The Hierarchy of Masons

I'd say this picture makes some pretty relevant connections.

I also believe that any mason could easily disclude this as nothing more than non-fictional.

However, I'd like to see what people have to say about this.

So here you go.

And yes, I believe this picture is accurate enough.

Originally posted by Revolution-2012


I'd say this picture makes some pretty relevant connections.

I also believe that any mason could easily disclude this as nothing more than non-fictional.

However, I'd like to see what people have to say about this.

So here you go.

And yes, I believe this picture is accurate enough.

Well, the obvious inaccuracy that I see right off the bat is the misplacement of "Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret" at the top of the York Rite column. That is the title of the 32° in the Scottish Rite column.

The other placement seems somewhat arbitrary... Red Cross of Constantine is an honor of the York Rite and is correctly placed above that column, Active 33°, Honorary 33° and KCCH belong over the Scottish Rite column, not in the middle with the Shriners.

And, of course the other big one, just because those two columns are depicted above the 3 steps of the Blue Lodge does not mean they reign above the Blue Lodge nor have any any great importance. The arrangement in the picture was probably to indicate two (the two most popular in the US) paths that a Master Mason may take if he wishes to further his understanding of Masonry. But if you're looking for a "top-down diagram of the controlling structure of Masonry" this isn't it.

(To be honest, I have no idea of Royal Order of Scotland is in the right place or not. Think I may have heard of them, but don't really know if they have anything to do with Scottish Rite or not...)

reply to post by JoshNorton


I don't have any clue what any of it means, all I know is that that it eventually links up with The Knights of Templar, and I think they're/we're some very secretive people.

This photograph does a good job of showing the two routes a Blue Lodge Mason can take, although the third route is the Shrine.

A Master Mason can be an active member in both the York Rite and Scottish Rite, so one is not having to choose just one next step.

I just petioned the Scottish Rite and look forward to advancing toward my quest for further Masonic knowledge.

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
I don't have any clue what any of it means, all I know is that that it eventually links up with The Knights of Templar, and I think they're/we're some very secretive people.

Sure, the York Right 14° are Knights Templar, and you'll notice the Scottish Rite 27° is Knight Commander of the Temple, both harkening back to the Templars that were disbanded in the early 1300s. As much as Masons (and conspiracy theorists) might like, sadly there's been no conclusive proof of a direct lineage that has gone unbroken over the last 700 years.

It's more commonly accepted that when the York and Scottish Rite degrees were being written in the late 1700s and early 1800s there was a popular resurgence in the ideals of chivalry, so there was a certain romanticism inherent in guys carrying swords and going around calling themselves knights. (Heck, such ideas are still alive today in SCA and Renn-Faire type groups...)

The York Rite Degrees are all messed up.

It should be Mark Master, Past Master (Virtual) and then Royal Arch Mason. The emblems are wrong too.

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
I don't have any clue what any of it means, all I know is that that it eventually links up with The Knights of Templar, and I think they're/we're some very secretive people.

Since you don't know what any of it means, is there anything in the diagram you'd like a Mason to explain? To the best of my knowledge there are Masons here who hold all of the degrees, titles, or associations on that chart except for 3 that I'm aware of. (I don't know if we've got a Red Cross of Constantine here, we do have a 33° Honorary, but not a 33° Active. Don't know if we've got any Royal Order of Scotland, and I don't recall if any of our members are in Eastern Star. Otherwise, between a few of us, we probably have all the other titles accounted for.

You posted the graphic like it was an answer to something, but admit not even knowing the question. (And probably didn't expect a bunch of people who actually hold those titles to come in and try to correct it...) So is there anything further about your original topic you'd like to discuss?

Yeah, what I'd like to discuss is what won't be told.

Catch my drift?

Why is there any hierarchy period, The Knights of the Templar have a infamous reputation.

I personally despise the masons.

reply to post by Revolution-2012


Don't know about why there's a hierarchy, but the reputation of the Templars was unjustly given.

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
Yeah, what I'd like to discuss is what won't be told.

Catch my drift?

Why is there any hierarchy period, The Knights of the Templar have a infamous reputation.

I personally despise the masons.

The Freemasons here will no longer be dragged into a flame war.

Your beliefs are unlikely to be changed by any answer we give, therefore we are at an impasse.

Freemasons don't care if you like us or despise us. We are happy to answer questions and then let you judge whether you believe them or not, but this just appears to be another troll to drag us into another flame war and we're simply not going there.

reply to post by emsed1


I will have to agree with emsed. I am a proud and charitable Mason, but yet, you despise me. So there is no point attempting to alter your views of me or the fraternity.

