United Grand Lodge of Sierra

  

United Grand Lodge of Sierra, A.F. & A.M.

Coat of arms of the United Grand Lodge of Sierra, A.F. & A.M.
Formation	1858
Location	San Francisco City, San Francisco Sierra
Grand Master	Prince George the Younger of San Diego
Website	ugls.org.ks

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The United Grand Lodge of Antient, Free, and Accepted Masons of Sierra is the one of the three primary governing bodies of Freemasonry in Sierra, Hawaii, the Deseret, Bajaría, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Cozumel. It was founded in 1858 and is descended from the Grand Lodge of California. It is a regular Masonic jurisdiction recognized by the Grand Lodge of England and follows Anglo-American style Freemasonry. Unlike most other federated countries, Sierra maintained a national grand lodge rather than develop grand lodges in each of its provinces. It has jurisdiction over 215,000 Masons, organized in 6,200 lodges and is the largest Grand Lodge in the world in terms of membership. It recognizes the predominantly African-Sierran Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Sierra and allows visitation between members and lodges but does not share amicable ties or recognition to the Grand Orient of Sierra, a Continental Freemason organization.

Membership into the Grand Lodge is exclusive to men who hold onto theistic religious beliefs and is based on invitation only by existing Masons. As a national grand lodge, it confers the three basic degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. It does not have any authority over the appendant bodies operating in Sierra including those under the Scottish Rite and the York Rite.

History

Freemasonry began in Sierra as the Grand Lodge of California shortly after the onset of the California Gold Rush. In 1850, the first Grand Lodge was formed in Sacramento to oversee the lodges operating throughout the country. Various prospectors and miners who arrived were Freemasons who introduced Masonic traditions and customs to the area. The Grand Lodge was later relocated to San Francisco City at the intersection of Post and Montgomery Streets. The Grand Lodge of California counted prominent Californian figures in its ranks including the future King Charles I who was a Mason who participated in the activities of the Grand Lodge. In 1852, the Grand Lodge of California permitted the creation of the Grand Lodge of Hawaii. In 1858, as California reorganized itself as the Kingdom of Sierra, the Grand Lodge and its constitution reincorporated themselves as the Grand Lodge of Sierra. In the Deseret, the Latter-day Saint movement and Freemasonry were closely connected and the Grand Lodge of the Deseret was established earlier in 1847.

See also

• Freemasonry in the Kingdom of Sierra