Can a woman be a Freemason?

[Tony Uzzell]

I've found in the PHA side of the house that there are sometimes open sessions where any female fitting the basic requirements minus a relative my be initiated into OES... I know for a fact it has occured in FL but I would check with your local lodge to be sure before petitioning

I've often wondered if opening OES up to any woman who believed in a Supreme Being, was of strong moral character, etc. (you know, the things we ask of a man to become a Mason), whether they had a Masonic relationship or Rainbow/Job's Daughters membership or not, would be beneficial to the membership of OES.

I also have a "selfish reason" for that idea (from a Masonic viewpoint): if a woman who's not married to a Mason joins OES, it might cause her husband to wonder about the meetings she attends or make him want to go also, so he might become a Mason to be eligible for OES membership. I've seen this happen when a woman joins OES due to her father or brother being a Mason, then her husband becomes a Mason.

Perhaps, something along the "open sessions" you mention happening in PHA in FL would be one way to make this happen.

TU

 

[Warrior1256]

As long as you are related to or have heavy ties to a master mason in good standing with his lodge. Otherwise you cant join OES. At least in FL.

Same in Kentucky from what I understand.

 

[ARizo1011]

As long as you are related to or have heavy ties to a master mason in good standing with his lodge. Otherwise you cant join OES. At least in FL.

So my spouse can become an Eastern star?

 

[crono782]

So my spouse can become an Eastern star?

Yepper.

 

[ARizo1011]

Yepper.

Cool. Great to know. I thought you have to be married.

 

[Brother JC]

Umm, the word "spouse" implies that you ARE married.
Your best bet is to check with the local OES Chapter. Rules vary by jurisdiction.

 

[louise evans]

I'm not a freemason, however am looking into becoming one, the grand lodge in the UK excepts men and women

http://www.grandlodge.org.uk/

Anyone know about this??

 

[Brother JC]

I'm not a freemason, however am looking into becoming one, the grand lodge in the UK excepts men and women

http://www.grandlodge.org.uk/

Anyone know about this??

It is considered clandestine by all regular Masons.

 

[Roy_]

It is considered clandestine by all regular Masons.

Naturally, but there is also clandistine male Masonry.

I see that this Grandlodge is one of the spin-offs of Le Droit Humain, the first mixed Masonic organisation. LDH also exists in the UK. It could be interesting to compare the two (and possible other) organisations to see which fits your needs best. LDH works with three rites. The most-used is based on the Scotish rite. It is the most 'traditional' one. There is the so-called English rite, which is very Theosophistic (with burning incence and what not). Lastly there is the French rite or 'rite moderne' which is an atheistic rite. I can't immediately find what rite the Grandlodge uses, but the higher degrees are not Scotisch like in LDH, so perhaps it is 'all English'.

 

[dfreybur]

http://www.ugle.org.uk/ Is the web page for the United Grand Lodge of England.

There are Comason lodges in the US. At least in LA, Chicago, NYC.

 

[Mike Martin]

I'm not a freemason, however am looking into becoming one, the grand lodge in the UK excepts men and women

http://www.grandlodge.org.uk/

Anyone know about this??

Yes the Grand Lodge for Men and Women was founded by Co-Masons (in 2005) who no longer wished to be part of the British Federation of Le Droit Humain (a French Organisation) , the same thing happened in several other countries at the same time. They have set up a separate and distinct Order which operates in a very similar way to the United Grand Lodge of England and which now has self-determination as it does not have to pay obedience to Paris.

 

[Roy_]

Ah, that recent. Le Droit Humain has a bit of a troubled past. In 2004 the order existed 100 years in my country and I'm currently reading two books that were published to celebrate that. It was founded as an atheistic Masonic organisation, but nobody wanted to join. Then the Theosophical cavallery came in which helped a lot, but there was a new problem: the order became too Theosophical and lodges started to break off. Many Theosophical elements have been deleted, but in the end there remained three possible rites for lodges, one based on the Scotish (the most used), an "English" (Theosophical) rite and an atheistic French rite. Another continuing breaking point is the hierarchy in the organisation that keep lodges feel the need to start their own organisation.
Things became more quiet in recent decades, but lodges keep splitting off indeed. Then again, the same thing happens within male Masonry. LDH does remain the largest mixed order.

 

[coachn]

Can a woman be a Freemason?

Yes, but only within Freemasonic Orders that admit them. These Female Centric Orders are considered Regular unto themselves but are considered both Irregular and Clandestine to Male Centric Orders and hence these Female Centric Orders are not Recognized by the Male Centric Orders in any way, although some Recognized Male Centric Orders do acknowledge that some of the FC Orders are Regular in their practice in every way, except for the practice of admitting females.

 

[louise evans]

Yes, I've also found the order of women's freemasons, that looks like a good one for me maybe you should check it out, I'm based in uk so the UK site is http://owf.org.uk

But you can checkout the order of women's freemason in your area its only for women who are freemasons.

I've put my name forward myself...

 

[ARizo1011]

In US any order of women is still considered clandestine.

 

[coachn]

In US any order of women is still considered clandestine.

Yes, but only by Male Centric Orders.

Keep in mind that the labels "Clandestine" and "Irregular" are relative only to Orders using it in relation to how they judge other Orders. The Orders so judged do not consider themselves that way.

For you statement to be more accurate, it would have to be written:

To US Male Centric Mainstream Orders (and Recognized PHA orders), any order of women is still considered clandestine.​

 

[ARizo1011]

Yes, but only by Male Centric Orders.

Keep in mind that the labels "Clandestine" and "Irregular" are relative only to Orders using it in relation to how they judge other Orders. The Orders so judged do not consider themselves that way.

For you statement to be more accurate, it would have to be written:

To US Male Centric Mainstream Orders (and Recognized PHA orders), any order of women is still considered clandestine.​

Thank you for correcting me brother.

 

[Roy_]

In US any order of women is still considered clandestine.

This is a bit of a mantra here! But for your information, however in some countries in Europe mixed and male Freemasonry are on good terms, very good even at times, mixed and female Freemasonry are also here never regular and there is no country where official visitations take place between regular and mixed lodges. Yet, there is more to choose than an UGLE-oriented lodge. In fact, in some countries there are more irregular Masons than regular.

 

[ARizo1011]

This is a bit of a mantra here! But for your information, however in some countries in Europe mixed and male Freemasonry are on good terms, very good even at times, mixed and female Freemasonry are also here never regular and there is no country where official visitations take place between regular and mixed lodges. Yet, there is more to choose than an UGLE-oriented lodge. In fact, in some countries there are more irregular Masons than regular.

I understand that's how it goes in elsewhere . But in my jurisdiction no female will pass brother tiler to enter lodge when open...

 

[ARizo1011]

Also I know there are a lot of clandestine mason. In Miami there are more lodges in my district irregular than regular.