10th Anniversary of Tahoma Chapel

Today, marks the 10th anniversary of Tahoma Chapel No.30 of the Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon. Tahoma Chapel No.30 was consecrated on August 29th, 2004, and was presided over by Sir Fred of Mount Pleasant. Tahoma Chapel No.30 was the third Chapel to be created within the United States and which led to the establishment of the Grand Preceptor's Council of the Province of the United States of America with Sir Andrea of Byron as the first Right Worthy Grand Preceptor.

Today this Chapel sits at 33-members and 7-Honorary members and the officers of the chapel today are:

Worthy Master: Sir Robert of Elizabethtown

Eminent Prior: Sir Alvin of Auburn

Marshal: Sir Gregory of Roane

Treasurer: Sir Robert of Robertsdale

Secretary: Sir Barry of Les Bois

Deputy Marshal: Sir Paul of Kent

Almoner: Sir Donald of Lancaster

1st Working Knight: Sir Alexander of Kingston

2nd Working Knight: Sir Jack of Sequim

3rd Working Knight: Sir Bryant of West Fork

4th Working Knight: Sir Corby of Les Bois

Herald: Sir Mark of Rohan

Doorkeeper: Sir Paul of Mehlsack

Cellarer: Sir Milton of Kelso

Cellarer: Sir Loren of Albany

Cellarer: Sir Peter of Dungannon

Cellarer: Sir Dale of Forges of Saint Maurice

Sentry: Sir Michael of Lafayette

To commemorate our 10th anniversary, we had coins minted. Most of the coins were bronze, some were silver, and a couple were gold. One's position within the Order indicated what type of coin one received; same as the shell they wear on their uniform. Every Knight of the Chapel was given one coin free with the others costing $10.

Today the Province of the United States has 23 consecrated Chapels with a couple more that are on the way to becoming consecrated. Tahoma Chapel was a founding member of this Province and currently, the Right Eminent Grand Prior and the Provincial Grand Almoner are members of this Chapel. While I have only been a member for over a year, I have enjoyed my time in the organization.

The Royal Order of the Masonic Knights of the Scarlet Cord

The Royal Order of the Masonic Knights of the Scarlet Cord is an appendant body originally stemming from the Order of the Secret Monitor, but in America, one needs only be a member of the Allied Masonic Degrees. This is an invitational order which requires Masons to be members of the 2nd grade/degree of the Order of the Secret Monitor known as "Prince." This order is composed of 6-grades:

Grade 1: Ostiartii or Doorkeeper
Grade 2: Lectors or Readers
Grade 3: Fellow or Healer & Exorcist
Grade 4: Councillor
Grade 5: Keeper of the Hidden Secret
Grade 6: Prince of Jerusalem

The first three Grades are conferred in a Consistory, the 4th Grade is conferred in a Council of Elders, the 5th Grade is conferred in a Council of Entrusted, and the 6th Grade is conferred in a Council of Princes. To be eligible for the 4th Grade, one must have presided over the Consistory. To advance to the 5th Grade, one must have received the four previous Grades and be an officer (appointed or elected) Grand Council of AMD for the USA. To receive the 6th Grade, one must have received the 5th Grade and have served as an elected Grand officer within the American AMD.

The 1st Grade tells the story of Rahab and his hiding the Jewish spies from the King of Jericho. The 2nd Grade tells the story of Ruth, her marriage to Boaz, and her son Obed, the grandfather of David. The 3rd Grade surrounds the resolve of the Maccabees to retain their faith in the face of tyranny. The 4th Grade depicts the carrying of the Ark of the Covenant over the River Jordan and its entrance into Jericho. The 5th Grade surrounds Nebuchadnezzar's attack on Jerusalem and accounts for the disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant. The 6th Grade is centered on the Maccabee's fight for independence around 150 BC.

Every member wears a scarlet cord, but the fashion in which it is worn may change depending on what grade you hold.

