LODGE AL MOGHREB AL AKSA No. 670 S.C.

HISTORY OF LODGE AL MOGHREB AL AKSA

Shortly before February 1881, a petition was received at the Grand Lodge of Manitoba which was signed by a number of brethren praying  to receive a dispensation to open and meet as a Regular Lodge at Gibraltar.

  Provisions was further requested that the place of meeting should be ultimately removed to 'some city in Morocco'.  The petition was accompanied by a letter from RW Bro.  Robert Stewart Patterson who had been the first Worshipful Master of Prince Rupert's Lodge and who in this instance was the prime mover of the scheme.

  At the Annual Communication of Grand Lodge of Manitoba the petition was discussed and it was recommended that the dispensation and upon the terms submitted be granted.

  In the month of July 1881, the Board of General Purposes made a special report at the communication recommending the granting of a charter to 'AI Moghreb AI Aksa Lodge' to be numbered 16 on the Grand Register of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba.  This motion was carried and the charter subsequently issued.

A few days after the issuing of the charter a copy of the Quarterly Communication (May) of the Grand Lodge of Scotland was received by the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Manitoba in which the following item appeared.

GIBRALTAR - The Grand Lodge of Manitoba, Canada, had granted a Charter to a Lodge in Gibraltar.-, which had opened in May last Holding this to be an encroachment on the rights of the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland, and Scotland, which exercise exclusive Masonic jurisdiction in that colony, the Committee have directed the Scotch Lodge at Gibraltar not to recognise the Lodge there, holding of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, and recommend to the Grand Lodge to cooperate with the Grand Lodges of England and Ireland in any resolution they may adopt in vindication of their rights.

  In August 1881, the Grand Secretary of England addressed a communication to the Grand Master of Manitoba.

I am commanded by the M. W. the Grand Master of England to address you on a subject which has Come to His Royal Highness’ knowledge, viz. -the establishment of a lodge in the British Colony of Gibraltar.

With reference to this action on the part of you.-Grand Lodge, I am directed to remind you that Gibraltar  is a colony belonging to Great Britain and Ireland, and consequently under the exclusive joint jurisdiction of the three Grand Lodges of that Kingdom namely those of England, Ireland and Scotland.  I am further directed to point out that the Grand Lodge of Manitoba was established entirely and solely to meet the Masonic wants of that colony, and certainly with a  view to ,founding Lodges in other colonies of the British Crown, a prerogative which has not been claimed by any of the British North American Grand Lodges, and which never could be considered by the Grand Lodge of England.

The M. W. the Grand Master of England further fails to see any good object to be attained by thus seeking to establish the Lodge in question, and which His Royal Highness has felt it is his painful duty to direct the English Lodge in Gibraltar no to -recognise.

I am therefore, commanded by the M. W. the Grand Master of England to protest against the recent action of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, and to express a hope that on consideration, will advise your Grand Lodge to withdraw its sanction and warrant ,from the body now needlessly disturbing the Masonic Harmony of the English, Irish and Scotch Lodges in Gibraltar.

                          Shadwell H Clarke, Grand Secretrly

Although the Grand Master of Manitoba was not happy with the treatment received by the Grand Lodge of Scotland and of England he nevertheless sent a cable to Worshipful Brother Patterson instructing him not to constitute the Lodge nor to install any Officers in AI Moghreb AI Aksa Lodge.  This information was passed to several Grand Lodges in Great Britain and Ireland.

  A recommendation was made in the report by the MW Grand Master of Manitoba and endorsed by the Board of General Purposes to the effect that ' The Worshipful Master of the said Lodge be instructed to hold the warrant in abeyance for six month, whilst it could be moved to Morocco and failure to do this then the Lodge's papers, books etc. should be returned without further delay to the Grand lodge of Manitoba'

  As the original intention was to move the Lodge to Morocco the Board of General Purposes felt that they had not overstepped their authority or prerogative as Morocco was an unoccupied territory.

  Before the resolution had reached W. Bro.  Patterson he had already constituted the new Lodge.  He had also taken upon himself authority which he did not possess and had convened what he was pleased to designate 'an occasional' Grand Lodge at which he constituted a Territorial Grand Lodge.

  He conducted the ceremony of installing the officers of AI Moghreb AI Aksa Lodge at that meeting.

  When this information reached Manitoba the Grand lodge declared the meeting illegal.  The W. Bro. was ordered to return all documents including the warrant which had been improperly used.  The Grand Master of Manitoba revoked and recalled the special commission which had been issued to W. Bro.  Patterson.  No communication was sent to the Lodge nor to any other officer of that lodge as this was not recognised, but in turn the decision by the Grand Lodge of Manitoba was communicated to W. Bro.  Patterson as all previous correspondence in connection with the Lodge had been made through him.

  Bro.  Patterson paid no heed to the demands nor did he acknowledge receipt of correspondence.  Failure to receive any information or explanation the Grand Lodge of Manitoba published a copy of the letter sent to Bro.  Patterson in 'The Freemason' a Masonic periodical published in London.

  Inconsequence of the publication of the letter the members of Lodge AI Moghreb AI Aksa replied to the Grand Lodge of Manitoba explaining that they had not been in sympathy with the unconstitutional acts and also that they had discountenanced Bro.  Patterson's idea of establishing a Territorial Grand Lodge.

  The Lodge by that time was domiciled in Tangier and as this created no invasion of territory from other Grand Lodges the original objections were withdrawn.

  Bro.  Patterson appealed against the ruling and decision of the Grand Master and it was considered and decision sustained.  He was again ordered to return his commission within three months.

  Although the Lodge continued on the Register of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba in 1890 the Charter was suspended for failure to submit returns to Grand Lodge.

  Lodge AI Moghreb AI Aksa caused some unnecessary problems to Grand Lodge of Manitoba and it was decided to concentrate upon their home affairs and leave overseas problems to older jurisdictions.

  Lodge AI Moghreb AI Aksa was transferred to Gibraltar and commenced working under a new Charter the one that we know today as No 670 of the Grand lodge of Scotland.