2 minute read
A Historic Partnership
A Historic Partnership
SCOTTISH RITE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN JURISDICTIONS AND SHRINERS INTERNATIONAL COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT BLUE LODGE MASONRY
The partnership was greeted with great applause at the Conference of Grand Masters in North America as David A. Glattly, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, NMJ; Jeffrey L. Sowder, Imperial Potentate, Shriners International, and James D. Cole, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, SJ, took the stage together to make the announcement. In a combined statement they said,
As we open our plans to Grand Lodges across North America, there is no doubt that, together, we can achieve the extraordinary and continue to share Freemasonry with the world. Our goal is to help raise more worthy men and allow them to find their journey in Masonry. Above all else, this endeavor is to support the growth of Blue Lodge Freemasonry, and its long-term sustainability. BeAFreemason.org will welcome a man and help him to declare to the world, “I am not just a man. I am a Mason.”
BeAFreemason.org will continue to be supported by the Scottish Rite, NMJ, SJ, and Shriners International on an ongoing basis. More than just a website, BeAFreemason.org is emblematic of a historic, first-of-its-kind partnership between the Scottish Rite Northern and Southern Jurisdictions and Shriners International to support the growth of Blue Lodge Masonry.
You can see a video of the announcement at
http://bit.ly/beafreemason.
We surveyed men across the country to see if Freemasonry is still a viable organization in today’s world. And what we found out is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Freemasonry. We know men want to join. They just don’t know how to join. BeAFreemason.org opens that front door and invites worthy men to take the first step on their Masonic journey.
—David A. Glattly, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction
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“Let me give you one of the ‘whys’ to this. It’s because it’s what we need today. We want to build on the foundation of our organizations, and that foundation has always been, and will continue to reside, in our blue lodge system.
—James D. Cole, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction
I can tell you this is a historic day in Freemasonry: The three of us, Scottish Rite Northern and Southern Jurisdictions and Shriners International, partnering for the benefit of our Grand Lodges. And today, we invite you to join us and work together to better our fraternity.
