It has been stated that the Grand Lodge of West Virginia has reestablished relations with the Grand Lodge of Ohio. It has also been said that PGM Frank Haas who was granted admittance into the Grand Lodge of Ohio has now been expelled. A Brother from the Masons of Texas Forum says that he talked to an Ohio Grand Lodge member who confirmed these developments.
If this is true, and I would like to see some more verification, then it is a travesty of justice. Some things that a Grand Lodge does cannot be revoked or reinstated as the case may be when Grand Masters change in a Grand Lodge. You cannot play with people’s lives in this manner.
Once the Grand Lodge of Ohio granted PGM Frank Haas asylum it should be permanent and not able to be reversed. What happens to the credibility of the Grand Lodge of Ohio should the next Grand Master re-reverse the decision and reinstate Frank Haas?
The question that needs to be answered is did Frank Haas receive a Masonic Trial from his Lodge in Ohio or was he just summarily expelled? On what basis was he expelled? What was the reason?
Let’s say that in the civil world the District Attorney of Ohio should grant immunity from prosecution to an individual in return for testimony he needs to convict someone else. The individual takes the deal but when a new Attorney General is elected he reverses the deal and throws the individual in jail.
Or let’s say that in the Masonic world that a Grand Master of a certain Grand Lodge decides to heal and admit all the members of a clandestine Grand Lodge. The next year a new Grand Master reverses the decision and throws all the former clandestine members out, expels them without a Masonic trial.
You just cannot do business this way. Your word is no good if you can’t keep it and maintain some constant policies.
If this story is true, then it demonstrates once again that some American Grand Masters have too much power and are using that power arbitrarily with no regard for their Constitutions or Masonic law. Such is the sad state of American Mainstream Freemasonry that is slowly dying an agonizing death. One only needs to look at the Grand Lodge of Arkansas where a despotic, tyrannical regime riddled with KKK has reduced that Grand Lodge by attrition to 4000 members. Meanwhile the Grand Lodge of Florida is expelling all who are not members of an Abrahamic faith (mostly non-Christians).
How long are the good Grand Lodges in this nation going to allow Freemasonry to be practiced in this manner?
It certainly appears like some of these Grand Lodges are, unfortunately, heavily swayed by the culture of the states they are located in. I think the only hope is the wonderful freedom of this great country: people can vote with their feet and leave the lesser states for the greater ones. Free people can decide these things for themselves. Perhaps it finally is time, too, to have a Grand Lodge of the U.S.A?
WE ARE PLAYING WITH THINGS THAT WE DONT KNOW ALL ABOUT ==YET===BUT THE GRAND LODGE OF ARKANSAS WANT US TO GO BY THE BY-LAWS—BUT THEY DONT—THEY ARE ABOVE THE REST OF US—I WAS NOT EVEN SUMMARILY EXPELLED—MY PLEA FOR A GRAND LODGE TRIAL—ARE YOU KIDDING—THEYT WERE BEHIND IT ALL—AS THE MASTER OF JASPER LODGE–GARY LAMB- SAID AT MY FAKE TRIAL===GRAND LODGE SAID TO DIG UP ANY THING YOU CAN ON RON CHASTEEN—GRIN–I WORKED HARD AT MASONRY–GRAND LODGE OF ARKANSAS—YOU REALY DONT WANT ME TO GET MY SHOVEL OUT–I THINK I KNOW TO MUCH—G.L.S ARE KILLING US ALL
Like our general elections, it is not the Grand Master that we should worry about but the brethren that elected them, and continue to keep them in office.
Far too many Masons have not idea of Masonic law and far too many have an endless apathy. As long as no body rocks their personal boat, they plain just don’t care.
As you have heard me state before, until we bring back system of education that compels the brethren to learn, You will not see many changes to the system.
Public opinion of wrong doing is that is ok as long as you don’t get caught at it. Then if you do get caught, the trend is to say grant him a pardon, he really did not know what he was doing.
Sadly, it is not the Grand Lodges and the Grand Master that are doing wrong. it is the brethren that allow them to keep doing it.
Wake up folks. Start learning what Masonry really is and how it the underlying principles are there to protect the good of the craft, if we only use them to get rid of those who have no idea what masonry teaches. These folks that are making rulings and issuing edicts are card carrying mason only.
We can work quietly beneath the scenes to change of wonderful craft back to what it once was, but not until we educate and re-educate the new and old brethren of the principles up which we were founded.
Regards
ole Blake
@Ducat I would disagree. Centralized power would only create more opportunities for the injustices we already see. Each state being sovereign, in my opinion, can work. But, as Blake points out, we need a deeper commitment to actual Masonic education. Brothers also need to hold their elected officials accountable. Lastly, other GL’s should play a part in admonishing their neighbors.
Like our general elections, it is not the Grand Master that we should worry about but the brethren that elected them, and continue to keep them in office.
That just won’t cut the mustard in some GLs.
