Appendant and Concordant Bodies of Freemasonry
The fraternity of Freemasonry, also known as "Free and Accepted Masons," is organized by private groups of members variously known in English as lodges, chapters, councils, commanderies, consistories, etc., which can be collectively referred to as "Masonic bodies".
The basic Masonic body is the "Masonic lodge" or "Blue Lodge", which alone can make a Mason, and confers the first three degrees in Masonry, being that of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason.
While there is no degree in Freemasonry higher than that of Master Mason, there are a number of related organizations which have as a prerequisite to joining that one be a Master Mason, such as the Shriners, Scottish Rite and the York Rite.
Additionally, there are also organizations affiliated with Freemasonry that admit both Master Masons and non-Masons who have some relation to a Master Mason, such as the Order of the Eastern Star, International Order of Job's Daughters and the Order of the Amaranth. Still other affiliated organizations like the Order of DeMolay and the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls admit non-Masons and have no requirement that an applicant be related to a Master Mason.
Ribault Lodge № 272, F. & A. M. is proud that a number of our members have continued their Masonic education through active participation in one of several Masonic appendant and concordant bodies. Here we provide an overview of some of those organizations and links to websites which will provide detailed information. If you want additional information just give us a call or contact the local body in your area.
The fraternity of Freemasonry, also known as "Free and Accepted Masons," is organized by private groups of members variously known in English as lodges, chapters, councils, commanderies, consistories, etc., which can be collectively referred to as "Masonic bodies".
The basic Masonic body is the "Masonic lodge" or "Blue Lodge", which alone can make a Mason, and confers the first three degrees in Masonry, being that of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason.
While there is no degree in Freemasonry higher than that of Master Mason, there are a number of related organizations which have as a prerequisite to joining that one be a Master Mason, such as the Shriners, Scottish Rite and the York Rite.
Additionally, there are also organizations affiliated with Freemasonry that admit both Master Masons and non-Masons who have some relation to a Master Mason, such as the Order of the Eastern Star, International Order of Job's Daughters and the Order of the Amaranth. Still other affiliated organizations like the Order of DeMolay and the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls admit non-Masons and have no requirement that an applicant be related to a Master Mason.
Ribault Lodge № 272, F. & A. M. is proud that a number of our members have continued their Masonic education through active participation in one of several Masonic appendant and concordant bodies. Here we provide an overview of some of those organizations and links to websites which will provide detailed information. If you want additional information just give us a call or contact the local body in your area.
York Rite
The term York Rite is a term most often used in the United States of America to refer to a collection of Masonic degrees that, in most other countries, are conferred separately. As such, it constitutes one of the two main branches of Masonic Appendant Bodies in United States Freemasonry, which a Master Mason may join to further his knowledge of Freemasonry. Its name is derived from the city of York, where, according to a Masonic legend, the first meetings of Masons in England took place, although only the lectures of the York Rite College make reference to that legend.
The other principal branch of Freemasonry in the United States is the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.
The divisions within the York Rite and the requirements for membership differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but the essentials are the same. In all the workings, the one requirement is that all applicants be in possession of the degree of Master Mason (the third degree of Freemasonry).
For more information on the York Rite Degrees and York Rite Bodies in our area, Click Here.
Scottish Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry. A Rite is a series of progressive degrees that are conferred by various Masonic organizations or bodies, each of which operates under the control of its own central authority. In the Scottish Rite the central authority is called a Supreme Council.
The thirty-three degrees of the Scottish Rite are conferred by several controlling bodies. The first of these is the Craft Lodge which confers the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees. Craft lodges operate under the authority of Grand Lodges, not the Scottish Rite.
The Scottish Rite is one of the appendant bodies of Freemasonry that a Master Mason may join for further exposure to the principles of Freemasonry. In England and some other countries, while the Scottish Rite is not accorded official recognition by the Grand Lodge, there is no prohibition against a Freemason electing to join it. In the United States, however, the Scottish Rite is officially recognized by Grand Lodges as an extension of the degrees of Freemasonry. The Scottish Rite builds upon the ethical teachings and philosophy offered in the craft lodge, or Blue Lodge, through presentation of the individual degrees.
