Re: A Masonic "Bill of Rights". Is it needed? Is i
Drafting a "model" bill of rights, would not be a difficult task. Just go back about 5-10 years, and examine all of the abuses and usurpations which grand Lodges and Grand Masters have perpetrated.
Getting such a bill of rights adopted, would be another matter. Only if masons who are convinced that a problem exist would ever want to work towards a solution. (If it ain't broke, don't fix it mentality).
The only way a Bill of Rights would ever get adopted, is to draft a "model" bill of rights, and then submit it to every Grand Lodge. Then the membership of the various grand lodges, could "tweak" the model to their own needs.
In 1215, King John of England was abusing the power his office. The "magna carta", was drafted, and various rights of Englishmen were set down. King John did not want to sign the document, but after persuasion he did. The story is, that after signing, he fell down on the floor, and chewed straw, because he was so angry. But the magna carta, established and codified rights, that we now take for granted, such as the right to post bail to guarantee a court appearance, and the right of "habeas corpus", which ended the King's power to imprison political opponents.
It will take a great deal of courage, and convincing to get any Grand Lodge to recognize and codify the basic rights of Masons. I believe sincerely, that most Grand Masters and Grand officers, are men of integrity, who donate many thousands of man-hours to our craft, and are serving Masonry well and faithfully. Sadly, there are grand officers who are "control freaks", and are blatantly violating their own by-laws and constitutions, by performing such actions as expelling Masons on a whim, shutting down clubs without authority, performing "kangaroo courts", declaring organizations "non-Masonic" without justification, and on and on.
The time has come for Masons, to demand that their leadership exercise power on behalf of the membership, and to be held to a high standard.
"It does not take a majority to effect change, but an irate and tireless minority, keen to light brushfires in people's minds" - Samuel Adams, patriot and revolutionary (not a mason).