Grand Lodge announces policy of "inclusivity"

Alexandria, LA - In today's volatile and polarized world, one Grand Lodge is making a stand for greater diversity and inclusion within Freemasonry. Earlier today, the Grand Lodge of Louisiana announced its new "policy of inclusivity" that will govern Lodge business dealings across the jurisdiction to ensure the widest participation in Louisiana Freemasonry possible. The Past Bastard caught up with Bro. Joe Snow, spokesperson for the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, to get his thoughts on this groundbreaking new policy. "We here at the Grand Lodge have looked carefully at how Freemasonry has changed over the past several years. With all of these younger Masons, everyone is starting to communicate electronically over e-mail and social media and the like, and we're concerned that this move to electronic communication stands to greatly disadvantage our older members who don't have access to computers or e-mail. That's why, starting today, all electronic Lodge communications--whether they be trestle boards, e-mails from the Master, facebook event invites, and the like--must be mailed as hard copies to all members. We can't risk alienating our older members who might not have access to this new technology. They're the backbone of our organization, after all, and they need to be just as informed as their more technologically-minded brethren."

When The Past Bastard cited the sheer cost associated with such a policy, Bro. Joe shrugged it off: "We know it'll add an expense, but that's what bulk mailing services are for. If lodges are really concerned about the added expense, we have a number of fundraising best practices listed on the Grand Lodge website that lodges can use to offset the costs. A Master could also choose to save postage by mailing out event invitations on postcards. That way, our brethren can put them on their refrigerators to jog their memories, making them more likely to attend lodge functions. Otherwise, we would encourage the Masters of our lodges to consolidate their lodge communications instead of sending out scattershot updates whenever they feel like it. This will make it easier for everyone to find out what's happening in their respective lodges without the burden of searching through weekly e-mail updates and social media sites."

Thus far, it appears the Grand Lodge of Louisiana's push for inclusivity is limited to ensuring its Luddism-predisposed members remain well-informed. When The Past Bastard asked Bro. Joe about the Grand Lodge's willingness to advocate for other forms of inclusivity, to include expanding the organizations racial demographics and acceptance of LGBT persons, Bro. Joe responded: "I don't know if our older members would appreciate adding those demographics into the organization. I mean, that's what Prince Hall Masonry is for, right? And as far as those 'alternative lifestyle' people are concerned, well the Bible's very clear on that. I'm sure we'd be happy to have them join if they ever choose to reject their lifestyle and live a moral life consistent with our organization's values instead. For now, let's just focus on making sure the bedrock of our organization stays plugged into what we're doing so they can continue to guide us into the Freemasonry of the future!"