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Visiting With Prince Hall

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
Next month I would like to invite a Prince Hall Brother to attend Lodge with me. I've been told inter-visitation is accepted, until I saw the requirements. Really? Forms, approval, etc? It's more of visitation with heavy restrictions.

To the MW Grand Lodge of Texas and the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas, drop the suffocating requirements. Seriously.
 

Benjamin Baxter

Moderator
Premium Member
I was confused by a few of the resolutions that were presented at the annual communication. They appeared to help inter-visitation, and the grand master and past grand masters kept getting up and stating that prince hall is regular and recognized. They didn't get into the details. I was wanting to get a new book of constituent lodges so I could look and see if any prince hall lodges are listed. We are not seeing any great stride towards inter-visitation in my area. The grand lodge needs to work harder to streamline it. If you make it too difficult, fewer will participate.



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Bro. David F. Hill

David F. Hill
Premium Member
The process seems long but it works. With this in place you can verify that the brother is what he says he is. Many times we meet a mason only to find out that he is inactive, suspended or actually a member of one of the many bogus lodges. This helps to verify that. Also, it gives the lodge a chance to say that the night may not be a good idea as something that is internal is being discussed. Remember that this is a one time process and after that the person can visit anytime they want. My wish is to see joint events and projects between the lodges.

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MRichard

Mark A. Ri'chard
Premium Member
Next month I would like to invite a Prince Hall Brother to attend Lodge with me. I've been told inter-visitation is accepted, until I saw the requirements. Really? Forms, approval, etc? It's more of visitation with heavy restrictions.

To the MW Grand Lodge of Texas and the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas, drop the suffocating requirements. Seriously.

That would be tough. You have to submit the paperwork to your grand secretary who then sends it to his counterpart who then sends it to the WM of the lodge.

I recently created a Facebook group Bridge Builders of Freemasonry (US) to bring brothers of both grand lodges together. Feel free to join. Link is in my profile also.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
Also, it gives the lodge a chance to say that the night may not be a good idea as something that is internal is being discussed.

One time visiting the PHA lodge that is a tenant in my mother lodge's building they said that.

I offered to replace the tiler so more of their own members could be inside participating in the members only private discussion.
 

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
new book of constituent lodges so I could look and see if any prince hall lodges are listed.

there wont be as the PHA lodges are not constituents of the GLoTX. the book you need to look in is called the book of Lodges Masonic(at least that is what it is called here in NM and in Oregon.) It is a book of all the GLs that you GL recognizes. they say "im from lodge XXX #YYY of the MWPHAGLoPA" and you look up that GL and yup we recognize them, then you check to make sure that that lodge is in fact a constituent lodge of that GL. Make sure they have a valid dues card and bada bing bada boom all that's left is the tylers oath to make sure he knows his stuff.

The process seems long but it works. With this in place you can verify that the brother is what he says he is. Many times we meet a mason only to find out that he is inactive, suspended or actually a member of one of the many bogus lodges. This helps to verify that. Also, it gives the lodge a chance to say that the night may not be a good idea as something that is internal is being discussed. \.

What about other jurisdictions? Im a member of OR and NM GLs, both have PHA recognition which means that we recognize all PHA GLs that have local recognition. we have no silly extra steps, just show up or at most give a courtesy email or call to the SEC that we are coming.

there is nothing that stops a brother from a different jurisdiction from just showing up at a Lodge of either GL in question.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
there wont be as the PHA lodges are not constituents of the GLoTX. the book you need to look in is called the book of Lodges Masonic(at least that is what it is called here in NM and in Oregon.) It is a book of all the GLs that you GL recognizes.
The book we use in Texas is titled "List of Lodges Masonic", published by Pantagraph Printing of Illinois.
 

