Post by Torence on Feb 27, 2013 6:14:17 GMT 10
We recently had a change in Grand Secretaries here in Illinois. So some of the Proceedings Books have been a little slow coming out. Today I received my 2011 Proceedings CD and refreshed my memory on some comments that I had made on our Grand Lodge floor back then. These comments regarded the case of an Illinois Secretary who was found to have taken $25K in 1996 from his Local Lodge. He immediately repaid it then. And then in 2011, fifteen years after these events, he wished to be accepted back into the fraternity and his Local Lodge wished to re-receive him.
I like the Molieresque spelling that our Grand Secretary, RWB Frank Cline chose to us in print for my name. Trust me. He knows the correct spelling.
Here are my comments from then and the results of the vote on the case. Though I believe that I went on to state a little more emphatically that our Illinois Masonic Congress is not capable of rendering good judgement for discipline and that I was then going to set out to show every flaw in the way that discipline is dispensed whenever cases are Brought to my attention. But time has past and I wonder now if I only remember the day this way Anyway, here are my comments from the printed and published Illinois Proceedings for 2011 pg.. Please comment
Torence Evans Ake
Secretary - Auburn Park Lodge No. 789 - Crete, Illinois
Chaplain - Triluminar Lodge No. 767 - Lansing,, Illinois
MIGS - Illinois Lodge of Research
City and Country Steward
PM - Arcadia Lodge No. 1138 - Lansing, Illinois
RICHARD L. SWANEY, GM: Thank you, sir. Any other discussion? Brother Ache. [ sic: Torence Evans Ake ]
TORRANCE EVANS ACHE: [ sic: Torence Evans Ake ]:
Good Morning, Most Worshipful Grand Master. I am Torrance Evans Ache. [ sic: Torence Evans Ake ] I am the Secretary of Auburn Park Lodge No. 789, and I arise in favor of accepting this Brother back into the lodge for one very important reason. I believe that everybody here needs to pause for a moment before you vote on any petition for readmittance and think about what your role is really supposed to be in this Grand Lodge. Our Grand Lodge consists of Grand Lodge Officers and this Grand Lodge Congress. And every year we show up and we read this list of names and we have this very little bit of information that’ s provided us by the courts and some initials of some Brother and some lodge and we don’ t know any other details behind the case. If anybody has ever witnessed a Masonic trial or been a part of one, of the whole procedure from beginning until end, you will understand that those procedures which were written by Henry Burnett [sic: Burnap] back in 1915, which we follow to this day, are so one-sided on the side of the prosecution that
this Grand Lodge is never capable of making an actual good decision when it comes to discipline.
Now our Grand Lodge is no different than any of the other jurisdictions in America. They all follow a very similar set of rules. But here we have a very impassioned plea by the Master of this lodge who knows the Brother personally and has told you that he would be a benefit to his lodge, and yet all of you sitting here are going to summarily decide without knowing anything about him, that he doesn’ t belong in this fraternity. As far as I’m concerned if he’ s good enough for the local lodge, he is good enough to be a member of this fraternity. The sentiments of the local lodge must prevail in all cases of discipline. That is my feeling and that is what I wanted to relate to this case.
RICHARD L. SWANEY, GM: Thank you, Brother Ache. [ sic: Torence Evans Ake ]
TORRANCE EVANS ACHE: [ sic: Torence Evans Ake ] Thank you, Most Worshipful.
RICHARD L. SWANEY, GM: We’ ve heard from three. So here we go. A yes vote will allow Mr. LRW back into the fraternity. A 2011 The Grand Lodge of Illinois 143 no vote will not. All those in favor of Mr. LRW being reinstated raise your yellow cards. Cards down. All those opposed same sign. Cards down. He will not be allowed back now but he can reapply as has been mentioned, Worshipful Master. Please, sir.
FYI: Mr. LRW did not reapply in 2012.
I like the Molieresque spelling that our Grand Secretary, RWB Frank Cline chose to us in print for my name. Trust me. He knows the correct spelling.
Here are my comments from then and the results of the vote on the case. Though I believe that I went on to state a little more emphatically that our Illinois Masonic Congress is not capable of rendering good judgement for discipline and that I was then going to set out to show every flaw in the way that discipline is dispensed whenever cases are Brought to my attention. But time has past and I wonder now if I only remember the day this way Anyway, here are my comments from the printed and published Illinois Proceedings for 2011 pg.. Please comment
Torence Evans Ake
Secretary - Auburn Park Lodge No. 789 - Crete, Illinois
Chaplain - Triluminar Lodge No. 767 - Lansing,, Illinois
MIGS - Illinois Lodge of Research
City and Country Steward
PM - Arcadia Lodge No. 1138 - Lansing, Illinois
RICHARD L. SWANEY, GM: Thank you, sir. Any other discussion? Brother Ache. [ sic: Torence Evans Ake ]
TORRANCE EVANS ACHE: [ sic: Torence Evans Ake ]:
Good Morning, Most Worshipful Grand Master. I am Torrance Evans Ache. [ sic: Torence Evans Ake ] I am the Secretary of Auburn Park Lodge No. 789, and I arise in favor of accepting this Brother back into the lodge for one very important reason. I believe that everybody here needs to pause for a moment before you vote on any petition for readmittance and think about what your role is really supposed to be in this Grand Lodge. Our Grand Lodge consists of Grand Lodge Officers and this Grand Lodge Congress. And every year we show up and we read this list of names and we have this very little bit of information that’ s provided us by the courts and some initials of some Brother and some lodge and we don’ t know any other details behind the case. If anybody has ever witnessed a Masonic trial or been a part of one, of the whole procedure from beginning until end, you will understand that those procedures which were written by Henry Burnett [sic: Burnap] back in 1915, which we follow to this day, are so one-sided on the side of the prosecution that
this Grand Lodge is never capable of making an actual good decision when it comes to discipline.
Now our Grand Lodge is no different than any of the other jurisdictions in America. They all follow a very similar set of rules. But here we have a very impassioned plea by the Master of this lodge who knows the Brother personally and has told you that he would be a benefit to his lodge, and yet all of you sitting here are going to summarily decide without knowing anything about him, that he doesn’ t belong in this fraternity. As far as I’m concerned if he’ s good enough for the local lodge, he is good enough to be a member of this fraternity. The sentiments of the local lodge must prevail in all cases of discipline. That is my feeling and that is what I wanted to relate to this case.
RICHARD L. SWANEY, GM: Thank you, Brother Ache. [ sic: Torence Evans Ake ]
TORRANCE EVANS ACHE: [ sic: Torence Evans Ake ] Thank you, Most Worshipful.
RICHARD L. SWANEY, GM: We’ ve heard from three. So here we go. A yes vote will allow Mr. LRW back into the fraternity. A 2011 The Grand Lodge of Illinois 143 no vote will not. All those in favor of Mr. LRW being reinstated raise your yellow cards. Cards down. All those opposed same sign. Cards down. He will not be allowed back now but he can reapply as has been mentioned, Worshipful Master. Please, sir.
FYI: Mr. LRW did not reapply in 2012.
