THE SUPREME ORDER
OF THE
HOLY ROYAL ARCH
THIS PRESENTATION INCORPORATES THE
RESOLUTIONS WHICH WERE APPROVED AND
ADOPTED BY
SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER
ON WEDNESDAY 10TH NOVEMBER 2004
THE SUPREME ORDER OF THE
HOLY ROYAL ARCH
THE HOLY ROYAL ARCH IS A SOVEREIGN AND
INDEPENDENT ORDER, STANDING CO-EQUALLY
WITH OTHER MASONIC ORDERS BUT
WITH A CONTINUING BOND TO THE CRAFT.
ON THE 10TH MARCH 2004
THE MOST WORSHIPFUL
THE GRAND MASTER,
HRH THE DUKE OF KENT
SAID:
HRH THE DUKE OF KENT
“IRRESPECTIVE OF THE CHANGES
PROPOSED (AND ADOPTED IN
NOVEMBER 2004) THE ROYAL ARCH
IS TO REMAIN INDISSOLUBLY
LINKED TO THE CRAFT AND
SHOULD BE REGARDED BY ALL
AS THE FINAL STEP IN
PURE ANTIENT FREEMASONRY”.
THIS PRESENTATION CONSISTS OF A BRIEF
SUMMARY OF :
 WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE ROYAL
ARCH
 ITS LINKS TO CRAFT MASONRY
 CURRENT (REVISED) PRACTICES
 THE BENEFITS OF BEING A MEMBER
WHEN DID
ROYAL ARCH
MASONRY START ?
WHILST THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT
RESEARCH INTO THE HISTORY OF THE
ROYAL ARCH, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF
SPECULATION ABOUT ITS ORIGIN DUE TO
THE ABSENCE OF WRITTEN RECORDS.
WE DO KNOW, HOWEVER, THAT THE
ROYAL ARCH WAS WORKED IN IRELAND,
YORK AND PROBABLY SCOTLAND IN
THE 1740s.
WHEN DID THE ROYAL
ARCH BECOME
RECOGNISED AND ALLIED
TO CRAFT MASONRY ?
IN THE EARLY YEARS, NO ONE THING MORE
CLEARLY DISTINGUISHED THE ‘MODERNS’
AND THE ‘ANTIENTS’ THAN :
THE MODERNS’ OFFICIAL IGNORANCE
OF THE ROYAL ARCH, AND
THE ANTIENTS’ EAGER ADOPTION AND
ENCOURAGEMENT OF IT.
LAURENCE DERMOTT, SECRETARY OF THE
GRAND LODGE OF THE ANTIENTS DESCRIBED
THE ROYAL ARCH AS :
“THE ROOT, HEART AND MARROW
OF
FREEMASONRY”
THE ANTIENTS’ GRAND LODGE, ESTABLISHED
IN 1751, CONSIDERED ROYAL ARCH TO BE
AN INTEGRAL PART OF CRAFT MASONRY.
THE CEREMONY WAS CONDUCTED IN THE
CRAFT, AFTER BEING OPENED FROM THE
THIRD TO THE FOURTH DEGREE.
CONFERMENT OF THE DEGREE WAS THE
HIGHEST PRIVILEGE THAT A MASON COULD
OBTAIN.
WHILST THE MODERNS’ GRAND LODGE
OFFICIALLY DISOWNED ROYAL ARCH, MANY
OF THEIR LODGES WORKED IT AND SOME
PROMINENT MEMBERS, INCLUDING THEIR
GRAND MASTER, WERE ROYAL
ARCH MASONS
THE ACT OF UNION BETWEEN THE MODERNS AND
THE ANTIENTS IN 1813 :
“DECLARED AND PRONOUNCED THAT PURE ANTIENT MASONRY
CONSISTS OF THREE DEGREES AND NO MORE, VIZ THOSE OF
ENTERED APPRENTICE, THE FELLOW CRAFT AND THE MASTER
MASON, INCLUDING THE SUPREME ORDER OF THE HOLY ROYAL
ARCH”
HOWEVER,
At the Quarterly Communication of the 10th December 2003
The United Grand Lodge of England
acknowledged and pronounced
the status of the
Supreme Order of the Royal Arch
to be
“an extension to, but neither a superior
nor a subordinate part of,
the Degrees which precede it”
TO SUMMARISE:
THE HOLY ROYAL ARCH IS AN INDEPENDENT
ORDER IN FREEMASONRY.
