Nelson King

Ever since 2003 when the Grand Lodge of Costa Rica and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut mutually recognized each other, I have trying to get the Confederacion Masonica Centoamericana [COMACA] and the Confederacion Masonica Interamericana [CMI] to recognize PHA Grand Lodge who have been recognized by their counterparts.

Note:   COMACA is a confederation of all Grand Lodges in Central America

CMI is a confederation of all Regular Spanish Speaking Grand Lodges in the World.

Finally after 5 years of trying the President of the CMI Dr Rafael Aragon who was then the Grand Master of Guatemala approached me. He wanted to bring forth to the CMI that all members should recognize those PHA Grand Lodges who were recognized by their counterpart. Could I get him a list of those PHA Grand Lodges, their phone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses? He wish contact those Grand Lodges before the meeting of the CMI in order to get the process started.

But no one had such a list. Confusion reigned in the Temple. Five weeks passed no list in spite of promises to get such a list. I went as far as contacting the President of the PHA Grand Master Associate, told them what I needed. I still have not heard a word from them On a side note most Mainstream Grand Lodge have such lists, in fact many have a complete list of all the Grand Lodge Officers of other jurisdictions.

The CMI has now met; nothing was brought forward about the recognition of PHA Grand Lodges. The opportunity has passed. And the opportunity may not ever come again to have so many recognized by so many others. So five years of work has flown out the window, the CMI may never again have a President who wanted to do so much.

Six months later Bro. Jose Carlos de Seixas, Secretary of the Confederation of Regular Grand Lodges of Brazil asked me for the same information as they also wanted the same thing. Still no reply.

Is the Association of PHA Grand Masters incompetent, or do most PHA Grand Lodges only want Recognition with their Mainstream counterpart and the UGLE.

I say most because the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut has Mutual Recognition and have exchanged Representative with the following Grand Lodges.

We can thank M.W. Lewis Myrick for his forward thinking in this matter. No wonder the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut is known as the "First in Recognition".