Masonic Degrees/Orders Received, Memberships and Offices Held

Craft Freemasonry

The dates on which I received the three degrees of Masonry are as follows:

2016/09/07: 1° Entered Apprentice
2016/10/22: 2° Fellowcraft
2016/12/17: 3° Master Mason

I received these degrees in Saint George Lodge No. 33, which is subordinate to the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Utah. I was appointed/elected and did serve in the following offices in Saint George Lodge No. 33 F&AM for the following calendar years:

2019: Junior Deacon
2020: Senior Deacon

2021: Senior Warden

2022: Worshipful Master[*]

The highest degree in Freemasonry itself is 3° (that of Master Mason), no matter what degree, grade, or order one obtains later on in appendant, concordant, or affiliate groups.[†]

My current rank in this body is Past Master.

American York Rite[‡]
I received most[§] of the degrees/orders of the York Rite during the 2019 Colorado River Fall Festival; note that these degrees are not enumerated as in Craft Freemasonry and some other appendant/concordant bodies (e.g., the Scottish Rite). The dates on which I received the degrees/orders of the three principal York Rite bodies are as follows:

Royal Arch Masonry
2019/10/21: Mark Master Mason
2019/10/21: Past Master
2019/10/21: Most Excellent Master
2019/10/21: Royal Arch Mason

Cryptic Masonry
2019/10/21: Royal Master
2019/10/21: Select Master
2022/04/02: Super Excellent Master[§]

United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta
2019/10/22: Illustrious Order of the Red Cross
2019/10/22: Order of Malta
2019/10/22: Order of the Temple

Upon receiving these degrees, I became a member of St George Chapter No. 10 (subordinate to the Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons of Utah, which is a member of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons International), Zion Council No. 7 (subordinate to the Grand Council of the Cryptic Masons of Utah, which is a member of the General Grand Council of Cryptic Masons International), and Golgotha Commandery No. 7 (subordinate to the Grand Commandery of the Knights Templar of Utah, which is subordinate to the Grand Encampment of the Knights Templar of the United States of America).

I have served in the following offices in the following organizations for the following calendar years:

General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons International
Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Utah

St George Chapter No. 10

2020: Master of the 2nd Veil

2021: Master of the 2nd Veil[**]
2022: King[††]

2024: Excellent High Priest[‡‡][§§]

My current rank/office in this body is Excellent High Priest.

General Grand Council of Cryptic Masons International

Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of Utah

Zion Council No. 7

2020: Chaplain

2021: Chaplain[**]

2022: Conductor of the Council

2024:

• Jan - Sept: Conductor of the Council[§§]
• Sept - Dec: Principal Conductor of the Work[***][†††]

My current rank/office in this body is Principal Conductor of the Work.

Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America

2024-2027: Aide-de-Camp[‡‡‡]

My current rank/office in this body is Aide-de-Camp.

Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Utah

Golgotha Commandery No. 7
2020: Sword Bearer

2021: Sword Bearer[**]

2022: Senior Warden

2024:

• Jan - Sept: Junior Warden[§§]
• Sept - Dec: Senior Warden[†††]

My current rank in this body is Senior Warden.

American York Rite—Invitational Bodies

I received and accepted invitations to the following bodies:

Allied Masonic Degrees

2023/04/20: Royal Ark Mariner

2023/04/20: Order of the Secret Monitor

2023/04/20: Saint Lawrence the Martyr

2023/04/20: Knight of Constantinople

2023/04/20: Grand Tilers of Solomon

2023/04/20: Excellent Master

2023/04/20: Architect

2023/04/20: Grand Architect

2023/04/20: Superintendent

2023/04/20: Masters of Tyre

2023/04/20: Ye Antiente Order of Corks

2024/04/13: Installed Sovereign Master[§§§]

Allied Masonic Degrees is a research body that preserves Masonic ceremonies that are no longer in-use.

Upon receiving the initial, required degrees on 04/20/2023, I became a charter member of Patrick F. Bailey Council No. 585, which was constituted on the same day; this Council is subordinate to the Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees, USA. I have served in the following local offices for the following calendar years:

2023: Secretary

2024: Sovereign Master

2025: Secretary

My current rank in this body is Past Sovereign Master, and I currently also hold the office of Secretary.

York Rite Sovereign College

2023/09/23: Order of York

The York Rite College exists, among other reasons, to be of service to and strengthen the Craft and York Rite bodies of Freemasonry (e.g., helping to fill in for degree ceremonies, etc.) and to reward outstanding service to these bodies.

Upon receiving this order, I became a member of Camp Floyd College No. 190. This College is subordinate to the York Rite Sovereign College of North America.

