Ritual , Secrecy , and Civil Society
with the ‘ Cosmopolitan ’ system of ritual for use by the new organisation . 8
Meanwhile , John Slifko , based in California , had long entertained ideas of creating an independent and progressive form of Freemasonry , and through his own contacts within the George Washington Union — a mixed-gender Masonic obedience operating a number of lodges in the USA , which had a relationship with the Grand Orient de France 9 — he drifted into the sphere of Jeff Peace :
‘ I had first mentioned the idea of the Grand Orient of the USA a year or two or more before it actually occurred . I mentioned it at a small conference of liberal Freemasons . The idea originally had been expressed to me as a private thought by Jean Claude Zambellis past and present Grand Master of George Washington Union . I just gave it verbal expression . The idea was not well received at the time . A few years , or year , after that I learned that then Grand Master Jean Louis Petit of the George Washington Union was working to put together the Grand Orient of the USA in Paris . This was all being done between himself and Jean Francois Mefort at Lodge Lafayette in Washington DC . One day I got a call from Jean Louis Petit . He said he had been approached by a number of
Americans in Washington DC who were asking for a Charter for the GOUSA . It was Jeff Peace , Aaron Peavy and a few others .’
It was on the 16 th of March 2008 that Peavy and Peace visited Lodge Lafayette 89 in Washington , a visit that was used to cement friendships between GOUSA and the GOdF . The lodge meeting featured communications from the Worshipful Master Jean Francois Mefort and Aaron Peavy , who was at this time still serving as Grand Master , and photos were taken to celebrate the merry occasion . Indeed , it was around the time of this trip that the organisation determined to transform itself , as Peavy states :
‘ The name change to GOUSA occurred sometime around the first meeting in DC during my administration . It was a strategic decision in order to align ourselves more closely with those whom we sought amity .’
From here things started to move quickly ; John Slifko became involved and was approached to replace Peavy as Grand Master , who had decided to step down . In a move that was manufactured to assist in gaining the Charter from the GOdF , Slifko became Grand Master in early 2008 and relished his new role , travelling to Paris out of his own pocket to be presented with the Charter and to be wined and dined by members of the
8 Both rituals were included in the GOUSA documents supplied by Aaron Peavy , though only the first degree of the Cosmopolitan system was included .
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