The practice of Freemasonry has been in continuous existence in Ghana since 1859, when Gold Coast Lodge, then Lodge No. 1075 English Constitution, later to be numbered 773 was consecrated at Cape Coast. Before then, two other Lodges, also of the English Constitution, the Torridzonian Lodge No. 621  consecrated in 1810 and Cape Coast Lodge No. 599 erected in 1833 had functioned in the then Gold Coast, but by 1863 both Lodges had either been erased or ceased to exist.

During the end of the 19th to the early part of the 20th Centuries, Lodges erected under the English Constitution held sway in the then Gold Coast.  Beside Gold Coast Lodge No. 773 were Victoria Lodge No. 2393 consecrated on 2nd December 1891, Accra Lodge No. 3063 consecrated on 2nd March, 1905 both based in Accra, Sekondi Lodge No. 3238 consecrated on 19th March, 1908 and based in Sekondi, Taquah Lodge No. 3356 consecrated on 27th May, 1909 meeting at the gold mining town of Tarkwa.   The others were, Ashanti Lodge No. 3717 consecrated on 20th March, 1914 based in Kumasi, St. George’s Lodge No. 3851 consecrated on 25th September, 1918 based in Sekondi and McCarthy Lodge No. 4132 consecrated on 29th January, 1921 also based in Kumasi.

The Masonic landscape in the Gold Coast changed when Lodge Progressive No. 1261 working under a Charter issued by the Grand Lodge of Scotland was erected on 30th November, 1921 in Cape Coast.  This was followed in quick pace by the erection of other Lodges under the Scottish Constitution led by Lodge St. Andrew No. 1299 consecrated in Accra on 12th January, 1924, followed by Lodge Morality No. 1362 consecrated in Kumasi on 29th December, 1929 - other Lodges Chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland were erected in the following order.  Lodge Unity No. 1466 consecrated in Accra on 29th December, 1951. Lodge Fidelity No. 1468 consecrated on 26th January, 1952 based at Takoradi, Lodge Kumasi No. 1472 based in Kumasi and consecrated on 1st November, 1952, Lodge Charity No. 1473 consecrated in Accra on 3rd January, 1953 and Lodge Achimota No. 1522 consecrated in Accra on 29th December, 1956.
  
During this period more Lodges continued to be erected under Warrants issued by the United Grand Lodge of England, so that by 1931 there were ten Lodges operating in Gold Coast under the English Constitution.  A petition by the ten Lodges to the United Grand Lodge of England for a District Grand Lodge to be established in the Gold Coast having been granted, a District Grand Lodge of the Gold Coast under the English Constitution was inaugurated in Accra on 9th May, 1931.  By January, 1953 Lodges operating in the Gold Coast under Charters issued by the Grand Lodge of Scotland had increased to seven.  These Lodges’ petition to the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a District Grand Lodge to be established in the Gold Coast, having been granted, a District Grand Lodge of the Gold Coast under the Scottish Constitution was inaugurated on 17th January, 1953.

The first Lodge to be established in the Gold Coast, by then independent Ghana under a Warrant granted by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, St. Patrick Lodge No. 793, was constituted on 16th March, 1957 to complete the circle of the presence of Lodges operating in Ghana under Warrants issued by the three “Home Grand Lodges” in Ghana.  St. Patrick Lodge remained the only Irish Lodge in Ghana until 1971 when six new Lodges were formed in quick succession, namely, Abuakwa Lodge No. 840 based at the diamond mining town of Akwatia, constituted on 9th January, 1971, Saltpond Lodge No. 841 based at Saltpond and constituted on 28th August, 1971, Ahanta Lodge No. 843 based in Sekondi and constituted on 20th May, 1972, Asante Kotoko Lodge No. 844 based in Kumasi and constituted on 1st July, 1972, Adanisman Lodge No. 849 based at Obuasi and constituted on 4th April, 1973 and Sekyere Lodge No. 850 based at Asante Mampong and constituted on 28th April, 1973.
The Irish Lodges having increased to seven in number, petitioned the Grand Lodge of Ireland for a Provincial Grand Lodge to be established in Ghana.  The Grand Lodge of Ireland acceded to their request and the Provincial Grand Lodge of Ghana, Irish Constitution, was inaugurated on 1st September, 1973.

