Holy Royal Arch

The Holy Royal Arch commonly referred to as a Chapter is an additional degree of Freemasonry.

A candidate for Exaltation into a Holy Royal Arch Chapter is required to have been a Master Mason for four weeks or more. [en icon [http://www.grandchapter.org.uk/royal-arch/how-to-join.htm Supreme Grand Chapter of England] How to Join Royal Arch] In Scotland the candidate must also be a Mark Master Mason, a degree which can be conferred within Chapter if required. Once exalted a candidate becomes a companion, with Royal Arch meetings being described as a convocation.

The exact origins of the Holy Royal Arch are unknown except that it dates back to the mid 1700s.

History

The precise history of the Royal Arch is unclear, but from historical documentation it can be shown that Royal Arch existed in London, York and Dublin in the 1730s. At that time the degree was an appendage of the Master Mason's degree, but as with the Craft Freemasonry of the time, the Antients and Moderns held very different views on the Royal Arch. The Antients then regarded it as a fourth degree and conferred it as such together with various other degrees within their Lodges, maintaining that a Lodge Charter or Warrant empowered them to carry out any Masonic work.

The Moderns, however, regarded it as being separate from Craft Freemasonry and as early as 1766 constituted the Grand and Royal Chapter of the Royal Arch of Jerusalem, parent of the present Supreme Grand Chapter.

The First Grand Chapter

Earliest records [ [http://www.grandchapter.org.uk/sgc/fgc-history.htm Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England ] ] indicate that HRA members of the premier Grand Lodge formed the first Grand Chapter by signing the Charter of Compact at its meeting on the 22nd July 1766. The Grand Chapter became The Excellent Grand and Royal Chapter of the Royal Arch of Jerusalem, the first Grand Chapter in the world.

Orders and Degrees

The Holy Royal Arch is affiliated to many different constitutions worldwide, many of which place different emphasis on the order.

* England, Europe and Australasia: A Holy Royal Arch Chapter is required to be sponsored by a Craft Lodge and bears the same name and number; however, the HRA is seen as a separate order. Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter is governed from the headquarters of United Grand Lodge of England, but the administration remains distinct. The degree is termed the 'completion of the Master Mason degree' by virtue of the relationship between the ritual content. The exaltation of a Craft Mason into a HRA chapter does not infer an additional degree upon the Mason with only 3 degrees of Masonry existing.

* Scotland: The degree is conferred in a Royal Arch Chapter which is within a wholly different administrative structure (the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland). Due to a difference in ritual, Royal Arch Masons exalted in England may not attend Scottish Royal Arch Chapters without completing the Scottish exaltation ceremony. Before receiving the Holy Royal Arch Degree the Candidate must first have the Mark Degree and the Excellent Masters Degree. However, those Exalted in Scotland may attend Chapter in England, or indeed any Chapter, provided it be in Amity.

* America: In the United States, the Royal Arch forms one of the degrees known collectively as York Rite and is the first order that a Master Mason joins.

Organisational Structure

The Royal arch, not being a separate degree in Freemasonry confers no additional seniority on its members over members of Master Masons.

Chapters

Chapters in England are grouped as either a Metropolitan area or Provinces (based on the old Counties) and Chapters overseas are grouped in Districts. Metropolitan, Provincial and District Grand Chapters are ruled over by a Grand Superintendent who is appointed by the First Grand Principal as his personal representative for the particular area.

Chapters are ruled over by three Principals, who conjointly rule the Chapter, and the Grand Chapter is ruled over by three Grand Principals, with a Pro First Grand Principal when the First Grand Principal is a Royal Prince.

Chapter Officers

In addition to the three Principals, very much like Craft Lodges a Holy Royal Arch Chapter has elected and appointed officers with individual responsibilities within the Chapter.

Ruling Principals

*Zerubbabel - Prince of Jerusalem
*Haggai - the Prophet
*Joshua - the High Priest (a.k.a. Josiah in Bristol and Irish Chapters)

Other Officers

*Ezra
*Nehemiah

ee also

* Freemasonry
* Masonic appendant bodies

References

External links

* [http://www.grandchapter.org.uk/index.htm Website] Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England