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| Formation | 1821 |
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| Location | |
Region | Missouri |
| Website | momason.org |
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The Grand Lodge of Missouri is one of two statewide organizations, along with a Prince Hall Affiliated grand lodge, that oversee Masonic lodges in the state of Missouri. It was established on April 21, 1821. It is located in Columbia, Missouri.
The first Lodge in Missouri was created by residents of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. The charter was issued on November 14, 1807 on a warrant from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania for the Louisiana Lodge No. 109, to be held in St. Genevieve, Territory of Louisiana with the following officers: Aaron Elliott, Master; Andrew Henry, Senior Warden; and George Bullitt, Junior Warden.
On September 15, 1808, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania granted a warrant to Meriwether Lewis (leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the first governor of the Territory of Louisiana), Master, Thomas Fiveash Riddick, Senior Warden, and Rufus Easton, Junior Warden, for Saint Louis Lodge No. 111. This Lodge was constituted November 8, 1808, by Otho Shrader under dispensation dated September 16, 1808.
Later, the Grand Lodge of Tennessee granted charters to three Lodges in Missouri Territory: Missouri Lodge No. 12, in St. Louis, October 8, 1816, Joachim Lodge No. 25, at Herculaneum, October 5, 1819, and St. Charles Lodge No. 28, at St. Charles, October 5, 1819.
In 1820 Unity Lodge was established at Jackson under dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Indiana. It was in existence when the Grand Lodge of Missouri was organized, and was rechartered by it as Unity Lodge No. 6.
On February 22, 1821, representatives from Missouri Lodge No. 12, Joachim Lodge No. 25, and St. Charles Lodge No. 28, assembled in the hall of Missouri Lodge and resolved to organize a grand Lodge for the State of Missouri. The Grand Lodge was organized April 21, 1821, and a constitution and by-laws were adopted.
The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Ancient Masons of the State of Missouri was incorporated by act of the General Assembly of Missouri February 17, 1843. An amendment to this act, repealing its requirement of operation of a college, was approved February 11, 1861. By act of the General Assembly approved February 13, 1864, certain named members of the"Grand Lodge of the State of Missouri of Free and Accepted Ancient Masons were incorporated as "The Grand Lodge of the State of Missouri of Free and Accepted Ancient Masons." By act of the General Assembly approved March 22, 1870, the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Missouri was, among other things, "authorized to own property of any value not exceeding $300,000.00." By decree of the Circuit Court of the City of Saint Louis entered November 18, 1933, the corporate names used in these legislative acts were replaced by "\The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Missouri, which is now the correct corporate name of the Grand Lodge, and the powers of the corporation, especially with reference to the Masonic Home and to the holding of property, were greatly amplified.
The present Constitution was adopted May 28, 1866, with a Code of By-Laws, which has been amended through the years. The By-Laws are subject to change by the action of the Grand Lodge members at the annual communication (meeting) of the Grand Lodge.
The Grand Lodge operated Masonic College in Lexington, Missouri during the middle part of the 19th century.
President Harry Truman was a prominent Missouri mason; his apron is on display at the Grand Lodge. Author Mark Twain was affiliated with Polar Star Lodge Number 79 in St. Louis Missouri.
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 14th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients. Modern Freemasonry broadly consists of two main recognition groups: Regular Freemasonry, which insists that a volume of scripture be open in a working lodge, that every member professes belief in a Supreme Being, that no women be admitted, and that the discussion of religion and politics do not take place within the lodge; and Continental Freemasonry, which consists of the jurisdictions that have removed some, or all, of these restrictions.
The history of Freemasonry encompasses the origins, evolution and defining events of the fraternal organisation known as Freemasonry. It covers three phases. Firstly, the emergence of organised lodges of operative masons during the Middle Ages, then the admission of lay members as "accepted" or "speculative" masons, and finally the evolution of purely speculative lodges, and the emergence of Grand Lodges to govern them. The watershed in this process is generally taken to be the formation of the first Grand Lodge in London in 1717. The two difficulties facing historians are the paucity of written material, even down to the 19th century, and the misinformation generated by masons and non-masons alike from the earliest years.
The relationship between Mormonism and Freemasonry began early in the life of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Smith's older brother, Hyrum, and possibly his father, Joseph, Sr. were Freemasons while the family lived near Palmyra, New York. In the late 1820s, the western New York region was swept with anti-Masonic fervor.
Prince Hall Freemasonry is a branch of North American Freemasonry for African Americans founded by Prince Hall on September 29, 1784. There are two main branches of Prince Hall Freemasonry: the independent State Prince Hall Grand Lodges, most of which are recognized by State grand lodges, and those under the jurisdiction of the National Grand Lodge. Prince Hall Freemasonry is the oldest and largest predominantly African-American fraternity in the United States.