TO SUMMARISE:
THE HOLY ROYAL ARCH IS AN INDEPENDENT
ORDER IN FREEMASONRY.
IT IS NOT THE COMPLETION OF THE THIRD
DEGREE IN CRAFT MASONRY, WHICH IS
COMPLETE IN ITS OWN RIGHT.
TO SUMMARISE:
THE HOLY ROYAL ARCH IS AN INDEPENDENT
ORDER IN FREEMASONRY.
IT IS NOT THE COMPLETION OF THE THIRD
DEGREE IN CRAFT MASONRY, WHICH IS
COMPLETE IN ITS OWN RIGHT.
AND ALL REFERENCES IN THE RITUAL
RELATING TO A ‘FOURTH DEGREE’ OR THE
HOLY ROYAL ARCH DEGREE BEING ‘THE
COMPLETION OF THE THIRD DEGREE’
HAVE BEEN REMOVED.
EVERY ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER WAS ORIGINALLY
ATTACHED TO A CRAFT LODGE AND TOOK ITS
NUMBER FROM THAT LODGE
HOWEVER, SHOULD THE CRAFT LODGE HAND
IN ITS WARRANT, THE CHAPTER ORIGINALLY
ATTACHED TO IT CAN CONTINUE TO RETAIN
ITS NUMBER AND ITS NAME IF IT SO WISHES.
ALTERNATIVELY, IT CAN CHOOSE TO ATTACH
ITSELF TO ANOTHER LODGE AND CHANGE ITS NUMBER
ACCORDINGLY (ONLY ONE CHAPTER TO A LODGE).
WHY ARE MASTER
MASONS ENCOURAGED
TO JOIN THE
ROYAL ARCH ?
AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, THE TRUE
SECRETS OF A MASTER MASON WERE
LOST AND WERE SUBSTITUTED BY
OTHER SIGNS AND A WORD
THESE SECRETS WERE LOST FOR
NEARLY 500 YEARS AND THE ROYAL
ARCH DESCRIBES THEIR RECOVERY
THE HOLY ROYAL ARCH
 REVEALS THE FULL LIGHT OF ANCIENT
CRAFT MASONRY, PRESENTING IT AS A
COMPLETE UNIFIED SYSTEM
 NO OTHER ORDER IS SO INTIMATELY
LINKED TO THE CRAFT
 IT TRULY LEADS TO A FULLER
UNDERSTANDING OF THE PURPOSES
AND ‘SPIRIT’ OF FREEMASONRY
THE HOLY ROYAL ARCH
BRETHREN IN THE CRAFT
REFLECT ON
THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR
FELLOW MAN
THE ROYAL ARCH MASON
REFLECTS
ON HIS RELATIONSHIP
WITH HIS GOD
HOW WERE THESE
SECRETS DISCOVERED ?
ROYAL ARCH DESCRIBES IN A DRAMATIC
MANNER HOW THE LOST SECRETS OF A
MASTER MASON WERE DISCOVERED.
IT IS THE STORY OF
JEWISH HISTORY
DURING SOME OF
ITS DARKEST HOURS.
JERUSALEM AND THE HOLY TEMPLE ARE
DESTROYED, AND THE PEOPLE ARE BEING
HELD CAPTIVE AS SLAVES IN BABYLON.
A CANDIDATE FOR EXALTATION JOINS WITH
HIS COMPANIONS AS THEY ARE SET FREE
FROM CAPTIVITY TO RETURN HOME AND
ENGAGE IN THE REBUILDING OF THE SECOND
TEMPLE
IT IS DURING THIS REBUILDING THAT THE
LONG LOST TRUE WORD OF A MASTER
MASON IS DISCOVERED
EXALTATION INTO THE ROYAL ARCH
IS BOTH A COLOURFUL AND DRAMATIC
CEREMONY, A RE-ENACTMENT OF THE
DISCOVERY OF THE LONG LOST TRUE
WORD OF A
MASTER MASON
IS THE ROYAL ARCH
A CHRISTIAN ORDER ?
