SHORT TALK BULLETIN INDEX

Vol. XXVI No. 8 — August 1948

Fraternal Recognitions

In March 1939, The Short Talk Bulletin “Recognized Foreign Grand Lodges” told the story of the relations between the forty-nine American grand lodges and those of the rest of the world, as developed from a chart showing all such relations, dated 1938.

During ten years, which saw the beginning and ending of World War II, Masonic thought in this country has liberalized regarding recognitions of foreign grand lodges.

This Bulletin notes the changes and the present status of inter-grand lodge relations between American grand jurisdictions and all those outside the borders of continental United States.

The matter is of greater importance than appears on the surface. The individual brother cannot legally visit lodges under the obedience of a grand lodge with which his own is not in fraternal relations, and to many travelers this is an all-important matter. But the heart of the question lies in the attempt of our grand lodges to keep Freemasonry pure and undefiled; to recognize only those grand lodges beyond our borders which adhere to the same principles, recognize the same landmarks, and practice the Ancient Craft as we do.

“Recognition” of one grand lodge by another is a statement to the world that two grand lodges approve the acts and principles of each.

A man’s home is his castle. To it he invites his friends; men whom he knows; gentlemen of character sufficiently known to the host to satisfy him that his guest is worthy of inclusion in the family circle. The man who belongs to a good club is particular about the applicants for membership upon whom he votes favorably; he would know that the applicant is a gentleman, of such parts and ability as will make association with him agreeable and pleasant.

The fact that a man is not invited to another’s home, or voted upon to become a member of his club, does not necessarily mean disapproval, or criticism, but may be simply from lack of knowledge.

In the same way, the fact that Grand Lodge A does not recognize Grand Lodge B does not necessarily mean that Grand Lodge A disapproves of Grand Lodge B. It may mean just that; it may be lack of knowledge that Grand Lodge B conforms to the standards of recognition which Grand Lodge A has established for itself.

Three-fourths of the Grand Lodges of this country have adopted standards of recognition; the others consider each case on its merits, or follow the standards set by another grand lodge. All American grand lodges, however, are practically at one in the essentials of recognition. A few demand descent from the Grand Lodge of the British Isles.

In general a foreign grand lodge seeking recognition and fraternal relations with American grand lodges must show that it was formed of at least three legitimate, just and duly constituted lodges; that it is independent, self-governing, supreme in its jurisdiction; that it makes Masons of men only; that it adheres to the Ancient Landmarks; practices secrecy; acknowledges the Fatherhood of God; divides the Craft into three degrees which teach by operative symbolism; inculcates the legend of the third degree; excludes politics and sectarianism; insists on the physical presence of a Volume of the Sacred Law; subscribes to and practices the doctrine of exclusive territorial jurisdiction.

Some grand lodges add various minor requirements

1948 1939
CANADA, Alberta 49 49
CANADA, British Columbia 49 49
CANADA, in Ontario 49 49
CANADA, Manitoba 49 49
CANADA, New Brunswick 49 49
CANADA, Nova Scotia 49 49
CANADA, Prince Edward Island 49 49
CANADA, Quebec 49 49
CANADA, Saskatchewan 49 49
CUBA 49 48
ENGLAND 49 49
MEXICO, York 49 47
NEW SOUTH WALES 49 49
NEW ZEALAND 49 49
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 49 47
QUEENSLAND 49 49
SCOTLAND 49 49
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 49 49
VICTORIA 49 49
WESTERN AUSTRALIA 49 49
IRELAND 48 48
PUERTO RICO 47 47
COSTA RICA 46 43
PANAMA 45 44
DENMARK, National Grand Lodge 44 30
SWEDEN 44 34
TASMANIA 44 43
CHILE 42 34
BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro 37 25
COLOMBIA, Barranquilla 37 21
MEXICO, Tamaulipas 36 1
NORWAY 35 17
GUATEMALA 34 33
BRAZIL, Parahyba 31 22
ECUADOR 31 28
SWITZERLAND 31 21
NETHERLANDS (Holland) 29 16
NICARAGUA 28 8
BRAZIL, Sao Paulo 26 15
COLOMBIA, Bogota 26 20
BOLIVIA 25 4
CZECHOSLOVAKIA, Nat’l Gr. L. 25 34
PERU 25 24
BRAZIL, Para 21 12
VENEZUELA 21 12
ARGENTINA 19 8
ITALY 19 5
BRAZIL, Bahia 18 17
MEXICO, El Potosi 17 1
MEXICO, Valle de 17 8
EGYPT 15 15
MEXICO, Cos., Chihuahua 14 6
BRAZIL, Amazonas & Acre 13 12
CZECHOSLOVAKIA, DreiRingen 13 28
MEXICO, Del Pacifico 13 6
MEXICO, Unida Mexicana 13 3
HONDURAS 12 10
MEXICO, Baja (Calif.) 12 —
SAN SALVADOR, Cuscatlan 12 9
AUSTRIA (Vienna) 11 19
BRAZIL, Ceara 11 4
BRAZIL, Minas Geraes 11 3
COLOMBIA, Cartegena 11 8
MEXICO, Nuevo Leon 11 2
URUGUAY 11 3
BRAZIL, Rio Grande Do Sul 10 7
FRANCE, Grand Lodge 10 13
FRANCE, National Grand Lodge 9 10
MEXICO, Benito Juarez 9 2
GREECE, Grand Orient 8 8
MEXICO, Occident, Jalisco 8 2
YUGOSLAVIA 8 13
FINLAND 7 4
MEXICO, Chiapas 7 3
MEXICO, Oriental Peninsular 7 3
ROMANIA 7 8
BELGIUM 6 7
COLOMBIA, Santander 4 —
MEXICO, Campeche 4 —
DOMINICA, National Grand Lodge 3 2
HUNGARY 3 —
MEXICO, Guadalupe Victoria 3 —
MEXICO, Hidalgo 3 —
PARAGUAY 3 3
BRAZIL, Grand Orient 2 2
BRAZIL, Pernambuco 2 2
COLOMBIA, Occidental-Cali 2 —
GERMANY (lodge in Exile) 2 1
MEXICO, Est. Restauracian 2 1
MEXICO, Oaxaca 2 —
MEXICO, Queretaro 2 —
POLAND 2 3
SPAIN, Grand Lodge 2 5
SYRIA and LEBANON 2 —
BRAZIL, Parana 1 —
BULGARIA 1 3
HAITI 1 1
LUXEMBOURG 1 1
PALESTINE 1 —
SERBIA 1 —
SPAIN, Grand Orient 1 1
TURKEY 1 1
DENMARK, Grand Lodge — 5
NORWAY, Polarstjernen — 1

