dfreybur
Premium Member
If this is the case, what is to say a rouge GM can't say members can't also belong to the Moose, of Kiwanis, or Sons of Confederate Veterans, or whatever?
Authority is what the rules say you can do. Our rules don't address completely separate orders. Because the Shrine does require Masonry everywhere but Arkansas declaring the Shrine not recognized is within the authority of a GM. Though not declaring the Shrine clandestine nor expelling brothers without local trial.
Power is what you can get away with. As none of those orders have every been affiliated with Masonry the chances of some rogue GM getting away with it is low.
Denying the GM the ability to dictate expulsions isn't something easily legislated for an assortment of reasons. That's why it's so important to have written codes for exactly how and when a GM should expel. Like considering a criminal trial to have the same authority and a Masonic trial as so many jurisdictions do.