
THE ORDER OF CONSTRUCTOR MASONS

R.W. Jacob G. Wolff, Grand Historian, Rhode Island
     (Published in the RI Mason January 1994)

A while back in time, vistors to an inter-American Conference in Mexico City
heard much of an organization formed for the primary purpose of promoting a
better feeling between the nations of the Western Hemisphere. The organization
is known as the order of Constructor Masons-Builders.  They are not engaged in
the work of temporal building, but the building of Unity among the Americas.

1t is not a new organization, for it was founded in 1777.  Its founders were
men of distinction in their day - Pierre Francois, Charles Augereau, Duke of
Castiglione - Armando Charles Augustin, Duke of Castries and Charles Axel
Guillaumont of Paris.  The first named brother was a member of the LODGE LES
ENFATS de MARS (Sons of Mars) and was a Chief of the 27th Regiment of Infantry
and an official of the Grand Orient of France.  The Duke de Castties was a
distinguished Freemason of the LODGE LES BON AMI in Paris.  In civic life he 
was a General of the Army and a Deputy of States General for Paris.

These three founders of the Order celebrated their first reunion in the LODGE
LES BON AMI, December 17, 1777.  In that session they devised the Statutes 
which governed the new institution and designated Hon. Charles Augereau as 
Sovereign Grand Commander.  That illustrious Freemason governed the Order 
without interruption until 1816.

The institution showed quick growth among Freemasons, but in the few years 
which followed, the period of the Revolution, it surfred a series of setbacks.  
But the chief founder reunited the dispersed elements and with great 
enthusiasm sought to re-establish its ancient prestige.

In 1817, Juan Bautista Vermay de Beame was elected Grand Commander, a famous
French artist, who in that same year removed to Havana, Cuba, resulting in the
offices of the Order being moved to that city.  Beame ruled until 1837.  The
Order thereafter declined in Europe but grew in the Antilles, Mexico and 
Central America.  It thereafter bacame a strictly American institution.

In 1838, Francisco O'Donnelly Bastion headed the Order and moved it to the 
City of Mexico, his permanent residence. Here it exercised its functions until
1858; in 1859 Juan Francisco de la Sema became Grand Commander and moved the
headquarters to GuatamaIa City, GuatamaIa.  The following year, Manuel Bonilla
succeeded to the office and served until 1886.  In 1887 he was succeeded by
Francisco Eleazaro Asturias who governed for 36 years uninterruptedly.  During 
a part of this period Bro. Asturias served as Grand Commander of the A.S.S.R.
for Central America.  Then, in 1924, Juan Clausel of Caracas, Venezuela was 
made Chief, serving until 1939.  Then came a removal to Havana, Cuba, with the
selection of Ramon Gonzalez de la Gandara, an active member of the Supreme
Council of Cuba.


The list of members include some of the most distinguished Freemasons of the
Western world - at least the Latin-American section.  The late Porfirio Diaz 
of Mexico was a member.

We have already spoken of the great objective, to give active collaboration 
with the Masonic fraternity.  It accentuates the American character of the
institution, an objective which has grown little by little since its removal 
to the Western Hemisphere.  It would unite all the republics of the new world.

It was General Simon Bolivar who advised: "Unite, unite, or otherwise you will
be destroyed."


It is not, properly speaking, a Masonic organization; it has no desire to 
invade the field of reglular Masonry. It has but 21 nations listed on this 
continent. Its mission is to create better relations between these various 
countries.

Members of the Order - known as Knights - are supposed to carry on
correspondence with each other in the hope of forming closer friendships.

In 1948 General Miguel Orrico de los Llanos of Mexico City was elected Grand
Commander and the headquarters removed to Mexico City.  Grand Commanders are
elected for a period of five years.  Other officers are a Lieutenant Grand
Commander, a Secretary General, a Treasurer General and a Chancellor General.

Membership is limited to nationals of each country; one must be 25 years of
age; he must be an active member of some Masonic Lodge, possessing the Third
Degree; he must be one of good report in the community in which he lives; he
must respect the laws of his country, obey the orders of the Grand Commander
which are of high moral or Patriotic dictum, he must agree to carry on
correspondence with his fellow Knights.

The Badge of the Order is a Maltese Cross suspended from a bar by a black
ribbon.  In the center of the Cross are the initials O.C.M.


