GL of Tennessee Responds To CA and DC

In the ongoing war of words between US Grand Lodges, MW Phillip Dwight Hastings, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee has today issued edicts and letters "suspending fraternal relations" with the Grand Lodges of California and the District of Columbia.

Actually, the edicts and letters are slightly different, in that the edicts both say he is "suspending fraternal relations" while the letters say he is "suspending recognition," which are slightly different in meaning, according to some observers. I don't have my copy of Roscoe Pound handy, so I will simply advise all Masons who may be affected by the various edicts flying between, at this point, Georgia, Tennessee, California, DC, and Belgium, to contact their Grand Secretaries to determine what impact these actions may have on dual memberships and sojourning restrictions, especially regarding visiting appendant and concordant bodies.

One aspect of the matter in Tennessee that came up in GM Hastings' letters was that the bans against homosexual activity and co-habitation without benefit of marriage in Tennessee's code date back "for over 30 years." Clearly, the only reason it has become a public issue now is that it is being used to bring charges and subsequent suspensions against two Tennessee Masons for the first time in recent history.

At this time, the edict of the Grand Master of Tennessee is still in effect banning public discussion of the 'sexual behavior' topic, including doing so much as clicking the "LIKE" button on Facebook, so I urge the Brethren in that jurisdiction to take special care in what and where you post.

Their 2016 Grand Lodge session takes place March 23-24.

--------------------------------

UPDATE: As an example of my comments about clarifying with Grand Secretaries as to the effect these types of edicts have on lodges and individual Masons, the following message was sent to lodge Secretaries by the Grand Secretary of the District of Columbia:

Dear Brother Secretaries,

A word of advice in regards to the possibility of visiting brethren from Georgia and Tennessee to your Lodge.

Any individual Mason is welcome to sit in your Lodge.

Not Permitted to Sit in Lodge:- Grand Lodge Officer (Elected or Appointed)- Lodge delegations- Grand Lodge delegations

Jeffrey D. Russell, PGM , Grand Secretary