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By the Same Author: ~N4~(SOflJL~ 0I74TJOf~S LAFAYETTE, CITIZEN AND MASON OF Two COUNTRIES ~i It~tttS THE HISTORY OF ORGANIZED MASONIC ROSICRUCIANISM ,67~ 2jclopaecchc ~ikandll,ook NEGRO MASONRY IN THE UNITED STATES THE EASTERN STAR: THE EVOLUTION FROM A RITE TO AN ORDER THE HISTORY OF KNIGHT TEMPLARY IN NEw JERSEY THUMB-NAIL SKETCHES OF MEDIEVAL KNIGHTHOODS 3y HAROLD VA B,. VOORHIS, B.F., F.P.S. FACTS FOR FREEMASONS 1 Past Master, Past High Priest, Past Thrice Illustrious Master, Past Eminent Commander, 330, Grand Historian of Grand Chapter and Grand Commandery, and Past Grand Master of the Grand Council of New Jersey, Member of the Committee on History, A. A. S. R., (Northern Juris.) PRESS oj HENRY EAJAIERSON 1952 k N x V FOREWORD Masonry is frequently referred to as a Fraternity and also as an Order. It is obviously a Fraternity and, too, it must be an Order for it is a body whose character is known, Its practices observable, its rules fixed, Its pur- poses declared, its utility proven and it has the protection of tree govern- ments wherein it exists. Its members know that even its mysteries would be honored if publicly revealed. No one is received into its circle unless Free- born and of good reputation. Its purpose is plain to all—to love God, Copyright, 1952 serve the country, and do good to all. Its utility is proved by its excellent precepts, and the services it renders humanity. These things make a an by Order. Whether the component parts of Freemasonry can be called an HAROLD V. B. Voo]inls Order is a matter of judgment or opinion but taken, in a plenary sense, it has existed from time immemorial and its principles are immutable. Red Bank, N. J. Ma~ books have been written on innumerable Masonic subjects. Most of t~e~ have a foreword and/or a preface; and many of them also have an introdii~ztion. They frequently purpolt to explain or to give excuse for Printed in the United States of America their being We offer no excuse for this volume because it is the first book of its kind—u cyclopedic digest of the physical portion of Masonic activity of all active gioups in the United States. We have noted, with amusement, in more than one Masonic book, a sentence that “this work has found favor among many readers’‘—surely an anticipatory statement, to say the very least. Our egotism ascends to no such heights, but such a hope reposes in our mind. ‘4 ~Vpp-,f~?~ I ~ ~ If we have distressed you by listing our Masonic tides on the first page of this book, we call your attention to the fact that it is the TITLE PAGE, and that we have titles as well as the book. But we might have gone further as we have presided in more than thirty Masonic bodies, but we thought those listed would be suflicient to give us some authority in the premises. About seventy-five years ago a zealot extolled the virtues of a “rag” he published as a Masonic Manual, which he called, “ALPHA AND OMEGA”, subheaded “Treasure of Wisdom.” This knave had the unmitigated nerve to foster this “gem” (for which the work should become immortal) on an unsuspected Masonic public. CONTENTS “This is a n~anual, compact, comprehensive, compendious, useful, a among all bo6ks, whether they be more diffuse or less extensive Grand Lodges in U. S. A - I compendiums, this is the one most often consulted, and the most readily understood; and although it is small in size and brief in arlangement, it General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons 3 is a sea containing in itself pearls of truth (gems of verities), and a treas- General Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters 6 urer in which are deposited sums of subtleties; and Is replete with intrinsic symbolism, difficult to penetrate, and impossible to all except the initia- Grand Encampment of Knights Templar 8 ted.” Supreme Council, 330, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction 1 1 The external facts connected with the history of our Masonic organiza- Supreme Council, 330, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite tions have been set down elsewhere with considerable inaccutacy. This peren- nial method has become a habitual nuisance which I hope, by this work, to Northern Jurisdiction 20 have terminated. If true, I shall have etched a small claim to Masonic fame The Royal Order of Scotland 29 —historically. I leave you to determine the worth of my effort. The Red Cross of Constantine 31 Supreme Grand chapter of the &and Cross of Constantine 42 Knight Grand Cross, Red Cross of Constantine 44 Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis 48 The York Cross of Honour 51 Sovereign College of Allied Masonic and Christian Degrees for America - 53 The Allied Masonic Degrees for the U. S. A 57 The Grand College of Rites of the U. S. A 60 Order of Knight Masons (of Ireland) 62 Holy Order of Knights Beneficent of the Holy City (C. B. C. S.).... 