The Brethren in MA do not have any voice in the election of the GM – only the voting members of GL do, meaning current WM/SW/JW, sitting DDGMs, and permanent members of the GL, who are – PGMs, PDGMs, PSGW, and PJGWs.
I reality, it’s the permanent members who meet together and decide who they will run as the weak candidate, and who as the strong one, in order to guarantee the outcome of the election.
Put down the torches and picthforks, brothers.
At the moment, it seems that Haas was expelled because in Ohio Masonic Code, a person is only allowed to receive the degrees one time, and Haas, in joining a lodge in Ohio, went through the degrees a second time (his first time being in WV).
In this case, the GL was only following its own regulations, and I’m sure that some kind of resolution is already under consideration. Yes, it’s ridiculous that this wasn’t discovered back in the beginning stages, but until we get the actual facts, let’s avoid passing judgment.
Also, I think I have an extra keyboard for Ron Chasteen. The caps lock key on his seems to be permanently stuck.
BROTHER TOM—IM JUST NOT GOING OUT WITH OUT A FIGHT AND THE TRUTH BEING TOLD–20 YEARS OF FAITHFULL MASONIC WORK–LONG TIME–AT THE END BEING SCREWED BY POLITICANS–NO THANK YOU
Bro. Ron, I understand that you are frustrated, and that you choose this venue to vent that. However, now that computers have been around for a generation, do you think that you might learn to disable the caps lock key and type normally?
A Grand Lodge that followed its own regulations! Remarkable!!
Tom you act as if this is one big mistake. But if the GL of West Virginia has resumed relations with Ohio this sounds to me like a condition for that recognition and the obscure regulations were found to justify the treacherous act.
Beehive, whenever a GL does something that the Craft doesn’t like, our first impulse it to light the torches, grab the pitchforks, and moan about how unfair, old-fashioned, or corrupt they are. I prefer to think that it’s more prudent to learn as much as possible about a situation before I start gnashing my teeth.
The issue at hand is that we do not know the facts involved at the moment. If you have some knowledge of this that the rest of us do not, please feel free to share it.
Admittedly, you’d have thought that someone in OH would have noticed this two years ago, but I prefer to reserve judgment until I know more about what is happening. When you consider that OH and WV have been at a standstill for over a year, I can’t imagine that someone just decided that it would be a good idea to toss Haas out for no good reason simply to make nice.
Well I can!…………………………………………………..just like the GL of Arkansas has made all Shriners clandestine!
Tom who cares about the reason. The fact is that the act is done and it has hurt another Brother. I could care less about the “why.” There is no good reason to sacrifice a Brother on the altar of GL chumminess.
The fact is the deed is done and no matter the justification it is a dirty deed, period. I don’t have to have any special insight or inside information to observe that.
You can call me Fred
Bro. Fred, if the GLOH has a regulation prohibiting a Mason from taking a second set of degrees, they are bound to abide by that. Can you imagine the chatter if they allowed Haas, but then refused someone else? The torch-and-pitchfork crowd would likely be howling that special favors were done for a Past Grand, and what kind of cronyism is that? etc.
For all we know (because, again, we don’t have the facts), Bro. Haas might be okay with this, and is calmly awaiting the resolution. And look, that is also speculation on my part; it’s just that I’m willing to give everyone the benefit of a doubt first.
If a Grand Master can expel without a Masonic Trial, close Lodges at his whim and make Masons on sight he can heal a violation of the Constitution with one stroke of his pen…………………..if he wanted to. But the mere fact that the GL of Ohio let this go through at the same time as they resumed relations with West Virginia is sacrificing a human being on the altar of political expediency.
I’m sorry you just don’t act this way. You just don’t treat people this way. In Prince Hall we heal – heal all sorts of problems and even welcome clandestine Masons back into the fold with a healing.
Don’t tell me that this couldn’t have been done in a better manner.
So if you view this as all one big mistake and that Frank Haas is not upset and it will all be OK tell me this. If the GL of Ohio readmits Frank Haas won’t the GL of West Virginia pull recognition again?
So to avoid that Haaas is out – forever. I don’t see how that sits too well.
As I said, this is speculation on my part. I’m not viewing as a mistake, but I’m not viewing it as a sacrifice, either. I simply don’t have enough information to make any kind of judgment.
dont realy see any differants between big letters and small–if wrote in a sentence—but—if it bothers you brother tom—i have no proublems writing small letters—realy im being honest not being funny
Good job, Bro. Ron!
On email and web boards, typing in all caps is the text equivalent of going into a room and shouting. It’s used for emphasis, but it’s actually tiring on the eyes to read, and eventually most people simply stop reading your posts because it hurts the eyes.
heard that in arkansas you are not allowed to email of any kind about masonry or use the paper—–dont know if thats right or not—does any one else?—or maybe you dont want to answer that if im right?
You are right Brother Chasteen.
