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THE AIMS AND RELATIONSHIPS OF THE CRAFT
Approved by Grand Lodge on 4th
August 1949
In August 1938 the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland
and
Scotland each agreed upon and issued a statement identical in terms except
that the name of the issuing Grand Lodge appeared throughout. This
statement, which was entitled "Aims and Relationships of the Craft", was in
the following terms:-
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From time to time the Grand Lodge of Scotland has
deemed it desirable to set forth in precise form the aims of Freemasonry
as consistently practised under its jurisdiction since it came into being
as an organised body in 1736, and also to define the principles governing
its relations with those other Grand Lodges with which it is in fraternal
accord.
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In view of representations which have been received,
and of statements recently issued which have distorted or obscured the
true objects of Freemasonry, it is once again considered necessary to
emphasise certain fundamental principles of the Order.
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The first condition of admission into, and membership
of, the Order is a belief in the Supreme Being. This is essential and
admits of no compromise.
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The Bible, referred to by Freemasons as the Volume of
the Sacred Law, is always open in the Lodges. Every candidate is required
to take his obligation on that Book, or on the Volume which is held by his
particular Creed to impart sanctity to an oath or promise taken upon it.
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Everyone who enters Freemasonry is, at the outset,
strictly forbidden to countenance any act which may have a tendency to
subvert the peace and good order of society, he must pay due obedience to
the law of any state in which he resides or which may afford him
protection, and he must never be remiss in the allegiance due to the
Sovereign of his native land.
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While Scottish Freemasonry inculcates in each of its
members the duties of loyalty and citizenship, it reserves to the
individual the right to hold his own opinion with regard to public
affairs. But neither in any Lodge nor at any time in his capacity as a
Freemason is he permitted to discuss or to advance his views on
theological or political questions.
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The Grand Lodge has a1ways consistently refused to
express any opinion on questions of foreign or domestic state policy
either at home or abroad, and it will not allow its name to be associated
with an action however humanitarian it may appear to be, which infringes
its unalterable policy of standing aloof from every question affecting the
relations between one Government and another, or between political
parties, or questions as to rival theories of Government.
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The Grand Lodge is aware that there do exist bodies
styling themselves Freemasons, which do not adhere to these principles,
and while that attitude exists the Grand Lodge of Scotland refuses
absolutely to have any relations with such bodies or to regard them as
Freemasons.
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The Grand Lodge of Scotland is a sovereign and
independent body practising Freemasonry only within the three Degrees and
only within the limits defined in its Constitution. It does not recognise
or admit the existence of any superior Masonic authority however styled.
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On more than one occasion the Grand Lodge has refused,
and it will continue to refuse, to participate in conferences with
so-called International Associations claiming to represent Freemasonry,
which admit to membership bodies failing to conform strictly to the
principles upon which the Grand Lodge of Scotland is founded. The Grand
Lodge does not admit any such claim, nor can its views be represented by
any such Association.
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There is no secret with regard to any of the basic
principles of Freemasonry, some of which have been stated above. The Grand
Lodge will always consider the recognition of those Grand Lodges which
profess and practise and can show that they have consistently professed
and practised, those established and unaltered principles, but in no
circumstances will it enter into discussion with a view to any new or
varied interpretation of them. They must be accepted and practised
wholeheartedly and in their entirety by those who desire to be recognised
as Freemasons by the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
This page has been reproduced from the pages of the website of the Grand
Lodge of Scotland.
www.grandlodgescotland.com
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