64 Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests 66 The Philalethes Society 69 The Society of Blue Friars 71 The Order of the Bath of the United States of Ain~rica 72 National Sojourners 74 Heroes of ‘76 77 National league of ‘Masonic Clubs 78 The Acacia Fraternity 80 Order of the Golden Key 81 Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine 84 The Royal Order of Jesters 89 Mystic Osder of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm 91 Tall Cedars of Lebanon of the United States of America 93 VII CONTENTS (Continued) PREFACE An.cient Egyptian Order of Sciots 95 The Order of the Eastern Star 98 This book is the first attempt to put in one place the general statistics of, and condensed infoimation about, the various Masonic and allied organi- Order of the Amaranth 101 zations, past and present, in the United States. Perfection is not claimed, The Social Order of the Beauceant of the World 104 but an intensive effort has been made to check every statement in this Supreme Conclave True Kindred .108 work. The Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem .110 For several years requests for such data have been icceived by the Ancient Toltec Rite .113 author and they are becoming mor~ frequent now since some of the little Daughters of the Nile . 114 known bodies have become more active. There has been no single place Where anyone could secure information about all the bodies in the Masonic Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America .. 117 System because the material is scattered in hundreds of printed Proceedings Daughters of Mokanna 119 and unprinted minutes and records, most of which is out of leach of all Order of the Golden Chain 120 but a few students of the Craft. A great number of even the printed Pro. ceedings are extremely rare and inaccessible. It is to meet this increasing need Order of DeMolay 123 for this unavailable information that this book has been compiled. The Order of the Builders 124 Order of Job’s Daughters 125 Conflicting data and dates have necessitated extended research in some instances. Even after every means has been used to verify facts, there Order of Rainbow for Girls 127 is the possibility of error. Consequently, any corrections, fully substantiated Daughters of the Eastern Star 128 by reliable evidence, or additional material, will be welcomed. APPENDIX Because this is an original attempt, the edition is not large. However, Order of Rameses and Daughters of Osiris 129 if it finds favor, it is contemplated to issue subsequent printings, with Ancient Egyptian Order of Princesses of Sharemkhu 129 additions, ‘when practical. For that reason we have not dealt at length with some of the groups, especially when their function is well known. However, Thrice Illustrious Masters Councils 130 data on any group not mention’ed will be gladly received for inclusion in Sword of Bunker Hill 131 subsequent editions. The Order of Desoms 134 Due to the varied nature of the different groups the information has Royal Ark Mariner Lodges 135 not been presented in uniform fashion. Each has been handled with the Mark Master Lodges . 135 idea of presenting the most useful data in accordance with the contemplated Miscellaneous Groups 136 need, and that which is most difficult to secure in normal and easily access- ible sources. EKcept for the statistical table we have not Covered Symbolic Prince Hall Negro Masonic Lodges 137 Masonry at all. Capitular, Cryptic, Chivalric and Scottish Rite Masonry also Statistical Summary 1949-1950 138 have not been given a full treatment, but the other groups have been given more attention—some of the information being assembled for the first Membership Statistics 1820-1950 141 time anywhere. The compilation of the dates of formation of Masonic Grand Bodies is frequently fraught with difficulties which cannot be explained without resorting to copious footnotes covering the situations, conditions and history. Organization dates often are different from “official” dates adopted by a Grand body. Some Grand bodies are continuations of Provincial Grand vol ix MASONIC ORGANIZATIONS bodies. Some such Grand bodies use the date when they became independent AND ALLIED ORDERS —‘others the Provincial date. Some date their being from the date of the Convention, others use the date of election of Grand Officers, and still AND DEGREES 6tbers use the date of installation. For the most part the date of election of Grand Officers has been taken following the practice of Gould in his “History of Freemasonry” (Charles Scribners Sons, New York, 1936 Edition) for Grand Lodges, and General Grand Chapter Proceedings for Grand Chapters, etc.