The Grand Lodge of Kentucky F&AM recognized the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Kentucky F&AM in October 2011, however no visitation privileges were granted at that time. The Prince Hall Grand Lodge had asked for recognition without visitation. They were simply recognized as a sovereign jurisdiction only. I just received word that the GL of Kentucky has at last approved joint visitation with their Prince Hall counterparts today at their annual communication.
This still leaves Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia as the last nine remaining mainstream grand lodges that do not recognize their Prince Hall counterparts.
UPDATE
Brother John Bizzack has passed along the additional news that the Grand Lodge of Kentucky also approved legislation that will grant lodges the option of opening Stated Meetings and conducting their business on the Entered Apprentice degree. Actually it must lay over until a final vote next year, but this is a major advancement.
It's taken a couple of years to accomplish this, and it's a welcome change that more and more jurisdictions are adopting. This is the longstanding manner in which the overwhelming majority of lodges around the world conduct their business, and the practice of restricting business meetings to Master Masons only was an unfortunate product of the 1843 Baltimore Convention that introduced many innovations to American lodges. Glad to see it laid to rest in Kentucky.
