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Brother Bowdens History Email

jhale1158

Registered User
As I read the email sent by Brother Bowden I filled with pride by the ideas and process in which it took to make this forum possible. I am proud that I have a place to correlate with my Prince Hall brothers, and hate the fact that some people are still prejudice these days. They can cook your food, serve you at a restaurant, work alongside you, and serve our country overseas and risk their lives for you, but an African American Brother can't sit in lodge with you, or share Freemasonry with you? We at my lodge are praying for the day that we can open our doors to the Prince Hall, and let them join us as brothers as they should be allowed to do.

Thank You Brother Bowden for putting yourself out there and fighting for a just cause, and I commend you for succeeding. If you don't like what I have posted here, let me know so I know who my true, loving, kind hearted Freemason Brothers are. :D
 

Ratchet

Registered User
Thank you Bro. Blake for your efforts to have a forum where masons & non-masons can meet on the level and part on the square.
Also for you & the others involved in getting the recognition for our Prince Hall brethren.
 

widows son

Premium Member
We really don't have this issue up here in Ontario, but all Canadian masons are aware of the issues that PHA Masons are having. Quite a shame that this is continuing to happen. I think brother Bowden is a very courageous man for doing what he is, and I know there are others on this forum to that are also helping this cause out, and that deserves the upmost respect. I think it's safe to say that all Masons love being masons, attending lodge, participating in the work, charities etc, PHA or not. But to stand up and fighting for what's right, knowing that your membership might be on the line, shows to me what a true Freemason is. Titles, jewels, aprons, don't make a man a mason. Even though we are in different countries, we share the same issues, and Canada gives you it's full support. So to all the brethren who are fighting for progress, especially brother Bowden, keep it up, and don't compromise your beliefs. May the spirit of the GAOTU be with you all, brothers.

Jhale, you also forgot to mention, along side of all the things that we are ok with African Americans doing, you can also vote an African American in as your President!
 
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owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
.... where masons & non-masons can meet on the level and part on the square.

I think this is a great thing to note. I remember this site when there were about 10 members and we tried to give this site to the GLoTX only to have them reject us time and time again. Then we saw a huge opportunity to make this open to everyone and not just members of the GLoTX. Brother Blake does not "own" the site is "owned" a non-mason. It is a place where people can come together and discuss anything and everything in a professional manner, without prejudices about the color of your skin, the religion you practice, or even the title you hold. Politics are not applied because we can all use fake names and titles unless you want to disclose this with us. If a Grand Master is on here we may not know it because we all truly can meet on the level. To me this is the heart of what we teach in Lodge but this medium will allow us to apply it without thinking about it. Also by doing so this allows the forum staff to have freedoms from censors or pressure from outside influences to delete posts that some may deem damaging to any affiliation as long as evidence of such is given. Under the GLoTX law this site does not meet the criteria to be sanctioned by any one body giving us more freedom than most other sites because it is “owned” by a non-mason and we don’t require a Masonic affiliation like some forums do.

For years MasonsofTexas.com has become the place for Masonic News in the state of Texas and now abroad. We were the first to give up to the minute updates on annual communication happenings, we were the first to break that visitation had been requested by the MWPHGLoTX a couple of years back, and we were (and as far as I know still) the only place to get a copy of the MWPHGLoTX/GLoTX Compact. As staff I have inbox messages after inbox messages about changes that have been made in members Lodges because of this site and members lives that have changed because someone witnessed some of the things Brother Blake mentioned in his email. Each year there are proposed resolutions that got a start as a discussion on this forum since we started this forum several years back and that has been because of each one of you that participate. I want to personally thank Brother Blake for the tools he has given us but much like the tools given to the Masons in each degree, they mean nothing unless we use them. This site is what it is because each of you choose to start posts and reply to the same. Online forums are only successful because you make them successful.

I challenge each member of this site that agrees with Brother Blake don't just say thanks but do something about it. Call your Grand Lodge and voice your opinion. If you don't like something that is happening then call and say so. They are politicians like our congress members. Elected each and every year by the Grand West. Ask questions and research the answers because the answer you may get may not be correct. Stop sitting there waiting for change, you be the change. I have and for almost 2 years I have been fighting to keep my dues card. Some of my friends have left the lodge but they can't stop us from being Masons. Just because I don't have a dues card doesn't mean I still can't be a good person, a good father, or a good husband. The time for action is now and it is time the silent minority become a vocal majority but that takes each and every member that "agrees" with Brother Blake to make a 5 minute phone call and say you don't agree with some of the stuff you have witnessed and you want change.

