The Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees was formed in 1879 to bring under its direction all Lodges of various orders who recognised no central authority and were not regulated by the other major governing bodies.
The Allied Masonic Degrees are a group of five Degrees which at one time, were conferred under Craft Warrants.
Nowadays these are known as “Progressive Degrees”, but at one time they were called “Side Degrees” and it was common practice for a group of Brethren to take a Brother to one side after a Craft meeting and confer the Degree on him in a short ceremony, complete with passwords, pass grips etc.
The “Antients” allowed any Craft Lodge to work any Masonic Degree, but since the formation of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1813, only the three Craft Degrees and the Royal Arch can be performed in Craft Lodges.
Many other Degrees continued to be worked though and several formed their own Supreme Grand Lodges (eg. Mark Masonry).
In 1879, The Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees was formed to bring together and govern some of the remaining degrees. At one time, the Degrees of Grand Tilers of Solomon, one Degree of the Secret Monitor and the order of Holy Wisdom (Knight Templar Priest grades) were also included.
However, in 1923 a Grand College of Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests for England was erected at Newcastle and the Grand Council accordingly disclaimed control of this large group of degrees.
In1931 the Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees agreed to cease working their single Degree of the Secret Monitor.
In 1972 the Grand Council became known as the Grand Council of the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees and today there are in excess of 200 Councils ranged under its banner.
Private Councils of the Order are empowered to work the degrees of :-
ST LAWRENCE THE MARTYR. This is the Degree in which candidates are admitted and in which administrative work is carried out. It is based on an old operative ceremony which tells the story of the Martyrdom of St Lawrence and teaches the lesson of fortitude.
KNIGHT OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Tells the story of how Emperor Constantine the Great related with Freemasons. It teaches us the lesson of humility.
GRAND TYLERS OF SOLOMON. This shares similarities with another Masonic Degree, it was originally called “Select Masters of 27” and tells the story of how a well-known craftsman accidentally intrudes into a secret vault under King Solomon’s Temple and how the three Grand Masters decided his fate.
RED CROSS OF BABYLON. A very old Degree, with similar versions being worked with different names by other Orders around the world. It is set at the time of the rebuilding of the second Temple and includes references to Cyrus, Darius and Zerubbabel. There is an important symbolic feature of passing over a river.
GRAND HIGH PRIEST. A beautiful ceremony full of symbolism. It is closely associated with the early Holy Royal Arch and a number of other Masonic Degrees. Amongst others, the characters involved are Aaron and Melchizedek. We are taught that we are set apart for high duties and responsibilities both as a man and a Mason and to dedicate ourselves to service to the Most High God and our fellow men.
In the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees, each unit is called a Council and there are now more than 200 Councils worldwide.
Qualifications for admittance.
Candidates are required to be a Mark Master Mason and a Holy Royal Arch Companion in addition to being a Craft Mason.
Regalia worn includes the group of 5 impressive miniature jewels shown below.
The Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees was formed in 1879 to bring under its direction all Lodges of various orders who recognised no central authority and were not regulated by the other major governing bodies.
The Allied Masonic Degrees are a group of five Degrees which at one time, were conferred under Craft Warrants.
Nowadays these are known as “Progressive Degrees”, but at one time they were called “Side Degrees” and it was common practice for a group of Brethren to take a Brother to one side after a Craft meeting and confer the Degree on him in a short ceremony, complete with passwords, pass grips etc.
The “Antients” allowed any Craft Lodge to work any Masonic Degree, but since the formation of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1813, only the three Craft Degrees and the Royal Arch can be performed in Craft Lodges.
Many other Degrees continued to be worked though and several formed their own Supreme Grand Lodges (eg. Mark Masonry).
In 1879, The Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees was formed to bring together and govern some of the remaining degrees. At one time, the Degrees of Grand Tilers of Solomon, one Degree of the Secret Monitor and the order of Holy Wisdom (Knight Templar Priest grades) were also included.
However, in 1923 a Grand College of Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests for England was erected at Newcastle and the Grand Council accordingly disclaimed control of this large group of degrees.
In1931 the Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees agreed to cease working their single Degree of the Secret Monitor.
