# Great Priory of England Withdraws Recognition of the Grand Encampment of the USA



## Blake Bowden (Dec 2, 2012)

Great Priory of England Vote to Withdraw Recognition of the Grand Encampment of the USA

I was sent an e-mail with the below image showing of a letter from the Great Priory to Provincial Priors that on the 26th of November the Grand Master's Council voted to recommend at the 15 May 2013 Great Priory meeting that recognition be withdrawn from the Grand Encampment of the Knights Templar of the United States of America.

While reason is not stated in the letter, this most likely stems from the Grand Encampment of USA recognizing the Grand Priory of the Scottish Reformed and Rectified Rite of the U.S.A earlier this year.

As I wrote earlier, the Grand Priory of the Scottish Reformed and Rectified Rite is not permitted for Texas Masons, while the international developments continue...

S&F,
-Bro Vick
Masons of Texas - Writer


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## suomilander (Dec 3, 2012)

now what happens?


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## Brother JC (Dec 3, 2012)

We wait till 15 May and see if we can still knee side-by-side with our fellow Knights...


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## chrmc (Dec 3, 2012)

Hodapp has some more background info on his site in an older post http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2010/12/grand-priory-of-scottish-reformed.html


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## KSigMason (Dec 4, 2012)

Thanks for the update Blake.


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## Bro_Vick (Dec 4, 2012)

KSigMason said:


> Thanks for the update Blake.



Where's the love?    I am the one that sent it to him.

Seriously, the ripple of this may be worse than it appears on the surface.  Specifically to some of the invitational aspects of Christian Freemasonry.

S&F,
-Bro Vick


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## Brent Heilman (Dec 4, 2012)

Bro_Vick said:


> Where's the love?    I am the one that sent it to him.
> 
> Seriously, the ripple of this may be worse than it appears on the surface.  Specifically to some of the invitational aspects of Christian Freemasonry.
> 
> ...



That was the question I had. I am not a part of the York Rite yet, but will be eventually and I was curious to what extent that may affect me down the road when going into the Commandery.


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## bro jimmie (Dec 4, 2012)

*Question*

What do you know about Manly P.Hall?


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## bro jimmie (Dec 4, 2012)

*Manly p.m. hall*

Was he a Sinner Saint


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## CajunTinMan (Dec 4, 2012)

Thanks for posting


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## THurse (Dec 5, 2012)

We are all Brothers, but this is sad news.


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## CajunTinMan (Dec 5, 2012)

It is just being proposed at this time.  Hopfully it won't pass.


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## Bro_Vick (Dec 6, 2012)

CajunTinMan said:


> It is just being proposed at this time.  Hopfully it won't pass.



Given the tone and direction that intervisitation is to be cooled or denied completely, I believe it has a good chance of passing.

S&F,
-Bro Vick


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## CajunTinMan (Dec 10, 2012)

Why do you believe it will pass?


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## widows son (Dec 10, 2012)

What the hell is going on in freemasonry?!


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## kosei (Dec 10, 2012)

Bro_Vick said:


> Given the tone and direction that intervisitation is to be cooled or denied completely, I believe it has a good chance of passing.
> 
> S&F,
> -Bro Vick



I hope it doesn't


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## widows son (Dec 11, 2012)

So what's the difference between the GP of Scotland and the grand encampment? Is it an irregular body?


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## Brother JC (Dec 11, 2012)

It's not the Great Priory of Scotland that is the issue, it's the Grand Priory of the Scottish Reformed and Rectified Rite. Completely different animals.

The Grand Encampment recently recognized said Rite, and the Great Priory of England does not.


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## widows son (Dec 12, 2012)

Gotcha


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## suomilander (Dec 13, 2012)

the letter indicates that the "die has been cast" and May 15th is just the formal execution of the decision.
the letter states that priory members are to avoid meetings involving the Grand Encampment ...pretty clear they don't like the R&R.
Grand Encampment will stick its head in the sand and refuse to withdraw its ill-advise recognition of R&R.
Does the R&R advocate that they can confer all the degrees of Freemasonry? If true I know of no GL that would allow that. 
If untrue then the R&R better hire a better PR company.