Listings for Denmark and Norway have changed during the decade; Polarstjernen of Norway, once recognized by one American grand lodge no longer appears on the chart, and Denmark is represented by one grand lodge only, the two formerly existing having consolidated during this year.

Alphabetically, the Foreign grand lodges recognized by American grand lodges are: ARGENTINA; AUSTRIA (Vienna); BELGIUM; BOLIVIA; BRAZIL - Amazonas & Acre, Bahia, Ceara, Grand Orient, Minas Geraes, Para, Parahyba, Parana, Pernambuco, RiodeJaneiro,Rio Grande Do Sul, Sao Paulo; BULGARIA; CANADA - Alberta, British Colubia, Canada in Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan; CHILE; COLOMBIA - Barranquilla, Bogta, Cartegena, Occidental (Cali), Santander; COSTA RICA; CUBA; CZECHOSLOVAKIA — Drei Ringen, National Grand Lodge; DENMARK — National Grand Lodge; DOMINICA — National Grand Lodge; ECUADOR; EGYPT; ENGLAND; FINLAND; FRANCE — Grand Lodge, National Grand Lodge; GERMANY (lodge in Exile); GREECE — Grand Orient; GUATEMALA; HAITI; HONDURAS; HUNGARY; IRELAND; ITALY — Grand Orient; LUXEMBOURG; MEXICO — Baja (Calif.), Benito Juarez, Campeche, Chiapas, Cos. (Chihuahua), Del Pacifico, El Potosi, Est. Restauracion, Guadalupe Victoria, Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Occident (Jalisco), Oriental Peninsular, Queretaro, Tamaulipas, Unida Mexicana, Valle de York; NETHERLANDS (Holland); NEW SOUTH WALES; NEW ZEALAND; NICARAGUA; NORWAY — Grand Lodge; PALESTINE; PANAMA; PARAGUAY; PERU; PHILIPPINE ISLANDS; POLAND; PUERTO RICO; QUEENSLAND; ROMANIA; SAN SALVADOR — Cuscatlan; SCOTLAND; SERBIA; SOUTH AUSTRALIA; SPAIN — Grand Lodge, Grand Orient; SWEDEN; SWITZERLAND; SYRIA and LEBANON; TASMANIA; TURKEY; URUGUAY; VENEZUELA; VICTORIA; WESTERN AUSTRALIA; YUGOSLAVIA.

Recognized by one

  1. BRAZIL, Parana
  2. BULGARIA
  3. HAITI
  4. LUXEMBOURG
  5. PALESTINE
  6. SERBIA
  7. SPAIN, Grand Orient
  8. TURKEY

Recognized by two

  1. BRAZIL, Grand Orient
  2. BRAZIL, Pernambuco
  3. COLOMBIA, Occidental (Cali)
  4. GERMANY (lodge in Exile)
  5. MEXICO, Est. Restauracian
  6. MEXICO, Oaxaca
  7. MEXICO, Queretaro
  8. POLAND
  9. SPAIN, Grand Lodge
  10. SYRIA and LEBANON

Recognized by three

  1. DOMINICA, National Grand Lodge
  2. HUNGARY
  3. MEXICO, Guadalupe Victoria
  4. MEXICO, Hidalgo
  5. PARAGUAY

Recognized by four

  1. COLOMBIA, Santander
  2. MEXICO, Campeche

Recognized by six

  1. BELGIUM

Recognized by seven

  1. FINLAND
  2. MEXICO, Chiapas
  3. MEXICO, Oriental Peninsular
  4. ROMANIA

Recognized by eight

  1. GREECE, Grand Orient
  2. MEXICO, Occident (Jalisco)
  3. YUGOSLAVIA

Recognized by nine

  1. FRANCE, National Grand Lodge
  2. MEXICO, Benito Juarez

Recognized by ten

  1. BRAZIL, Rio Grande Do Sul
  2. FRANCE, Grand Lodge

Recognized by eleven

  1. AUSTRIA, Vienna
  2. BRAZIL, Ceara
  3. BRAZIL, Minas Geraes
  4. COLOMBIA, Cartegena
  5. MEXICO, Nuevo Leon
  6. URUGUAY

Recognized by twelve

  1. HONDURAS
  2. MEXICO, Baja (Calif.)
  3. SAN SALVADOR, Cuscatlan

Recognized by thirteen

  1. BRAZIL, Amazonas & Acre
  2. CZECHOSLOVAKIA, Drei Ringen
  3. MEXICO, Del Pacifico
  4. MEXICO, Unida Mexicana

Recognized by fourteen

  1. MEXICO, Cos. Chihuahua

Recognized by fifteen

  1. EGYPT

Recognized by seventeen

  1. MEXICO, El Potosi
  2. MEXICO, Valle de

Recognized by eighteen

  1. BRAZIL, Bahia

Recognized by nineteen

  1. ARGENTINA
  2. ITALY

Recognized by twenty-one

  1. BRAZIL, Para
  2. VENEZUELA

Recognized by twenty-five

  1. BOLIVIA
  2. CZECHOSLOVAKIA, National Gr. L.
  3. PERU

Recognized by twenty-six

  1. BRAZIL, Sao Paulo
  2. COLOMBIA, Bogota

Recognized by twenty-eight

  1. NICARAGUA

Recognized by twenty-nine

  1. NETHERLANDS (Holland)

Recognized by thirty-one

  1. BRAZIL, Parahyba
  2. ECUADOR
  3. SWITZERLAND

Recognized by thirty-four

  1. GUATEMALA

Recognized by thirty-five

  1. NORWAY

Recognized by thirty-six

  1. MEXICO, Tamaulipas

Recognized by thirty-seven

  1. BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro
  2. COLOMBIA, Barranquilla

Recognized by forty-two

  1. CHILE

Recognized by forty-four

  1. DENMARK, National Grand Lodge
  2. SWEDEN
  3. TASMANIA

Recognized by forty-five

  1. PANAMA

Recognized by forty-six

  1. COSTA RICA

Recognized by forty-seven

  1. PUERTO RICO

Recognized by forty-eight

  1. IRELAND

Recognized by forty-nine

  1. CANADA, Alberta
  2. CANADA, British Columbia
  3. CANADA, in Ontario
  4. CANADA, Manitoba
  5. CANADA, New Brunswick
  6. CANADA, Nova Scotia
  7. CANADA, Prince Edward Island
  8. CANADA, Quebec
  9. CANADA, Saskatchewan
  10. CUBA
  11. ENGLAND
  12. MEXICO, York
  13. NEW SOUTH WALES
  14. NEW ZEALAND
  15. PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
  16. QUEENSLAND
  17. SCOTLAND
  18. SOUTH AUSTRALIA
  19. VICTORIA
  20. WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Grand lodge recognizing: (from a possible 102)

  1. 27 — Wisconsin
  2. 28 — Maryland
  3. 29 — Maine, West Virginia
  4. 30 — Illinois
  5. 31 — Georgia
  6. 32 — Virginia
  7. 33 — Mississippi
  8. 34 — Florida, Utah
  9. 36 — Delaware, Nebraska
  10. 37 — Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wyoming
  11. 38 — Washington
  12. 40 — New Mexico
  13. 42 — Alabama, Rhode Island, Vermont
  14. 43 — South Dakota
  15. 44 — Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas
  16. 45 — Michigan, Montana, Ohio
  17. 46 — Idaho, Nevada
  18. 47 — South Carolina
  19. 48 — Minnesota, New Jersey
  20. 49 — Arizona
  21. 50 — Connecticut
  22. 52 — New Hampshire, North Dakota, Dist. of Columbia
  23. 53 — Colorado, Indiana
  24. 54 — Massachusetts
  25. 56 — New York
  26. 59 — California
  27. 60 — Texas
  28. 61 — Missouri, Oregon
  29. 68 — Oklahoma
  30. 71 — North Carolina
  31. 82 — Louisiana
  32. 85 — Kentucky

The Masonic Service Association of North America