The Grand Lodge of Texas, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons is the largest of several governing bodies of Freemasonry in the State of Texas, being solely of the Ancients' tradition and descending from the Ancient Grand Lodge of England, founded on 17 June 1751 at the Turk's Head Tavern, Greek Street, Soho, London. According to historian James D. Carter, the "Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas, A.F. & A.M." was founded on 16 April 1838. However, its first Grand Master and other grand officers were installed by Sam Houston on 11 May 1838. The Grand Lodge of Texas is one of the largest in the world, reporting 69,099 members in 2019. The current Grand Lodge of Texas facilities were made possible by the fundraising efforts of Waco Masonic Lodge No. 92.
Masonic landmarks are a set of principles that many Freemasons claim to be ancient and unchangeable precepts of Masonry. Issues of the "regularity" of a Freemasonic Lodge, Grand Lodge or Grand Orient are judged in the context of the landmarks. Because each Grand Lodge is self-governing, with no single body exercising authority over the whole of Freemasonry, the interpretations of these principles can and do vary, leading to controversies of recognition. Different Masonic jurisdictions have different landmarks.
The Province of South Australia was established by an Act of the British Parliament and was assented to by King William IV on 15 August 1834. Freemasonry became included in the plans for the proposed new settlement with the establishment of a new Lodge in England. On 22 October 1834, the South Australian Lodge of Friendship, No 613 E.C. was warranted and met in London for the first time on 27 November.
The Ancient Grand Lodge of England, as it is known today, or The Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons as they described themselves on their warrants, was a rival Grand Lodge to the Premier Grand Lodge of England. It existed from 1751 until 1813 when the United Grand Lodge of England was created from the two Grand Lodges. They are now called the Antients, in contrast to the Moderns, the original Grand Lodge which its critics, notably Laurence Dermott, said had moved away from the ritual of Scotland, Ireland, and now the Antient Grand Lodge. This Grand Lodge was also informally called the Atholl Grand Lodge because the Third and Fourth Dukes of Atholl presided over it as Grand Masters for half of its 62-year existence.
This is a chronology of the formation of "regular" or "mainstream" Masonic Grand Lodges in North America, descending from the Premier Grand Lodge of England or its rival, the Antient Grand Lodge of England. A Grand Lodge is the governing body that supervises "Craft" Freemasonry in a particular jurisdiction or geographical area.
The Grand Lodge of Kansas Ancient Free & Accepted Masons is the governing body that supervise Freemasonry in the U.S. state of Kansas. The Grand Lodge of Kansas is headquartered in Emporia, Kansas.
The Grand Lodge of New York is the largest and oldest independent organization of Freemasons in the U.S. state of New York. The headquarters of the Grand Lodge is the Grand Lodge Building located at 23rd Street in Manhattan.
The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Alabama, commonly called the Grand Lodge of Alabama, is one of two Masonic grand lodges in the state of Alabama, the other being the predominantly African American Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Alabama.
The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of Nebraska is one of two governing bodies of Freemasonry in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It was established on September 23, 1857. The Grand Lodge of Nebraska is headquartered at Lincoln, Nebraska.
The Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Indiana is one of two statewide organizations that oversee Masonic lodges in the state of Indiana. It was established on January 13, 1818. The Grand Lodge of Indiana's offices and archives are located in the Indianapolis Masonic Temple. The historically black Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Indiana F&AM is the second regular Masonic grand lodge in the state, and it was originally established in 1856 as the Independent Union Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Indiana. The two grand lodges agreed to mutual recognition in May 1998, and they jointly share sovereignty over the Masonic fraternity in Indiana.
The Grand Lodge of Ohio, formally known as the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio, is the governing body of the largest group of Masonic lodges in Ohio. The Grand Lodge of Ohio follows the Anglo-American tradition of Freemasonry that is common in the United States. In 2023, the Grand Lodge reported a total membership of 75,000 Master Masons.
The Grand Lodge of North Dakota, formally known as the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free & Accepted Masons of North Dakota, is the governing body of the largest group of masonic lodges in North Dakota. It follows the Anglo-American tradition of Freemasonry common in the United States.
The Grand Lodge of Minnesota, formally known as "The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Minnesota," is the oldest independent Masonic Grand Lodge established in Minnesota. It was formed in 1853.
Peter Buell Allen was a politician and military commander in New York State in the early 1800s and a pioneer of Vigo County and Terre Haute, Indiana.
The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free And Accepted Masons of New Mexico is the oldest and largest of the two regular Masonic Grand Lodges in the State of New Mexico. It was founded on August 7, 1877, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Grand Lodge of Tennessee, officially the Grand Lodge of the Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Tennessee, is the main governing body of Freemasonry within Tennessee. This Grand Lodge was established in Knoxville, Tennessee, on December 27, 1813, by nine Masonic lodges operating within the state. In 2017, the Grand Lodge of Tennessee had a reported membership of 34,858 Master Masons, and by 2020 the membership had fallen only slightly to 33,200.
39°1′7.4″N92°18′31.34″W / 39.018722°N 92.3087056°W
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