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I would ask: In Texas craft lodge practice, what is a Chamber of Reflection? Is it not what we have always known as "The Texas Masonic Preparation Room?" In recent years, some lodges have attempted to introduce a more solemn approach to the Texas Masonic Preparation Room, in order to prevent...

BTW: Issues of historical fact are not decided by a popular vote taken by those interested in casting a vote. What if the question was asked: Who was the most influential American Masonic ritualist of the 18th century? And what if the majority "voted" for Ben Franklin? Would that make it so? In...

I DID join the Commandery. But, for me, the practice of "marching" around the lodge room is one of the silliest things I've ever encountered in Masonry. I just cannot do it, or even attend a KT meeting, and keep a straight face. It's childish. It's a throwback to the late 1800s, when these kind...

It is hard for anyone to argue with the facts. Shortly after William Schaw, Master of Works for Scotland's King James VI, issued the Schaw Statutes to Scotland's operative lodges in 1598 and 1599, things began to change. Almost immediately, we begin to see non-operatives being "accepted" among...

Brother Vick: You wrote: "The glaring issue and incapability of European Concept Lodges in America is that they are suppose to be regulated to 50 or less members (some as small as 30)." Who said they were to be "regulated" to 50 or less? Who is to do this "regulating?" Smaller lodges are...

Brother CHRMC: You asked: "If a lodge changes nothing else, but everyone wearing tuxedos and eating prime rib at every meeting, did they truly change anything?" Of course, I would have to say, "Yes, they changed their dress and the quality of their meals. But that is all." I was told that...

Brother Hatley: You spilled a lot of ink over your personal issue with tuxedos. However, the purpose of tuxedos is to have the members of the lodge meet "on the level." No one is showing off their $500 Ranger belt buckle, or their $750 lizard-skin cowboy boots. Tuxedos help to prevent the...

According the annual report of the Committee on Fraternal Correspondence of the GL of Texas, it was the Prince Hall GL of Texas that cancelled the Spring meeting last year at which the two GLs were to amend the Agreement and allow visitation. The Committee also said that it stands ready to move...

This entire discussion depends on what we mean by the term "Freemasons." Is the term limited to speculative Masons only? Or does it apply to operative stonemasons who worked in freestone? The Latin term "lapidum liberorum" predates speculative Masonry. Early operative masons were franc-maçons...

I'd be disappointed if the RC Church lifted its age-old ban on Masonic membership ... disappointed in that it would mean that Freemasonry had simply become the "Rotary with ritual" that many run-of-the-mill Masons want it to become.

Article 225 of the Laws of the Grand Lodge of Texas lists "Scottish Rite bodies." According to members of the Great Priory of America (G.P.A.) with whom I have spoken have told me that regular Great Priories of the Rectified Scottish Rite, including the G.P.A., have always been considered to...

Brother Wunsche has some of his wires crossed on this. First of all, the organization created by William H. Koon, II, immediate Past Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar, was officially called "The Grand Priory of the Reformed and Rectified Rite of the U.S.A." Note that the...

Let's just do away with the whole concept of regularity. Then, as soon as we do, I can go online, order a bunch of aprons and regalia, and start selling degrees. I live near a big college campus where there are thousands of college students who would pay several hundred dollars to receive all...

Actually, there are about thirteen (13) very small, scattered, irregular grand lodges here in Texas. Many of them were created by scam artists who "sell" regalia, rituals, forms, etc. to religious ministers and instruct them how to set up a grand lodge, with subordinate lodges, with the minister...

Brother JWHOFF, in his post above, stated that Brother Pete Normand, in his article in Heredom Vol. 19, "sheds much light on the Traditional Observance (TO) Lodge concept," and goes on to say: "He actually lists lodges across the country, including those here in Texas. For the brothers in the...

The problem stems from the fact that regular Freemasonry has no copyright on the word "Freemasonry," or it's several related words ("Masonry," "Masonic," "Mason," etc.) For that reason, virtually anyone can create a bogus Masonic lodge or a bogus Grand Lodge. Three college boys can find a...

According to a letter from the GM of the GL of the Ivory Coast (GLCI), sent out to multiple grand lodges in February 2012, this was an invasion of the territorial jurisdiction of the GLCI.

The dimensions of the Texas apron, as specified in Grand Lodge Law, provides a solution for the ancient problems of "Squaring the Circle." The dimensions of the Texas apron are based on the Phi Proportion (or Golden Section), which is approximately 1.61803.... The Texas apron is sixteen...

Re: Edict From Masonic Grand Lodge of New South Wales and Australian Capital Territor The vast majority of lodges in Texas, and elsewhere, have always had lodge programs that have absolutely nothing to do with Freemasonry. Examples include Fireman Bill giving a program on "safety in the home,"...

In the words of Alvy Singer, after being asked if he was a Rosicrucian, "No. I could never join a religion that advertises in Mechanics Illustrated."