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U.S. Grand Lodges' Committees Handling Recognition Issues

The information in this chart was prepared by Paul M. Bessel, Executive Secretary of the Masonic Leadership Center.

It is intended to have (a) the names of each U.S. Grand Lodge's committee that handles recognition issues, and (b) the names and emails, when known, of the members of each of those committees. The first person listed is assumed to be the chairman of the committee.

The purpose of this information is to facilitate communications among those who are responsible for these issues in each U.S. Grand Lodge.

If anyone wants to send me email, especially if any of the information on this chart is not correct or if you know of additional information that should be included, please send email to Paul M. Bessel at paulb'at'bessel.org

U.S. "mainstream" Grand Lodges

Grand Lodge Name of Committee (or Person) that Handles Recognition Issues Chairman (1st name listed) and Members of this Committee
Alabama Jurisprudence Committee Joseph D. Brackin, PGM
R. Harris Henderson, PGM
MacArthur Davis
James L. Gossett
Karl F. Reed II
Alaska    
Arizona Foreign Relations Committee Earl L. Wunder, PM
Henry Spomer, PM
Allen Bailey, PM
Arkansas Foreign Correspondence Committee Michael Bunn
Mike Snyder
Bert Miller
California It appears the Grand Master extends "interim" recognition during the year, and the Grand Lodge votes to grant recognition at its annual meeting  
Colorado Fraternal Relations Committee Jess W. Gorn, PGM
William E. Cody, PM
Robert E. Newnam, PM
Connecticut Fraternal Relations Committee Frederick H. Lorenson, PGM
Kenneth B. Hawkins, Sr., PGM
Samuel B. Walker, PGM
Merle P. Tapley, PGM
Russell W. McClelland, GSec
Delaware Foreign Correspondence Committee Earl L. Emerson, Jr., PGT
James H. Hutchins, PGM
Roy T. Davis, PM
District of Columbia Masonic Recognition Committee  
Florida Foreign Recognition Committee Samuel Cowen, PGM, Chairman Richard Carr, PDDGM
Arturo Vasquez
Glenn G Gomez
Bart Badia
Georgia Foreign Correspondent Fred Lamar Pearson, Jr., PM
Hawaii Foreign Grand Lodge Recognition Committee Frederick S. Kashiwagi, PGM
Randy T.S. Chang
Herbert G. Gardiner
Idaho Fraternal Relations Committee Thomas W. Kerr
Vernon W. Agee
Bobby H. McDanial
Chester R. Mateer
Danny C. Probasco
Illinois Foreign Jurisdictions Committee Benny L. Grisham, PGM
Raymond H. Bachman, PGM
L. Wayne Blair, PGM
Norman R. Buecker, PGM
Willie B. Elliot, PGM
John R. Louden, Jr., PGM
John R. Murphy, PGM
E. Gene Ross, PGM
Robert E. Ford, PGM
Lawrence D. Inglis, PGM
Indiana Foreign Fraternal Relations Committee Peter T. Zivanovich, PM
Richard W. Wierzba, SGW
Iowa Grand Lodge Recognition Committee Tom Eggleston, PGM
Kansas Fraternal Recognition Committee Forrest D. Haggard, PGM
Kentucky Fraternal Recognition Committee Barber L. Shulton, PGM
Floyd H. Booth, PGM
Harold W. Downard, PGM
Louisiana Foreign Correspondence Committee Eric Hahn, PDDGM
Jose A. Castellon, PM
Jubal Dearing, PM
Bova D. Rushing, PM
Waldamar D. Stopkey, PM
Maine Fraternal Relations Committee Wallace M. Gage
M. Ray Bradford
Donald S. Smith
John E. Anagnostis
Maryland Fraternal Relations with Other Jurisdictions Committee John A. Young, Jr., DGM
Massachusetts Foreign Relations Committee

M.W. Donald G. Hicks Jr. (Chair)
M.W. Albert T. Ames
R.W. Paul W. Rolston
R.W. Roland K. Woodbury
R.W. Richard B. Burgess
R.W. Michael Cheteyan, II
Wor. Kamel Oussayef  
Michigan Fraternal Relations Committee Robert N. Osborne, PGM
Dale C. Edwards, PGM
Richard H. Sands, PGM
Minnesota External Relations Committee David S. Bouschor, PGM
Donald W. DeMars, PM
Arnold S. Carlson, PM
Mississippi Fraternal Relations Committee Glen McCarver
C. Frank Fugitt
Billy Frank Smith
Missouri Recognition of Foreign Grand Lodges Committee Donald E. Scott, PGM
Jeffrey O. Nations, PGM
Montana Foreign Relations Committee Billy B. Millholin
Don S. Holland
Richard R. Weaver
Thomas E. Valente
Nebraska Fraternal Relations Committee Richard H. Cooper
Virgil L. Tubach
Francis A. Shafer
Nevada Legitimacy of Grand Lodges Committee David J. Morgan, PGM
Edward M. Block, PGM
Duane G. Laubach, PGM
William G. Roberts, PGM
CLarence E. Shead, PGM
New Hampshire Fraternal Correspondence Committee John C. Marden
New Jersey Fraternal Relations Committee George S. Martin
New Mexico Foreign Correspondence Committee Jose Morales
Steven G. Hughes
Mark Roush
Tom Goodgame
New York Correspondence and Relations Committee Gary A. Henningsen
Calvin G. Bond
William R. Punt
Bruce Widger
North Carolina Fraternal Correspondence Committee William F. Navy
North Dakota Fraternal Correspondence Committee John Malsam
Ohio Fraternal Relations Committee James E. Olmstead, PGM
George O. Braatz, PGM
H. Ray Evans, PGM
Daniel F. Iceman, PGM
Oklahoma Fraternal Correspondence Committee Wayne Paddock
Charles D. Holmes
Dean Swiney
T. Max Tatum
Oregon Recognition of Other Grand Lodges Committee Aaron W. Harvey, PGM
Vern S. Wertz, PGM
John H. Smith, PGM
Vern R. Garvin, PGM
Pennsylvania Fraternal Recognition Committee Joseph E. Trate, PGM
Edward H. Fowler, Jr., PGM
George H. Hohenshildt, PGM
Thomas W. Jackson, PGSec
Rhode Island Foreign Correspondence Committee Charles A. Calverley, Jr., PGM
John M. Faulhaber, PM
Ronald W. Simpson, PGM
South Carolina Fraternal Relations Committee Hl Wallace Reid, PGM
Bartry A. Rickman, PDGM
Tony G. Reynolds, WM
William C. Rush, WM
Ronald L. Elliott, WM
Stephen D. Lane, WM
South Dakota Fraternal Relations Committee Miles F. Schumacher
Steven R. Risager
Glen A. Peterson
Tennessee Correspondence Committee Oscar W. Stephenson
Texas Fraternal Relations Committee Pete Martinez
Ronald H. Soward
Clyde Kenneaster
Fred E. Allen, PGM
Pete Normand
John E. "Jack" Thomson
John J. Chavarria, Jr.
Utah Fraternal Relations Committee A.T. Hereim, PGM
Robert D. Braman, PGS
Milo Shell, PM
Vermont Fraternal Relations Committee Richard W. Parker
Warren A. Williams
Wendell H. Chaffee
Virginia Foreign Correspondence Committee Fred L. Younger, Sr.
Carlton E. Kight
John B. Obenchain, PGM
Washington Fraternal Correspondent James O. Wood, PGM
West Virginia Foreign Correspondence Committee Drexel H. Westfall
Dexter C. Vangilder, Jr.
Theodore L. Moore
Wisconsin Fraternal Relations Committee Gary Shaw
Allen E. Iding, PGM
Dean T. Massey, PGM
Lamont Colucci
George A. Wallinger, PGM, GSec
Wyoming    

Summary of Names used above - how many Grand Lodges - which GLs

Alphabetical Order

Correspondence Committee 1 TN
Correspondence and Relations Committee 1 NY
External Relations Committee 1 MN
Foreign Correspondence Committee 7 AR - LA - DE - NM - RI - VA - WV
Foreign Correspondent 1 GA
Foreign Fraternal Relations Committee 1 IN
Foreign Grand Lodge Recognition Committee 1 HI
Foreign Jurisdictions Committee 1 IL
Foreign Recognition Committee 1 FL
Foreign Relations Committee 3 MA - AZ - MT
Fraternal Correspondence Committee 4 NH - NC - ND - OK
Fraternal Correspondent 1 WA
Fraternal Recognition Committee 3 KS - KY - PA
Fraternal Relations Committee 15 CO - CT - ID - ME - MI - MS - NE - NJ - OH - SC - SD - TX - UT - VT - WI
Fraternal Relations with Other Jurisdictions Committee 1 MD
Grand Lodge Recognition Committee 1 IA
Jurisprudence Committee 1 AL
Legitimacy of Grand Lodges Committee 1 NV
Masonic Recognition Committee 1 DC
Recognition of Foreign Grand Lodges Committee 1 MO
Recognition of Other Grand Lodges Committee 1 OR
unknown 2 AK - WY
GM - It appears the Grand Master extends "interim" recognition during the year, and the Grand Lodge votes to grant recognition at its annual meeting 1 CA

Numerical Order

Fraternal Relations Committee 15 CO - CT - ID - ME - MI - MS - NE - NJ - OH - SC - SD - TX - UT - VT - WI
Foreign Correspondence Committee 7 AR - LA - DE - NM - RI - VA - WV
Fraternal Correspondence Committee 4 NH - NC - ND - OK
Foreign Relations Committee 3 MA - AZ - MT
Fraternal Recognition Committee 3 KS - KY - PA
Correspondence Committee 1 TN
Correspondence and Relations Committee 1 NY
External Relations Committee 1 MN
Foreign Correspondent 1 GA
Foreign Fraternal Relations Committee 1 IN
Foreign Grand Lodge Recognition Committee 1 HI
Foreign Jurisdictions Committee 1 IL
Foreign Recognition Committee 1 FL
Fraternal Correspondent 1 WA
Fraternal Relations with Other Jurisdictions Committee 1 MD
Grand Lodge Recognition Committee 1 IA
Jurisprudence Committee 1 AL
Legitimacy of Grand Lodges Committee 1 NV
Masonic Recognition Committee 1 DC
Recognition of Foreign Grand Lodges Committee 1 MO
Recognition of Other Grand Lodges Committee 1 OR
GM - It appears the Grand Master extends "interim" recognition during the year, and the Grand Lodge votes to grant recognition at its annual meeting 1 CA
unknown 2 AK - WY

Prince Grand Lodges

Grand Lodge Name of Committee (or Person) that Handles Recognition Issues Chairman and Members of this Committee
PHA District of Columbia Committee on Foreign Correspondence Warren R. Whitley, Chairman
James T. Walker, Assistant Chairman
PHA Missouri Committee on Foreign Correspondence William H. Graham, PGM
Byron E. Hams
PHA Ohio Matters of recognition are handled by the Grand Master or whoever he appoints to see it done. The Grand Secretary helps administer the Lodges and the Chairman of Foreign Correspondence (CCFC) communicates with other Prince Hall Grand Lodges.  

 

Grand Lodges outside the U.S.

Grand Lodge Name of Committee (or Person) that Handles Recognition Issues Chairman and Members of this Committee
United Grand Lodge of New
South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory		 Committee on Relations with Sister
Constitutions		 Juan Carlos Alvarez
Grand Secretary
Grand Master

Copyright © 1998-2012 by Paul M. Bessel - all rights reserved

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