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Tamrin
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Freemasonry - A Male Exclusive
« Thread Started on Oct 22, 2009, 9:05pm »

FREEMASONRY — A MALE EXCLUSIVE

INAUGURAL ADDRESS of W.Bro. Roy A. Wells, P.A.G.D.C.

President, London Grand Rank Association, on 20 May 1982 at

Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London.

[Excerpts transcribed from corrected lecture notes]
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In order to understand why Free and Accepted Masonry under the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland, and Scotland is a male preserve it is necessary to appreciate that Speculative Freemasonry was a development from the operative stonemasons and their Gild system.

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Let us turn now to that distinguished Provincial Grand Master in and over Kent, Capt. George Smith, Inspector of the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. He is described as ‘distinguished’ because he was 3rd Grand Principal in Grand Chapter in 1775, 2nd Grand Principal the following year and presided as 1st Grand Grand [sic] Principal from 1777 to 1779. He was appointed Provincial Grand Master in and over Kent in 1777 and honoured with the rank of Junior Grand Warden in 1780. That appointment brought him into contention with James Heseltine, grand Secretary, who objected that no Brother could hold two appointments in Grand Lodge at one and the same time. The matter was resolved at the next Quarterly Communication when Capt. Smith resigned as J.G.W. and retained his appointment as Prov. G.M. of Kent.

He was a leading figure in every sense and a prominent worker for various reforms. One might be tempted to comment that he was before time on many things, one in particular regarding the Union, for in 1776 he wrote to James Heseltine raising certain matters in an attempt to settle some of the differences that separated the two Grand Lodges.

Even though sanction for it had been refused by Grand Lodge he published, in 1783, The Use and Abuse of Freemasonry which included a chapter under the heading ‘Ancient and Modern Reasons why the Ladies have never been admitted into the Society of Free-masons’. The following are two extracts from that section of the book:-

… Hence, as there is no law ancient or modern that forbids the admission of the fair sex amongst the society of Free and Accepted Masons, and custom only has hitherto prevented their initiation: consequently all bad usages and customs ought to be annihilated and ladies of merit and reputation admitted into the society; or at least be permitted to form lodges amongst their own sex, in imitation of those in Germany and France. (p.361)

Later in that chapter he finalised the subject by stating:-

… From what has been advanced, not one doubt remains but the ladies may, and have an undoubted right to be admitted as members of the most ancient, and most honourable Society of Free and Accepted Masons; neither can any brother, or set of brethren be accused of violating his or their [obligation, in aiding or assisting at the] initiation of the ladies or in forming female lodges. (p.365)

George Smith’s outstanding career as Provincial Grand Master, indeed even as a Freemason, ended ignominiously in 1785 when he was expelled from the Craft for issuing what was purported to be a Certificate of Grand Lodge recommending two distressed brethren for relief. One might be led to think that there had been an accumulation of offences, not the least of his was his book and its chapter on women and Freemasonry including the recommendation to follow in the paths of Germany and France; but, the official reason for his expulsion was falsification of an official Certificate.

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In the course of time the three Grand Lodges accepted and re-affirmed a compilation entitled The Basic Principles for Grand Lodge Recognition. A relevant article in that document is important:-

That the membership of the Grand Lodge and individual Lodges shall be composed exclusively of men; and that each Grand Lodge shall have no Masonic intercourse of any kind with mixed Lodges or bodies which admit women to membership.

However, non-recognition does not mean non-awareness which was made perfectly clear in an agreed statement that was published in Aims and Relationships of the Craft:-

The Grand Lodge is aware that there do exist Bodies styling themselves Freemasons, which do not adhere to these principles, and while that attitude exists the Grand Lodge of England refuses absolutely to have any relations with such Bodies, or to regard them as Freemasons.

On this inflexible stand it is then reasoned:-

…The three Grand Lodges are convinced that it is only by this rigid adherence to this policy that Freemasonry has survived the Constantly changing doctrines of the outside world and are compelled to place on record their complete disapproval of any action which may tend to permit the slightest departure from the principles of Freemasonry.

They are strongly of the opinion that if any of the three Grand Lodges does so, it cannot maintain a claim to be following the Antient Landmarks of the Order, and must ultimately face disintegration.

In the complex and sometimes controversial climate of opinion on this subject, to remain firmly anchored against the changing tides, and to guard a simple heritage is an attitude retaining the essence of that wisdom shewn by the premier Grand Lodge when the Regulations, as such, were proposed ‘to about 150 brethren, on St. John’s Day, 1721’ and the authority to publish was given to the Rev. James Anderson. Continuity of ‘pure Antient Masonry’ has thus been maintained and all imitative forms of Freemasonry placed beyond any point of Recognition.

It is for that reason the Board of General Purposes long ago recommended that private lodges should impress upon their members that contact with masons overseas, and visits to lodges in other Jurisdictions should not be arranged, without first having ascertained by application to the Grand Secretary the existence of regular masonry in the country concerned, and the address to which Masonic enquiries in that country should be directed. It was also recommended that not only should the warning be given verbally in lodge but that it should be printed on the lodge summonses at least once a year in order that the injunction may reach non-attenders.

The talk, with mostly minor further corrections was later issued by Q.C.C.C. in its Recorded Talks #5, with the title, Freemasonry - Men only! The only major amendment being a concluding paragraph which qualified the largely unequivocal tone of the original paper. In it Wells said:

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However, we live in a changing world and Freemasons have learned to adapt over what is now nearly three hundred years of activity as Speculative Masons. But that speculation could not predict what the future may hold or how the winds of change may blow to influence its course, in the future, or even what the next centrury will bring.

We are now in what was then, that next century.

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