By the close of the 1960s, some of the Masonic Lodges had functioned in Ghana continuously for more than a century, and Lodges Warranted by all the three “Home Grand Lodges” were operating in the country.  It could by then be said that the practice of Freemasonry in Ghana was attaining maturity.  It was, therefore, no wonder that in 1962, R. W. Bro. Sir Arku Korsah, then District Grand Master of the Scottish Constitution in Ghana and R. W. Bro. Sir Charles William Tachie-Menson, then District Grand Master of the English Constitution in Ghana held discussions and advocated for the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana.  Following from this, a committee of the English and the Scottish Constitutions was set up to discuss the proposal.  There was, however, not much favourable response from the Lodges under the two Constitutions and the idea was put to rest.

The formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana from this time on was talked about here and there, a notable example being a symposium held under the auspices of Akwapim Lodge No. 860 (I.C) on 20th December, 1975 under the chairmanship of Wor. Bro. Justice Nii Amaa Ollenu, PDSGW (EC) on the subject, “A United Grand Lodge of Ghana; What could it mean?”,  At that symposium, R. W. Bro. Nana Dr. Fredua Mensah, then Provincial Grand Secretary Irish Constitution made an impassioned statement advocating for the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana.  Also, earlier on in 1969 Bro. Harry Sawyerr at his installation as Master of University of Technology Lodge No. 7792 EC had raised the issue of the Grand Lodge of Ghana after extending his research into its feasibility.  He had also at the invitation of Lodge Achimota No. 1522 (SC) delivered a lecture on “Whither Freemasonry in Ghana?” on 5th May 1984 in which he advocated strongly that it was time steps were taken towards the establishment of a Grand Lodge of Ghana.

Another major effort towards the establishment of a Grand Lodge of Ghana, occurred on 8th June, 1985 when Bro. Harry Sawyerr, PM, under the auspices of Legon Lodge No. 8266 EC of which he was then the Worshipful Master, presided over an Open Forum attended by Brethren from all the three Constitutions of Freemasonry in Ghana to deliberate on the issue.  At the conclusion of the forum, a resolution was passed requesting the English District Grand Lodge to constitute a committee to “investigate and report how best a Grand Lodge of Ghana could be formed”. A follow up to this resolution was the setting up of a committee under the chairmanship of Bro. Justice Nii Amaa Ollenu.  This committee in its report observed that as the experience of its members was restricted to only the English Constitution, and a Grand Lodge of Ghana would of necessity have to embrace the Scottish and the Irish Constitutions as well, it recommended that a Joint-Committee with membership from the three Constitutions be setup to work on the details of such a Grand Lodge.

The All-Purpose Sub-Committee of the Scottish District at its meeting on 9th August, 1985 in reaction to the resolution passed at the Legon Lodge Open Forum in June, 1985, approved a recommendation that a working committee comprising representatives of the three Constitutions be set up to plan towards the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Ghana and that the assent of Daughter Lodges to the principle of formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana would be a pre-requisite.  

The Irish Province also appointed a committee to study the resolution of the Legon Lodge Open Forum and concurred with the idea of constituting a Joint-Committee of the three Constitutions of Freemasonry in Ghana to plan and work towards the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana.
 A Joint-Committee of the three Constitutions of Freemasonry in Ghana was therefore, eventually constituted by the Heads of the three Constitutions and inaugurated in January, 1987. This Joint-Committee did some good work, having produced a Draft Constitution for the Grand Lodge of Ghana among others, but somewhere along the line, voices of opposition to the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana were raised by a section of the Masonic authorities in which perceived problems that would beset a Grand Lodge of Ghana were stressed. This had the effect of stalling the work of this Joint or Inter-Constitutional Committee, and with that the efforts at the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana.

Bro. Dr. Samir Aziz Eid, PM, in a paper presented at the meeting of Unicorn Lodge No. 8840 EC  on 12th February, 1994 entitled  “Let us Have a United Grand  Lodge of Ghana”  made some proposals on some of the steps that could be taken toward forming a Grand Lodge of Ghana Bro. Harry Sawyerr once again in an erudite oration delivered at the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of Lodge St. Andrew No. 1299 SC put forward cogent reasons why a Grand Lodge of Ghana should be formed and outlined how recognition for a Grand Lodge of Ghana could be achieved. Meanwhile R..W. Bro. Nana Dr. Fredua, Mensah, then Provincial Grand Master of the Irish Constitution, R.W. Bro. D. S. Quarcoopome then District Grand Master Scottish Constitution and later R.W. Bro. Nana Herman A. Mould when Provincial Grand Master, Irish Constitution continued to strongly advocate for the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana at their respective Provincial and District Grand Lodge Communications.

