Expulsions and conflict have beset the secretive order as it looks for a way to survive amid diving membership.
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.The brethren of Victoria’s oldest fraternity have become used to unsettling messages from Grand Lodge, but this pre-Christmas missive shocked even the most loyal freemasons.
This investigation can reveal the historic organisation is in crisis as factions wrestle for control amid allegations of financial mismanagement, nepotism and bullying.“They can do what they like with impunity,” claims Barry Minster, a senior freemason who was among the expelled cohort. “That’s where it’s very disappointing and frustrating. They need to be held to account.”The conflict is against a backdrop of decline.
Bucca claims Hodder has spread misinformation online, and was suspended after he failed to produce books and records for the lodge. Over the centuries, the movement has grown in size and influence to become one of the largest all-male clubs in the world, with membership including the upper echelons of power and influence.
The deal terms were “confidential”, according to FMV meeting minutes, and discussion among rank-and-file members was limited. Property titles show at least three other Freemason members retain ownership of apartments, including former grand master Bob Jones and senior mason Peter Shellie, who has overseen the organisation’s wider property developments.While some current Freemasons said they had no idea of the early offer, Bucca says the early access deal was available to the entire membership and provided documentation detailing the public offer.
Little Group was one of several developers engaged by Freemasons Victoria and Jones says any conflicts were properly disclosed and managed. “I’m very aware of directors’ duties. It’s all been totally open.” Freemasons Victoria sought to deal with the turmoil by enlisting The Ethics Centre in August 2020 to conduct an independent review of culture and governance.
Graeme Wallace was a senior member of Freemasons Victoria who was also recently expelled and has many concerns about the governance of the organisation.A former member of that board, Graeme Wallace, claims the board was given an ultimatum to dissolve itself or risk the grand master of the time vetoing all decisions it made.
Enraged, he retained retained Melbourne barrister Chris Young, KC, and constitutional expert Dr Nicholas Petrie to examine the board dissolution.Bucca says FMV’s legal advice says otherwise. “It’s an absolute disaster,” says 91-year-old Don Paterson, who was a freemason for 40 years and believes there is insufficient focus on increasing numbers.
“Nothing has been decided at this stage,” Bucca said. “There’s probably two or three that currently will be on the market very shortly. We’re certainly not going to flag what’s on the market and give people a free kick.” Property titles show more than 110 masonic centres are now owned by Temple Custodian Company Limited. Hodder says he has been “blacklisted” for teaching lodges how to reclaim titles and reduce land tax through registering as an association.
One Freemason who attends Mount Waverley said the lodge could not afford its land tax bill and was exploring options to develop or sell – when it was discovered Freemasons Victoria had placed a caveat on the property. A Freemason of more than 40 years, Kent Henderson, told members he was “marked out for execution” after raising concerns about financial mismanagement turned into an internal complaint against him.
“I joined an organisation that prided itself on values like integrity, equality, truth, justice, mercy, compassion, and brotherly love; and my experience fell very much short of this expectation.” “If people want to break the laws of the land, or they’ve got to expect consequences of all their actions,” Bucca said.
Bucca says the organisation has vastly improved under his leadership and efforts to assert ownership over masonic properties are for the greater good.
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