Thursday, December 24, 2009

Los Angeles Freemasonry - Lodge New Isis




It is a pleasure to write about my own lodge, New Isis of the George Washington Union of Freemasons.

Worshipful Lodge New Isis is one of two lodges of the George Washington Union located on the west coast, the other being lodge Golden Journey in San Francisco.

The George Washington Union was founded in 1977 by members of the Grand Orient of France working in the United States.

As the GOdF was, and is, an all male jurisdiction, several members felt the time was right to establish a mixed gender body whose practices would be in line with those of the Grand Orient of France.

Initially under the sponsorship of the GodF, the George Washington Union joined CLIPSAS in 1979. By 2001, enough lodges had formed that the obedience became an independent jurisdiction.

Today the George Washington Union consists of four lodges, Liberty, Washington D.C., Raoul Zetler, Montreal, Canada, New Isis, Los Angeles, Golden Journey, San Francisco, as well as several developing triangles.

At present, the lodges of the GWU work the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite craft degrees as they are worked in Europe.

Besides being a member of CLIPSAS, and in fellowship with all of its members, the George Washington Union has a treaty of friendship and cooperation with the Grande Loge Feminine de France, and the Women's Grand Lodge of Belgium, among others.

I have had the pleasure of working with wonderful men and women in the George Washington Union. As a member of lodge New Isis I have also had the pleasure of meeting Brothers and Sisters from the other jurisdictions operating in Los Angeles.

We are bound by ties of a common set of values, and our common roots in traditional European Freemasonry.

Lodge New Isis can be reached through the Grand Secretary at the GWU website at: http://www.georgewashingtonunion.org