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Over The Border.

Over the Border .

THE MASONIC lllUSTRATFD

.r PHE Constitutions begin with the statement that jiure and I antient Freemasonry consists of three degrees and no more , and these are defined to be " the entered apprentice , the fellow craft , and the Master Alason , " including the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch . "

In sjiite of the Constitutions , however , the average Freemason persists in regarding the last named as a separate degree , and if we interpret the word literally , that is what it is . Alasonry is a flight of stejis , whereof the Hol y Royal Arch is the summit . But there are other flights of steps

, however , of which Grand Lodge and the Book of Constitutions are not officially cognisant , and it is to these unrecognised Alasonic ascents we have applied the term " Alasonry over the border . " There was a time in the history of Grand Lodge when this region was not only a terra incognita but a

terra el ansa . In June , 1872 , Grand Lodge adopted a very drastic resolution , somewhat to this effect , "That whilst this Grand Lodge recognises the right of every brother to belong to any extraneous Afasonic organization he may choose , it as firmly forbids now and at any future timeevery salaried

, official under this Grand Lodge , to mix himself up in any way with such bodies as under the jiain of immediate dismissal . The blank was occupied with a schedule of the organizations referred to . Grand Lodge is more liberal minded now , and does not enquire what the Alasonic

asjiirations of its salaried officials may be , so long as their connection with the oilier bodies referred to is not of a financial kind .

The Alark , the Knights Templars , the Knights of Afalta , the Antient and Accepted Rite , the Secret Monitor , the Allied Degrees , the Cryptic Degrees , the Rosicrucians , the Royal Ark Manners , the Royal Order of Scotland , Adon Hiramite Alasonry , the Eastern Star , the Order of the Shrine , the Rite of Memphis , the Rite of Afizraim , all belong to what

manybrethren call " higher " Freemasonry . But there was a time when most of them were " side " degrees , that is the secrets were conferred upon deserving brethren who were taken " aside" for the purpose , there being no regular organization . The practice of conferring the modes of recognition in

this manner dates probably from the time when Freemasonry was more intimately connected with politics than it is to-day , or , at all events , when jilots and consjiiracies against government were debited to the account of the Order . Meetings in the regular routine would have been dangerous , as they

would have attracted the notice of the enemies of the Order . To-day there are no " side" degrees in . this sense , nor in any other sense , for they are all so many continuations of the Craft , and jirofess to assist the Freemason to cany out the injunction to make daily progress in Alasonic knowledge . The term " degree " might very well , for popular jiurposes , be

held to include every Masonic jirocess attended with the conferment of new modes of recognition , and for the encouragement of the brother who jiroposes to thread every devious by-way of Freemasonry we might tabulate them . There are four distinct grades in the Craft and the same number in the Arch . There are three in the Alark and two

in the affiliated Order of the Royal Ark Alariners . There are four each in the Allied and in the Cryptic Degrees . The two Orders of Chivalry comprise four stejis , the A . and A . Rite , thirty-three , the Rite of Alizraim , ninety , and that of Alemjihis the same number . The Rosicrucians confer nine ,

the Royal and Select Masters and the Royal Order of Scotland , two each , the Secret Monitor , three , the Adon Hiramites , twelve , the Order of the Eastern Star or " Adoptive Alasonry " ( women ) , live , the Red Cross , reached through the Chivalric Orders , five . If we exclude the

Eastern Star , which is a female organization , and the Rites of Memphis and Alizraim , which are hardly taken seriously , these make uji ninety-one distinct grades , each with its apjirojiriale legend , its modes of recognition , and its jewel . In this tabulation we have regarded the ruler in each case as having taken a separate degree .

Quite apart from the satisfaction due to the acquisition of all this Alasonic information , there is that which is due to the very imposing titles attached to the several dignities . In the Rite of Alizraim , for instance , Sovereign Grand Princes abound , and the hajijiy brother who has been admitted to the sixty-second degree may describe himself ( but not in a

Craft Lodge ) as Alost High and Alost Powerful . Previous to attaining this giddy eminence he has been Architect to the Sovereign Commanders of the Temple , but by way of compensation he has in the interval had to jiass through the two offices of " Washer" and " Bellows Blower . "

The ignorance of the Grand Lodge and the Grand Chajiter of all these bodies is not shared by their sujireme authorities . That is to say , the Grand Alark Lodge recognises the Templars as being a Alasonic body , and a member of the Rose Croix may wear his jewel anywhere but in a Craft Lodge or Arch Chapter . This led to a very curious point of Masonic

law being raised in connection with a Alasonic ball held some years ago . A brother turned up adorned with nearly every jewel known lo Masonry , and was directed to lake them all off , excejit such as were known to the Craft . His reply was to take off the one or two jewels which he might have worn

as a Alaster Alason , and to retain the rest . He then sent in an ajijiea ! to the District Grand Alaster , with the unforeseen result that every one jiresent at the ball was censured for being jiresent in Alasonic clothing , and told he was liable to suspension . This was before the official disajijiroval of such

exhibitions was jiromulgatcd . Alost of the concomitant orders , by which eujihemisni the jirojierly organized extraneous grades are now known , possess votes in their corporate capacity in the great charities .