ORIGINALLY THE ORDER
WAS SIGNIFICANTLY
CHRISTIAN AND THERE
ARE SOME SMALL
ASPECTS OF THE RITUAL
WHICH REFLECTS
THAT HISTORY – SUCH
AS THE OPENING PRAYER
WHICH IS THE FIRST PRAYER
OF THE ANGLICAN
COMMUNION SERVICE
TODAY, THE ROYAL ARCH EMBRACES
ALL FAITHS CONSISTENT WITH THE
PRINCIPLES OF CRAFT MASONRY
ROYAL ARCH CEREMONIES MAY,
HOWEVER, VARY FROM CHAPTER
TO CHAPTER AND THIS ADDS TO
THE ENJOYMENT, INTEREST
AND BEAUTY OF
THE ROYAL ARCH.
CHANGES TO THE RITUAL
A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDED
CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO
THE RITUAL, BOTH TO AID
UNDERSTANDING FOR THE
CANDIDATE AND TO SIMPLIFY
SOME OF THE LANGUAGE, THUS
MAKING THE RITUAL A LITTLE
EASIER TO LEARN.
IN ADDITION, THE PROVINCE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT AND
APPROVE THAT RITUAL AND LECTUES CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO
SECTIONS FOR THOSE CHAPTERS WHO WOULD PREFER THEM TO
BE SHARED AMONGST THEIR COMPANIONS.
THERE ARE VERY FEW MANDATORY CHANGES AND THESE TEND
TO RELATE TO THE OMISSION OF SPURIOUS DATES IN THE
HISTORICAL LECTURE AND ALL REFERENCES TO A FOURTH
DEGREE OR EXALTATION BEING THE COMPLETION OF THE
THIRD DEGREE.
WHY A ‘CHAPTER’
AND
NOT A ‘LODGE’ ?
WHEN CANONS OF A CATHEDRAL
CHURCH, THE MONKS OF A MONASTERY,
OR THE KNIGHTS OF AN ORDER
HELD FORMAL MEETINGS, THE PROCEEDINGS BEGAN WITH THE
READING OF A CHAPTER FROM THEIR RULES OR CHARGES, OR
FROM THE SCRIPTURES
THUS THE GATHERING ITSELF BECAME KNOWN AS A CHAPTER
THE ROYAL ARCH ALSO OPENS WITH THE READING OF A PRAYER
THE TENDENCY TO SUBSTITUTE THE
WORD ‘CHAPTER’ INSTEAD OF LODGE
COMMENCED IN THE 1750’s
TO MARK IT AS THE SUPREME
DEGREE
WHY ARE MEMBERS
REFERRED TO AS
‘COMPANIONS’ AND
NOT ‘BROTHERS’ ?
INITIALLY MEMBERS WERE REFERRED TO AS
BROTHERS, BUT SINCE 1770 MEMBERS GRADUALLY
BECAME KNOWN AS COMPANIONS.
IN SOME ORDERS OF CHIVALRY A MEMBER IS
ALSO KNOWN AS A COMPANION
The Most Noble
Order of the Garter
Knight Companions
IN LATIN THE WORD MEANS ‘TOGETHER WITH BREAD’
INFERRING COMPANIONS SHARE MEALS TOGETHER
IS THE
ROYAL ARCH
ORGANISED SEPARATELY
FROM THE CRAFT ?
