Chandler Lodge No. 227

www.chandlerlodge227.org

7th Masonic District of
The Grand Lodge of PA

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Listed below is information regarding some of the Honorary and Invitational Only Masonic Bodies that are in existence here in the United States.  They are not listed in any particular order.  Should you wish to correct any information contained below, please contact the webmaster.

The York Rite Sovereign College of North America  

The York Rite Sovereign College of North America exists primarily to be of service to the York Rite of Freemasonry. The prerequisite for membership, which is by invitation only, is good-standing in all four York Rite bodies: Lodge, Chapter, Council and Commandery or Preceptory (Canada).

The purpose of the York Rite Sovereign College of North America, as set forth in its Constitution and By-Laws, are as follows:

(1) To foster a spirit of cooperation an coordination among each of the Bodies of York Rite Masonry.
(2) To assist in worthy efforts to improve the ritualistic and dramatic presentation of York Rite work.
(3) To conduct an education program in order to inculcate a greater appreciation of the principles, ideals and programs of York Rite Masonry.
(4) To strengthen York Rite Masonry in every possible manner.
(5) To build up a love of country and to aid and support genuine Americanism.
(6) To reward outstanding service to York Rite Masonry by awards, honors and other methods of proper recognition.
(7) To support Charitable and Benevolent Endeavors of Freemasonry.

The Gold Honor Award may be given to any Mason for unselfish and faithful service in any branch of the York Rite. The recipient need not to be a member of a College, nor is it required that he be a member of all the other York Rite bodies

Order of the Purple Cross of York

For much more information on the York Rite Sovereign College of North America, please visit the college's official website.

Knights of the York Cross of Honour

Knights of the York Cross of Honour is a Honor Group of York Rite Masons who are dedicated to serving the Masonic Fraternity as a Labor of Love. Requirements for membership are that each proposed candidate for membership must have presided over a Lodge as a Master, over a Chapter as High Priest, over a Council as Illustrious Master and over a Commandery as Commander. No individual should aspire to membership in KYCH, when he has done the required work, and done it well, he will be invited to membership. Those who labor will be rewarded by being invited.

For more information on the Knights of the York Cross of Honour, please visit their official website.

Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests

The Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests is an invitational organization with membership limitations. Members are selected on the basis of outstanding performance as a Commander of a Commandery of Knight Templar.

For more information on the Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests, please visit their official website.

Knight Masons

The Order of Knight Masons is an invitational and honorary body. The Grand Council of Knight Masons of the United States of America, in consideration of its origin strives to:

1. Perpetuate the ancient rituals of the Irish Masonic Canon, (the "Green" degrees) by promoting their frequent and regular conferral in its constituent councils, and by its expectation that such conferral will be executed with an accuracy, a precision, and a dramatic power congruent with the highest traditions of the Masonic institution.
2. Elevate to membership in its constituent councils only those Freemasons who in their character and persons have amply and thoroughly demonstrated in their Masonic lives, by means of a faithful attachment to the institution, a true and honorable record of service to its goals, and a genuine dedication to its high ideals.
3. Foster in its constituent councils the regular exploration and study of the Masonic Tradition and Heritage by means of an aggressive program of scholarly inquiry and research, and to pursue that Masonic learning in the spirit of our Celtic forbears who kept the light of faith burning in times of darkness.
4. Encourage its constituent councils to discover in the pleasures and diversions of the festive board that warm fellowship and that joyous fraternity, which have ever characterized and actuated the great spirit of this Ancient Craft.
5 Promote the charitable dimension so central to, and inherent in, Masonic life and tradition by obliging its constituent councils to contribute with customary Masonic liberality to those institutions, both Masonic and non-Masonic, which serve the needs of the greater community.

There are three degrees - Knight of the Sword, Knight of the East, and Knight of the East and West. These "Green" degrees are ancient and are in essence "Old Testament." The 15th, 16th, and 17th degrees of the Scottish Rite, and the Order of the Red Cross of the Commandery are to some extent similar and all are based on the legend of Zerubbabel.

For more information of the Knight Masons, please visit their official website.

