Did you know? (Part 3)

The Order of Universal Co-Freemasonry in Great Britain and the British Dependencies was founded by Annie Besant and officers of the Supreme Council of the French Maconnerie Mixte (known today as The International Order of Co-Freemasonry, Le Droit Humain) on September 28, 1902, with the consecration of Lodge Human Duty No. 6 in London. Besant remained head of the Order until her death in 1933.

The English working, influenced by the Theosophy of its leading members, restored certain Masonic practices not required in the French working, notably that its members hold a belief in God or a Supreme Being. The permission received from France to reinstate this in the English workings is known as the 'Annie Besant Concord," and in 1904 a new English ritual was printed, which firmly established this requirement as central to the work.

The revised ritual was called the 'Dharma Ritual,' also known as the 'Besant-Leadbeater' and more recently as the 'Lauderdale' working. The Dharma Ritual also attempted to restore prominence to esoteric and mystical aspects that its Theosophically-minded authors felt were the heart of Freemasonry, so that it became a spiritual organization; Co-Freemasonry of this Order was therefore sometimes called 'Occult Freemasonry."


The Honorable Order of American Co-Masonry
In 1903 the first Co-Masonic Lodge in the USA was instituted under Le Droit Humain by the French professor Muzzarelli in New York. He founded the first Alpha Lodge in Charleroi, Pennsylvania and more than 50 others within four years before leaving the United States of America in 1908.

In 1909 delegates of twenty of these Lodges founded the American Federation of Human Rights in St. Louis. By 1924, nearly 100 Lodges had been started under the guidance of Louis Goaziou, the Most Puissant Grand Commander, Representative of the Supreme Council in Paris.


Defection of Lodges from Le Droit Humain
Between the mid-1990's and early 2000's a large number of lodges defected from Le Droit Humain, which they charged with infringing upon their constitutional rights.

On January 2, 2001, Le Droit Humain formerly expelled four senior members of the British Federation over these disagreements. Following these expulsions, about 70 members resigned.

The defecting lodges reformed as the American Federation of Human Rights, the Honorable Order of American Co-Masonry, the Eastern Order of International Co-Freemasonry, and a number of smaller orders.

Other lodges, including those in Australia and South Africa and some US lodges, opted to remain affiliated with the Supreme Council of International Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain, and continue to exist as the British, Australian, and American Federations of the order, governed by the Representative of the Supreme Council in France, known as the Most Puissant Grand Commander, who holds the 33rd and highest degree of the Order.


The American Federation of Human Rights / American Co-Masonry
In December 1993, when demands from the Supreme Council in Parish conflicted with the International Constitution and the National Constitution of the American Federation of Le Droit Humain, which mandated independence in internal affairs and adherence to United States law, a large part of the membership decided to withdraw from Le Droit Humain.

On April 11, 1994, the Supreme Council of American Co-Masonry, The American Federation of Human Rights, was reformed by members of the Grand Inspector General of the Thirty-Third Degree. Also known as American Co-Masonry, this now-independent obedience, which has its headquarters in Larkspur, Colorado, has since become the largest Co-Masonic organization in the United States.

The Eastern Order of International C0-Freemasonry in 2001, following growing concerns over erosions to the Annie Besant Concord by the administration in Paris, many member lodges of the Eastern Federation resigned from Le Droit Humain, severing all ties, and reconstituted new governing bodies.

Lodges in India, New Zealand, part of the US, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Spain reformed as the Eastern Order of International C0-Freemasonry; lodges in the UK reformed as the Grand Lodge of Freemasonry for Men and Women.

The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons
The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons is a virtual Grand Lodge for men and women operating over the internet. The Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons were initially chartered by the Grand Orient de France on May 14, 1928.

On November 17, 1976 Grand Master Juliet Ashley established the Sovereign and Independent Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons as an independent Masonic organization. This order's name was changed to "International Sovereign and Independent Grand Lodge of Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons" at its meeting in Washington, DC on June 22, 1977.

At that meeting the Grand Lodge also established Acacia Lodge #1 A: A:. & E:. F:. as the first Lodge of Master Masons under the new jurisdiction. From 1992 the Grand Lodge ceased to operate within a physical temple, and from 2003 they began rewriting the rituals for self-initiation and lodge initiation using one or more initiating officers.

They have offered internet initiations for Entered Apprentices since 2004. [The order confers Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees, as well as York Rite and Scottish Rite degrees and several other advanced rites. Degrees are practiced in their regular and ancient form, and are accompanied by esoteric teachings.

Part 4 coming shortly.....stay tuned.