"Further Light in Masonry"
An Introduction to Royal Arch Masonry

Royal Arch Freemasonry provides an outstanding opportunity for Master Masons desirous of Further Light in Masonry to explore some of the deeper mysteries of the Craft. The four degrees of the Chapter are truly some of the most profound and impressive within the whole Family of Freemasonry.

Most impressive of all is the Royal Arch Degree itself. It is here that the True Word of a Master Mason is rediscovered in a beautiful ceremony that takes the candidates through the destruction of King Solomon’s Temple, the seventy years of the Babylonian Captivity, and the ultimate return to the Holy Land to help, aid, and assist in the rebuilding of the Temple of the Most High.

So important is the Royal Arch to Craft Freemasonry that at the Act of Union in 1813, the United Grand Lodge of England issued the pronouncement:

"Pure Ancient Freemasonry consists of but three degrees and three degrees only, namely, that of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason, including the Holy Royal Arch."

For the Mason who takes the injunction to search for Further Light in Masonry seriously, there can be no more impressive or meaningful experience than Royal Arch Freemasonry.

THE MARK MASTER DEGREE

The Mark Master Degree is based on the ceremony of registering a craftsman's mark in those years distinguished by operative craft masons and their temple building. Some scholars say it may be one of the earliest Masonic degrees.

The candidate for the Mark Master Degree represents a humble laborer in the quarries of King Solomon’s Temple. This degree expands on the lessons of charity first introduced in the Entered Apprentice Degree and developed further in the Master Mason Degree. It also encourages the thoughtful student of the Craft to be true to his heart and be ever willing to stand up for what he knows to be right, even if that position is unpopular.

THE PAST MASTER DEGREE

The Past Master Degree came into being because the degree of Royal Arch was originally conferred on actual Past Masters only. The (virtual) Past Master Degree was instituted to make it possible for all worthy Brethren to receive the Royal Arch Degree. This degree confers no actual status as a Past Master upon the candidate, but it qualifies him for admission to the Royal Arch. The first record of its conferral is found in England in 1768.

THE MOST EXCELLENT MASTER DEGREE

The Most Excellent Master Degree is a product of American innovation. It was conferred in a Royal Arch Chapter as early as 1783 in Middletown, Conn. It is a most spectacular degree, and the pageantry with which it is conferred makes it one of the most colorful in all Freemasonry. It is the only degree that brings forcibly to our attention the completion and dedication of King Solomon's Temple; the very idea upon which all Masonic symbolism has been based.

THE ROYAL ARCH DEGREE

The Royal Arch Degree is the climax of Ancient Craft Masonry and Masonic Symbolism. It has been described as "the root and marrow of Freemasonry." It is the story of Jewish History during some of its darkest hours. Jerusalem and the Holy temple are destroyed, and the people are being held captive as slaves in Babylon. Here the candidate joins with his Brethren as they are set free from captivity to return home and engage in the noble and glorious work of rebuilding the City of Jerusalem and the Temple of God. It is during this rebuilding that they make a discovery that brings to light the greatest of all treasures in Masonry - the long-lost True Word of a Master Mason.