The expressions “Regular and Irregular” are used in describing the Mason (i.e. Freemason), his lodge and his grand lodge or other ruling organisations. “Recognition” (and the derived verb “to recognize”) is used to describe relationships between Masonic self-governing organisations. These expressions are often mixed up, so that “regular” are interpret as synonymous to “recognized”, which it is not.

Regularity

Every single autonomic – i.e. self-governing – Masonic organisation has it owns regularity test based on its ideas of its own character. Therefore every single grand lodge consider themselves regular and demand of its members, to submit its standards or criteria, being clearly defined or not. Therefore every Freemason consider himself as regular, as he is “regularly” initiated into a “regular” constituted lodge with a warrant, i.e. a charter from the grand lodge.

Within the closed system of self-governing, grand lodges is the decision of regularity – or of the opposite, i.e. irregularity – a rather easy process and absolute valid.

Problems can however arise when a self-governing organisations definitions of “regularity” are used in connection with another self-governing organisation, because regularity is one factor in the decision, if Grand Lodge A should ”recognize” Grand Lodge B, and vice versa.  

Recognition

If two self-governing grand lodges wish to establish and maintain fraternal connections with each other, they according to customs and manners sign a mutual “recognition”, a formal treaty. It usually means a comparing of the two systems to clarify if they fulfil each others criteria for recognition.

Every single grand lodge has its own list with demands, for most of them listed in Principles for Grand Lodge Recognition, as these are listed by United Grand Lodge of England.

If the two grand lodges recognize each other, they are “in a friendly connection with each other”, and normally allows mutual visits at lodge level as well as grand lodge level.

In most cases they exchange representatives, but it does not mean that a member from Grand Lodge A must move to Grand Lodge B’s jurisdiction, in order to be a representative of this Grand Lodge. It takes place like this; Grand Lodge A suggests one of its own members as representative of Grand Lodge B at Grand Lodge A. If Grand Lodge B agrees, the suggested brother is appointed. A similar arrangement takes place at Grand Lodge B, who suggests one of its members as representative of Grand Lodge A.  

During time groups of grand lodges have been formed, each recognizing most of, but not all in that group. Some of these groups have taken formal names. This is however not the case for the largest group, i.e. the group who informally consider themselves tied to and therefore “follows” the three Grand Lodges from Freemasonry’s native countries, i.e. the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland and Scotland.

This group consists of Grand Lodges all over the world, i.e. 6 in Australia, 1 in New Zealand, 10 in Canada, 5 in Asia, 12 in Africa, 16 in South America, 5 in Central America, 5 in West Indies, 76 in USA and 32 European Grand Lodges.