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
WHILST THE ROYAL ARCH HAS ITS OWN
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE,
H.R.H. THE DUKE OF KENT LEADS BOTH THE
CRAFT AND ROYAL ARCH
EQUALLY THE HOLDERS OF SENIOR OFFICES
IN GRAND LODGE HOLD SIMILAR RANKS
IN THE ROYAL ARCH AND THE PROVINCIAL
GRAND MASTER IS USUALLY THE M.E. GRAND
SUPERINTENDENT OF PROVINCIAL
GRAND CHAPTER
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
THERE ARE NO PLANS, AND NEVER
HAVE BEEN ANY PLANS, TO FURTHER
SEPARATE THE ADMINISTRATION OF
THE CRAFT AND
THE HOLY ROYAL ARCH
THE MEMBERSHIP
CERTIFICATE EVIDENCES
THE TRADITIONAL
LINKS TO THE
CRAFT
THE ROYAL ARCH CERTIFICATE
STILL RETAINS CRAFT FEATURES
WHICH APPEARED IN THE
R.A. CERTIFICATE DESIGNED
BY LAURENCE DERMOTT IN 1753
THE ROYAL ARCH CERTIFICATE
IN THE NAME OF
THE GREAT
ARCHITECT OF
THE UNIVERSE
MOSAIC PAVEMENT
OF A
CRAFT LODGE
COMMON SEAL
EXCEPT
FOR SURROUNDING
LETTERS
WHAT DOES THE
REGALIA LOOK
LIKE AND SIGNIFY ?
THE APRON, SASH
AND JEWEL
REFLECTS
THE RANK OF A
R.A. MASON
REGALIA
OF A
ROYAL ARCH
MEMBER
THE APRON, SASH
AND JEWEL
REFLECTS
THE RANK OF A
R.A. MASON
REGALIA
OF AN
EXCELLENT
COMPANION
THE APRON, SASH
AND JEWEL
REFLECTS
THE RANK OF A
R.A. MASON
REGALIA
OF A
PROVINCIAL
OFFICER
THE APRON, SASH
AND JEWEL
REFLECTS
THE RANK OF A
R.A. MASON
REGALIA
OF A
GRAND
OFFICER
NOTICE, THE COLLAR IS
WIDER AND THE DIAMONDS
ARE COMPLETE ON THE
APRON
THE BREAST JEWEL IS THE ONLY JEWEL OF ANOTHER
ORDER WHICH CAN, INDEED MUST, BE WORN BOTH IN
THE ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER AND IN A CRAFT LODGE.
THE JEWELS ARE IDENTICAL, IT IS JUST THE RIBBON
THAT CHANGES,
COMPANION
EXCELLENT
COMPANION
PROVINCIAL
OR GRAND
OFFICER
THE SIX POINTED
STAR ON THE JEWEL
IS KNOWN AS
THE HEXALPHA
OR BLAZING STAR
FRONT OF MEDAL
SPACE WHERE
THE NAME OF A
COMPANION WAS
TRADITIONALLY
ENGRAVED.
THE SIX POINTED OR BLAZING STAR
REVERSE OF MEDAL
SOME BELIEVE THIS WAS THE
SEAL OF SOLOMON AND
THE SHIELD OF DAVID
FLAG OF
ISRAEL
THE SIX POINTED OR BLAZING STAR
THE WORDS ON THE STAR ARE :
WISDOM, PEACE, STRENGTH,
CONCORD, BEAUTY AND TRUTH
THE SIX POINTED STAR OR BLAZING STAR
THE STAR IS WITHIN TWO
CIRCLES SIGNIFYING THE
DEITY AND ETERNITY
THE SIX POINTED STAR OR BLAZING STAR
FOR DATE OF EXALTATION
THE TRIPLE TAU
ORIGINALLY THE SYMBOL WAS A
T OVER A H
AN ABBREVIATION FOR
‘TEMPLUM HIEROSOLYMA’
LATIN FOR
TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM.
THERE IS A CROSS KNOWN AS THE TAU CROSS, ALSO SHAPED LIKE A
T
AND IS A PRE-HISTORIC RELIGIOUS SYMBOL
THE ‘TAU’ IS THE 19th LETTER OF THE GREEK ALPHABET,
THE 20th LETTER OF THE ENGLISH ALPHABET
AFTER THE UNION OF THE GRAND CHAPTERS IN
1817 IT BECAME THREE Ts - THE TRIPLE TAU
WHAT DO THE
COLOURS OF THE
ROYAL ARCH
SIGNIFY ?
