Ritual , Secrecy , and Civil Society
关键词 : 美国大东方共济会 ( Grand Orient of the United States of America ), GOUSA , John Slifko , 玫瑰金十字礼仪 ( Rite of the Rose Cross of Gold ), 乔治亚州共济会总会所 , 俄亥俄 州共济会总会所 , 阿拉巴马州共济会总会所
Freemasonry has indeed witnessed similar splits and schisms in the past , and GOUSAs story can be considered to be a repeat of Masonic history in this respect ; with disenfranchised or expelled Freemasons going it alone to create an independent Grand Lodge based on their particular Masonic vision . The model dictates thus ; that after a few years of confident formation , the brethren of this new Grand Lodge descend into in-fighting or disillusionment , and as a result of the isolation , fade away into obscurity . This same story can be seen especially with the Liverpool Masonic Rebellion of 1823 , where firebrand Michael Alexander Gage led a group of disenchanted Masonic rebels to form a new Grand Lodge , which , after a few years , fell apart , Gage retiring from Freemasonry all together and the remnants taking on a more localised Masonic culture and forming what has become known as the Grand Lodge of Wigan . 4 William Preston also attempted a similar path ; forming the Grand Lodge of England South of the River Trent in 1779 , gaining a Charter from the independent York Grand Lodge , and going it alone for ten years with three lodg- es before returning to the fold . 5 For the members of GOUSA there was no way back , and their particular story is much closer to that of the Liverpool Masonic Rebels , with the infighting and isolation bringing the project to an end , though in a similar way to Preston , they did , as we shall see , manage to obtain a Charter that gave them some sense of Masonic legitimacy in a wider Masonic context .
Beginnings
After he was ‘ struck-off ’ from the rolls of the Grand Lodge of Georgia , Jeff Peace soon started an internet presence and he began to attract the attention of other disenfranchised Masons . The timing was uncanny , and along with this handful of other Masons , who had merged together from Alabama , Georgia and the Halcyon Lodge in Ohio , they embarked on a new Masonic project called the United Grand Lodge of America and began an internet campaign in an effort to launch lodges and attract members to their new scheme . One particular lodge was mentioned in relation to the project during the early stages in 2006 ;
4 See David Harrison , The Liverpool Masonic Rebellion and the Wigan Grand Lodge , ( Bury St . Edmunds : Arima Publishing , 2012 ).
5 See David Harrison , The York Grand Lodge , ( Bury St . Edmunds : Arima Publishing , 2014 ).
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