The Grand Orient of the United States of America : A Modern Masonic Experiment ?
By Dr David Harrison
Ritual , Secrecy , and Civil Society • Vol . 8 , No . 1 • Spring 2021
This paper is dedicated to the many contributors , and especially those members of GOUSA that have now passed : John Slifko , David Cooksey and Stewart McGee .
Abstract
In 2005 , Jeff Peace and a number of other Freemasons were struckoff from the Grand Lodge of Georgia ; they had created a separate degree structure called the Rite of the Rose Cross of Gold . Part Masonic entertainment , part social club for new , young aspiring Masons , and in part an attempt at launching a new degree with an old name , 1 the new Rite , which was the brainchild of Peace , began to upset established Georgia Masons and ultimately led to Peace ’ s dismissal . 2 Around the same time in Cleveland , Ohio , the Halcyon Lodge No . 498 was entering into an uncertain period of conflict with the Grand Lodge of Ohio in regards to the ownership of its lodge building , a conflict that would result in a highly expensive court case , which ultimately led to Halcyon unceremoniously leaving the Grand Lodge . Meanwhile in Alabama , a group of Freemasons led by Aaron Peavy and David Cooksey chose to leave the Grand Lodge of Alabama in a protest against the continuing and blatant racism which they experienced , their actions gaining some media coverage at the time . This all corresponded with the championing of what has been termed as ‘ progressive ’ Freemasonry , especially in California , one of the more prominent voices of this ‘ movement ’ at the time being John Slifko , who advocated and promoted a form of co-masonry and of course , initiated the use of the internet to promote Masonic groups and lodges in a new ‘ liberal ’ or ‘ progressive ’ Masonic vision of harmony . All of these ‘ disenfranchised ’ and ‘ fringe ’ Masonic groups found an uneasy home together under a
1 The Order of the Gold and Rosy Cross was an eighteenth century Rite from Germany , open to Master Masons and was an Order that was said to promote the knowledge of alchemy . See David Harrison , The Lost Rites and Rituals of Freemasonry , ( Hersham : Lewis Masonic , 2017 ), pp . 54-56 . Peace appeared to have played on this name for his new ‘ Rite ’.
2 Jeff Peace had been a member of Sandy Springs Lodge # 124 F & AM , which still meets near Roswell , Atlanta , Georgia .
33 doi : 10.18278 / rscs . 8.1.5