TRADITION INFORMS US THAT WITHIN THE TABERNACLE THERE
WERE FOUR VEILS THROUGH WHICH A CANDIDATE HAD TO PASS
IN HIS SEARCH FOR THE LOST WORD
BLUE
THE SYMBOL OF UNIVERSAL FRIENDSHIP,
REPRESENTED IN THE SYMBOLIC DEGREES
THROUGH WHICH A MASON HAS ALREADY
PASSED
PURPLE
SYMBOLIC OF UNION, REPRESENTING THE
INTIMATE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CRAFT
AND THE ROYAL ARCH
SCARLET
SYMBOL OF FERVENCY AND ZEAL AND THE
DISTINCT COLOUR OF ROYAL ARCH MASONRY
WHITE
SYMBOL OF PURITY AND A REMINDER THAT
ONLY BY PURITY OF HEART AND LIFE CAN A
ROYAL ARCH MASON BE FOUND WORTHY OF THE
RECEPTION OF DIVINE TRUTH
THE CEREMONY OF PASSING THE VEILS
WAS DISCONTINUED IN 1834 BUT IS
STILL PRACTISED IN NORTH AMERICA,
IRELAND, SCOTLAND AND, SINCE 1928 BY
SPECIAL DISPENSATION, IN
THE BRISTOL CHAPTERS.
MORE RECENTLY SUPREME GRAND
CHAPTER HAVE ALLOWED THIS
CEREMONY TO BE WORKED
ONCE A YEAR, IN EACH PROVINCE.
A CANDIDATE HAD TO PASS THROUGH THE
FIRST THREE VEILS BEFORE EXALTATION
AND THE CRIMSON
VEIL DEMANDED
A PASS WORD
‘HOLINESS TO
THE LORD’
WHICH IS, OR
SHOULD BE,
ENGRAVED ON
THE SCEPTRE
OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL
THE WHITE VEIL WAS THE LAST AND
ORIGINALLY COVERED THE ENTRANCE TO
THE HOLY OF HOLIES AND WAS GUARDED BY
THE SOJOURNERS WHO WERE ALSO
DRESSED IN WHITE
THERE IS A VIEW THAT THE ORIGINAL
PRACTICE HAD LINKS WITH THE
MEDIEVAL CHURCH, WHERE AT LENT
A WHITE SHEET WAS HUNG ACROSS
THE ROOD SCREEN
THESE COLOURS ARE SEEN ON THE ROBES OF THE
PRINCIPALS AND SOJOURNERS
FIRST PRINCIPAL
ZERUBBABEL
THESE COLOURS ARE SEEN ON THE ROBES OF THE
PRINCIPALS AND SOJOURNERS
SECOND PRINCIPAL
HAGGAI
THESE COLOURS ARE SEEN ON THE ROBES OF THE
PRINCIPALS AND SOJOURNERS
THIRD PRINCIPAL
JOSHUA
THESE COLOURS ARE SEEN ON THE ROBES OF THE
PRINCIPALS AND SOJOURNERS
SOJOURNER
PROVINCIAL GRAND PRINCIPALS : FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
THE SECOND PROVINCIAL GRAND PRINCIPAL – E.COMP. DAVID H. THOMPSON
THE DEPUTY GRAND SUPERINTENDENT – E.COMP. WILLIAM J. PORTER
THE THIRD PROVINCIAL GRAND PRINCIPAL – E.COMP. THE REV. DONALD K. PRYCE
HOW DOES A
COMPANION PROGRESS
IN ROYAL ARCH ?
THERE ARE NO DEGREES IN THE ROYAL ARCH, BUT
FOUR STEPS :
EXALTATION
MEANING TO ELEVATE IN
DIGNITY AND RANK
QUALIFICATION AND PROGRESSION INTO THE
THREE PRINCIPALS CHAIRS :
JOSHUA
J
THIRD PRINCIPAL
HAGGAI H
ZERUBBABEL
SECOND PRINCIPAL
Z
FIRST PRINCIPAL
WHAT ARE THESE
OTHER OFFICES
IN THE
ROYAL ARCH ?