I would like to offer a hand to those that don’t know how to proceed. Feel free to private message myself or another staff member your story of how this site has helped you or your Lodge. Also for those that are fearful to be vocal but have witnessed un-Masonic behavior in Lodge email a staff member your story. Maybe your new and just don’t know how to handle a certain situation or you are no longer attending lodge because of an incident you witnessed. This helps fuel our cause to fix the problems that are being swept under the rug. It is time our elected officials, no matter where, are held to the standards we hold ourselves to.
 
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Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
Too kind Brethren, but thank YOU for participating on the site. Without members, this site would be nothing. :)
 

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
Real change starts in the Grand South, and the forward from there, I think?

What the candidates and future Grand Junior Wardens have said to me, and what they've ultimately done, have been two different things. Just because they oppose racism within the Lodge and/or support visitation with our Prince Hall Brethren, doesn't mean they'll do anything about it. I have hope though. We'll see if the current line and/or a future GJW will take initiative on those subjects and others.

Freemason Connect Premium App
 
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Brent Heilman

Premium Member
As I read the email sent by Brother Bowden I filled with pride by the ideas and process in which it took to make this forum possible. I am proud that I have a place to correlate with my Prince Hall brothers, and hate the fact that some people are still prejudice these days. They can cook your food, serve you at a restaurant, work alongside you, and serve our country overseas and risk their lives for you, but an African American Brother can't sit in lodge with you, or share Freemasonry with you? We at my lodge are praying for the day that we can open our doors to the Prince Hall, and let them join us as brothers as they should be allowed to do.

Thank You Brother Bowden for putting yourself out there and fighting for a just cause, and I commend you for succeeding. If you don't like what I have posted here, let me know so I know who my true, loving, kind hearted Freemason Brothers are. :D


Well said Brother. As a side note though I would add that it is possible in Oklahoma to visit a PHA Lodge and vice versa. This is one area Oklahoma is ahead of Texas!
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
Well, in that area I am not particularly fond of some of the Texas beer either. Not a big domestic fan and prefer Guinness over most. There are a few micro brews from around the country that aren't bad, but I still stick to my Scots/Irish roots.
 

towerbuilder7

Moderator
Premium Member
BROTHERS, I have stated this in a previous post-----the responsibility for progress and change shouldn't fall on the Grand Lines of the two Grand Bodies-----It should fall on the VOTES of the Brethren of the individual Lodges that are members of the two Grand Bodies. A competent check on behavior of elected officials is THE VOTE.........Bro Bowden has definitely earned his Kudos for bringing this issue to the forefront, but it will be up to the individual members of the Lodges to put pressure on their Pillars in each Lodge to create progress.........

My mindset is simple-----I would like and enjoy the opportunity to visit and fellowship with my mainstream Brethren WHERE I WOULD BE WELCOMED. If there is a Man who does not want me in Lodge simply because my GOD ISSUED tan is a shade darker than his, then I wouldn't consider HIM to be a BROTHER MASON anyway. One Brotherhood, One Planet, One GAOTU........Prejudice has NO MORE place in Lodge than Religious or Political Discussion. One who considers this Craft HIS, and not "worthy of sharing", hasn't really gotten any TRUE LIGHT out of the teachings anyway.......Masons should be Men who are FREETHINKERS, who are always a cut above the average Man in society because of the PRIVILEGE EXTENDED TO HIM BY HIS MEMBERSHIP. We should be helping to redefine folkways and mores in society by our EXAMPLE, not reinforcing the negative conduct adhered to by a narrow minded few................

JUST MY 2 CENTS....................I fully support Blake, and will do what I can to make my own voice heard..............this Forum is groundbreaking, in the sense that it has fostered fellowship in a "Virtual Lodge" of sorts, where conversation and familiarity didn't ever occur a few years ago in this manner among Brethren of the two Grand Bodies. It will be up to the progressive thinkers on this site, to foster a new way of thinking, so that we can actually catch up to the 21st Century, instead of continuing to reside in a region where "separate but equal" as far as Masonry is concerned is STILL the "order of the day". The two Grand Bodies can still coexist, but intervisitation will strengthen the level of learning and fellowship among the Brethren WHO WISH TO DO SO..........This is MASONRY, Brothers, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FRATERNAL ORDER MAN HAS EVER KNOWN, and we can no longer adhere to "the order of the day", if that order is encompassed by CHAOS.................

FAITHFUL FOR ETERNITY,

BRO. VINCENT C. JONES, SR., LODGE CHAPLAIN, BAYOU CITY LODGE #228
PRINCE HALL AFFILIATION, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONRY, HOUSTON, TEXAS
MOST WORSHIPFUL PRINCE HALL GRAND LODGE OF TEXAS
 
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