Brethren,

I would like you to read the following e-mail which outlines some controversy happening down in Arkansas.  You can see more information and previous e-mails here.  I think this story deserves to be shared and I would like to ask your help in passing it on to as many Brethren as possible.  I feel that this letter sent to me has been presented in a thoughtful manner by a concerned Brother directly involved in the incident and that as a Fraternity we need to address these type of issues.

Please review the following letter Brethren.
S&F
Bro. Ken Dennis

Dear Brother Ken,

Here are the facts and you can decide why or why not the Grand Master (Grand lodge) may have taken the actions he (they) did.

I joined Nettleton Lodge #657 in 1995. At that time I was a Human Resources Manager for a local manufacturing company and well known in the community. I knew nothing about Freemasonry in Arkansas but shortly after joining I quickly realized that many of the Brethren, especially the older members, had a prejudice against blacks and felt black men should not be allowed in Masonry. This being in direct conflict with how I had been raised and in direct conflict in what I taught and practiced on a daily basis in my job, I decided that I had two choices—either to dimit out of Masonry or stay in and try to change the attitude of the fraternity. I chose to attempt the latter.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there were no rules in our digest of Laws preventing a black man from joining. I quickly learned that the prejudice began at the very top (Grand Lodge) and filtered down to the subordinate lodges. Through education and “whispering good council” in a lot of my Brother’s ears, I with the help of some others were successful in changing the attitude in our local lodge.

I moved through the chairs quickly, serving as Worshipful Master during the year 2000 and again during 2003. I also served as DDGM for four years and became well acquainted with many members of the Grand Lodge. As a matter of fact a fellow member of our lodge and a close friend of mine  (MW O.C. Boyd) was Grandmaster of Masons in Arkansas during the year 2000. He would constantly tell me that you could not fight Grand Lodge. Whether they were right or wrong—they could do whatever they wanted because they had absolute power.

During my year as Worshipful Master I accepted a petition from a black man in Jonesboro. This raised a lot of concern with Grand Lodge officers. Brother Boyd told me he was directed by Grand Lodge to inform me that if I allowed a black man to join Freemasonry in Arkansas I would be expelled from the fraternity.  I refused to back down and allowed the petition to proceed to a vote. The Committee of Investigation was also threatened and they reported “unfavorable” even though they confided in me that their investigation had turned up nothing that should have prevented the man from becoming a Mason.

My blood brother, Melvin Pickney, joined our lodge around 2000 and also became my Masonic brother. Melvin has a daughter who is married to a black man and they have a 10 year old son who is black. My daughter also has a 10 year old son but is white. We would bring our families quite often to open functions at the lodge, pancake breakfasts’, etc. and we made it common knowledge that our personal goal was to have both of our grandsons become Free & Accepted Masons of Arkansas on their 21st birthdays. Our position on this matter seemed to cause some discomfort among Grand Lodge officials. All the while I continued to present educational programs at every opportunity stressing that Freemasonry should judge every man by what is in his heart, and not by his color.

In the spring of 2007 our lodge accepted a petition for the degrees from a man who worked with one of our well respected members, who was also a “Recommend-er” on the petition. The day of his scheduled Entered Apprentice initiation the Worshipful Master, who was Melvin Pickney, received an e-mail from a a Brother concerning the candidate’s religion. As you well know Freemasonry does not consider a man’s religion, just a belief in the one true and living God, and an Investigation Committee and the entire lodge had voted to accept this man. However, due to the concern that had been voiced, just prior to the initiation the Worshipful Master called a meeting of the following group of people: The Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Secretary, the candidate, the member voicing the concern, and the member that had recommended the candidate. The candidate was asked to explain how he practiced his religion (Wicca), and he convincingly expressed his belief in the one true and living God. The candidate was then excused from the meeting and the remaining members reviewed what had been discussed and agreed unanimously that they found no reason to not proceed with the degree. That night the candidate became an Entered Apprentice Mason in our lodge.

The Grand Lodge somehow became aware of the new EA and I personally had three conversations with the Grand Secretary (James Weatherall) about the matter. Mr. Weatherall conceded the fact that it was not a violation of the Digest of Laws to initiate a person of Wicca belief but insisted that the lodge, for the good of Masonry, should ask the new member to expel himself, which we did and he complied. The member who had recommended the new candidate, Brother John Smith, objected to the intrusion by Grand Lodge and he also expelled himself as a form of protest. The Arkansas Digest of Laws is very clear in stating that the Grand Lodge will not interfere with the subordinate lodges in any way in their selection of candidates. (Please note that this candidate expelled himself one week after he was initiated and never attended a regular meeting.)

