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Post by ingo on Jun 3, 2005 9:05:49 GMT
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Post by munkholt on Jun 5, 2005 21:43:55 GMT
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Post by Proton on Jun 7, 2005 15:51:43 GMT
Aparrently there is also another Women's Grand Lodge that meets in the UK besides the HFAF.
When I find it I will post details of it!
Proton
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Post by waynecowley on Jun 7, 2005 16:29:08 GMT
My understanding (though I may be wrong) is that the Order of Women Freemasons (OWF) - the other all female GL in the UK - does not have a web presence at the moment
Wayne
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Post by ingo on Jun 9, 2005 11:19:18 GMT
Thats right Wayne.
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Post by oedipus on Nov 8, 2005 16:42:20 GMT
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Post by ingo on Nov 29, 2005 10:05:48 GMT
Thank you, Alessio.
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Post by ingo on Nov 29, 2005 10:14:13 GMT
In 1908 the british GL "The Honorable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasonry" (THFAF) spilt off from LDH Britain/British Empire. They changed their ritual from AASR into Emulation Rite, but still stayed a co-masonic order.
In 1913 a group split off from THFAF and formed the GL "Honorable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons" (HFAF). The first GM was male(!) but initiated women only. When the last male member of this GL faded away, the HFAF changed into a women-only GL until to-day.
In 1925 another group split off from THFAF. Sr. Bothwell-Goose formed "The Order of Ancient, free and Accepted Masonry for Men & Women" which still exists to-day. They changed their ritual from Emulation rite back into AASR. Back to the roots then.
In 1958 the rest of THFAF changed its name into "Order of Women Freemasons" and Sr. Halsey became their first women-only GM.
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Post by ingo on Nov 29, 2005 10:22:02 GMT
The german women-only grandlodge has a special history. Their first "chapter" was founded in 1949 in Berlin by high officials of the United Grand Lodge of Germany (UGLoG) and the GL "To the Old Charges" which ended up in UGLoG, I guess in the 50s.
The first chapter was under supervision of the male-only district lodge of Berlin. It took hard discussions between Srs. and Brr. to integrate more and more details of a true masonic ritual into the ritual of this chapter. It seems to be, that the lodge of LDH in Berlin helped the women-only chapter to leatn more and more about masonry and to finf their own way.
Until 1982 every ritual of this chapter was visited by the supervising brethren of UGLoG, district Berlin. So to say it was a co-masonic ritual with a father-little daughter attitude.
But the chapter managed to gain more and more interested women even in Western Germany - you remember - the iron curtain still existed and it was difficult to visit Berlin by car or train.
But the Srs. succeded, in 1976 they formed two new chapters in Düsseldorf and Wetzlar, which united with
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phil
Member
Just me all at sea
Posts: 209
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Post by phil on Nov 29, 2005 11:18:40 GMT
A women-only Grand lodge also exists in Holland. Its website is www.ordevanweefsters.nl/ . Its name is “De Orde van Weefsters, Vita Feminea Textura”; in English “The Order of the Weavers” and there are presently 12 lodges throughout The Netherlands. Not massive but very active nevertheless. It was established under the guidance of the male Dutch Grand Lodge on 17 July 1947 and it was those male Masons who actually developed the rituals for the ladies. The establishment of this order was the wish of the wives of many Freemasons, who recognised the positive spiritual and inspirational developments in their male counterparts due to Freemasonry and hoped to develop themselves equally. As you can imagine, the symbolism used is based on weaving, cloths, the designs etc. but are parallel to the symbolism used in the "original" Masonry.
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Post by ingo on Nov 29, 2005 14:57:16 GMT
But the Srs. succeded, in 1976 they formed two new chapters in Düsseldorf and Wetzlar.
In 1982 they had initiated enough women to form three lodges using masonic rituals (of UGLoG - GL AFuAM). The same year the GL "Humanity" was founded.
The foundation of the new GL also ment the end for the co-masonic ritual workings. By gaining their souvereinity the Srs. expelled the former "supervising" brethren and closed the door of the temple for men. What a pity. There are always discussions in the GL to open the temples for brethren. But too many Srs. still have this trauma of supervision....
In 1983 a free women-only lodge joined the new order. Today there are 15 women-only lodges in this order. Tge order now is named "Womens Grandlodge of Germany". It is member of CLIMAF and accepted by other Women or Co-Masonic Orders in Europe.
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