EP 140 How Was the Grand Lodge of California Organized? Early California Masonry — Part 2

How was the Grand Lodge of California organized?In this episode of Masonic Muscle, Past Master Jeff Bayer and I continue digging into the early history of the Grand Lodge of California.We read from the four-volume series One Hundred Years of Freemasonry in California, published in 1950 to celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of the Grand Lodge of California. As we finish the chapter titled “Organization of Grand Lodge,” we share our thoughts, questions, comments, and observations.This episode solves one Masonic problem:How can California Masons understand their Grand Lodge if they never study the sources that explain how it was formed?We discuss:the organization of the Grand Lodge of Californiaearly California Masonrythe 1950 publication One Hundred Years of Freemasonry in Californiahow Grand Lodge history is writtenwhat may have been romanticizedwhat may have been left for the reader to decipherMasonic authority, legitimacy, and jurisdictionwhy Masons should question sources without disrespecting themhow local and jurisdictional history strengthens Masonic educationSome of this history may be straightforward.Some of it may be polished.Some of it may require the reader to slow down and ask better questions.That is the point.A Mason should not just inherit a jurisdiction. He should understand where it came from, why it was formed, and what kind of men built it.Have an origin theory, Masonic question, old document, book recommendation, lodge problem, or research lead?Write to me at:[email protected] Masonic Muscle on Instagram:@masonicmuscleFollow Masonic Muscle on Facebook.Subscribe and follow Masonic Muscle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.Share this episode with one California Mason who should know the history of his Grand Lodge.