Ritual , Secrecy , and Civil Society
and the grand lodge completely settled . One issue was the uniformity of ritual . In the proceedings for 1812 , a committee was appointed to see about the uniform working of the rituals and reported back that they thought it wise to let each lodge retain its traditions in working as long as they did not contradict ancient landmarks . 47 That was not the case with many other American grand lodges : “ In the opinion of the Grand Lodge , that it is now unnecessary to make any change in the long established usages of each lodge , and that each lodge is at liberty to use such rules and ceremonies as they shall see fit .” 48
Ever since , there has been a large amount of autonomy exercised by Washington lodges , perhaps more so than in some other jurisdictions , and a willingness of the lodges to complain if they felt their prerogatives were stepped on . 49 For example , in The Chronicles of
Georgetown , from 1751 to 1878 ), Potomac Lodge members remonstrated that in the past they had not always had to ask permission and could lay cornerstones , form processions , meet , initiate , and stage degrees “ as they so fit ”. 50
A debate that is relevant to American federalism was whether there should be a general grand lodge for the entire United States . The Grand Lodge invited other grand lodges to meet in Washington in 1812 to consider this and they met in the Senate Chamber of the Capitol . Nothing came of that convention , but the issue was to come up again . Despite many proponents , a general grand lodge never materialized . 51 This inevitably left to the Grand Lodge a number of responsibilities that a general grand lodge would have bourne . 52
The lodges of the Grand Lodge had a total membership of only about 250 in 1814 , and of only 219 in 1821 .
47 The idiosyncrasies of the Naval Lodge ritual are well known . In 1853 , when there was an effort to compel adoption of a uniform ritual , at a meeting of the Grand Lodge over which Benjamin French presided as grand master , the lodge ’ s right to use a different work prevailed . Kenton Neal Harper , History of Naval Lodge , No . 4 , F . A . A . M ., May 1805 to May 1905 , Naval Lodge , Washington , DC , 1905 , 79 .
48 Proceedings , 1812 , 31 .
49 Brother Stewart Miner noted in his 200 th anniversary address at All Souls Unitarian Church that there had been later day efforts to impose ritual uniformity which post 1990s expansion brought to a close . Stewart W . Miner , “ The Constancy of Masonry ”, Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia , March 26 , 2011 , 8 .
50 Jackson , R . P . ( 1878 ). The Chronicles of Georgetown ( p . 296 ). Washington , DC : R . O . Polkinhorn .
51 To skip ahead , a convention was held in 1843 in Baltimore , again seeking a general grand lodge , and again failing . This had long-term significance for the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia . Without a general grand lodge , the situation of a grand lodge in the district was de facto , if not de jure , that of a host to the world at large . It has fallen to the grand lodge on many occasions to represent American Masonry , despite its relatively small size .
52 Prince Hall state grand lodges did organize a National Grand Lodge , referred to as the National Compact , but it splintered in schisms . To this day , there are grand lodges outside of the Prince Hall mainstream that adhere to a National Grand Lodge . In the District that body is the Most Worshipful Eureka Grand Lodge . For a list of National Compact grand lodges see
http :// www . mwnationalgrandlodge . org / GLAFFILIATES2009 . htm and for a thorough discussion , Roundtree , A . G . ( 2007 ). The National Compact . Phylaxis , 2007 , 7 – 13 .
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