The Phylaxis Society is a membership society that consists of free and accepted masons who have a desire to receive and disperse masonic knowledge-” masonic light.” The organization was created by Prince Hall Masons and is partial toward dispersing light about Prince Hall and the network of masons that derive from The African Lodge of Boston, Massachusetts going back to 1775. These masons are predominantly African-American. Active membership in the Phylaxis Society is open, however, to any freemason who is a member of a grand lodge recognized by the Prince Hall Conference of Grand Masters or recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England – the premier grand lodge.
Welcome
Greetings members, fellows and visitors. The Phylaxis Society invites you to enjoy the research and findings of this Society and its many writers and historians. Our continued mission is to seek more light and to impart more light regarding freemasonry.
There is much to be discovered about the history of the world’s people; particularly those of African origin. There remains many truths and myths to be exposed through recovered facts. I am humbled at having been elected as the fifth President of this organization dedicated to provide members and readers with confirmed proofs of our Prince Hall and Universal Freemasonry foundation. Truth will be spoken here! Continue reading
Council of Fellows Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Project
History is the backbone of who we are as Prince Hall Masons. In order to ensure
that the history of Prince Hall Freemasonry is preserved and made available for public
usage, the Council of Fellows of The Phylaxis Society is engaging in an effort to collect
books on the histories of all Prince Hall Affiliated bodies and build collections for
distribution to libraries at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and
select libraries in African American communities for research and general circulation. Additional information contact fellows@thephylaxis.org. HBCU pg 2
Bogus Masonry and the Five Stages of Loss and Grief
Bogus Masonry and the Five Stages of Loss and Grief
David Pugh, MPS
Director of the Commission on Bogus Masonic Practices, Phylaxis Society
There are five stages of loss and grief that have been identified by renowned psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross that human beings experience, when faced with the prospect of their own demise or the loss of a loved one. These are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. This paper will examine each of the five stages and discuss my experience with each stage, as I grieved the loss of believing I was a legitimate freemason. On the surface, this may appear to be a trivial comparison. Continue reading
The Phylaxis: Collection Three
The writings of Harry Williamson are featured prominently in this collection. Williamson is a giant in the literature of Prince Hall masonry and his work has graced the pages of The Phylaxis on numerous occasions.
Allen Roberts has also shared his works with the magazine. Roberts’ focus has been on applying the principles of business management to the operation of the masonic lodge. Successful corporate bodies pay many dollars for the kind of advice Roberts gives in this volume.
A significant feature of this collection is the series of articles by President Joseph Walkes, “Comments on John Sherman’s Review of Life and Legacy.” Sherman became a strong critic of Prince Hall masonry, and when he attacked Wesley’s Prince Hall: Life and Legacy, Walkes counterattacked brutally in a rebuttal that continued over five issues of the magazine. Walkes received criticism for the ferocity of his attack on Sherman, but Walkes saw it simply as a defense of Prince Hall masonry, which he had pledged himself to do.
Available NOW:
The Phylaxis: Collection Two
If you have only one book in your library about Prince Hall Freemasonry, this is the book you should have.
The magazines in this collection mark the start of a long-term project of the Phylaxis Society to undo the damage done by William H. Grimshaw in his book published in 1903, The Official History of Freemasonry Among the Colored People of North America. For half a century, Grimshaw’s book was the only one that spoke of the early life of Prince Hall, and there appears to be a good reason for it: Grimshaw’s biography of Prince Hall was largely made up, his personal invention, a product of his imagination, and a century later, historians are still looking for sources to confirm what Grimshaw said about the life of Prince Hall and cannot find them. Decades after Grimshaw’s book, the so-call story of Prince Hall has been repeated, book after book, author after author, until it has become so firmly ingrained into Prince Hall masonic lore, that more than a century later, it still persuades.
The Phylaxis: Collection One
This bound collection contains the first ten issues of The Phylaxis magazine—magazines that set the tone for a research, historical, and educational society that, at this writing, is in its fifth decade of research, history, and education. Continue reading
Greatest Prince Hall Mason of the 20th Century
Sixteen masons of the Twentieth Century have been nominated by sixteen writers as the greatest Prince Hall mason of the Twentieth Century.
You have helped us make a choice by reading the book and responding to the online poll. The poll shows that readers like W. E. B. Dubois and John G. Lewis, Jr. We refer you to the book to see why.
Sample Magazine
The Phylaxis magazine is said by some to be the finest magazine for Prince Hall masons now existing. Here is a complete magazine from recent years to give you an idea of the direction the magazine takes.
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Grimshaw Offensive
The usually accepted accounts of his life has it that Prince Hall was born in Bridgetown, Barbados, British West Indies, on the 12th of September, 1748, the son of Thomas Prince Hall, …. All of which is untrue! Continue reading