The Digest of Laws in Arkansas has a section whereby a Mason, who admits he has committed un-masonic conduct, and wishes to avoid a trial, or “for personal reasons” can voluntarily expel himself for life without any recourse or appeal. This is the section under which Brother John Smith expelled himself. During the summer of 2007 our lodge made a request of the Grand Master to reinstate Brother Smith but he refused to even consider it. He stated that the Digest of Laws would not allow him to reinstate Mr. Smith but on many other occasions he has asserted that the Grand Master has the authority to do whatever he desires, irregardless of the Digest.

It didn’t make any sense to me and other members of our lodge why Mr Smith, who was a good Mason and had done nothing un-masonic, was barred from the fraternity for life while at the same time a man who had committed un-masonic conduct, charged and found guilty by trial, and expelled from the fraternity, had language in the Digest that allowed him to re-petition his lodge after a period of time and be re-instated if the lodge so desired. We did not understand why self expulsion for personal reasons would carry with it a lifetime sentence more severe that an expulsion for un-masonic conduct, so the lodge submitted a resolution to be voted on at the next Grand Lodge session scheduled for February, 2008 requesting that the words “or for personal reasons” be stricken from the Digest.

Two relevant incidents happened in December, 2007. Early in the month Melvin Pickney(WM) and myself made a trip to Little Rock (Grand Lodge office) to research the section of the Digest that related to our lodge’s resolution. We were trying to learn when the language initially went into the Digest, the intent or purpose of the language, and the number of good men who had self-expelled themselves in haste or without thinking it through and had wanted to be reconsidered but were trapped by the language. What we did find was very surprising. We found that the language had been copied from similar language in the Texas Digest and had been voted on and added to our Digest in 1999 upon the recommendation of then Grandmaster Marty Byers. What was surprising was that the words “or for personal reasons” did not exist in the original language and were never voted into the Digest by Grand Lodge delegates. The 1999 Proceedings include the section without the four words “or for personal reasons” and the best I can tell the words were added to the Digest a few years later during a reprint, but not by authority of Grand Lodge delegates.

When we discovered this discrepancy we questioned the Grand Secretary as to how it could have happened and he became visibly flustered and said he did not know how it happened. We also discussed it with several past Grandmasters and they knew nothing either. I telephoned past Grandmaster Byers to ask him but he refused to discuss it. I asked the Grand Secretary to research the “error” and let me know what he found out but he never got back to me.

Later in December, 2007 we installed new lodge officers at an open meeting where a multitude of friends and family (non-masons) were present. John Smith, the ex-member who was no longer a member for personal reasons only, attended the meeting to congratulate his longtime friend, Jerry Smith (no relation) who was being installed as the incoming Worshipful Master. No one objected to John Smith being present at the open meeting and no one even considered there might be something un-masonic by him attending.

I realize this has gotten kinda long but I have said it all to emphasize five points:

1. I have consistently expressed my thoughts on prejudice within the fraternity
2. A candidate of Wicca belief was initiated and self-expelled at the request of Grand Lodge
3. My brother and I discovered an error in our Digest of Laws
4. Our lodge submitted a resolution in an effort to correct the Digest error
5. John Smith attended a meeting that was open to the public

Nettleton Lodge #657 was the most active and progressive lodge in northeast Arkansas and is over 100 years old. Grand Lodge, prior to February, 2008 had never indicated in any way that Nettleton Lodge had any problems. When the Nettleton Lodge delegation of officers arrived at Grand Lodge in February, 2008 we opened our session packets and learned for the first time that Grandmaster MW R.L. Sheffield would be recommending that our charter be arrested. The reasons given were that Nettleton Lodge had initiated a candidate of Wicca belief in April of 2007 and had allowed an expelled Mason to attend a Masonic function in December, 2007. We were stunned to say the least. After arresting our charter the next order of business was considering resolutions. The Grand Secretary stated that the resolution submitted by Nettleton Lodge would not be considered because the lodge was no longer a lodge. (So much for explaining the illegal language,)

Now you have the facts and you have the reasons listed by Grand Lodge as to why they decided to arrest the charter of a 100 year-old lodge that was as active as any in the state. They made the decision to arrest the charter without even checking with the lodge officers to tell them what was about to happen or to even ask them if the reasons were valid.

I know that certain Grand Lodge officials do not agree with my position on the issue of race and I have been told by a third party that a certain Grand Lodge officer said my and Melvin’s trip to Little Rock in December to do research on the Digest was the end of our Masonic careers. By the way, since Melvin was no longer an officer in 2008 he could not be expelled, as I was, for refusing to turn over the assets of the lodge so it is now alleged by Grand Lodge that he was expelled because he allowed John Smith to attend the open installation meeting. Forget the fact that the Digest of laws clearly states that no Worshipful Master can be charged with anything that occurred during his term of office after he has left office.

I hope this lengthly explanation helps you a little.

Fraternally,
Darrell Pickney

You can also view the previous e-mails here.