On 9th June, 2003 the issue of the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana was once again put at the centre stage when another Open Forum was held under the auspices of Concordia Lodge No. 7199 EC to which representatives from all the three Constitutions of Freemasonry in Ghana were invited as principal speakers, and at which other eminent Masons of the three Constitutions were present.  At the Forum, it became obvious that many well-meaning Ghanaian Masons wanted positive actions to be taken towards the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana.  The matter continued to be discussed at some subordinate Lodge meetings and mentioned at District and Provincial Grand Lodge Communications.

It was thus, energized by the renewed interest among Ghanaian Freemasons in the formation of a Grand Lodge of Ghana that R.W. Bro. Nana Herman Mould, then Provincial Grand Master of Ghana, 2004 after the installation of R.W. Bro. Charles William Stanley-Pierre and R.W. Bro. Kow Abaka Quansah as District Grand Masters of the Scottish and the English Constitutions respectively, called a meeting of the Heads of the three Masonic Constitutions in Ghana at his residence to deliberate on the issue of the Grand Lodge of Ghana. 
R.W. Bro. John Atta-Quayson, then Provincial Grand Master—Designate of the Irish Constitution, was invited to be in attendance.  When the issue of the formation of a Sovereign Grand Lodge of Ghana was raised, R.W. Bro. Nana Herman Mould, Provincial Grand Master of the Irish Constitution and R.W. Bro. Charles Stanley-Pierre, the District Grand Master of the Scottish Constitution affirmed the readiness and preparedness of the Subordinate and Daughter Lodges under their respective Provincial and District Grand Lodges to be constituent Lodges under a Grand Lodge of Ghana, as the Lodges had already voted in favour of the issue.  R.W. Bro. Kow Abaka Quansah, the District Grand Master of the English Constitution, however, stated that Lodges under the English District would not join a Grand Lodge of Ghana. However, he indicated he would not stand in the way of the Irish Province and Scottish District in their quest for a Grand Lodge of Ghana.  This statement was re-affirmed on other occasions.  From then on, therefore,  Project Grand Lodge of Ghana became the “baby” of the Scottish District and the Irish Province.

On the assumption of office of R. W. Bro. John Atta-Quayson as the Provincial Grand Master, Irish Constitution, he and R. W. Bro. Stanley-Pierre, District Grand Master, Scottish Constitution, agreed that their respective Province and District would push forward the agenda of establishing a Grand Lodge of Ghana.  They therefore set up Committees of their respective Province and District to plan and work towards the establishment of a Grand Lodge.  They later agreed to amalgamate their respective Committees into a Joint-Committee for the formation of the Grand Lodge of Ghana.  R. W. Bro. Nana Herman Mould, Past Provincial Grand Master of the Irish Constitution who had been the Chairman of the Irish Committee was appointed the Chairman of the Joint-Committee.  The Joint-the Committee was given its terms of reference and empowered to co-opt other members as it deemed necessary. 
           
The Joint-Committee has worked tirelessly over the past three years to produce, among other things, a Draft Constitution and Laws for the Grand Lodge of Ghana, Ritual for Opening and Closing Grand Lodge, designed regalia and other paraphernalia for Grand Lodge, Provincial Grand Lodges and Subordinate Lodges, and prepared various documents, such as Warrants, commission for Provincial Grand Masters,

Return Forms for Subordinate Lodges, and various books for the administration of Grand Lodge, Provincial Grand Lodges and Subordinate Lodges. It has also made proposals for the funding of the Grand Lodge.  The Joint-Committee, meanwhile, submitted periodic progress reports on its activities to the District and Provincial Grand Lodges, Scottish and Irish Constitutions, which were read at their Annual and Half-Yearly Communications.
  
