What is the 'Permissive Edict'?
The 'Permissive Edict' refers to a program initiated by Grand Master Robert M. Tomlinson in Kansas in 2003. This program allows lodges the ability to receive and ballot on petitions for membership in a manner that does not require the petitioner to be aware of the process until after they have been elected. The recommending brother then informs the selected individual about their acceptance into Freemasonry. This approach mirrors the methods used in the early days of speculative Freemasonry, promoting a more discreet and traditional method of selecting new members. Several Grand Lodges, including Indiana, have experimented with this program since 2004.