" Freemasonry as we know it today was officially born in June of 1717, when four Lodges gathered in London to form a Grand Lodge. From England where it spread quickly, it was introduced in France after 1735. There, as in England, because a woman's legal status was that of a minor with no civil rights, women were refused membership in the Lodges. This did not sit well with women belonging to the nobility and even with some men, who noted the injustices in the arguments used to keep women away from the Craft.
Our Lodge; Aletheia
The story of ALETHEIA begins with LA CROISEE DES CHEMINS (The Crossroads), a lodge of the Women's Grand Lodge of Belgium. La Croisee was founded for the purpose of initiating women from other countries and helping them to get lodges started in their home countries. Intrepid members of La Croisee first visited the western United States in 1988. They started with women in Las Cruces and Santa Fe, and then turned their attention to Los Angeles. For eleven years, they worked with interested women, making numerous trips to the United States at their own expense, giving generously of their time, knowledge, and wisdom.
The first group of Los Angeles women (six of them) went to Brussels to be initiated in 1990.
Initiation meant a commitment, not only to Masonry, but also to traveling. Thousands of miles were logged by women going to Belgium to take degrees and receive instruction. Here at home, we held administrative meetings, planning and dreaming of the day when we would have our own lodge in Los Angeles. We kept the telephone lines humming with calls and faxes to mentors one continent plus one ocean away. Some could not bear the wait and moved on to other endeavors. The stalwarts persevered and nurtured the dream as only women can do. Finally, on March 6, 1999, ALETHEIA was born at the Pasadena Masonic Temple, midwifed by dozens of Belgian Sisters who had made the eleven-hour flight to be present at the historic consecration ceremony.
In the beginning, membership fluctuated, but the core group were dedicated to their work of establishing Freemasonry for Women in the USA. At this time there is much interest in and growth of, our Lodge. We look forward to the formation of the Women's Grand Lodge of the United States not too far in the future.