I have served in the following offices for the following years:

2024/05-2025/05: Sentinel

My current rank in this body is Sentinel.

Commemorative Order of St Thomas of Acon

2024/09/15: Knight of St Thomas of Acon

The Commemorative Order of St Thomas of Acon is a continuation of the historical Order of St Thomas of Acon, which was one of the five principal Crusader orders. It is named for Thomas a Beckett, also known as Thomas of Canterbury, who is famous for having butted heads with King Henry VIII. King Henry VIII commissioned four knights of another order to assassinate Thomas, after which he was canonized as a Saint in the Catholic and Anglican Churches; more can be read about this in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Upon receiving this order, I became a member of Mt Nebo Chapel No. 34, which is subordinate to the Grand Master's Council for the United States of America.

I do not hold a rank in this body.

Scottish Rite

I received most of the degrees of the Scottish Rite at the 240th semi-annual Salt Lake City Scottish Rite Reunion. The dates that I received the degrees of the Scottish Rite are as follows:

Lodge of Perfection

2024/04/26: 4° Secret Master

2024/04/26: 5° Perfect Master[****]

2024/04/26: 6° Intimate Secretary[****]

2024/04/26: 7°Provost and Judge[****]

2024/04/26: 8° Intendant of the Building[****]

2024/04/26: 9° Elu[††††] of the Nine[****]

2024/04/26: 10° Elu of the Fifteen[****]

2024/04/26: 11° Elu of the Twelve[****]

2024/04/26: 12° Master Architect[****]

2024/04/26: 13° Royal Arch of Solomon[****]

2024/04/26: 14° Perfect Elu

Chapter of Rose Croix

2024/04/26: 15° Knight of the East[****]

2024/04/26: 16° Prince of Jerusalem[****]

2024/04/26: 17° Knight of the East and West[****]

2024/04/26: 18° Knight Rose Croix

Council of Kadosh[‡‡‡‡]

2024/04/26: 19° Grand Pontiff[****]

2024/04/26: 20° Master of the Symbolic Lodge[****]

2024/04/26: 21° Noachite[****]

2024/04/26: 22° Knight of the Royal Ax[****]

2024/04/26: 23° Chief of the Tabernacle[****]

2024/04/26: 24° Prince of the Tabernacle[****]

2024/04/26: 25° Knight of the Brazen Serpent[****]

2024/04/26: 26° Prince of Mercy[****]

2024/04/26: 27° Knight of the Sun[****]

2024/04/26: 28° Knight Commander of the Temple[****]

2024/04/26: 29° Scottish Knight of St. Andrew

2024/04/26: 30° Knight Kadosh

Consistory

2024/04/27: 31° Inspector Inquisitor[****]

2024/04/27: 32° Master of the Royal Secret

Upon receiving these degrees, I became a member of the Salt Lake Valley of the Grand Orient of Utah, which operates under the jurisdiction of The Supreme Council (Mother Council of the World) of the Inspectors General Knights Commander of the House of the Temple of Solomon of the Thirty-third Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America.

On 2024/06/01, I also joined the Southern Utah Scottish Rite Club, which is hoped to grow to the point that it will one day become a Valley under the Grand Orient of Utah.

The Scottish Rite is often nicknamed "the University of Freemasonry." It delves into philosophy and esoterica in relation to moral values.

I do not hold a rank in this body.

Scots Guard of Utah

Upon becoming a member of the Scottish Rite, I also became a member of the Utah Scots Guard, an organization that assists the Grand Orient of Utah with logistics of ceremonies, tyling (securing) meetings, etc.

2024: Guardsman

Grand College of Rites

The Grand College of Rites of the United States of America is a Masonic body that is dedicated to preserving the history and rituals of defunct and inactive Masonic orders.

2022/07/07: Fellow

DeMolay International

DeMolay International is a male-youth organization affiliated with Masonry, with the goal of transforming young men into citizens of the highest caliber. I joined as an advisor to help get a chapter started in Southern Utah. As of November 2022, it is St George Chapter U.D. ("under dispensation").

2022: Advisor

2023: Advisor

2024: Advisor

                                                                                    

Here is a tree with a small number of the Masonic appendant and affiliate bodies, how they branch to each other, and my involvement in them thus far.

                                                                                    

As the years go by, I will be updating this post as applicable. Last updated 2024/10/13.

                                                                                    

[*] Worshipful is a term that is synonymous with respectful or reverential. It is an honorific traditionally and modernly used in England for mayors (just like how honorable is used in the United States of America for judges; see an example here).

