A brief attempt to explain York Rite Freemasonry

A found a pretty decent video that attempts to explain some of the degree and history of Freemasonry.
I find it very peculiar that several members of this site always tend to portray that they some how know more about this craft than actual masons themselves. If you are one of them, don't bother with any attempt to show-boat your prestigious knowledge on this thread, because not a single ----- will be given. This is simply for those who have a genuine interest in this beautiful system of morality




Forgive me if this is a complete repost, I could not find this in the search options

reply to post by GIBBORIM


Here is another that I believe may have been posted here before, just for your viewing pleasure

reply to post by GIBBORIM

That is video by the Grand Commandery of Indiana and Chris Hodapp does a great job.

I am a member of both Rites, but I have my obvious bias...I much more prefer the York Rite. I'm not saying that it is better than the others, but I just have taken to it much more than the Scottish Rite.

Originally posted by KSigMason
reply to post by GIBBORIM

 

That is video by the Grand Commandery of Indiana and Chris Hodapp does a great job.

I am a member of both Rites, but I have my obvious bias...I much more prefer the York Rite. I'm not saying that it is better than the others, but I just have taken to it much more than the Scottish Rite.

Go ahead and admit it, York Rite is the best Rite

IN HOC

reply to post by GIBBORIM

Alright I'll say it. I think the York Rite is better.

To each his own though. The York Rite appealed to me much more than the Scottish Rite.

Pity you guys in the states don't have OSM (Order of the Secret Monitor
or Brotherhood of David and Jonathan). It's my favourite of all the side orders.

That being said, I am J in the Holy Royal Arch this year (English Constitution), and I'm loving it!

reply to post by Saurus

We do have the Secret Monitor in the US, but its practiced only in the Allied Masonic Degrees.

reply to post by KSigMason


There are several other rites i'm invovlved in. One I've been a part of since it conception. It is not a requirement to be a mason, but it does help to atleast understand the fellow craft degree. It is called the Ancient Arcane Atdeluvian Rite.

As of now the first part is actually open to the public to purchase the ritual, but the Council is in IN to for an official Sanctum. link here to check out the rit

reply to post by GIBBORIM

I've heard of that, but had not researched it.

Originally posted by KSigMason
reply to post by GIBBORIM

 

Alright I'll say it. I think the York Rite is better.

To each his own though. The York Rite appealed to me much more than the Scottish Rite.

You know i have been reading speeches made by masons at (Masonic Dictionary) and I'll never understand this York and Scottish rite stuff. I guess it's one of those things you would have to be a Freemason to understand.

One funny thing to note is down here in Mexico right on the surface of the Mexican revolution you can clearly see it was a full out war between the (Yorkinos) and the (Escoseses) "US Poinsettia sell outs" and "Spanish spawn loyalists".

Wish you guys could tell me more.......lol!

The Rat.

Originally posted by TucoTheRat
Wish you guys could tell me more.......lol!

We can, but there's a lot to say. So perhaps you could ask a question if you've got one?

reply to post by TucoTheRat

Masonic Dictionary is a good site. The differences between Rites can be complex in explanation, but for me I say the Scottish Rite is the philosophical branch while the York Rite is the historic branch. The York Rite, particularly outside the US, is a very interesting system of degrees.

Here is some information on the York Rite:

The York Rite of Freemasonry

The Degrees of the York Rite

The Capitular Degrees of York Rite Freemasonry

The Cryptic Degrees of York Rite Freemasonry

The Chivalric Orders of York Rite Freemasonry

The Invitational and Honorary Bodies of the York Rite

Invitational Bodies

The "Chair" degrees of the York RIte

Originally posted by JoshNorton

Originally posted by TucoTheRat
Wish you guys could tell me more.......lol!

We can, but there's a lot to say. So perhaps you could ask a question if you've got one?

Honestly from my point of perspective as someone who is not a Freemason but very interested in Masonry it is very, very hard to form a question by the info in the speeches noted from dinners and stuff by and from Freemasons is very confusing.

Like the whole Ancient and the Modern forms of Masonry. How a Freemason himself cannot be confused by these things is beyond me and i suspect that many Freemasons are lol. The Ancient seem to be the new guys who want more christian in Freemasonry and Moderns seem to be the old dudes but they both sling accusatory at each other in a at loge loving way. Ancients say they are the old because of some rites the moderns do not have wile the Moderns say that is proof enough that the Ancients are making stuff up.

