Yeomen of York

Anyone familiar with the American York Rite knows there are many honorary and invitational appendant bodies. A relatively new honorary body is called "Yeomen of York." The purpose of this order is "to promote York Rite Masonry, including the Symbolic Lodge."

This order was first established in Merrillville, IN, around 1993 by seven York Rite Masons. This order is by-invitation-only by a current member and eligibility for membership is predicated on active membership in all York Rite bodies, but to be an officer, one must have been initiated as a Knight of the York Cross of Honor.

The basic organizational unit is known as a Preceptory. From what I can find, there are Preceptories in Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri. Members are distinguished by a black beret, with a combined York Rite bodies patch. Preceptories are composed of the following officers:

Director General 

Deputy Director General 

Secretary/Treasurer 

Master of Ceremonies  

Chaplain

Guard

Recorder

Preceptories fall under the governance of a Grand Preceptory which is composed of the following officers:

Grand Director General

Grand Deputy Director General

Grand Secretary/Treasurer

Grand Master of Ceremonies

Grand Adjutant

Grand Chaplain 

Grand Recorder

Yeomen were traditionally servants associated with noble households and the military. Around the Hundred Years' War, you started seeing "yeoman archers" in the armies as well as the navies. By the 17th century, "yeoman" became a rank for the seamen who were in charge of the ship's storage. The derivation of "yeoman" is uncertain, but, in my opinion, it is clearly of a Nordic/Scandinavian origin. It is agreed that yeoman is a combination of "yeo" and "man". The root of "yeo" is heavily debated. Some believe it "youngman" or "youngerman" which is considered to be synonymous with "lesser thegn", a social status in old England. Their use of the term "yeoman" though is very appropriate as this group is for members who are faithful servants to the Craft.

References

1. Grand Preceptory. (n.d.). Retrieved from Yeoman of York: https://www.yeomenofyork.org/ 

2. Hodapp, C. (2008, April 06). Yeoman of York. Retrieved from Freemasons for Dummies: http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2008/04/yeoman-of-york.html 

3. Preceptory No.3 - Yeoman of York. (n.d.). Retrieved from Clinton Masonic Lodge: https://sites.google.com/a/clintonmasoniclodge.com/clinton-masonic-lodge/york-rite/appendant-and-allied-bodies/preceptory-3---yeomen-of-york 

4. Yeoman. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeoman