En: Grand Lodge of Ghana
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Grand Lodge of Ghana
Source: Excerpt from the GL of Ghana website
- Motto: THAT ALL SHALL BE ONE
- Constituted: 2009
- Jurisdiction: Ghana
- Location: Accra, Ghana
The Grand Lodge of Ghana was constituted on 24th January, 2009 by the Most Worshipful the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, M.W. Bro. George Dunlop, whilst the Most Worshipful Grand Master Mason of Scotland Bro. Charles Iain Robert Wolridge Gordon of Esselmont installed the first Grand Master M.W. Bro. Charles William Stanley-Pierre. The United Grand Lodge of England was the first Grand Lodge to pass a resolution giving recognition to the new Grand Lodge on being constituted.
History
In Ghana, it was English Freemasonry that blazed a trail and prior to the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana, the practice of Freemasonry has been in continuous existence in Ghana since 1859, when Gold Coast Lodge, No. 1075 English Constitution, (later numbered 773) was consecrated at Cape Coast. Prior to this, two other Lodges, the Torridzonian Lodge No. 621 consecrated in 1810 and Cape Coast Lodge No. 599 erected in 1833 had functioned in the then Gold Coast, but faded out by 1863.
During the end of the 19th to the early part of the 20th Centuries, Lodges erected under the English Constitution held sway in the then Gold Coast and included
- Victoria Lodge No. 2393 consecrated on 2nd December 1891,
- Accra Lodge No. 3063 consecrated on 2nd March, 1905,
- Sekondi Lodge No. 3238 consecrated on 19th March, 1908,
- Taquah Lodge No. 3356 consecrated on 27th May, 1909.
These were based in Accra, Sekondi and the gold mining town of Tarkwa.
Other Lodges consecrated were,
- Ashanti Lodge No. 3717 on 20th March, 1914 based in Kumasi,
- St. George’s Lodge No. 3851 on 25th September, 1918 based in Sekondi and *McCarthy Lodge No. 4132 consecrated on 29th January, 1921 also based in Kumasi.
The Masonic landscape in the Gold Coast changed when Lodge Progressive No. 1261 working under a Charter issued by the Grand Lodge of Scotland was erected on 30th November, 1921 in Cape Coast. This was followed in quick succession by the erection of several Lodges warranted under the Grand Lodge of Scotland. These included
- Lodge St. Andrew No. 1299 consecrated in Accra on 12th January, 1924, followed by
- Lodge Morality No. 1362 consecrated in Kumasi on 29th December, 1929,
- Lodge Unity No. 1466 consecrated in Accra on 29th December, 1951,
- Lodge Fidelity No. 1468 consecrated on 26th January, 1952 based at Takoradi, *Lodge Kumasi No. 1472 based in Kumasi and consecrated on 1st November, 1952, *Lodge Charity No. 1473 consecrated in Accra on 3rd January, 1953 and
- Lodge Achimota No. 1522 consecrated in Accra on 29th December, 1956.
During this period more Lodges continued to be erected and a petition by the ten Lodges under the United Grand Lodge of England for a District Grand Lodge having been granted, a District Grand Lodge of the Gold Coast under the English Constitution was inaugurated in Accra on 9th May, 1931. Similarily in January, 1953 the seven Lodges operating in the Gold Coast under the Grand Lodge of Scotland had increased to seven similarly petitioned for a District Grand Lodge of the Gold Coast under the Scottish Constitution which was inaugurated on 17th January, 1953.
Ghana as a nation State came into being on the Independence of the Gold Coast and St. Patrick Lodge No. 793, was constituted on 16th March, 1957 and remained the sole Lodge in Ghana Warrant granted by the Grand Lodge of Ireland for 14 years. This established the full circle of the presence of the three “Home Grand Lodges” in Ghana.
From 1971 six new Lodges were formed in quick succession under Warrant granted by the Grand Lodge of Ireland namely,
- Abuakwa Lodge No. 840 based at the diamond mining town of Akwatia, constituted on 9th January, 1971,
- Saltpond Lodge No. 841 based at Saltpond and constituted on 28th August, 1971, *Ahanta Lodge No. 843 based in Sekondi and constituted on 20th May, 1972,
- Asante Kotoko Lodge No. 844 based in Kumasi and constituted on 1st July, 1972, *Adanisman Lodge No. 849 based at Obuasi and constituted on 4th April, 1973 and *Sekyere Lodge No. 850 based at Asante Mampong and constituted on 28th April, 1973.
The group of seven Irish Lodges also petitioned and obtained approval for a Provincial Grand Lodge of Ghana which was inaugurated on 1st September, 1973. Early in 1994 a lecture entitled “Let us Have a United Grand Lodge of Ghana” was presented at the meeting of Unicorn Lodge No. 8840 EC and made proposals on some of the steps that could be taken towards this objective. Bro. Harry Sawyerr also in an erudite oration delivered at the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of Lodge St. Andrew No. 1299 SC put forward cogent reasons for this and outlined how recognition for the Grand Lodge of Ghana could be achieved.
Again and on 9th June, 2003 the issue of the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana was once again put at the centre stage at an Open Forum held under the auspices of Concordia Lodge No. 7199 EC with representation from all the three Constitutions of Freemasonry in Ghana. It was obvious the many well-meaning Ghanaian Masons who wanted positive actions towards the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana. The matter continued to be discussed extensively and at great length.
In the year 2004 R.W. the Provincial Grand Master of Ghana Irish Constitution, District Grand Master Scottish Constitution and District Grand Master of Ghana English Constitution initiated extensive discussions on the issue of the Grand Lodge of Ghana. The then Provincial Grand Master—Designate of the Irish Constitution, was in attendance. The District Grand Lodge of Ghana, English Constitution was however not in tune with the quest for a Grand Lodge of Ghana and this therefore was restricted to the Scottish District and the Irish Province.
The Provincial Grand Master, Irish Constitution and District Grand Master, Scottish Constitution, agreed a push forward of the agenda for its establishment under a Joint-Committee for the purpose.
The Joint-Committee has worked over a three years period to produce a draft document on the Constitution and Laws for the Grand Lodge of Ghana, Ritual for Opening and Closing Grand Lodge, Regalia and paraphernalia for Grand Lodge, Provincial Grand Lodges and Subordinate Lodges, as well as miscellaneous Documents, including Warrants, Letters of Commission, Forms and Books of administration. Funding options for the processes of formation of Grand Lodge were also developed and progress reports issued to the prospective membership at intervals.
With the positive responses from the two sponsoring Constitutions on a Joint Proposal for the erection of a Grand Lodge of Ghana, the 24th January, 2009 was eventually set for its inauguration and the Joint-Committee transformed into a Steering Committee for the formation. Four open fora were held to inform and afford Brethren the opportunity for exchange
- at the Freemasons’ Hall, Adjabeng, Accra on 7th May, 2008,
- Freemasons’ Hall, Ahodwo, Kumasi on 14th May, 2008,
- at Freemasons’ Hall, Windy Ridge, Takoradi on 28th May, 2008 and
- at the Freemasons’ Hall, Aboom Wells Road, Cape Coast on 28th May, 2008.
A Consultative Meeting of accredited representatives of all Lodges was convened to review and approve the Draft Constitution and Laws on Saturday 7th June, 2008 and an Electoral College convened on Saturday 12th July, 2008 to elect the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ghana.
Altogether, 49 subordinate Lodges comprising 28 Scottish and 21 Irish Lodges constitute the Foundation Lodges under new warrants granted by the Grand Lodge of Ghana with new numbering based on the date of Consecration/Constitution and grouped into three Provincial Grand Lodges, namely,
- Provincial Grand Lodge, South East based in Accra with 20 Lodges.
- Provincial Grand Lodge, South West based in Cape Coast with 17 Lodges and
- Provincial Grand Lodge, North based in Kumasi with 12 Lodges.
Even though Freemasonry was introduced in Ghana, then Gold Coast, through Lodges under the English Constitution as far back as 1859 the lot has fallen on Lodges of the Scottish and Irish Constitutions to take the bold step of bringing Ghanaian Freemasonry into maturity. The Scottish and Irish Lodges in Ghana by opting to form the Grand Lodge of Ghana have now raised Freemasonry in Ghana to a very high pedestal and put it on the same level as all other regular Grand Lodges worldwide and among the ranks of the Honourable Fraternity of Regular Masonic Grand Lodges in the world.
The Brethren forming the Grand Lodge of Ghana feel highly honored and justifiably proud that their Grand Lodge was constituted and their first Grand installed by no less Masons than the Most Worshipful the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland and the Most Worshipful the Grand Master Mason of Scotland respectively. The Grand Lodge of Ghana pays tribute to all the great Ghanaian Freemasons, past and present, who have played significant roles in bringing Ghanaian Freemasonry this far.
See also
Links
- GRAND LODGE OF ANTIENT, FREE & ACCEPTED MASONS OF GHANA http://www.grandlodgeofghana.org/
