Greetings,
Due to so many recent questions by readers of this blog regarding my recent attempts
to affiliate with a lodge, I AM providing a detailed play-by-play on 2013
petitions to affiliate and their status… just for kicks and giggles, since the
question has been have I really tried to find a lodge to affiliate with?
YES, I have tried continuously and will lists my recent attempts.
YES, I have tried continuously and will lists my recent attempts.
2013 Lodge Affiliation attempts
March 2013
MWPHGL of South Carolina – petition VOIDED, I was told I could NOT affiliate with this Grand Lodge by then Grand Master Curtis Mansel, who was replaced by DGM Lewis Nelson by vote at their Grand Lodge proceeding held in December 2013.
[I will remind readers that I chose to attempt to return my membership to Prince Hall Grand Lodge after repeated attempts by mainstream GL's to box me out from affiliating with one of their GL's despite my being a mainstream member.
I had even previously attempted to return my mainstream membership to Texas (which issued me a demit in May 2005) and to North Carolina (which issued me a demit in September 2005) for purposes of affiliating with a West Virginia lodge]
September 2013
Grand Lodge of West Virginia – demit, letter of good standing & petition to affiliate submitted to Wheeling Lodge #5 in Wheeling, West Virginia.
[I later found out that the petition never even was delivered to the lodge secretary, who was expecting the petition & accompanying paperwork to be hand delivered by a member of that lodge I was acquainted with]
September 2013
Grand Lodge of West Virginia – demit, letter of good standing & petition to affiliate submitted to Weirton Lodge #171 in Weirton, West Virginia. Petition REJECTED October 2013.
October 2013
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania – Demit approved by Grand Lodge of PA, petition for affiliation submitted to Richard Vaux Lodge #454 in Burgettstown, PA. Petition has been read to my understanding but no further action as of yet on it.
[No investigating committee appointed yet as of this date Jan. 11, 2014 with explanation given by lodge secretary that there are NOT enough members to appoint a committee… SMH. I was informed that the WM of this lodge was to contact me, which hasn't happened yet either... really???]
October 2013
United Grand Lodge of England – Demit approved, letter of good standing issued by GL of North Carolina, petition for affiliation submitted to Internet Lodge of Research #9659. Vote is pending; vote will be taken in March 2014 at next stated communication of lodge.
This post was to simply show that reasonable efforts and
attempts have been made by me to stay in accordance with Masonic Regulations
regarding lodge affiliation as stated in Mackey’s Jurisprudence of Freemasonry
due to such a wide variation of rules with Grand Lodges in the United States
regarding affiliation requirements.
So there you have it straight from the horses mouth, or horses ass depending on which end of the horse you are viewing this writing from.
Once again, I always look toward positive outcomes for negative behavior.
Fraternally,
Raymond Sean Walters a/k/a Renaissance Man
Twice Raised Freemason
So there you have it straight from the horses mouth, or horses ass depending on which end of the horse you are viewing this writing from.
Once again, I always look toward positive outcomes for negative behavior.
Fraternally,
Raymond Sean Walters a/k/a Renaissance Man
Twice Raised Freemason
2 comments:
I AM not certain that I truly understand what you are trying to say; just as you are most likely not familiar with my entire situation that I AM commenting about in my blog posts.
Perhaps you didn't notice the dates on the blog posts, and the dates I wrote the actions took place... the situation with Grand Lodge of West Virginia goes back to 2005, and involves myself, a Past Grand Master named Frank Haas, and numerous other brothers that were members of the aforementioned Grand Lodge.
Additionally, my posts are NOT specifically geared toward Prince Hall Affiliated Grand Lodges as I AM not a member of Prince Hall, but more specifically American mainstream Grand Lodges (of which I AM a member) and their inability or unwillingness to actually live by Masonic Regulations (specifically the one's that govern their specific Grand Lodge. In the court matter with Frank Haas in 2007, the court ruled that Grand Lodge of West Virginia did not follow its own rules regarding members rights according to that GL's own rules.
As for baiting language, I AM the horses mouth or horses ass that I spoke of... depending on which end of the horse you feel the comment comes from.
Though I sense you do mean well with your comments, in fairness, you are not aware that every proper & legitimate step was taken to resolve these matters through appropriate channels and allow Freemasonry's rules to set things in proper order, according to the regulations of this fraternity we belong to.
Also, I was NOT a stranger to any of the lodges I sought to affiliate with as I AM originally from the area I now reside in, but was gone for 20+ years in military service.
I grew as a person & changed considerably, yet the area remains in 1862 despite the fact we are in the 21st century. As for frustration, I belong to an organization that I AM now told can hinder me from affiliating, the same organization that at one point told me I was NOT worthy to become a member because of my racial/ ethnic background alone, something I have never read in any Masonic rules, regulations, constitution or code...
I understand that lodges choose who can affiliate, but when un-masonic reasons are given that simply isn't just, and I as a MAN & a FREEMASON have a duty to speak out against any injustice, whether it be against me or another.
I carry a large responsibility as the first man of color to break down American mainstream Freemasonry's internal racism, that is still prevalent despite these advanced times we find ourselves in today.
In closing I will thank you for your words, and ask you to please read any of my posts and take the words in as I choose them carefully when typing them for others to read, and do my best to explain things in the most simple terms as not to confuse people reading the posts with legalese or terms they may find confusing.
I have realized that it may be proper for me to clarify some things:
1) Raymond Sean Walters family has lived in West Virginia since 1858, and were free persons of color... so that blows an age old argument that has been used against many persons of color in the United States who are mostly descendants of former slaves in becoming Freemasons.
2) Many mainstream members acknowledge that there are issues with leadership and these discriminatory policies still in place "un-officially", yet collectively these individuals are seemingly powerless to correct a wrong situation and make it right.
3) There are quite a few mainstream individuals here in West Virginia that come to Raymond regularly for assistance in studying while he is being prevented from attending meetings. I have difficulty in understanding how this can be allowed to happen, but I am an outsider.
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