Open Letter from the Grand Master

August 28, 2008


Dear Worshipful Masters and Brethren,
Thank you to the more than 100 lodges who have notified the Grand Secretary of your desire to co-sponsor the resolution for Prince Hall Recognition. The recognition of Prince Hall Masons in North Carolina will serve to help silence some of our opponents’ charges of racism and certainly affirm our Masonic tenets of brotherly love and truth. Found in our Bahnson Manual on page 32, in the lecture of the Entered Apprentice Degree, are these teachings. “By the exercise of brotherly love we are taught to regard the whole human species-the high and low, the rich and poor-as one family; who, as created by one Almighty parent, and inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid, support, and protect each other. On this principle Masonry unites men of every country, sect, and opinion, and conciliates true friendship among those who otherwise might have remained at a perpetual distance.” I am greatly saddened and disappointed by the cowardly approach of some Masons who have recently chosen to hide behind the veil of an unsigned anonymous letter campaign. The information circulated through their mailing is an attempt to discredit Prince Hall Masonry. The letter refers to a newspaper article released in the Raleigh newspaper this past February in which three prominent officers of Prince Hall have been charged with mail fraud. Their case is pending trial later this year. As with all persons, individuals are supposed innocent until proven guilty, except when the evil forces of racism and prejudice seek to hold trial before justice. I know of no movement by Prince Hall to withdraw their recognition of our Grand Lodge when our own prominent Mason Jim Black, Speaker of the State House of Representatives, was convicted and sent to prison. Therefore, the only thing this anonymous letter proves is that racism dies hard! For the last three years, we have allowed forty per cent of our membership to speak for the other sixty per cent of us. We have been the silent majority long enough!
Thank you to each lodge for your courageous endorsement, IN WRITING, in support of the Prince Hall Resolution. I also appreciate the less than 30 lodges who responded unfavorably. To both groups, I applaud you for your integrity and character. Masonry is better served by “…that noble contention, or rather emulation of who can best work and best agree.”
Thank you Worshipful Master, for reading this letter at your next stated communication. And as a whisper of good counseling to all men and Masons, whenever you receive any correspondence that is not properly vouched for and signed, I hope you will not honor it. Instead, act on the square, and trash it immediately!


Sincerely and fraternally,


David R. Cash, Sr.