Irregular Masonic Bodies Operating in Texas

[Bro_Vick]

From Masonicinfo.com here is the list that Bro King has listed for irregular/clandestine Masonic bodies operating in Texas, are there any that you know of that needs to be added to the list?

St. John's Grand Lodge AF&AM, Inc. (TX)

Alpha Grand Lodge AF&AM (TX)

Sunset Grand Lodge AF&AM (TX)

St. Joseph Grand Lodge (Colored) AF&AM (TX)

King Solomon Grand Lodge (Colored) AF&AM (TX)

King Solomon United Grand Lodge AF&AM (TX)

Dozo Grand Lodge AF&AM (TX)

United Most Worshipful Scottish Rite Grand Lodge, Inc. (TX)

Universal Grand Lodge AF&AM (TX)

Mount Carmel Grand Lodge AF&AM (TX)

Mount Sinai Grand Lodge AF&AM (TX)

Hiram Tyrar Grand Lodge AF&AM (TX)

 

[Bill Lins]

Any Grand Lodge using the name "Prince Hall" except the Prince Hall Affiliated Grand Lodge in Fort Worth.

 

[towerbuilder7]

Let me do some research, and get back to you, Brother Vick. I can prob add quite a few more "Grand Lodges" that are clandestine to this list. In the city of Houston alone, there are at LEAST 7-8 Black AF&AM "Grand Lodges" that style themselves as "Scottish Rite" and are referred to as "4 Letter" GL's in the Black community. I have quite a bit of knowledge on this subject, because I was initiated, passed, and raised in Mt Sinai GL, in 2007. I left in 2009, after a year's worth of research into Lineage and Recognition of my Lodge. When I discovered that my Lodge History did not have the documentation proving its Lineage could be traced back to the UGLE, I left and petitioned a Prince Hall Affiliated Lodge, where I discovered a good friend of mine from College to be a member. When a Man leaves a clandestine Lodge and petitions to join a Prince Hall Affiliated Lodge here in Texas, he has to be "healed", which basically means the Brother is properly investigated, voted on, and if given the vote, tested for proficiency. He may then be re-affiliated with a Regular Body of Masonry working under the PHGLoTx, and must conform to all of the By Laws and Constitution of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas. At the will of that particular WM, the petitioner's level of proficiency as well as his progress on acquisition of knowledge on how affairs are conducted in a PHA Lodge will determine how quickly he is allowed to matriculate into the Lodge. I was one of the Brothers who was humble and open minded enough to recognize that I needed to make a change, so I could begin doing the right thing in the right way. I was also one who took this seriously enough to make sure that my level of proficiency matched my desire to be affiliated with a regular and recognized Prince Hall Affiliated Lodge. For those of you who choose to read it, I entered some historical insight into this issue on another thread titled, "Who Is A Mason", under the General Discussion Topics. The rift among Black Masons regarding the Prince Hall Affiliated (F & AM) vs the Black Ancient Free and Accepted Masons (AF & AM), dates back to 1869, and involves a Man by the name of John G Jones, 33rd Degree Prince Hall Mason from Chicago, Illinois, that began making Men "Ancient Free and Accepted Masons" in Wash DC in April of 1869. Some records indicate that he traveled to Europe, and reportedly received a Charter from Romania, but never received permission from either the Prince Hall Affiliated GL of Dist of Columbia, nor the FAAM GL of Dist of Columbia, the Mainstream Body of Masonry in DC, to practice Masonry in this jurisdiction under this Charter. Any and ALL charters issued under this lineage are considered by Prince Hall Affiliated Masons to be clandestine, due to the absence of ANY link or lineage traced to UGLE. This "raising and degree work" performed by Jones in DC was termed a "Masonic Invasion", and he was eventually expelled from The Craft in Oct 1895. For more information on Bogus or Clandestine Masonry regarding Black Freemasonry, see the website www.phylaxis.org. The Phylaxis Society was founded by deceased Bro Joseph A Walkes, preeminent Prince Hall Masonic author and scholar. It is the research arm of Prince Hall Affiliated Free and Accepted Masonry. Bro. Vincent C. Jones, Sr., Bayou City Lodge #228, PHA, F & AM, Houston, Texas

 

[ezeelivin]

Well spoken my brother, that's what you call being square in your actions, Eric Richardson, Danville Royal #104, Danville, Va but I presently live in Baltimore, Md

 

[towerbuilder7]

Yes sir.........I appreciate that, Brother Richardson......greetings.......it is always good to meet a Square..........I enjoy reading the threads on this site, and I have learned quite a bit........Things are most certainly BRIGHTER on this regular and recognized Prince Hall Affiliated side of Masonry.......In the Lodge in which I was raised, (Mount Sinai Grand Lodge, AF &AM) there were some really good Men, who were surprisingly knowledgable about the Craft and Ritual which we read at the time. (Lester's Look To The East--Ralph P. Lester) But, I was still very RESTLESS in that Lodge, because there were questions that I had that COULD NOT BE ANSWERED, regarding lineage and ties to the UGLE, and also more information about WHY John G. Jones felt the need to do what he did by creating Black AF&AM Masonry in 1869, when Prince Hall Affiliated FREE and ACCEPTED Masonry was already well established for almost 100 years at THAT TIME. The biggest issue I had was regarding recognition and LINEAGE. I was getting NO conversation from co-workers of mine who were Prince Hall masons, and at the time, I didnt' understand why. No matter how much I read, researched, or asked the Elder Brethren in that Lodge, I was not finding what I needed to see. Brothers were always very defensive, and easily angered, because they felt that a Younger Brother challenging their "history" was disrespectful. So, I made what turned out to be the hardest decision in my young Masonic career, but it was the BEST decision for ME. Of course, Brothers were not happy, and were telling me that "I'd be back", once I "discovered that it was all the same" here in Prince Hall Affiliated Masonry. Well, it is NOT ALL THE SAME, and I am quite pleased with my decision to leave, and have no regrets. I miss the fellowship of the good men that were there, but I cannot live my life paying dues and giving my time to a Lodge that does not afford me what EVERY REGULAR MASON enjoys----Rights, Lights, and Benefits of the proper affiliation. In that Lodge, all I would ever be able to enjoy would be the camaraderie of the Brothers in THAT Lodge......I needed to know that my affiliation would provide me with the proper recognition and lineage, because I also want to pass this on to both of my Sons, when they are of age, should they express an interest in becoming Brothers. Keep in touch, my Brother..........my email is towerbuilder7@gmail.com Bro. Vincent C. Jones, Sr., Bayou City Lodge #228, PHA, F & AM, Houston, Texas

