Freemasons Fight Back (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Freemasons Fight Back

9:30am Friday 23rd February 2001

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ANGRY Freemasons have retaliated against whatthey claim is "blatant discrimination" by national parkbosses.

They say they are "incensed" by a ruling that nationalpark authority members must declare if they areFreemasons.

The Freemasons say the move singles out theirorganisation, and they are calling for the decision to be overturned, orchanged to include other bodies.

Earlier this year LakeDistrict National Park Authority members agreed that membership of theFreemasons must be included in a declaration of interest register, whichcan be inspected by the public and Press.

They also agreed toask members of staff to state if they are Freemasons, but in a voluntaryregister.

No authority members have made a declaration,although one member of staff staff has.

The original proposalwas put forward by authority member Maureen Colquhoun, and was agreed by13 votes to 11.

Provincial information officer Ken Bond, whorepresents 5,000 Freemasons in 77 lodges across Westmorland andCumberland, has written to Ms Colquhoun, and authority chairman PeterPhizacklea, to voice his objections.

He said: "LocalFreemasons are justifiably incensed at this outrageous action which waspassed by a 13 to 11 vote.

"Not only is this blatantlydiscriminatory but it could well be illegal under the new Human Rights Actadopted in this country last October.

"Ms Maureen Colquhoun,who proposed the resolution, is yet another in the line of conspiracytheorists to form a view of Freemasonry which is misguided and inaccurate,framed by ignorance and prejudice."

Mr Bond said they did nothave a problem with the register, but the way in which they had been"singled out."

No declaration was required for people whobelonged to trade unions, religious groups, or political parties, hesaid.

He called for the ruling to be reversed, or to be madeall-inclusive.

Mr Bond said the Freemasons were not a secretsociety, and members were encouraged to be open about theirmembership.

Ms Colquhoun said the move had been supported by amajority of members of the authority.

She said there was aperception, which was wrong, that Freemasons were granted planningpermission by the authority more easily than other people.

"Ithink it's true to say that there's a deal of unjustifiable paranoia aboutFreemasonry, but Freemasons, with the obsessive secrecy, are partly toblame for this," she said.

Authority chairman Peter Phizackleasaid that authority members were entitled to bring up such matters, andmembers would vote as they saw fit.

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