For more information on Scottish Rite Degrees and Scottish Rite Bodies in our area, Click here.
Shriners
Shriners International is a fraternity based on fun, fellowship and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth. There are approximately 375,000 members from 191 temples (chapters) in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Republic of Panama.
Shriners International support Shriners Hospitals for Children, a one-of-a-kind international health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Since 1922, Shriners Hospitals for Children have significantly improved the lives of more than 865,000 children.
If you hold the title of Master Mason in Freemasonry, you qualify and are invited to join the Shriners.
For more information on Shriners International, Click here.
Grotto
The Grotto was founded in the summer of 1889 to organize and hold informal meetings for fun and good fellowship. At the meeting of September 10, 1889, the group called the "Fairchild Deviltry Committee" restrict membership to Master Masons in good standing.
The idea of the Order proved to be attractive, and many Masons joined. In response to requests, other groups were formed in other areas, and on June 13, 1890 the former "Fairchild Deviltry Committee" duly established and formed the Supreme Council, Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm. Its purpose was to add in greater measure to the Masonic fraternal spirit the charm of radiant cheerfulness and to maintain within the fraternity an impetus of royal good fellowship.
It is a social organization for Master Masons, and as such, all Master Masons are welcome to join. It encourages renewed interest in the Blue Lodges, though it makes no claim to be a part of Symbolic Craft Masonry.
Members are distinguished by a black fez with a red tassel and a Mokanna head in the middle.
For more information on Grottos of North America, Click here.
Order of the Eastern Star
The Order of the Eastern Star is the largest fraternal organization in the world that both men and women can join. It was established in 1850 by Rob Morris, a lawyer and educator from Boston, Massachusetts, who had been an official with the Freemasons. It is based on teachings from the Bible, but is open to people of all monotheistic faiths. It has approximately 10,000 chapters in twenty countries and approximately one million members under its General Grand Chapter. Members of the Order are aged 18 and older; men must be Master Masons and women must have specific relationships with Masons. Originally, a woman would have to be the daughter, widow, wife, sister, or mother of a master Mason, but the Order now allows other relatives as well as allowing Rainbow Girls, Triangle Girls, and Job's Daughters to become members when they become of age.
For more information on Order of the Eastern Star, Click here.
The International Order of the Rainbow Girls
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (IORG) is a Masonic youth service organization which teaches leadership training through community service. Girls (ages 11-20/21) learn about the value of charity and service through their work and involvement with their annual local and Grand (state or country) service projects.
For more information on International Order of the Rainbow Girls, Click here.
The Order of DeMolay
DeMolay is open for membership to young men between the ages of 12 to 21, and currently has about 36,000 members in the United States and Canada and several thousand more world wide. It uses a model of mentoring; adult men and women called advisors, often past DeMolay members or fathers and mothers of DeMolays, mentor the active Demolay members. An advisor is referred to as 'Dad Smith' instead of 'Mr. Smith', in respect of Frank Land and his fatherly role to the founding members. The mentoring focuses on the development of civic awareness, leadership skills and personal responsibility.
Founded by a Freemason, DeMolay is closely modeled after Freemasonry. It is not directly connected to Freemasonry, though it normally meets in a Masonic Lodge room. DeMolay is considered to be part of the Masonic Family, along with other youth groups like Job's Daughters and the Rainbow Girls. Like the Rainbow Girls, a young man does not need to have a family tie or sponsor in a Masonic organization to join DeMolay.
DeMolay has seven Cardinal Virtues, which are the soul structure of what they follow. These Cardinal Virtues are:
- Filial love (love between a parent and child)
- Reverence for sacred things
- Courtesy
- Comradeship
- Fidelity
- Cleanness
- Patriotism