I do ask however that you rid yourself of the notion that there is an actual "hieracrchy" with ranking members that have more power/control over lower level Masons. Those degrees provide a Mason with more knowledge and information about the Craft and provide more Masonic education. I am an equal to all the 70-year old Masons that have been with the fraternity for over 40 years and have 32 degree status. We're all the same.

More importantly, we all come together and helped aid a family in distress after their 4-year old son critically burned 80% of his body this past weekend. During our Lodge meeting, we were able to provide resources and financial backing to help off-set some costs and were able to provide cost-free option to receive care at one of the Shriner's burn hospital.

I can candidly share, we are great contributors to our communities and are actually pretty well-liked by our fellow Church congregations, schools, neighbors etc.

The hierarchy is on the Bilderberg site:

www.bilderberg.org...
www.bilderberg.org...

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
Yeah, what I'd like to discuss is what won't be told.

Catch my drift?

What, the modes of recognition? Yeah, we won't talk about the secret passwords or handshakes. We're more than happy to discuss just about anything else. Was there something specific you wanted to know?

Why is there any hierarchy period,

That's a pretty big philosophical question... are you employed? Do you work for someone else? Or do you own your own business? If you work for someone else, why is there a hierarchy in your business? Do you own your own city? State? Nation? Do you run it yourself? Or does someone else have that responsibility? Why is there any hierarchy, period, in any organization?

The Knights of the Templar have a infamous reputation.

I'm fascinated by anyone who could hear the story of the Templars and somehow come to the conclusion that Pope Clement V or King Philip IV were the good guys.

I personally despise the masons.

Any particular reason? I know doctordoom claims he was knifed by a Mason while he was in the military. I know masonwatcher believes he's being gang-stalked and thinks Masons are involved. I know there's some guy on ATS (not recalling his handle, at the moment) who believes that there are some Masons in a local rock band and they were a bunch of jerks to him... so what have Masons done to you?

reply to post by hawk123


That is not an official Bilderberg website. Just want to make that clear to other readers.

Originally posted by JoshNorton
To the best of my knowledge there are Masons here who hold all of the degrees, titles, or associations on that chart except for 3 that I'm aware of. (I don't know if we've got a Red Cross of Constantine here, we do have a 33° Honorary, but not a 33° Active. Don't know if we've got any Royal Order of Scotland, and I don't recall if any of our members are in Eastern Star. Otherwise, between a few of us, we probably have all the other titles accounted for.

I guess I partially qualify I'm a member of all but two. I'm not Red Cross of Constantine or a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite member, but am Royal Order of Scotland and the others (although I'm on demit from the Shrine and the O.E.S.) If I recall correctly Appak does belong to RCC and he is, of course, a 33rd.

There are a number of problems with this chart, some of which have been pointed out. In the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, the 32nd Degree is "Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret" and is, of course, part of the Scottish Rite and not the York Rite, as shown here. In the Southern Jurisdiction, though, the title is "Master of the Royal Secret"

It's also funny that the compiler of this chart chose the Northern Jurisdiction's 32nd Degree title, and then included the Knight Commander of the Court of Honour (KCCH) which is only given in the SOUTHERN Jurisdiction. And as far as placement goes, it should be between the 32nd Degree and the 33rd Degree, as it is a prerequisite (in the SJ) to the 33rd.

Additionally, the Royal Order of Scotland and the Red Cross of Constantine are invitational Orders and not a part of either Rite.

www.yorkrite.com...

www.redcrossconstantine.org...

although, I believe membership in one of the Rites is a prerequisite.

To call this chart "The Hierarchy" is inaccurate, as we all know there is nothing "Higher" per se, than a Master Mason (3rd Degree) Everything else is an addition TO, not an addition ABOVE that degree. The highest ranking Mason in the United States is The Grand Master...and there's one in EVERY State and in the District of Columbia. And that's just in the so-called 'main-stream' Each Prince Hall Jurisdiction has a Grand Master as well.

This chart would be better suited to be in landscape format with the York & Scottish Rites (both of which are OPTIONAL to the Master Mason) going from and not above the Master's degree.

The O.E.S. shouldn't even be on the chart at all as it's a co-ed organization with it's own set of officers.

This chart is also out of date as to Shrine membership, which once required her members to be a member of either the York or the Scottish Rite. Now any Master Mason (3rd Degree) can be a Shriner.

To the OP, if you're sincere in wanting to understand the structure of Freemasonry, there are a number of us here who'll be glad to give you very open and honest answers, backed up by fact (which is easily found these days on the net).

If you're interested in proving there's some super-secret upper-degree body that controls all of us and that we're not privy to that, or that we lie about it...have fun...you won't be the first and sadly, not the last.

Besides, you've already said you despise me, which, to be honest, came as quite a surprise...you don't even KNOW me.

