Ritual , Secrecy , and Civil Society
another . Despite several attempts to create links , Miss Debenham was not able to improve this situation . As early as 1945 , even before she took over the responsibility for the Order , she had tried , with the authorization of Miss Bothwell-Gosse , to encourage international relationships by suggesting that the Supreme Council of the Droit Humain hold a conference including all the Masonic groups admitting women , with the aim of creating a worldwide Inter-lodge union or federation . This proposal was never adopted .
Much later , she returned to her international relations project by taking advantage of an opportunity that came up in 1962 . The A . F . A . M . joined an International Masonic Union , Catena 16 , which had been founded the preceding year by a few dissident Droit Humain lodges in the Netherlands , Germany , and Austria , along with a few comasonry lodges in Sweden . The basic premise of the League was equality between men and women in Freemasonry . Each member lodge , group , and individual retained its own independent organization and operation . A conferred was held every year in the different country . In the beginning , it included only the symbolic lodges , but a similar organization was created within the same structure for the higher degrees .
Catean was an important event . According to information provided by Joannis Corneloup and Marius Lepage , and on the request of Madame Gisèle Faivre , Grand Mistress of the Grande Loge Féminine de France , 17 Madame A . B . contacted the representatives of the Grand Lodge de La Piazza Gésù in Italy , which admitted women . Then several members of European Masonic groups , notably the Grande Loge Féminine de France , received the higher Scottish degrees in the A . F . A . M , resulting in the creation of a Mixed Supreme Council for Germany , the Netherlands , and Austria , and the Suprême Conseil Féminin de France .
In November of 1968 , Miss Debenham announced that she wanted to retire as head of the Order ; she was named Honorary Grand Commander ad vitam . Miss . N . Peters , Lieutenant Grand Commander , was then elected to replaced her and took this position on June 21 , 1969 . Nevertheless , Miss Debenham agreed to continue the work she had begun before giving up her duties . On April 19 , 1970 , the Suprême Conseil Féminin de France was set up in London . Acting on behalf of the Supreme Council of the A . F . A . M . and its Grand Commander N . Peters , Miss Debenham inducted the first Grand Commander of this new Supreme Council , the Most Enlightened Sister Gisèle Faivre .
On September 19 of this same year , the Echelle de Jacob lodge was formed and consecrated in Neuilly , France , by a delegation of the A . F . A . M .’ s Supreme Council , led by Miss Debenham . This same day , a Mark lodge , La Clef d ’ Arc no . 10 , was also opened . Here again , Miss Debenham was continuing the work she had begun two years earlier on July 12 , 1969 , when she formed and consecrated the Mark lodge Fidélité no . 9 in London . Finally , the creation of this French branch of the A . F . A . M . was confirmed several years later by the foundation of a Royal Arch chapter . This Trois Lois no . 5 chapter was created and consecrated in London on July 9 , 1977 , by the Grand Commander N . Peters , in the presence of Miss Debenham ,
After the Annual Assembly of June 1978 , the Grand Commander N . Peters , who was tired and aged , retired from her functions , even though no other member of the Supreme Council either wanted to or could take over for her . Miss Debenham then had to take over again as Grand Commander , pending another possible candidate . In 1979 , a serious disagreement occurred between Miss Debenham and several Brethren , resulting
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 16 “ La Chaîne .” 17 Madame Gisèle Faivre was the Grand Mistress of the Grande Loge Féminine de France
several times : in 1953 , in 1959 – 1960 , in 1962 – 1964 , and in 1967 – 1968 .
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