MANY OF THE OFFICES ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE
IN A CRAFT LODGE :
ALMONER, DIRECTOR OF CEREMONIES, CHARITY
STEWARD AND STEWARD
OTHER OFFICES ARE SIMILAR BUT WITH DIFFERENT
NAMES :
SCRIBE EZRA :
THE SECRETARY
SCRIBE NEHEMIAH : SITUATED IN THE SOUTH AND HE
PERFORMS SIMILAR DUTIES TO
THAT OF A CRAFT INNER GUARD
THE SOJOURNERS : THEY UNDERTAKE SIMILAR
DUTIES TO THE DEACONS
THE JANITOR :
THE TYLER OF THE CHAPTER
JOSHUA : HE WAS THE HIGH PRIEST AND
COLLABORATED WITH HAGGAI AND ZERUBBABEL
IN THE REBUILDING OF THE SECOND TEMPLE, WHICH
WAS DEDICATED IN 516BC
HAGGAI : WAS A PROPHET OF JUDAH, PROBABLY
BORN IN BABYLON DURING THE CAPTIVITY OF THE
JEWS. HE IS FAMED FOR HIS WORK IN ENCOURAGING
THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE
ZERUBBABEL : HE WAS THE BUILDER OF THE SECOND
TEMPLE AND WAS APPOINTED PRINCE OF JUDAH BY
CYRUS, KING OF PERSIA
TRADITIONALLY ONLY
THOSE WHO WERE
INSTALLED MASTERS
IN THE CRAFT COULD
PROGRESS INTO THE
THIRD PRINCIPAL’S
CHAIR.
CHAPTERS NOW HAVE THE DISCRETION TO INSTALL, IN
EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES, A MASTER MASON WHO HAS NOT
FULFILLED THE ROLE OF MASTER OF A LODGE AS THIRD
PRINCIPAL.
HE MAY THEN PASS THROUGH THE CHAIRS TO BECOME THE
MOST EXCELLENT ZERUBBABEL.
HOWEVER, THE PERSON SO SELECTED MUST HAVE FULFILLED,
FOR ONE YEAR, THE OFFICE OF SCIBE E., SCRIBE N.,
PRINCIPAL SOJOURNER OR ASSISTANT SOJOURNER.
HE MUST ALSO HAVE DEMONSTRATED HIS COMMITMENT AND
ABILITY TO TAKE ON THIS SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
FINALLY, IT IS EXPECTED THAT AT SOME TIME HE WILL
EVENTUALLY BECOME AN INSTALLED MASTER IN THE CRAFT
IT FOLLOWS, THEREFORE, THAT AT THE
INSTALLATION OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL THE
RITUAL HAS BEEN AMENDED AS ELIGIBILITY
FOR THE THIRD PRINCIPAL’S CHAIR DOES NOT
DEMAND THE CANDIDATE TO ‘PROVE’ THAT
HE HAS BEEN INSTALLED AS MASTER OF A LODGE.
THE ‘WORD’ GIVEN TO A MASTER AT HIS CRAFT
INSTALLATION MUST NOT, THEREFORE, BE USED
FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL.
AN ALTERNATIVE ‘PASS-WORD’ HAS BEEN
IDENTIFIED AND APPROVED BY SUPREME GRAND
CHAPTER FOR FUTURE USE.
WHEN CAN A MEMBER
OF THE CRAFT
JOIN
THE ROYAL ARCH ?
WHEN A BROTHER HAS ATTAINED THE
RANK OF A MASTER MASON,
HE IS THEN ENTITLED,
AFTER A PERIOD OF ONE MONTH,
TO BE EXALTED INTO THE ROYAL ARCH
HOW OFTEN DO
CHAPTER’S MEET ?
MOST CHAPTER’S MEET FOUR TIMES
EACH YEAR – THE MEETINGS ARE
KNOWN AS CONVOCATIONS
CONVOCATION LITERALLY MEANS
‘CALLING TOGETHER’
ONE OF THESE CONVOCATIONS WILL
BE THE INSTALLATION MEETING
WHAT COSTS ARE
INCURRED ?
AS WITH LODGES, COSTS CAN VARY BUT :
 THE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TENDS TO BE
AROUND £45 PLUS A ONE OFF JOINING FEE
OF A SIMILAR AMOUNT
 THE REGALIA OF AN EXALTEE, IF BOUGHT
NEW COSTS ABOUT £65
 REGALIA CAN OFTEN BE BOUGHT ‘SECOND
HAND’ OFTEN IN RETURN FOR A DONATION
TO CHARITY
WHY DO MASONS
JOIN THE
ROYAL ARCH ?
