from the Year Book of the Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted 
Masons of Scotland, Edinburg 1993, pp.50-51

AIMS AND RELATIONSHIPS OF THE CRAFT
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In August 1938 the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland and Scotland each 
agreed upon and issued a statement identical in terms except that the 
name of the issuing Grand Lodge apeared througout. This statement which 
was entitled "Aims and relationships of the Craft" was in the following 
terms.

1. From time to time the Grand Lodge of Scotland has deemed it desirable 
to set forth in precise form the aims of Freemasonry as consistently 
practised under its jurisdiction since it came into being as an 
organised body in 1736, and also to define the principles governing its 
relations with those under other Grand Lodges with which it is in 
fraternal accord.
 
2. In view of representations which have been received, and of 
statements recently issued which have distorted or obscured the true 
objects of Freemasonry, it is once again considered necessary to 
emphasise certain fundamental principles of the order.

3. The first condition of admission into, and membersip of, the Order is 
a belief in the Supreme Being. This is essential and admits of no 
compromise.

4. The Bible, referred to by Freemasons as the Volume of the Sacred Law, 
is always open in the Lodges.  Every candidate is required to take his 
obligation on that Book, or on the Volume which is held by his 
particular Creed to impart sanctity to an oath or promise taken upon it.

5. Everryone who enters Freemasonry is, at the outset, strictly 
forbidden to countenance any act which may have a tendency to subvert 
the peace and good order of society, he must pay due obedience to the 
law of any state in which he resides or which may afford him protection, 
and he must never remiss in the alegiance due to the Sovereign of his 
native land.

6. While Scottish Freemasonry thus inculcates in each of its members the 
duties of loyalty and citizenship, it reserves to the individual the 
right to hold his own opinion with regard to public affairs.  But 
neither in the Lodge nor at any time in his capacity as a Freemason is 
he permitted to discuss or to advance his views on theological or 
political questions.

7. The Grand Lodge has always consistently refused to express any 
opinion o questions of foreign or domestic state policy either at home 
or abroad, and will not allow its name to be associated with any action, 
however humanitarian it may apear to be, which infringes its unalterable 
policy of standing aloof from every question affecting the relations 
between one Government and another, or between political parties, or 
questions as to rival theories of Government.

8. The Grand Lodge is aware that there do exist bodies styling 
themselves Freemasons, which do not adhere to these principles, and 
while that attitude exists the Grand Lodge of Scotland refuses 
absdolutely to have any relations with such bodies or to regard them as 
Freemasons.

9.  The Grand Lodge of Scotland is a sovereign and independent body 
practising Freemasonry only within the three degrees and only within the 
limits defined in its Constitution.  It does not recognise or admit the 
existence of any superior Masonic authority however styled.

10. On more than one occasion the Grand Lodge has refused, and will 
continue to refuse, to participate in conferences with so-called 
International Associations claiming to represent Freemasonry, which 
admit to membership bodies failing to conform strictly to the principles 
upon which the Grand Lodge of Scotland is founded.  The Grand Lodge does 
not admit such claim, nor can its views be represented by such 
Association.

11. There is no secret with regard to any of the basic principles of 
Freemasonry, some of which have been stated above.  The Grand Lodge will 
always consider the recognition of those Grand Lodges which profess and 
practise, and can show that they have consistently professed and 
practised, those established and unaltered principles, but in no 
curcumstances will it enter into discussion with a view to any new or 
varied interpretation of them.  They must be accepted and practised 
wholeheartedly and in their entirety by those who desire to be 
recognised by the Grand Lodge of Scotland.

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A Conference held in June 1949 between the Grand Lodges of England, 
Ireland and Scotland and all unhesitatingly reaffirmed the statement 
that was pronounced in 1938; nothing in its present-day affairs (1993) 
has been found that could cause them to recede from that attitude.

If Freemasonry once deviated from its course by expressing an opinion on 
political or theological questions, it would be called upon not only 
publicly to approve or denounce any movement which might arise in the 
future, but would sow the seeds of discord among its own members.

The three Grand Lodges are convinced that it is only by this rigid 
adherence to this policy that Freemasonry has survived the constantly 
changing doctrines of the outside world, and are compelled to place on 
record their complete disapproval of any action which may tend to permit 
the slightest departure from the basic principles of Freemasonry.  They 
are strongly of opinion that if any of the three Grand Lodges does so, 
it cannot maintain a claim to be following the Antient Landmarks of the 
Order, and must ultimately face disintegration.

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