 

[PHA TRAVELER]

Bro Vick please add Hiram KingTyre Grandlodge to your list!

 

[Bro_Vick]

Bro Vick please add Hiram KingTyre Grandlodge to your list!

Does it actually have a membership or is it a couple of guys meeting at a coffee house? I ask this, because the 3 guys and a coffee house thing is actually pretty common for a lot of these "grand lodges".

S&F,
-Bro Vick

 

[PHA TRAVELER]

no actually i was a memeber with them before i healed over to PHA! they have about 40 or 50 brothers and 40 sisters! I think they suppose to be apart of the General Grand Masonic Congress

 

[Bro_Vick]

no actually i was a memeber with them before i healed over to PHA! they have about 40 or 50 brothers and 40 sisters! I think they suppose to be apart of the General Grand Masonic Congress

Where did their charter come from? Grand Orient of France? I was wondering since you mentioned that women were allowed.

S&F,
-Bro Vick

 

[PHA TRAVELER]

the women i was talking about is the OES

 

[JTM]

do you have locations of all of these?

 

[Bro_Vick]

Some of them I do, I will go and dig them up. The "location" is also suspect, as confirmation of a meeting place can be difficult.

S&F,
-Bro Vick

 

[towerbuilder7]

Brother Vick, if you Google "Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction", you will see what Brother PHA Traveler is referring to. Mt Sinai, the Grand Lodge from which I was healed, considers their Symbolic Lodges to be under the governance of what is known as the General Grand Masonic Congress. I think Kosei's thread touched on this........there are quite a few States from where these Grand Lodges hail. This Congress presides over the Blue or Symbolic Lodges, and the "Supreme Council of the S and W Jurisdiction" presides over the Higher Houses.........Bro. Jones

 

[towerbuilder7]

Also, check the Phylaxis Society's website at www.phylaxis.org. They have a link dealing specifically with Bogus Masonry, and Grand Lodges such as these. They have a few listed, and you can submit more as you find them.......you can add White Lion Grand Lodge, St. Andrews Grand Lodge, Joshua Grand Lodge to this list also....these are a few more located here in Houston............as I get more names, I will forward them to you...........

 

[bupton52]

Please add Elohim GL and EM Hunter GL as well operating out of Houston.

 

[PHA TRAVELER]

here is another Bro's, M.W. Brighter Light Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. Jurisdiction of Texas

 

[PHA TRAVELER]

i forgot about this one,i guess there is so many we cant name them all! The Most Worshipful Obadiah Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. Inc

 

[Bro_Vick]

Also, check the Phylaxis Society's website at www.phylaxis.org. They have a link dealing specifically with Bogus Masonry, and Grand Lodges such as these. They have a few listed, and you can submit more as you find them.......you can add White Lion Grand Lodge, St. Andrews Grand Lodge, Joshua Grand Lodge to this list also....these are a few more located here in Houston............as I get more names, I will forward them to you...........

Thanks Bro Jones, the number keeps changing, but I know a lot of it has to do with lack of membership, or the Grand Lodge simply not really existing. Education of these bogus entities is paramount to ensure a potential brother is sucked up into something that makes it so he can't visit lodges across the world. From the General Grand Masonic Counsel:

" To own Freemasonry is like trying to own the Holy Bible. Universal God & Universal Brotherhood are the thread that runs through all
Masonic literature, lessons and rites, binding us all as ONE. Harmony is the strength of All societies most especially OURS."

Spoken like a true bogus Masonic organization.

S&F,
-Bro Vick

 

[BryanMaloney]

In some ways the claims of these groups remind me of the various episcopoi vagantes who set up self-styled "Orthodox Church" jurisdictions, then get prickly when one inquires into their specific line of Apostolic Succession.

 

[Cblack]

Good evening Brothers, In the case of John G. Jones...It is said that he received a charter from the GL of Romania but that is impossible because the GL of Romania was not formed until 3 yrs after in 1880 yet John G. Jones members claimed their date as 1877...How you received a charter from a non existing GL still baffles me to this day...In most cases GLs that are deemed clandestine founders were members of GLs that were part of a lodge with lineage to John G. Jones...There are two exceptions and they are Modern Free and Accepted masons and International Free and Accepted Modern Masons....To my knowledge there are no Modern Free lodges in Texas but there are two International lodges here..One is in Houston and one is in Dallas...they have not declared a GL here yet but it is good to know that they have invaded Texas...Im in the process of trying to find out were this lodge is so i can get them healed over to a Regular Masonic Jurisdiction...

WM Curtis Black
James E. Carter#157 MWPHGLoTX
https://jamesecarter157.org