Fraternal Charter Disclosure Record

PROBLEM: The first Grand Lodge in the world was formed on June 24, 1717, when four London lodges met at the Goose and Gridiron alehouse and constituted themselves a Grand Lodge — yet more than 300 years later there is still no single public record that states, for any given fraternal body, its charter date, its chartering authority, and its current standing in one place. A member of the public who wants to check whether a lodge is chartered, when, and by whom has to assemble the answer from scattered histories.

SOLUTION: A fraternal charter disclosure record: every fraternal body's charter date, chartering grand body, and current standing logged from public records — so a 1717 charter and a 2026 charter are equally checkable.

EVIDENCE BASIS: DOCUMENTED — First Grand Lodge formed June 24, 1717 (Goose and Gridiron, London; Anthony Sayer first Grand Master); United Grand Lodge of England formed December 27, 1813; Book of Constitutions published 1723. Sources: UGLE (ugle.org.uk); The History Press; Scottish Rite NMJ.