In 1972 the Grand Council became known as the Grand Council of the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees and today there are in excess of 200 Councils ranged under its banner.
Private Councils of the Order are empowered to work the degrees of :-
ST LAWRENCE THE MARTYR. This is the Degree in which candidates are admitted and in which administrative work is carried out. It is based on an old operative ceremony which tells the story of the Martyrdom of St Lawrence and teaches the lesson of fortitude.
KNIGHT OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Tells the story of how Emperor Constantine the Great related with Freemasons. It teaches us the lesson of humility.
GRAND TYLERS OF SOLOMON. This shares similarities with another Masonic Degree, it was originally called “Select Masters of 27” and tells the story of how a well-known craftsman accidentally intrudes into a secret vault under King Solomon’s Temple and how the three Grand Masters decided his fate.
RED CROSS OF BABYLON. A very old Degree, with similar versions being worked with different names by other Orders around the world. It is set at the time of the rebuilding of the second Temple and includes references to Cyrus, Darius and Zerubbabel. There is an important symbolic feature of passing over a river.
GRAND HIGH PRIEST. A beautiful ceremony full of symbolism. It is closely associated with the early Holy Royal Arch and a number of other Masonic Degrees. Amongst others, the characters involved are Aaron and Melchizedek. We are taught that we are set apart for high duties and responsibilities both as a man and a Mason and to dedicate ourselves to service to the Most High God and our fellow men.
In the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees, each unit is called a Council and there are now more than 200 Councils worldwide.
Qualifications for admittance.
Candidates are required to be a Mark Master Mason and a Holy Royal Arch Companion in addition to being a Craft Mason.
Regalia worn includes the group of 5 impressive miniature jewels shown below.
PLYMOUTH COUNCILS and the Degree of Knights of Constantinople
No account of the history of this order would be complete without a mention of the Plymouth Councils. A Council of Knights of Constantinople (note the difference in title between this and the “Knight” Of Constantinople Degree above) was known to be formed by St Aubyn Council at Devonport in Plymouth as early as 1875. St Aubyn Council warranted several other Councils:- Truro, Chatham and Hong Kong in 1866, Gibraltar in 1868, Bristol in 1878, Plymouth (Red Cross Council) in 1874 and another in Plymouth in 1910.
In 1910, the three remaining Councils in Plymouth, St Aubyn Council 33TI, Red Cross Council 34TI and Edgcumbe Council 35TI
(which now meets at Barnstaple), agreed to come under the authority of the Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees.
In return, they were given Time Immemorial (TI) status, allowed exclusively to continue to wear their distinctive aprons and jewels and most importantly, to continue working the Degree of Knights of Constantinople in much the same form as that practised since 1865.
The Degree is very different from the "Knight of Constantinople" Degree which is practised by other Councils.
It is much more elaborate and it is well worth visiting one of the "TI Councils" to witness it.
The Secret Monitor Degree
This Degree has many similarities to the Secret Monitor Degree, or Order of David and Jonathan, as now practised in England.
It teaches the lessons of humility and equality.
For many years, the Secret Monitor Degree was included amongst the Allied Masonic Degrees (as was the "Order of Holy Wisdom" and and other Degrees which have subsequently been taken under the authority of the Grand College of Knight Templar Priests). However, since 1887, The Secret Monitor Degree had also been worked in England under the authority of The Grand Council of the Secret Monitor. This was obviously an undesirable situation, so in 1931,it was agreed that the earlier American version being worked under the authority of the Allied Masonic Degrees would cease to be worked and therefore this version become a "Dead Degree".
Being now a dead degree, it can be demonstrated, but not conferred (some elements have been modified to protect the current Secret Monitor Degree), so the District of Devon and Cornwall have formed a Demonstration Team led by our previous District Grand Prefect, R.W. Bro. Anthony Vickery which by arrangement, can travel to any Masonic Lodge, Chapter, Council, Conclave or any other Masonic assembly to demonstrate it.
If you would like an interesting alternative to a talk or lecture, why not book us to demonstrate this interesting old Degree at one of your meetings?
To Book, contact - Jim Evans. Tel. 01803 865128. or email: jimalbertevans@gmail.com
