Illinois membership.

 

[jwhoff]

That depends on the rules of your jurisdiction. Many jurisdictions have an "act like the locals" rule when visiting. Other jurisdictions don't. If the username "OKGRSEC" means the brother is current or past Grand Secretary of Oklahoma he's an expert on Oklahoma Masonic code. It doesn't mean he's an expert on South Carolina code, though.[/QUOTE

Back when I was a single man I went under the creed "

When in Rome ... Roam!"

But I guess that, too, is off the topic.:40:

 

[Bill Lins]

:facepalm: :wink:

 

[Bro. Kenneth Brown]

Great!

Bro. Brown
St. Paul Lodge #8
Sumter, SC

 

[Warrior1256]

Exciting news today from Washington D.C.! The Supreme Council, 33º, of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, and Mother Supreme Council of the World, in session this week, announced that it is formally recognizing the Prince Hall Scottish Rite Supreme Council. Further, the Sovereign Grand Commander for the Northern Jurisdiction said that if the Southern Jurisdiction recognizes the Prince Hall Supreme Council, they would do it also.

Excellent!!!!