Allied Masonic Degrees

An Honorary and Invitational Body Dedicated to Masonic Research. This is an invitational organization which requires all members first be Royal Arch Masons and be active in their local York Rite programs. The primary aims of the Grand Council, A.M.D. are to encourage research in Masonic subjects, and to support the local York Rite bodies. The Allied Masonic Degrees are detached degrees, some of which many years ago, were conferred under Craft warrants and formed part of the then loosely governed Freemasonry of the period.

Many of these detached degrees became dormant in some places, although in others they were conferred as side degrees. In time the better of these degrees were grouped together in an organized body under the title of Allied Masonic Degrees. They are conferred in the United States in Councils chartered by the Grand Council. Each Council is limited to twenty seven members, with two exceptions. One of these Councils is known as the Council of the Nine Muses and is limited to nine members. The other is Grand Masters Council, which has what is known as a roving charter. The purpose of the latter Council is to provide a place of membership in the Allied Masonic Degrees for brethren residing in localities where Councils have not been organized. Membership in every Council of Allied Masonic Degrees is by invitation, and is predicated on membership in the Royal Arch Chapter.

The degrees comprising the system in our Jurisdiction in the U.S.A. are the Royal Ark Mariner, Secret Monitor, Knight of Constantinople, Saint Lawrence the Martyr, Architect, Superintendent, Grand Tilers of Solomon, Master of Tyre, Excellent Master, Installed Sovereign Master, Installed Commander Noah, Red Branch of Eri and Ye Ancient Order of Corks. 

The Allied Masonic Degrees

For more information on the Allied Masonic Degrees, please visit their official website.

Masonic Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis

Membership, which is by invitation, is predicated on Masonic affiliation and Christianity. The Society is not merely another degree of Freemasonry which may be acquired and outside of the normal "workings" of the Craft.

The Masonic qualification assures the membership that the neophyte has given proof of that fidelity and privacy which characterizes a member of that Fraternity. The Christian qualification is required because the character of the Grade rituals is completely Christian, and would not be understood or appreciated by those of other faiths. This character is emphasized in the Ceremony of Admission and it will be noted that a certain community outlook and understanding among the members (called Fraters) is necessary.

 

MSRICF Orders / Grades

For more information on the MSRICF, please visit their official website.

Red Cross of Constantine

The Order of The Red Cross Of Constantine is an invitational organization and is considered by many to be the highest honor that can be awarded within York Rite Masonry. The membership of each Conclave is limited.

An individual must have demonstrated a high level of dedication and performance in his Masonic activities, be proposed for membership by a member knight, and pass a unanimous ballot.

For more information on the RCC, please visit their official website.

Royal Order of Scotland

Each applicant must be invited, must have been a Master Mason for more than five years and must be a  Trinitarian Christian by faith. He further should hold the 32nd degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, although this may be waived if the Petitioner is a Knight Templar. We require that all applicants must be entitled to honor in Freemasonry because of services performed for the Craft, the Church, or the Public. We consider offices held in Masonic Bodies as evidence of service performed to the Craft. Also, honors already received in the fraternity such as the K.C.C.H., the 33rd degree, the Red Cross of Constantine, the K.Y.C.H., etc. We also consider services such as offices held in Church, activity on Boards and Committees, active work with the Boy Scouts, DeMolay, Community drives, etc., or other types of evidence of service performed for one's fellow-man. We judge each application on its own merit. Our concern is that they meet our basic requirements, and that they are worthy of the honor of membership as a reward for service they have performed.

The Royal Order comprises two Degrees, that of Heredom of Kilwinning and that of the Rosy Cross. Tradition tells us that the former was established in Judea, in Palestine, but whether at the time of the Crusaders of much earlier origin, tradition is silent.

The word "Heredom" has been variously interpreted, but the most obvious derivation is from the Hebrew word "Harodim", meaning "The Rulers", and the name of Kilwinning refers to the re-establishment of the Order by King Robert the Bruce at Kilwinning, where he presided as its first Grand Master.

The Degree of Heredom of Kilwinning is a peculiarly interesting Degree and full of instruction to Craft Masons, as in its lectures it explains the symbolism and teaching contained in the first three Degrees of what is sometimes referred to as St. John s Masonry.

The Rosy Cross Degree, tradition takes its origin on the field of Bannockburn, on Summer St. John s Day 1314, and was instituted by King Robert the Bruce, who having in the course of the battle for Scottish independence, received assistance from a body of sixty-three knights who may have been original Knights Templar and Freemasons.