[edit on 7-2-2009 by senrak]

Originally posted by MOFreemason
reply to post by emsed1

 

More importantly, we all come together and helped aid a family in distress after their 4-year old son critically burned 80% of his body this past weekend. During our Lodge meeting, we were able to provide resources and financial backing to help off-set some costs and were able to provide cost-free option to receive care at one of the Shriner's burn hospital.

Wow. Just wow.

What does haveing to be mason have to do with helping people? You're a group that can consolidate funds to help someone out? Last I checked that's what family and friends are for. Just because your group did something nice doesn't mean that you're any different from people that would do the same thing that aren't masons.


As far off as the rest, I won't ask any of you questions because 90% of masons don't even think there is anything suspicious about the bilderberg organization and you don't believe there is an Illuminati, or a Bohemian Club, and it's quite coincidental that BC members are alleged masons.

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
Wow. Just wow.

What does haveing to be mason have to do with helping people?

Uhm....that's what we do. We help people. Have you not heard of charitable organizations, put together for the one and only purpose of assisting those in need? Masonry has produced several of these: The Shriners Hospitals for crippled and burned children...FREE care. No charge. EVER. The Royal Arch Research Assistance program, the Scottish Rite's "Rite Care" program for children, the Knights Templar Eye Foundation...there are numerous others.

You see, we're not some secretive group that gets together and cooks up conspiracies to take over the world...or if we are, we sure do a lousy job of it. We've been around for 300 years or so and haven't done it yet...but we CAN help people in need.

You're right, family and friends do this to (or they should) but even family and friends need help sometimes.

You're a group that can consolidate funds to help someone out? Last I checked that's what family and friends are for. Just because your group did something nice doesn't mean that you're any different from people that would do the same thing that aren't masons.

I concur, and we don't CLAIM to be any different, either.

As far off as the rest, I won't ask any of you questions because 90% of masons don't even think there is anything suspicious about the bilderberg organization and you don't believe there is an Illuminati, or a Bohemian Club,

90% huh? Interesting. Have you TALKED to 90% of us? If so, I must fall into that 10% you missed. Perhaps some of us DO think there are suspicious things about the Bilderbergs, perhaps some of us do believe there's an Illuminati and/or a Bohemian Club. What of it?

Those aren't Masonic organizations. Are there Masons who belong? Perhaps. Doesn't make them Masonic...any more than me belonging to the Lions Club (which I do) makes Lions a Masonic organization.

and it's quite coincidental that BC members are alleged masons.

"alleged" Alleged, by whom? You? Did you find this out from the 90% of Masons you interviewed?

This here is a more accurate STRUCTURE of Freemasonry, it is not a HIERARCHY.



The Scottish Rite, York Rite, Shriners, etc are not higher than the Blue Lodge or the Master Mason degree. Those bodies are branches off the main body (Blue Lodge). To be in the other bodies you first have to be a Master Mason, that is the ruling body in essence.

reply to post by Revolution-2012

It's not a hierarchy, it's a structure of the organization.

Why despise a charitable organization?

Personally, I'm waiting to be invited to the York Rite college and I am working on getting the KYCH.

The Cremation of Care ceremony directly uses some of the Masonic Scottish Reich's ritual.

Quite obviouslly, there being a level of people haveing certain knowledges, that would be considered a hierarchy.


Anyways, I don't know of any 33rd degree masons on here, and I would trust a damn word that flew out of their mouth.

Originally posted by Revolution-2012
The Cremation of Care ceremony directly uses some of the Masonic Scottish Reich's ritual.

"Reich" rather that "Rite" that's quite telling 2012. Quite telling indeed.

Methinks you have just revealed yourself for what you really are. A troll. Baiting posts with insulting and demeaning statements. 'tis sad, for you.

Hopefully the thinking members of this list will let this ill-fated thread die a natural death, as you are obviously anything but "ascended" as your tag says.

Quite obviouslly, there being a level of people haveing certain knowledges, that would be considered a hierarchy.

"Wow. Just wow." (to quote you) Spelling errors AND a nonsensical sentence, all in one. Wow. Just wow.

Anyways, I don't know of any 33rd degree masons on here, and I would trust a damn word that flew out of their mouth.

2012, you'd be surprised at the things you don't know. Oh, yes, I'm a 33rd, but I won't dare tell you anything, because I'm sure you won't trust me. I wouldn't want to utter a "damned" word.

But you obviously will believe ANYONE and EVERYONE who has something negative to say about Masonry. Especially if someone is sending them "donations" to do it. How very open-minded of you. How very typical.

Thinking of you and your ilk.

[singing] "It's a small world, after all; it's a small world after all"

Pax

[edit on 7-2-2009 by Appak]