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY ROYAL ARCH
COMPANIONS ENJOY BEING A MEMBER OF A CHAPTER
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY ROYAL ARCH
COMPANIONS ENJOY BEING A MEMBER OF A CHAPTER
IT WIDENS MASONIC FRIENDSHIPS – MEMBERS TEND
TO BE DRAWN FROM DIFFERENT LODGES, EVEN FROM
DIFFERENT DISTRICTS
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY ROYAL ARCH
COMPANIONS ENJOY BEING A MEMBER OF A CHAPTER
IT WIDENS MASONIC FRIENDSHIPS – MEMBERS TEND
TO BE DRAWN FROM DIFFERENT LODGES, EVEN FROM
DIFFERENT DISTRICTS
MEMBERS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE THEIR
KNOWLEDGE OF THE WHOLE MASONIC SYSTEM
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY ROYAL ARCH
COMPANIONS ENJOY BEING A MEMBER OF A CHAPTER
IT WIDENS MASONIC FRIENDSHIPS – MEMBERS TEND
TO BE DRAWN FROM DIFFERENT LODGES, EVEN FROM
DIFFERENT DISTRICTS
MEMBERS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE THEIR
KNOWLEDGE OF THE WHOLE MASONIC SYSTEM
CHAPTERS AIM TO ACHIEVE A BALANCE BETWEEN
DIGNIFIED CEREMONIES AND THE AMIABLE AND
FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE OF THE SOCIAL BOARD
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY ROYAL ARCH
COMPANIONS ENJOY BEING A MEMBER OF A CHAPTER
IT WIDENS MASONIC FRIENDSHIPS – MEMBERS TEND
TO BE DRAWN FROM DIFFERENT LODGES, EVEN FROM
DIFFERENT DISTRICTS
MEMBERS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE THEIR
KNOWLEDGE OF THE WHOLE MASONIC SYSTEM
CHAPTERS AIM TO ACHIEVE A BALANCE BETWEEN
DIGNIFIED CEREMONIES AND THE AMIABLE AND
FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE OF THE SOCIAL BOARD
SOME OTHER APPENDANT DEGREES REQUIRE
MEMBERSHIP OF THE ROYAL ARCH BEFORE A MASON
CAN BECOME A MEMBER, SUCH AS KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
WHAT EVER REASON A MASON CHOOSES FOR
BECOMING A MEMBER HE CAN BE CERTAIN
THAT HE WILL RECEIVE A WARM WELCOME
AND WILL QUICKLY EXPERIENCE THE DESIRE
OF ALL ROYAL ARCH MASONS :
“TO PLEASE EACH OTHER AND
UNITE IN THE GRAND DESIGN
OF BEING HAPPY AND
COMMUNICATING HAPPINESS”
A QUOTE FROM THE OPENING ADDRESS
“IF EVERYTHING WISE, EVERYTHING
VIRTUOUS AND PRAISEWORTHY
WERE UNITED, THE RESULT WOULD PRODUCE
ROYAL ARCH MASONRY.
IT’S AIM IS THE PROMOTION OF VIRTUE AND
ITS SOLEMN BUSINESS THE COMMUNICATION
OF THE HOLY NAME OF THAT GREAT BEING
WHO ALONE CAN EXALT US TO JOYS
IMPERISHABLE IN THEIR NATURE AND
ETERNAL IN THEIR DURATION”.
IF YOU ARE READY
TO TAKE YOUR FINAL
STEP IN PURE ANTIENT
FREEMASONRY
WHY NOT COME
AND JOIN US ?
SPEAK TO YOUR
LODGE ROYAL ARCH REPRESENTATIVE
[HIS NAME SHOULD APPEAR ON THE
LODGE SUMMONS]
OR
YOUR LODGE SECRETARY WHO CAN PROVIDE
YOU WITH THE CONTACT DETAILS OF THE
DISTRICT OFFICER ROYAL ARCH [DORA]
FOR YOUR DISTRICT.