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## Bro_Vick (Dec 14, 2012)

suomilander said:


> Does the R&R advocate that they can confer all the degrees of Freemasonry? If true I know of no GL that would allow that.
> If untrue then the R&R better hire a better PR company.



They do in their native country, Switzerland, where to be a Mason a man must be a Christian to join the order of Freemasonry.  Their number system is 1-7, and is off of the CBCS Martinist ritual.

The issues comes down to two competing groups of CBCS in America, the first and oldest was established in the 1930s and was agreed that men who are given permission (or so I believe, I will have to check) can go to Europe and receive the degrees, but cannot start a priory in the US to stop any potential competition with the KT.  This is a very elite group of Masons (about 45 across the country), and meet for dinner once a year at Masonic Week.  In 2010, William Koon II was denied entrance into this order, then went to France and received the degrees with the hope of starting a more open (so the claim is) CBCS here in the states for Christian Freemasons who are also members of the Knights Templar.

This establishment caused an uproar with the older CBCS, which caused them to both start litigation and go to the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, which recommended that no Grand Lodge recognize the NEWER organization.  This past year at Masonic Week, the newer CBCS was recognized by the Grand Encampment of the USA and installed the current sitting Grand Eminent of the Grand Encampment of the United States as their Grand Whatever (I can't remember the title).

Because of the recommendation of the COGMNA not to recognize the newer CBCS, our Past Grand Master put out the decree that Texans cannot join the newer CBCS.  The recognition of the Grand Encampment apparently didn't sit well with the Great Priory of England (even though I haven't heard it spelled out) and has lead up to the eventual withdraw of recognition.

I think that sums it up, I did this off of the top of my head, so some one correct me if I am inaccurate.

S&F,
-Bro Vick


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## Bro_Vick (Dec 14, 2012)

CajunTinMan said:


> Why do you believe it will pass?



They held an informal vote and it passed, they can't make it legal until the 15th of May.  Unless something drastically changes in the next five months, it will pass.

S&F,
-Bro Vick


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## Bro_Vick (Dec 20, 2012)

As a follow up to this the following invitational organizations could be directly impacted because of the withdraw of recognition:

Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests

KNIGHTS of the YORK CROSS of HONOUR (KYCH)

The Order of St. Thomas of Acon

All three are tied back to England, and are where the original charters came from, this could cause further repercussions if recognition of the Grand Priory is withdrawn.

S&F,
-Bro Vick


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## Brother JC (Dec 20, 2012)

Does the Great Priory actually have any control over these Charters now, or are they fully evolved American Grand bodies?


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## STLamb (Dec 25, 2012)

Wow, as a newly raised MM, between this and the blow up in Arkansas over the Shrine, I think I'm just going to stick to the Blue Lodge and not mess with any appendant bodies. It just seems safer...


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## Blake Bowden (Mar 18, 2013)

Any updates?


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## KSigMason (Mar 19, 2013)

I know the Grand Priory of the Rectified Scottish Rite of the USA (Grand Encampment one) was dissolved in the January.







I hope all fraternal relations can be mended and re-established.


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## Howard1977 (Apr 26, 2013)

It is my understanding this has been resolved already. 

Freemason Connect Mobile


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## Deonrwms (Apr 27, 2013)

So wait, does this appertaining to Texas Masonry alone or does that chop the head off of KT organizations in the USA, or just in Texas? 


Freemason Connect Mobile


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## stuntman98 (Apr 27, 2013)

This pertains to all knights in America, but based on this "letter" we have to wait until may to find.
Freemason Connect Mobile


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## Howard1977 (Apr 27, 2013)

This has been resolved. They threatened to withdraw recognition, but they didn't. This is not going to affect us here in the states at all

Life is tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid. - Bro. John Wayne


Brother,  Companion, & Sir Knight Howard E. Hubbard. New Hope #480 Eldon, Iowa A.F. & A.M and Springville Lodge #139 A.F. & A.M. Springville , Iowa, Clinton Chapter #9 R.A.M, Ottumwa Council #31.R. & S. M., Malta Commandery #31 K.T, State of Iowa


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