Now the York rite on the surface of things seems to be older than the Scottish rite especially since some Freemasons outside of the USA consider the Scottish rite should be called The American rite eluding to Pike's tinkering yet, how is it that in Mexico we hear of the battle between the (Yorkinos) and the (Escosseses) during the Mexican revolution.

The only way I can describe this confusing aspects of Freemasonry from where I stand is with a quote from Benjamin Franklin "Working together is tyranny. Pulling against each other is Freedom.".

It would seem to me based on much thought on the subject that the York rite in Freemasonry is kind of like the cat while the Scottish rite is the mouse in a cat and mouse game with in Freemasonry. Sure in America the Scottish rite is accepted by the grand loge of England but I suspect the is so after much tinkering by Pike and others but still it is slightly frowned upon by the York as a battle lost n a war and an agreement reached.

for me to not only be able but also to make a question about my confusion and outside speculation would be kind of pointless no? LOL

The Rat.

I fact, it is even more complicated than you say...

Originally, there were number of different side Orders which a Mason could do join after becoming a Master Mason, each which had it's own degrees. The major ones were:

The Holy Royal Arch
The Cryptic Degrees
The Knights Templar
The Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite

In English Freemasonry, it is still like this, and each of the degrees mentioned above is a separate Order, with it's own structure and Officers. The Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite has one governing body, but is divided into two, namely the "18th Degree" and the "Higher Degrees" (meaning specifically the higher degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite, and does not refer to higher Degrees in Freemasonry - a common misconception which has led to much of the misunderstanding of the degrees by non-Masons), and one has to go through all the offices in the 18th degree, and become the equivalent of "Master of the lodge" in the 18th degree before doing the "Higher Degrees".

The problem with the English system is that each of these being a separate order, each require a different evening of the week, additional annual fees, charity donations for each, dinners for each etc., which means that English Masons in general decide to join only two or three of the side Orders and Degrees.

Now, in the American system, it was decided to merge some of the Degrees together into Rites as follows:

York Rite:
Holy Royal Arch
Cryptic Degrees
Knights Templar

Scottish Rite:
4°-18°
19°-30°
31°-33°

This means that an American Mason gets exposed to many degrees by belonging to a single Rite, rather than in the English system, where a Mason has to choose which degrees to do, each belonging to a different order.

reply to post by TucoTheRat


Importance of the York Rite vs the Scottish Rite explained:

The Holy Royal Arch degree is considered to be the completion of the third degree in Freemasonry, and in the English system a Mason cannot join any other order until he has done the Holy Royal Arch degree.

In the American system, the Holy Royal Arch falls under the York Rite, and as a result of this single very important Degree, the York Rite is considered by many to be more important than the Scottish Rite degrees (The importance has nothing to do with Rank, just with Masonic education).

Even so, it is completely up to the individual Mason which Rites or degrees to join, and his choice of side Orders or Rites does not determine his rank or seniority in Freemasonry. Rank and seniority are determined by the offices held in the Craft or Blue Lodge, and a High ranking 3° Mason in the Blue Lodge has authority over members of the York and Scottish Rite, irrespective of which degrees they have done in those Rites. (With one exception - that in the English constitution, a Mason cannot get a high office in the Craft unless he has done the Holy Royal Arch degree.)

Originally posted by Saurus
reply to post by TucoTheRat

 

Importance of the York Rite vs the Scottish Rite explained:

The Holy Royal Arch degree is considered to be the completion of the third degree in Freemasonry, and in the English system a Mason cannot join any other order until he has done the Holy Royal Arch degree.

In the American system, the Holy Royal Arch falls under the York Rite, and as a result of this single very important Degree, the York Rite is considered by many to be more important than the Scottish Rite degrees (The importance has nothing to do with Rank, just with Masonic education).

Even so, it is completely up to the individual Mason which Rites or degrees to join, and his choice of side Orders or Rites does not determine his rank or seniority in Freemasonry. Rank and seniority are determined by the offices held in the Craft or Blue Lodge, and a High ranking 3° Mason in the Blue Lodge has authority over members of the York and Scottish Rite, irrespective of which degrees they have done in those Rites. (With one exception - that in the English constitution, a Mason cannot get a high office in the Craft unless he has done the Holy Royal Arch degree.)

edit on 28/9/2012 by Saurus because: (no reason given)

Thanks for the info Saurus.

