| Ancients & Moderns |
Greetings,
I put this together from discussions I had with Mason's and Sisters in e-groups* and Instant Message*
conversations. If you see anything that is incorrect or if you can add to it, please feel free to contact me
and let me know. There is still a lot I don't know or understand but so far this is what I have gleaned.
Remaining Prayerful,
Sis. Joyce
I put this together from discussions I had with Mason's and Sisters in e-groups* and Instant Message*
conversations. If you see anything that is incorrect or if you can add to it, please feel free to contact me
and let me know. There is still a lot I don't know or understand but so far this is what I have gleaned.
Remaining Prayerful,
Sis. Joyce
At first, there were these 4 Old Lodges in Europe, all soverign to themselves. They got together
and decided to form a Grand Lodge composed of themselves. The Grand Lodge (GL) was to
essentially be an administrative, deliberative body, something like Congress. The Master and
Wardens of the Lodges would be the representatives and Past Masters of Lodges. The
representatives would elect from amongst the Past Masters a Grand Master, and Grand Wardens,
and other Grand Officers as needed. The Grand Lodge would grant charters to Work to these
various Lodges. The Grand Lodge created by these four old Lodges was calling itself, the Grand
Lodge of Westminster and London.
There were other older Lodges, and there was bitter rivalry between these for the individual
memberships. One called GL of Westminster and London began to calling itself the Grand
Lodge of England. This is where the Modern Form originates. The nationalistic feeling and
political distrust between the Irish and the English was very strong.
The Irish and Scottish Lodges thought that these four old English Lodges were pretty arrogant to
say that they were now THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND, and did not join with them. Some
of these got together, and formed other Grand Lodges, but the most significant was the Ancient
Grand Lodge.
The Grand Lodge of England then made certain changes in the way they did things, which were
actually innovations in the Form of Masonry. The Irish and Scottish Grand Lodge adhering to
the old way of doing things, started to call itself Ancient. So there came the distinction of the 2
GL, The Moderns and The Ancients. There was fierce rivalry between them. This brings to mind
the issues still being fought today of recognitions *smile*.
In 1813, the two Grand Lodges managed to get together. This happened because the Grand
Master of the Moderns and the Grand Master of the Ancients were physical brothers, and were
both royalty. So they decided to unite the two Grand Lodges. The Lodge of Emulation was then
created. It was a Lodge of reconciliation, where the two rituals would be worked into one that
would then be emulated by ALL the Lodges.
So, there was a great deal of compromising that had to occur to make this work. Feelings were
still strong. But it was more important to them that they form this unity than it was that they have
the other guy make all the concessions, and fight to "get their way."
The two Lodges formed the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), which continues to be the
successor to the premier Grand Lodge today.
Remaining Prayerful,
Sis. Joyce Reaves
(now Sis. Joyce Fuller, PWM)
and decided to form a Grand Lodge composed of themselves. The Grand Lodge (GL) was to
essentially be an administrative, deliberative body, something like Congress. The Master and
Wardens of the Lodges would be the representatives and Past Masters of Lodges. The
representatives would elect from amongst the Past Masters a Grand Master, and Grand Wardens,
and other Grand Officers as needed. The Grand Lodge would grant charters to Work to these
various Lodges. The Grand Lodge created by these four old Lodges was calling itself, the Grand
Lodge of Westminster and London.
There were other older Lodges, and there was bitter rivalry between these for the individual
memberships. One called GL of Westminster and London began to calling itself the Grand
Lodge of England. This is where the Modern Form originates. The nationalistic feeling and
political distrust between the Irish and the English was very strong.
The Irish and Scottish Lodges thought that these four old English Lodges were pretty arrogant to
say that they were now THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND, and did not join with them. Some
of these got together, and formed other Grand Lodges, but the most significant was the Ancient
Grand Lodge.
The Grand Lodge of England then made certain changes in the way they did things, which were
actually innovations in the Form of Masonry. The Irish and Scottish Grand Lodge adhering to
the old way of doing things, started to call itself Ancient. So there came the distinction of the 2
GL, The Moderns and The Ancients. There was fierce rivalry between them. This brings to mind
the issues still being fought today of recognitions *smile*.
In 1813, the two Grand Lodges managed to get together. This happened because the Grand
Master of the Moderns and the Grand Master of the Ancients were physical brothers, and were
both royalty. So they decided to unite the two Grand Lodges. The Lodge of Emulation was then
created. It was a Lodge of reconciliation, where the two rituals would be worked into one that
would then be emulated by ALL the Lodges.
So, there was a great deal of compromising that had to occur to make this work. Feelings were
still strong. But it was more important to them that they form this unity than it was that they have
the other guy make all the concessions, and fight to "get their way."
The two Lodges formed the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), which continues to be the
successor to the premier Grand Lodge today.
Remaining Prayerful,
Sis. Joyce Reaves
(now Sis. Joyce Fuller, PWM)
* Thanks to:
Bro. Michael McMullen, Bro. Rashied Sharrieff Al Bey,
Sis. Carolyn Hams, Bro. Ezekiel M. Bey, Sis. Carolyn
Epps, Bro. Michael Segall, Sis. Khalilah Darden, Bro.
Richard Num, Bro. Rhan Blaze, Bro. Brian Fegeley,
Bro. Nelson King, Bro. David Gray, Bro. Weston
Harmon, Bro. Ralph McNeal, Sis. Sylvia Gembaroski
and Bro. Kevin Gembaroski. And all the members of
the E-Groups.
Bro. Michael McMullen, Bro. Rashied Sharrieff Al Bey,
Sis. Carolyn Hams, Bro. Ezekiel M. Bey, Sis. Carolyn
Epps, Bro. Michael Segall, Sis. Khalilah Darden, Bro.
Richard Num, Bro. Rhan Blaze, Bro. Brian Fegeley,
Bro. Nelson King, Bro. David Gray, Bro. Weston
Harmon, Bro. Ralph McNeal, Sis. Sylvia Gembaroski
and Bro. Kevin Gembaroski. And all the members of
the E-Groups.
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