Within the United States, the Order is still small with only a couple of courts established. The Grand Officers of the Grand Council of the AMD of the USA also sit as Grand officers of the Grand Conclave of the Royal Order of Masonic Knights of the Scarlet Cord of the United States of America. They correspond as follows:

Grand Conclave (Grand Council)

Grand Summus (Sovereign Grand Master)
Deputy Grand Summus (Deputy Grand Master)
Grand Chancellor (Senior Grand Warden)
Vice Grand Chancellor (Junior Grand Warden)
Grand Treasurer (Grand Treasurer)
Grand Registrar (Grand Secretary)
Grand Director of Ceremonies (Senior Grand Deacon)
Grand Herald (Junior Grand Deacon)
Grand Episcopus (Grand Chaplain)
Grand Sword Bearer (Grand Director of Ceremonies)
Grand Guarder (Grand Marshal)
Grand Watchman (Grand Tyler)

The constituent body is known as a Conclave and is led by the following officers (with corresponding AMD Council officers):

Conclave (Council)

President (Sovereign Master)
Chancellor (Senior Warden)
Vice Chancellor (Junior Warden)
Treasurer (Treasurer)
Secretary (Secretary)
Director of Ceremonies (Senior Deacon)
Herald (Junior Deacon)
Episcopus (Chaplain)
Watchman (Tyler)

This order was established in 1889 by Bro. Frederick Adolphus Philbrick as a way to promote the Benevolent Fund of the Order of the Secret Monitor. Brother Philbrick also wrote the original rituals of the order which were rewritten and updated in 2009; although the 1st Grade is still the original version as written in 1889. The Order continued until 1929 when it fell into disuse and sat dormant for nearly 80-years.

On November 17, 2006, the Most Worthy Supreme Grand Ruler Peter Glyn Williams convened a special meeting of Summus Conclave No.3 initiated 12 new members. He consecrated a new Conclave and continued to reinvigorate this Order. Within a year's time, there were over 400 members who had received the 1st Grade. It was during this time that the rituals were revised. From 2008 to 2010, this Order had spread to neighboring provinces and across to the United States, and numbered around 2,500 members.

Several Brothers from the Grand Council of the AMD of the USA went over to England in 2008 and received the first 3-grades Grand Conclave of the Order of Secret Monitor of England and Wales by authority of the Most Worthy Supreme Grand Ruler Peter Glyn Williams. Then at Masonic Week in 2009, Peter Glyn Williams conferred the 1st Grade upon 223 Masons. Then on November 11, 2009, Peter Glyn Williams conferred the Preparation and Installation of a President Ceremony upon several members of the Grand Council of the AMD of the USA.

On February 13, 2010, the Grand Conclave of the Royal Order of Masonic Knights of the Scarlet Cord of the United States of America was formed by the authority of Brother William R. Logan who was the Sovereign Grand Master of the Allied Masonic Degrees of the United States of America, under whom the Order of the Scarlet Cord falls under in the United States. In July of 2010, the Order of the Scarlet Cord in England became an independent body from the Order of the Secret Monitor thus becoming the "Ancient and Masonic Order of the Scarlet Cord." This body traveled back to the United States to confer upon certain American Brothers the final two grades.

The Order has continued to grow within the United States and the Grand Conclave meets at Masonic Week in Reston, VA. The Grand Conclave of the United States is presided over by Bro. Robert G. Davis, Most Distinguished Grand Summus.

References

1. Knights of the Scarlet Cord. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Secret_Monitor#Knights_of_the_Scarlet_Cord 

2. Royal Order of Masonic Knights of the Scarlet Cord. (n.d.). Retrieved from Allied Masonic Degrees: http://www.alliedmasonicdegrees.org/scarletcord.htm 

3. The Royal Order of the Masonic Knights of the Scarlet Cord. (n.d.). Retrieved from Grand Conclave of the Order of the Secret Monitor for Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea: http://www.osmnorthernaustralia.org.au/Scarlet_cord.htm 

4. The Scarlet Cord. (n.d.). Retrieved from Provincial Grand Conclave of Durham of the Order of the Secret Monitor: http://www.osm.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26&Itemid=8 

5. Williams, P. G. (2001, June 8). History. Retrieved from The Ancient and Masonic Order of the Scarlet Cord: http://www.thescarletcord.org.uk/history.html

2015 Masonic Week

The 2015 Masonic Week schedule is now out on the internet. Masonic Week originated with the Allied Masonic Degrees in 1938 and over time, more and more groups have jumped on board and expanded the program. At this one, the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis will not be meeting as they have moved their next Annual Convocation to November 7, 2015, and which is being held at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY. The 2015 Masonic Week will be from January 28th through February 1st which is a bit earlier than usual, but this was done due to conflict with the Grand Master's Conference of North America that was occurring on the other side of the States.