[†] The only exceptions to this are 4° through 10° of the Grand Lodge jurisdictions that use the Swedish Rite; these exceptions do not have any equivalents throughout the rest of the Masonic community and do not have any authoritative bearing over 3° throughout the rest of the Masonic community.

[‡] York Rite refers to a grouping of separate bodies (which are Royal Arch Masonry, Cryptic Masonry, Knights Templar, and York Rite College). This grouping is mainly had in the United States of America; most everywhere else, these bodies are not so grouped.

[§] The Super Excellent Master degree is not often conferred anymore due to the large number of cast members needed to perform its corresponding ceremony. It is therefore optional in many jurisdictions, including my own. I also got to experience the Feast of Belshazzar; both this degree ceremony and this feast which I experienced were put on by the Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of Utah, not by the Colorado River Fall Festival. At the point that I received this degree, I had then received all of the degrees available in the three principal American York Rite bodies (excluding chair degrees).

[**] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we did not get to participate in our elected or appointed capacities in our local York Rite bodies during the year 2020. We therefore voted unanimously to keep everyone in the same offices for the year 2021.

[††] King is the title of the senior vice-presidential office/rank in a Royal Arch Chapter in the USA. This title is named solely in commemoration of the office held by Zerubbabel in ancient Hebrew writings (Old Testament, Esdras, and Josephus's works). It is not of any literal royalty. In Grand Chapter jurisdictions that do not use this title, the title "Second Principal" is used.

[‡‡] Excellent High Priest is the title of the presidential office/rank in a Royal Arch Chapter in the USA. This title is named solely in commemoration of the office held by Jeshua in ancient Hebrew writings (Old Testament, Esdras, and Josephus's works). It does not denote to Masons in any way, shape, or form that the present or past holder of this office holds any literal or theological priesthood. In Grand Chapter jurisdictions that do not use this title, the title "First Principal" is used.

[§§] I had originally been planning to move away in 2023 and therefore removed myself from the officer lines that year. However, after elections, I was given a job opportunity that kept me in the area. I was therefore re-inserted into the officer lines for 2024 wherever I was needed and without taking away opportunities from others who had advanced to where I would have moved. In the Royal Arch Chapter, the King who would have continued to the office of Excellent High Priest was still pretty new to the organization and wanted another year of experience before presiding over the Chapter; so, I accepted my election to serve as Excellent High Priest.

[***] Principal Conductor of the Work is the title of the junior vice-presidential office/rank in a Cryptic Council.

[†††] Unfortunately, a good friend of mine passed away during the 2024 term. I was asked to take his place the offices wherein he had been serving.

[‡‡‡] I was appointed to serve during this three-year timeframe as the Aide-de-Camp for Sir Knight and Reverend Paul Erickson, who served during this time as the Grand Prelate (equivalent to a head chaplain) of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar, USA.

[§§§] This is what's called a "chair degree," as it can only be conferred upon the Mason who has been elected (and sometimes installed) to the presiding office (or "chair") of the correlating Masonic body. A chair degree usually consists of some kind of knowledge, advice, or moral lesson that could prove useful to the person presiding over a Masonic body, and may obligate that presiding officer specifically to lead in a way that is just and in conformity with the constitution of the order over which he is presiding; for such cases, it may be required that he go through this degree ceremony and become so obligated before actually being installed to his presiding office. Alternatively, it may also be an honorary degree given for those who are presiding or have presided in such an office, depending on the body. In this particular case, once I was elected to hold this office, it was required that I receive this chair degree prior to being installed.

[****] Each of the ceremonies for these degrees is rather long and, while it is possible to perform all these degrees over the course of three days (as has been done by the Orient of Utah in the past), to do so is rather exhausting for the candidates as well as for those who plan for and perform the degree ceremonies. It is therefore a common practice in the Scottish Rite to select a certain number of degree ceremonies to perform at each reunion. There are a few that are done at each reunion (particularly 32°) while others are cycled through. For those degree ceremonies which a candidate does not get to experience, these are "communicated" to him; this means that he is given a summary of what these degree ceremonies entail and then takes upon himself the obligations that correspond with each degree. It is hoped that he will return to future reunions to see such degrees performed, the better thereby to learn the lessons that they have to offer. As I go about my Scottish Rite experience and get to see these ceremonies performed, I will remove this footnote marker.

[††††] Elu is a French term that means elect, referring to an election to a specific honor or task.

[‡‡‡‡] Kadosh is a Hebrew term (קָדוֹשׁ) meaning consecrated, holy, or separated. A Knight Kadosh (Consecrated Knight or Holy Knight) is a Knight of the Temple (or, in other words, a Knight Templar) within the Scottish Rite.