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beyond the northeast corner
Masonic-Related
Organizations
CHAPTER XVII
Richard h. sands
Introduction
Once you
have been raised a Master Mason you, and members of your family, become eligible
to join numerous organizations, some to increase your Masonic knowledge and some
for purely social reasons. The following is a brief introduction to many of
these organizations.
York
and Scottish Rites
The York and
Scottish Rites both expand on the teachings of the first three degrees. They
each contain several organizations, each of which offer several degrees. The
York Rite bodies are local in the sense that their meeting places are in your
local or neighboring communities. These are loosely referred to as Chapter,
Council and Commandery; however, their proper names are Chapter of Royal Arch
Masons, Council of Royal and Select Masons and Knights Templar. The Knights
Templar degrees are Christian in nature. The degrees in York Rite are often
given (sometimes required to be given) to just one candidate at a time. The
Scottish Rite meets centrally in an area encompassing several Counties and
offers its degrees to a “class,” numbering from the tens to hundreds of
candidates at a time. When a man says that he is a thirty-second degree Mason,
he means that he has gone through the degrees in Scottish Rite. Because the
Scottish Rite draws it membership from several counties, the membership in a
given “Valley” is often counted in the thousands or tens of thousands. Each of
these organizations have their own particular charitable activities funded by
the membership, and each requires annual dues.
The
Shrine
Historically,
the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, commonly called “The
Shrine”, did not directly require Masonic membership; however, it required
membership in the York or Scottish Rite and the latter require Masonic
membership. Recently, the Shrine changed its bylaws to require only that a
prospective member be a Master Mason; hence every “Shriner” is a Master Mason.
The Shrine strongly supports Freemasonry. This organization is socially
oriented, and has as its major project the funding and operation of nearly two
dozen hospitals for crippled and burned children. Such hospital care is totally
free to the patients and their families. One of the fund-raising efforts
involves hosting a circus for the public, and many local Shriners buy tickets
and give them free to children and even provide free transportation and food and
drink for children in neighboring communities; in other words, they practice
Masonic principles. Again, there are annual dues required of each member and he
must maintain his membership in the Blue Lodge. The Shrine draws its membership
from several counties.
Organizations
for Men and Women
The Order of
the Eastern Star, the White Shrine of Jerusalem and the Amaranth admit both men
and women and require some Symbolic Lodge connection. You wives may find these
organizations of interest and you can enjoy them together.
Local
Social Organizations
The Mystic
Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm (the Grotto) and the Tall Cedars
of Lebanon are social organizations for Symbolic Lodge Masons and do not require
membership in any other Masonic-related organizations. Each has its charitable
activities and each has annual dues.
High Twelve
Clubs meet for dining (usually brunch or lunch), generally have a speaker, and
foster socialization among Masons.
Organizations
for Young Men and Women
There are
several organizations started and supported by Masons for the youth, the Order
of DeMolay for young men, and the Order of Rainbow for Girls and Job’s Daughters
for young women. These organizations usually have chapters in your local or
neighboring communities. They offer great leadership training and moral guidance
for the youth, and you are strongly urged to look into these for your own sons
and daughters. You may even wish to offer your support as an
advisor.
General
Observations
Notice that
each of these organizations has a requirement on your time and resources. You
should choose wisely; it is not advisable to join these organizations
immediately upon becoming a Master Mason unless you have strong reasons for
doing so. Take time to educate yourself in Freemasonry, take an active part in
the activities and opportunities offered by your Lodge and this will give you
ample opportunities to learn about these other organizations before you join
them.
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