About Rose Croix
Origins
After the founding of the Premier Grand Lodge in 1717, English Freemasonry became popular in France. In the 1740s and 1750s, possibly in response to Parisian aristocrats mixing freely with social inferiors at lodges, a chaotic variety of Orders emerged. Many had extravagant titles or claimed connections to noble Crusaders or Scotland – a good marketing tactic given the two countries' historic ties.
In 1761, the ‘Grand Lodge of France and the Sovereign Council of Knights of the East’ granted French trader, Etienne Morin, a patent to establish lodges of all degrees in the West Indies. By 1783 he and colleague, Henry Francken, published the ritual for the 4° to the 25°. In 1786, the Grand Constitutions added degrees of ‘Scottish’ Masonry to create the 33-degree Rite we know today. It is still commonly known outside England and Wales as the Scottish Rite, though it bears no structural or historical link to Scotland’s Craft Masonry.
The Order
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite is an independent Rite of Freemasonry, second only in worldwide membership to Craft masonry. Except for North and South America, only one Supreme Council may have jurisdiction in any one independent nation.
The Ancient and Accepted Rite (as it is known in England and Wales) consists of thirty-three separate degrees, from the 1° to the 33°, under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Council 33° for England and Wales and its Districts and Chapters Overseas. The Supreme Council chooses to accept the three Craft degrees as equivalents to the first three degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite and does not Initiate freemasons. Instead, it builds on the experience of Pure Ancient Masonry as administered by the United Grand Lodge of England and recognised Grand Lodges overseas.
The Supreme Council 33°
The Ancient and Accepted Rite in England and Wales is governed by a Supreme Council consisting of nine Sovereign Grand Inspectors General. The Supreme Council manages the affairs and promotes the wellbeing of the Order, including consecrating new Chapters. It also fosters friendly relations with other Masonic bodies, nationally and internationally.
The Supreme Council delegates authority to Inspectors General to manage groups of Chapters organised into geographical districts. Individual Chapters confer degrees from the 4° to the 18° with higher degrees personally conferred in full by the Supreme Council.
Districts and Groups
Rose Croix is divided into Districts, or Groups in London, overseen by an Inspector General with an administrator’s support. The Inspector General is the direct connection between individual Chapters and the Supreme Council. Each District or Group can have multiple Chapters meaning you’re likely to find a Chapter near you.
Visiting Overseas
The Order in England and Wales has friendly relations with 49 other Supreme Councils across the world, from Andorra to Venezuela. Members of the Rite in any of these jurisdictions can attend our meetings. As a member of the Order in England and Wales you can also visit any Chapter under a Supreme Council with whom we are in amity. Contact the office of the Grand Secretary General to make any visiting arrangements.
