What's Really Good?
Bro. Rhan Ferdinand
Greetings Brethren and those seeking to knock upon the door to Masonry. I came out of an irregular Grand Lodge named Hiram Grand Lodge of New York. Located in Harlem, New York off of Lenox Avenue and 124th, this Grand Lodge’s origin is detailed in another section of this website so I need not digress into that thread as that information came from me.
I sought Masonry back in the early summer of the year AL 6000, or 2000 A.D. Like most, I searched on the Internet by entering ‘mason’ into a search engine and printed out the first ten that popped up. Later that evening, upon reaching home, I went back online and read each site.
Of course, Prince Hall came up once or twice and I read those a few times over. I studied what I could and decided this was a fraternity in which I should seek membership. For those, like myself, who pledged a college fraternity and thought something is still missing, I found the subject of Freemasonry wholly enlightening and the history that appears to delve into antiquity, beyond interesting. When I discovered that most of the African-American Greek lettered organizations [generally known as BGLO’s, or black Greek letter organizations] were founded by Prince Hall masons and a few of the sororities by members of the Order of Eastern Star [especially my fraternity’s founder and his beau], I thought, at first, all African American men who were masons were Prince Hall. There was nothing to say they weren’t. However, I did not research deep enough because, as I later found out, there was also nothing that said they were, either.
That weekend I opened my yellow pages phone book and looked up fraternities, social organizations and…bingo! I found the MWPHGLNY’s number and, lo and behold, they were located not eight [8] blocks from me. Placing a call to them, I was greeted by an answering machine. I left a message detailing my interest in joining the organization and desire to learn more about what this location’s lodge did in my community.
Three days later, I still had no return call. I called back and left another message. By that week’s end, I still had not heard from them. Frustrated, I drove up there one evening after bringing my son home. There was no one there. The following day I took my wife to Queens to help a friend shop for her wedding dress. While I was driving past Murdock Blvd I remembered my friend’s sister was an Eastern Star who lived right on Murdock and Springfield Blvd! I drove over to their home and, luckily she was home…actually packing up as they were moving! Great timing. I took her aside and told her of my interest about masonry and explained the difficulty I was having contacting the lodge nearest me [as far as I knew the only one since none other were listed]. She gave me the number of a brother in Queens and said he didn’t live far from my mother in Rochdale Village. I hopped back in the car, dialing his number on my cell phone, steering all the while toward my mother’s area of Queens.
He was home, we chatted briefly, and he suggested I come by. Heck, I was already within five blocks of his home! I stopped at my mother’s place, to kill time, and continued over to his house about a half hour later.
After a good conversation with this brother I learned he was the founder of this particular lodge, back in 1974, and the grand lodge was Hiram Grand Lodge based…now get this…back in Harlem! I mentioned that I did some research and didn’t find this GL listed and called another one that was not too far from me off 155th, but no one returned my calls. He just shrugged and said “Well, you’re here now so it worked out.” I filled out the petition, left a deposit and…a few months later I was raised to Master Mason on October 14, 2000. Now the story takes a turn.
November 2001 found me online and subscribing to various freemasonry lists, predominately those of yahoo groups. One in particular started me on another path. I got on the PHA research list group and introduced myself and where I hailed [hele’d] from as was the requirement. After reading a few emails, I can’t recall what was exactly said, but my response elicited a back channel reply from Bro. Harmon Weston, PHA out of the very same Prince Hall Grand Lodge I attempted to contact before. We emailed a few times back and forth and he was kind enough to explain this thing called ‘bloodline’ and ‘irregularity’ and being ‘clandestine’. I was, to say the least, a bit ticked off at first. He suggested I go to the Grand Lodge of New York’s own library and do the research myself as nothing is hidden. I did just that but also arranged to meet with Bro. Weston with another brother who was raised with me. We met at Dean’s Café in Brooklyn and that opened my eyes a little wider.
The night Bro. Weston and I met at Dean’s Café my lodge had an instructional meeting. As it was breaking up I asked the past master, whose home we were having the meeting, if I could get some contact information on other lodges in our jurisdiction that I might stop by and meet them. After all, I was a Traveling Man, no? He said he’d get it for me next time as he couldn’t find them just then. I thanked him and left for my meeting with Bro. Weston.
During that week I must have called this past master three times asking him for this information. Finally, I let it drop. I asked my Worshipful Master when are we going to visit some other lodges like the one in my neighborhood. He said he’ll make some arrangements and let me know. I asked where are these other lodges and he named a few locally but very, painfully, few out of the state. I thought that was weird. Weren’t we Masons? “Couldn’t we visit anyone?” I asked. He said that we really couldn’t and he’d explain why another time.
By the time that ‘time’ came around I was already thinking of moving on. I met another brother, a Brother Rashied, in Washington, D.C. at the close of one day’s events during Masonic Week. A brother and I drove down just to meet him and several others and it was there I saw what masonry should be about. The camaraderie, the late night esoteric talks, meeting brethren from far and wide [from Germany to New Mexico, Connecticut to Florida…] and the frank discussions that occurred about 3 A.M. in the lobby of the Hotel Washington concerning bogus Grand Lodges and their ilk. I done had my fill. I started thinking back to my initiation and thereafter. I thought about my being passed and my raising. All that studying I had done and no one ever asked me one question from my catechisms. I was even told to stay away from “…that Internet!” Even more interesting was learning that Bro. Rashied had left the very same Grand Lodge I was then a member of. In fact, he took his entire lodge out of there. Was this the person I’ve heard brothers whisper about? This particular brother later invited me to witness an installation ceremony held in May of 2001 at the Grand Lodge of New York on 23rd Street in Manhattan. There I was able to meet the GM’s from Haiti, Romania, Italy and several other prominently known members of the Craft. All were amenable and easily approachable. I had words with the WM of Abravanel Lodge # 1116 there where, taking me into the hall, he stated that I should continue my search for more light, that I’m on the right road as I’m asking the right questions and I’m meeting the right people. As he said, always ask questions. He said to me that what I’m seeing in that room [referring to the reception taking place after the ceremony] is true masonry, masonry that is continually evolving. Coincidentally, the installation ceremony was held in the same place where I was initiated later that year.
I approached my WM one last time concerning the topic of ‘irregularity’ at his home during a barbecue that was rained out. What he said I will not repeat here for that was his own beliefs and Lord knows he has enough to contend with that lodge as it is. I faded from that scene slowly, seeking Light elsewhere, meeting other brothers from recognized lodges. When next my lodge brothers saw me, a few months later, I helped initiate some candidates into that lodge and couldn’t help but think this was wrong and I was a part of it. Never mind that I was a bit miffed that I didn’t even know who these men were as I never met them, none of them ever called me and we were never sent communications about their progress. As we were preparing one section of the initiation I noticed one of the men had an Omega Psi Phi brand on his arm, the interlocking Omega Greek letter. I said to him “Why would I know about Cooper, Coleman, Love and Just and why is that important to you and I?” He said “You’re a Que Dog!” I said “No, I’m not but remember what I’m saying here and now: always seek light. There is more to this. Study your founders again.”
That was the last time that lodge saw me. Hindsight is 20/20 but mine I think is keener for you, the candidate or curious brother, at 20/10. A few lessons I pass on to you to see if the lodge you’re interested in or are currently a member of is clandestine or irregular:
1. Ask them where they received their charter, which Grand Lodge. If they don’t match up to any of them listed in this site or at http://www.bessel.org then they’re mostly likely clandestine.
2. Go and visit their lodge and Grand Lodge. Ask to see the inside. If it looks run down, shoddy and in disrepair, then you can bet that’s how they keep their books [accounting] and how they carry themselves. It’s like my father used to tell me about women: if their bathroom is dirty, so are they. Move on.
3. If the past Grand Master absconded with funds from the Grand Lodge just remember he couldn’t have done it alone. If you’re at a Grand Council meeting, as I was, and the Grand Treasurer asks why was there only $69.00 in the account when he became elected it’s time to rethink your membership there.
4. If you receive your first lodge roster and notice about 40 or so people missing from your current meeting start asking about these brother’s whereabouts.
5. If one of the Past Masters never says hello or responds to your greetings or acknowledges your presence from day One …there’s more to that lodge than meets the eye.
6. If none of your talents are put to use, even after you offer your services over and over and you think your lodge can do better than a “Bring Your Own Bottle” event. On top of this, if they think a fish fry is the epitome of a fundraiser…move on.
7. If no one in the lodge can recite their obligations verbatim without consistent prompting…even the lodge instructor needs help.
8. If Master Mason signs are given to the WM in the presence of candidates. [Goes to the position of not being aware in Lodge]
9. If you’re in another city or state and you state the name of your Grand Lodge and you get a quizzical, perplexed look from the other brother.
10. If the lodge and Grand Lodge is listed under the “Bogus” section of this site and, after printing it out, you take it to any member of your grand lodge and ask them to refute this claim with documents…and they dodge your calls.
11. If you don’t understand what this whole thing is concerning ‘bloodline’ and ‘regularity’ just think of this if you’re in a BGLO: if you have a dispute with members of your chapter under, say, Kappa Alpha Psi, and you are expelled or just leave to start your own Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and begin issuing charters to start other chapters of your new Kappa Alpha Psi, is that ethical? Not only that, is that really still Kappa Alpha Psi? This, briefly, is what John G. Jones has done.
12. If you have this nagging voice in the back of your head saying “You can do better than this.” …listen to it!!!
From time to time a brother from my former lodge would find me online and send me instant messages. We’d get into a few debates about irregularity and how Hiram, in his opinion, is not clandestine. His argument was always based on Anderson’s Constitutions and the Landmarks. He couldn’t see that those Landmarks mean naught to Hiram if the first problem of being irregular is not addressed; the ‘bloodline’ was broken by John G. Jones and his followers. He says he can enter any tiled lodge. I suggested he try that at any PHA lodge as noted herein as being recognized or at any lodge under the Grand Lodge of New York or any that it recognizes. He said I’d need a demit to leave the lodge to go to any other lodge. He bet me $5,000.00. He doesn’t get it.
I‘m still waiting for my $5,000. Moreover, I guess they’re waiting for me to demit.
Best regards,
Bro. Rhan Ferdinand
All Seeing Eye Lodge # 1181
Grand Lodge of New York
rhanblaze@runbox.com
"It is the triumph of reason to get on with those that have none."
-Voltaire