I had pieced this out but you laid it out well enough and makes much more sense. Both York and Scottish rites sound fascinating really and the degrees are even more fascinating. My favorite order is Societas Rosicruciana, not sure if that is an actual order of masonry but you have to be one to be in it.

I've always wondered about the transition from operative to speculative and how all that went about. That's a ways off topic though.

The Rat.

reply to post by TucoTheRat

I'll try not to repeat what Saurus has already pointed out.

The York Rite, even to many Masons, is a very confusing system as it is a loose term to describe, within the American style, decentralized and confederated body of degrees and orders. Just when I think I have a good grasp on the subject, I find something new about the York Rite and all the degrees associated with it in America as well those outside the US and in such places like the UK. The York Rite is a very complex system and field of study.

The Great Schism is an interesting study. While yes there was a disagreement of degrees in Craft Masonry, but to me what it came down to is that those in London in 1717 had created the first Grand Lodge and had the audacity to throw their control over all England without the consent of those Lodges that had existed long before the London ones and had no voice in the initial creation of the Grand Lodge. Understandably they opposed this new Grand Lodge and in 1738 the Great Schism physically manifested in the creation of a 2nd Grand Lodge in England. This is where we see fight between the "moderns and the antients." This fight lasted until 1813 when they finally united. During the Schism though each Grand Lodge handed out charters to American colonies to establish their own Grand Lodges and this is why we see Grand Lodges across the States fashioned with "Ancient Free & Accepted Masons" or "Free & Accepted Masons". Part of the debate between the two English Grand Lodges concerned the Royal Arch degree.

I consider the York Rite to be the historical branch of American Freemasonry (and it is older than the Scottish Rite...in America), but records and evidence of the origins of the "higher degrees" all surround the same time period (with some exceptions and historical speculation). The York Rite is what could be referred to as the "American Rite" as outside the States the term "York Rite" is not used. While there are many men who have had different influences on the degrees and orders of the York Rite, the true patriarch of the American York Rite would be Thomas Smith-Webb (this of course is my opinion).

how is it that in Mexico we hear of the battle between the (Yorkinos) and the (Escosseses) during the Mexican revolution.

I'm going to have to research this.

I joined the York Rite 4-years ago, but I have only been in Scottish Rite for a year. I had a pretty good handle on the legend of the York Rite degrees and when I went through the Scottish Rite I saw some similarities to which the degrees of each Rite filled gaps in the stories that extended beyond the Master Mason degree, but then there was some great differences. A very large difference from the Scottish Rite to the York Rite is that many of the York Rite degrees and orders are still very similar today to what they were in the late 18th and early 19th century.

reply to post by TucoTheRat
Here is more history on the course of Freemasonry in Mexico. It speaks of the Ecossais and Yorquinos, and competing Jurisdiction during Mexico's struggle for Sovereignty. It also discusses Masonic relations between USA and Mexico and how this was strained by the fact that many were from the Continental Tradition that placed the first three degrees of Symbolic Lodge under a Supreme Council of A&ASR as opposed to Anglo-American Tradition rather than a Grand Lodge.

History of Freemasonry, Chapter 2 Mexico

I wish that I spoke Spanish, I would like very much to travel and visit Lodges in Mexico and South America.

Hello KSigMason and no1smootha,

I want to thank both of you very much for your great insight and wonderful information. Thank you both very much!

I was not even aware of the The Great Schism, everyday normal life obvious bit here and there but never new about this. And your insight into The York rite is wonderful Ksig.

Smootha I have searched for a ore in depth look into Mexico's masonic history and never thought that there could be so much of it in one link! Wow! just WOW! ( I had read that virtually all of Mexico's lodges were clandestine but the guy toward the bottom of the link made a marvelous dispute about that! but boy can Mexico be a head ache lol.)

It's going to take me some time to look into these things and everyone on the tread has helped so much. Thank you.

The Rat.

reply to post by TucoTheRat
I'm glad that I could help you learn more about the Fraternity and it's history in Mexico. I learned something from you as well, the terminology of Yorquinos and Ecossais, never heard these before although they amount to what I have been calling Anglo-American and Continental Freemasonry. The only Grand Lodge or Orient in Mexico that my Order is in Amity with is the Grand Orient of Mexico, someday I will visit their Lodges south of the Border.