Tom
ome facts about Haas Yes he was expelled. I have the edict in front of me. He was not afforded a Masonic trial again. Our Grand Master cites a section (27.01c) that does infact say that the EA and the FC should not be re-conferred. Doesn’t say that the can’t just says they should’t. This is a lame excuse to take this action. If in fact this is this Grand Masters position they he should, he must, and is now bound to expel any Ohio Master Mason that has ever been a pro-tem candidate at their Lodge Inspection or any other time a pro-tem is used. There is no difference.
Lets be very clear about this WV is AF&AM and Ohio is F&AM. they are not the same degrees. So if I want to belong to AF&AM lodge then I must surely have to conform to their ritual and the same would also be true.
Frank was never given a masonic trial in WV and was never charged with a Masonic offense.; Even the Surpreme Court of WV ruled that what they did did not follow their own rules. The only offense Frank was guilty of was trying to bring WV into the 21 Century.
It is well documented that WV Grand Lodge has taken their cause to other state to try to convince them to cut ties with Ohio over this issue. Our grand Master has chosen to take the easy way and has bowed to outside pressures. He has also basically slapped the 3 previous Grand Masters in the face by these actions. I will be sending a letter of protest to our Grand Master, maybe he can expell me in return.
I responded to today’s blog post, which seems to be the same text as this comment.
The Grand Lodge of Ohio violates the non-reconferral code section all the time. As a matter of fact the Grand Lodge requires a candidate for the “One-Day Class” to take all three degrees no matter where they stand in progression. Lodges are encouraged to bring candidates that are stalled in various stages of progression to complete their degree work and a lot of these are Master Masons who have not given back their proficiency exam. Those candidates get all three degrees re-conferred.
Brothers,
I have been a mason for 35 years and I come from a family of Masons, I have recently been following the situation in Arkansas primarily because I now reside here and all I can say is from my prospective is that the continued abuse of power being exercised by the Arkansas Grand Lodge through expulsions for just being a member of the Shrine is nothing short of totalitarianism. If this trend is allowed to continue, and I believe it will due to the personal convictions of the current hierarchy at the Grand Lodge, masonry in Arkansas will continue to wallow in its death throes until it becomes just another vague memory. It is obvious that somewhere in this speculative power battle being waged the core values and true meaning of our fraternity have been forgotten.
With that being said I take issue with a comment made about the Arkansas Grand Lodge being riddled with KKK. First I can assure all of you that there is no KKK in the Arkansas Grand Lodge as the Ku Klux Klan is a true brotherhood that does not allow the dishonorable internal bickering or the totalitarian, tyrannical style rule that is being driven down from the Arkansas Grand Lodge. So please do not dishonor or blame this organization for the self inflicted destruction and downfall of the Arkansas Masonic Order.
Brother Smith you are wrong. I have testimonies from more than 13 Arkansas Masons that the KKK is alive and doing well inside Arkansas Freemasonry.
If your reading this story and your not presently a Mason, rest assured this is not Freemasonry, this is the occasional soap opera we see ignorantly played out by those in power, it’s not the Masonry you’ll experience on the everyday Lodge level.
4 Beehive: I can only tell you this the U.S. Government also has testimonies on file that Hillary Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama had no knowledge about the events leading up to the murder of four Americans in Benghazi and they also are not worth the paper they are written on. I have found that in life men who hold positions of power will unfortunately sometimes stoop to any level to forward a personal agenda through false accusations and other means. This is amplified by the ever increasing lack of honor and morality among men in today’s society. Again I can personally assure you that there is no true Klansman in the Grand Lodge of Arkansas because if there were, you would see honor, courtesy and respect in resolving issues among brethren instead of the childish bickering that is currently taking place. “Non Silba Sed Anthar” “Not for self but for others”
Jnteresting article. The Abrahamic faiths are Judaism, Christianity, Islam and B’hai. Which of these is the GLOF targeting? Also Freemasonry is lived, not practiced.
This has been a hot-button issue from day one. I think that we can all agree that Mr. Haas was a well intentioned West Virginia Mason, and his views and reforms caused an uproar in WV. Also, what happened to Mr.Haas in WV was wrong. Having said this, it’s was WV’s business, and us Ohio Masons kind of stuck our noses in it. Each states GL has the right to govern the Lodges in their state as they see fit. At least within the guidelines of Masonry, or until the membership revolts.
There are plenty of other neighboring states that could have offered the same “help” to Mr.Haas: Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland. Why did these states stay out of it, and why did Ohio decide to initiate, pass, and raise Mr.Haas? I can’t answer that, but my opinion is that we should have just stayed out of it and let things run their course in WV.
My best guess is that the new GM of Ohio realized what a huge mistake we made four years ago and found any way he could to reverse the decision. We can argue all day and night about whether Ohio was right or wrong. We should have just kept out of it in the first place.
No Patrick, what you do as a Grand Lodge is precisely what the GL of Ohio did in the first place. And then you immediately pull recognition of West Virginia as every other Mainstream GL should have done. West Virginia is not practicing Freemasonry.It is a rogue Grand Lodge and should be unrecognized because of that fact.
Beehive, I don’t claim to be an expert. It’s just my opinion. Obviously, our opinions are different.