With the world at our fingertips, Freemasonry is not immune to men in all walks of the world parading as recognized Masons. CAUTION brothers, that just because a man on social media uses a few words that spark your masonic interest, it does not mean he is a regular Mason. Each year at the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, the Committee on Recognition (organized in 1951) hear from many "Grand Lodges" around the world who want to be recognized as Regular. There are a few things that are important to remember when determining if these men are true and regular. 1. Can the Grand Lodge trace its roots back to the United Grand Lodge of England (Legitimacy of origin)? 2. Do they hold high the ancient Landmarks of Freemasonry, a belief in God, the Volume of the Sacred Law, and a prohibition of discussion of Politics and religion? 3. Do they have exclusive territorial jurisdiction or a treaty of mutual consent ? If any of these three items cannot be met, then recognition is not afforded, and the men who are trying to form are considered clandestine. Not worthy of our conversations as masons.
There is a book published, called the List of Lodges, by Pantagraph publishing out of Illinois that holds all of the Lodges and Grand Lodges that are Regular.
I bring this up for an number of reasons. One for instance is the explosion of our youth groups across the globe. Lets say Brazil for instance. A young woman claims masonic affiliation for her entrance into Job's Daughters, do we just take that lineage as legitimate? Here is whats going on in Brazil:
Historically, there have been two
recognized systems of Masonry in Brazil. One system consists of the Grand
Orient of Brazil, and the other system consists of the individual state Grand
Lodges in Brazil. However, there is a new third system operating in Brazil
consisting of independent state Grand Orients. They are not recognized by the
Grand Orient of Brazil or by the individual state Grand Lodges in Brazil. At
this time, the recognition Commission has no evidence that the independent state Grand Orients meet the standards for recognition.
To sum all of this up, just because a man says he is a Mason, he may not be a Mason of a recognized Lodge of a recognized Grand Lodge, and therefore would be clandestine, and it would be unmasonic conduct to converse about masonry with these men, even on social media.
Just friendly counsel in a brother's ear, that you may avoid possible embarrassment by being overzealous in welcoming a man as a brother over the internet........
