Monrovia – The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons in Liberia has suspended all mason activities, including burials, over the action of Chief Cyril Allen, who is said to have distorted the peace and harmony of the Grand Lodge.
Report by Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
According to an edict from the Grand Master, James E. Pierre, 330, while third quarterly meeting of the Grand Lodge was ongoing, Chief Allen, who serves as Deputy Grand Master for Bong County, without being asked to speak by the Grand Master, interrupted the proceedings and used profane languages on the Grand Master.
“Whereas, Right Worshipful Brother (RWB) Allen, without being recognized to speak by the Grand Master, who was presiding in the Oriental Chair, interrupted the proceeding; used profane and insulting language directed against the person of the Grand Master; showed gross disrespect and insubordination to the Grand Master and demonstrated conduct unbecoming of a Mason.”
The edict noted that Chief Allen continued to vilify the Grand Master on social media. The Grand Master expressed concern that a clique of brothers within the secret society has resolved to disrupt activities of the Grand Lodge’s proceedings, therefore, making it necessary to suspend all Masonic activities pending the restoration of peace and harmony in the Grand Lodge.
“These various actions and activities have disrupted the peace and harmony of the Grand Lodge and do violate the constitution, by-laws, rules, and obligation to which all Master Masons in this Grand Lodge Jurisdiction are bound,” Grand Master Pierre noted in the edict.
Activities of the Order of the Eastern Star and its subordinate chapters, Orient of Liberia, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., Prince Hall Affiliation, Consistories, Holy Royal Arch Masons and the Masonic School of Instruction have also been suspended.
However, an edict issued on Monday, September 10, under the signatures of Grand Master Pierre and attested by Grand Secretary N. Oswald Tweh, 330 reveals: “Therefore, consistent with my responsibility and authority, I James E. Pierre, Grand Master of Masons of the Republic of Liberia, hereby order the said Cyril Allen expelled from Masonry in this Grand Jurisdiction with immediate effect. No Mason under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Liberia shall, from this moment forward, have, converse or contact with him in any matter Masonic.
“The Grand Secretary is ordered to post this Edict on the various Masonic social media fora and each Worshipful Master is instructed to obtain their individual copy of this Edict from the Grand Secretary.”
Several calls placed to Chief Allen to have his reaction to the edict could not materialize up to press time on Thursday, September 13, evening.
However, FrontPageAfrica obtained a communication supposedly from Chief Allen to the Grand Master in response to the edict:
MEMORANDUM From: CHIEF Cyril A Allen Sr.
To: James E. Pierre.
Date: 9/12/18
RE: Your Letter of Suspension.
I acknowledge receipt of your captioned letter dated September 11, 2018 and wish to inform you as follows:
A. Gone are the days in Liberia when a Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Liberia was of any significance. You as a Grand Master is a worthless and toothless bulldog.
B. You and your over Ambitious Clique of Sycophants and Opportunists may as well use your letter to clean your behinds; because that is just what it is worth.
C. Posterity will judge you as a Dictator blinded by nepotism and selfish unmasonic tendencies who attempted to violate the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Liberia with impunity, but was aborted by the District Deputy Grand Master of Bong County, Right Worshipful Brother Cyril A Allen Sr. at the 3rd Quarterly Communications of the Grand Lodge.
D. “When you bypass your respect, you meet with disgrace.” That is the reason why you were disgraced in open lodge, witnessed by over (100) one hundred Master Mason from several different Masonic Jurisdictions.
E. Finally, I hope that this episode will serve as a lesson to You, to learn to respect the rights and privileges of others.
Signed CAA1