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
Thank you for the responses. There was another post similar to this but I wanted to focus on Texas Masonry. While I'm thankful that we have a process for inter-visitation, I still think it stinks. It's more prohibitive than anything...probably by design. I just don't understand why we can't show our dues cards and call it a day. I think both Grand Lodges are more than capable of informing their subordinate lodges of what to look for in regards to legitimate dues cards. When I visit a Lodge, they do a quick interview, look at my ID and dues card and call it a day. Why can't it be that easy?
 

goomba

Neo-Antient
Site Benefactor
Thank you for the responses. There was another post similar to this but I wanted to focus on Texas Masonry. While I'm thankful that we have a process for inter-visitation, I still think it stinks. It's more prohibitive than anything...probably by design. I just don't understand why we can't show our dues cards and call it a day. I think both Grand Lodges are more than capable of informing their subordinate lodges of what to look for in regards to legitimate dues cards. When I visit a Lodge, they do a quick interview, look at my ID and dues card and call it a day. Why can't it be that easy?

I'm with you brother! Treat each other like any brother from another jurisdiction and let that be it. With smartphones finding out if a lodge is a real masonic lodge is getting easy.
 

BullDozer Harrell

Registered User
What's up with the informal network? A Brother that knows a Brother across jurisdictions who can vouch for membership. Verification is just a phone call away.

Android OS Nougat 7.0
 

bupton52

Moderator
Premium Member
Thank you for the responses. There was another post similar to this but I wanted to focus on Texas Masonry. While I'm thankful that we have a process for inter-visitation, I still think it stinks. It's more prohibitive than anything...probably by design. I just don't understand why we can't show our dues cards and call it a day. I think both Grand Lodges are more than capable of informing their subordinate lodges of what to look for in regards to legitimate dues cards. When I visit a Lodge, they do a quick interview, look at my ID and dues card and call it a day. Why can't it be that easy?

I believe that this paperwork has to be submitted for each and every lodge that you plan to attend. That first visit is most definitely going to have to be planned, but afterwards you can visit that particular lodge freely.


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Bro. David F. Hill

David F. Hill
Premium Member
What you have to remember is that this is Texas. A former republic and member of the confederacy. Even though the vote passed both Grand Lodges, there's people on both sides that hold on to old beliefs and prejudices. Remember that the local lodge has to vote on the request and at that time those feelings may surface from some member(s). This helps to keep the embarrassment of showing up at a meeting and being treated with less than brotherly love. To date most of the visits have been in major metropolitan areas where more people are willing to not dwell on the differences but the current political climate may aid or hinder further easing of the process depending on the deep seated beliefs of the minority of members that will silently or vocally show discontent. That's my personal 2 cents.
 

Bro. Stewart P.M.

Lead Moderator Emeritus
Staff Member
What you have to remember is that this is Texas. A former republic and member of the confederacy. Even though the vote passed both Grand Lodges, there's people on both sides that hold on to old beliefs and prejudices. Remember that the local lodge has to vote on the request and at that time those feelings may surface from some member(s). This helps to keep the embarrassment of showing up at a meeting and being treated with less than brotherly love. To date most of the visits have been in major metropolitan areas where more people are willing to not dwell on the differences but the current political climate may aid or hinder further easing of the process depending on the deep seated beliefs of the minority of members that will silently or vocally show discontent. That's my personal 2 cents.

This "old beliefs & prejudices" that you speak of is not exclusive to Texas. Should there ever be any doubt, just do a bit of traveling.

The key factor in much of this is more related to the physical "age" of the Lodge membership. This age is the primary reason that you are seeing more involved cross-visitation in the major metropolitan areas. The more of the younger Brethren who speak out against the "old guard" publicly, the faster we will put all of this behind us, and the more normal interaction will become. We can not allow the generations prior to silence the future of this great and honorable Fraternity of Men.

Trust me, it is very difficult to tell a Pearl Harbor Veteran to stop making bigoted jokes and comments, but it can be done.

Spoken by a true Son of both the Republic Texas & the Confederacy. My two cents.


Stewart M. Owings, P∴ M∴
Lead Moderator
 
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