When it was felt that sufficient progress had been made in the preparations, the District and Provincial Grand Masters of the Scottish and Irish Constitutions sent feelers to their respective Grand Lodges about the intention of the Lodges under their District and Province to form a Grand Lodge of Ghana.  On receiving positive responses from the two Grand Lodges, R. W. Bro. John Atta-Quayson and R. W. Bro. Charles Stanley-Pierre, the Heads of the two sponsoring Constitutions sent to the Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland, a Joint Proposal from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Ghana, Irish Constitution and the District Grand Lodge of Ghana, Scottish Constitution under their signatures for the erection of a Grand Lodge of Ghana.  Both Grand Lodges having given their blessing to Project Grand Lodge of Ghana, the date 24th January, 2009 was eventually set for its inauguration.  Meanwhile, the Joint-Committee was transformed into a Steering Committee for the formation of the Grand Lodge of Ghana.              In order to inform Brethren in Ghana of all the three Constitutions of what had taken place towards the erection of the Grand Lodge of Ghana and afford Brethren the unique opportunity to seek answers to any questions/problems they might have, and to whip up enthusiasm of Brethren throughout the country, four open fora were held at the Freemasons’ Hall, Adjabeng, Accra on 7th May, 2008, Freemasons’ Hall, Ahodwo, Kumasi on 14th May, 2008, at Freemasons’ Hall, Windy Ridge, Takoradi on 28th May, 2008 and at the Freemasons’ Hall, Aboom  Wells Road, Cape Coast on 28th May, 2008.
 
A Consultative Meeting of accredited representatives of all Lodges under the Irish and Scottish Constitutions together with selected senior Masons was convened at the Freemasons’ Hall, Adjabeng, Accra on Saturday 7th June, 2008 at which the Draft Constitution and Laws of the proposed Grand Lodge of Ghana was approved with some amendments. An Electoral College was convened at the Freemasons’ Hall, Adjabeng, Accra on Saturday 12th July, 2008 to elect the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ghana.  Three candidates stood for election, namely Bro. B. T. K. Adadevoh, Hon. Depute District Grand Master (S.C.), Bro. John Atta-Quayson, Provincial Grand Master (I.C.) and Bro. Charles William Stanley-Pierre, District Grand Master (S.C)  At the end of the voting, Bro. Charles Stanley-Pierre secured the majority of the votes and was declared elected. 
        
Bro. Stanley-Pierre subsequently appointed Bro. John Atta-Quayson and Bro. Nana Herman A. Mould as Deputy and Assistant Grand Masters—Designate respectively.

Altogether, 49 subordinate Lodges comprising 28 Scottish and 21 Irish Lodges constitute the Foundation Lodges of the Grand Lodge of Ghana.  The Lodges have been given new number under the Grand Lodge of Ghana based on the date of Consecration/Constitution.  The Lodges have been grouped into three Provincial Grand Lodges, namely,

The Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Ghana on 24th January, 2009 will be by the Most Worshipful the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, M.W. Bro. George Dunlop, whilst the Most Worshipful Grand Master Mason of Scotland Bro. Charles Iain Robert Wolrige Gordon of Esselmont will install the first Grand Master Bro. Charles William Stanley-Pierre immediately thereafter.  Meanwhile, the United Grand Lodge of England was the first Grand Lodge to pass a resolution giving recognition to the new Grand Lodge on being constituted.

Even though Freemasonry was introduced in Ghana, then Gold Coast, through Lodges under the English Constitution as far back as 1859 the lot has fallen on Lodges of the Scottish and Irish Constitutions to take the bold step of bringing Ghanaian Freemasonry into maturity.  It cannot be denied that Lodges under the District Grand Lodge of Ghana, English Constitution, were not given the democratic freedom to decide for themselves whether to join the Grand Lodge of Ghana or not. Certainly if they had been given that freedom, some of them would have opted to be founder Lodges of the Grand Lodge of Ghana. Be that as it may, the Scottish and Irish Lodges in Ghana by opting to form the Grand Lodge of Ghana have now raised Freemasonry in Ghana to a very high pedestal and put it on the same level as all other regular Grand Lodges world wide. This is a distinctly great honour to Ghana, our motherland.  Ghana is now proud to take its rightful place among the rank of the Honourable Fraternity of Regular Masonic Grand Lodges in the world. 

The Brethren forming the Grand Lodge of Ghana feel highly honoured and justifiably proud that their Grand Lodge is being constituted and their first Grand Master R.W.Bro. Charles William Stanley-Pierre installed by no less Masons than the Most Worshipful the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland MW Bro. George Dunlop and the Most Worshipful the Grand Master Mason of Scotland, Bro. Charles Iain Robert Wolrige Gordon of Esselmont respectively.  To both of them, the Grand Lodge of Ghana owes a debt of gratitude. Now that our cherished dream of having a Sovereign Grand Lodge of Ghana has been realized we pay tribute to all the great Ghanaian Freemasons, past and present, who have played significant roles in bringing Ghanaian Freemasonry this far.