Official Program

Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

8:00 AM - The Masonic Order of Athelstan, Province of USA

12:00 PM - Athelstan Luncheon

1:30 PM - Consecration of New Courts 

4:00 PM - Opening of the Provincial Grand Court of the United

6:00 PM - Banquet sponsored by the Masonic Order of Athelstan, Province of USA

Thursday, January 29th, 2015

8:00 AM - Trinity Chapel #12, St. Thomas of Acon

10:00 AM - Institution and Consecration of 2 new Chapels in USA

11:00 AM - Grand Preceptor’s Council Meeting

12:00 PM - Festive Board (Acon Members and the Ladies only)

1:30 PM - Grand Master’s Council Special Ceremonies

2:30 PM - The Order of the Scarlet Cord of the United States of America

7:00 PM - All Masonic Banquet

Friday, January 30th, 2015

7:30 AM - Breakfast sponsored by Convent General KYCH

8:30 AM - Grand Council Knight Masons, USA

11:00 AM - Society of Blue Friars

12:00 PM - Luncheon sponsored by the Knight Masons

2:00 PM - Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priest, Grand College of America

6:30 PM - Scarlet Cord Consistory Festive Board

6:30 PM - The Masonic Society Annual Dinner

6:30 PM - The Great Priory of America, CBCS Annual Banquet and Meeting

8:00 PM - Conferral of Councillor Grade Conferred in a Council of Elders of the Scarlet Cord

9:00 PM - Ye Antiente Order of Corks

Saturday, January 31st, 2015

7:00 AM - Breakfast sponsored by York Rite Sovereign College 

9:30 AM - Grand College of Rites of the USA 

11:00 AM - Nine Muses Council No. 13 

12:00 PM - Luncheon sponsored by The Philalethes Society

1:00 PM - Sovereign Order of Knights Preceptor

2:30 PM - Grand Council of the Allied Masonic

6:00 PM - AMD Social Hour

7:00 PM - Grand Council AMD Installation Banquet

9:00 PM - Masonic Order of the Bath

Sunday, February 1st, 2015

8:30 AM - The Operatives, United States of America Region

9:00 AM - Lodge of Menatzchim V° 

10:30 AM - Lodge of Harodim VI° 

12:00 PM - Operatives Brunch 

1:30 PM - Bull Run Quarry Assemblage (VA)

I plan on attending, but won't make the same mistake I did last year with dealing with the airlines and Mother Nature.

A Torch of Light

by Ezekiel Mu'Akil Bey

One dark clear night I looked outside 

And wondered what's beyond the lights 

The twinkle dots a world so vast 

The blinks of stars remind of glass 

My mind began to leave my soul 

To travel far beyond the poles 

The speed of light became a breeze 

I wondered what, what could this be 

An infinite space so broad to grasp 

No human feeling could ever match 

The guide I had I could not see 

Then I remembered my three degrees 

I saw the lights becoming close 

With guides unknown of many host 

I understood what just appeared 

Masonic travel became so clear 

I just perceived what's to unfold 

My first entrance, which I behold 

I thought of all, in mind in me 

And recollected my first degree 

The more I traveled the more I saw 

Between two stars my mind had told 

A story far beyond the spheres 

Of working tools I held so dear 

And then I fell in deep black holes 

Passing in and on in chambers toll 

I thought again what could this be 

And then I thought of two degrees 

My mind controlled all moves I made 

But to return I wished and prayed 

I swore to keep all oaths 

I took The 3rd degree all clear it spoke 

On my return I saw the Lord 

And asked him why, what was this all 

The birth of man is but a porch 

To live the life of burning torch 

Can't you remember I spake the word 

And you appeared with all to learn 

With force and power "LET THERE BE LIGHT" 

And I became a torch of Light.