Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/176

* MASONS. 130 MASONS. are conferred the following degrees : Grand Pon- tiff, Master urf vitam or ilaster of All Symbolic Lodges, Noachite or Prussian Knight, Knight of the Ro_val Axe or Prince of Libanus, Chief of the Tabernacle, Prince of the Tabernacle, Knight of the ]!razen Serpent, Prince of ilercy. Knight Commander of the Temple, Knight of the Sun or Prince Adept, Knight of Saint Andrew, Knight Kadosh, Inspector Inquisition Commander, and Sublime Prince of the Kojal Secret. The thirty- third and last degree, that of Sovereign Grand Inspector-General, is conferred in the Supreme Council upon Masons who have rendered distin- guished services to the craft. The English and the Scottish rites are the only two that are prac- ticed in the United States and are recognized by Masons generally. The Scottish rite in the I'nited States is controlled by two bodies, the Supreme Councils of the Northern and Southern Masonic jurisdictions. They are in fraternal communion with each other and with the Supi'eme Council of France as well as those of England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Italy, Mexico, Colom- bia, Chile, Central America, Greece, Canada, Cuba. Switzerland. Egypt. Tunis, and Spain. The number of subordinate bodies in these jurisdic- tions is: Xorthern .Jurisdiction, 239, with a mem- bership of .34.0:5."): Southern .Turisdiction, 267, with a membership of I4.8fi7. There are in addition to the foregoing a number of societies in the United States, which, though not in any sense Masonic in character, yet require as a pre- requisite to tiniting with them membership in Slasonic bodies. The largest and most popular is the . cient .Vrabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. (See .Mvstic Shrine, . ciext Ar.xric Order of Norles of the.) Elinor or- ganizations are the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, Avith head- quarters at Hamilton, N. Y., and the Independent International Order of Owls, with headquarters at Nashville, Tenn. These societies are purely social organizations, founded for amusement and recreation. The only society allied to ^Masonry that re- ceives women into membership is the Order of the Eastern Star. It is not a Jlasonic body, nor has it ever been recognized by the Masonic fra- ternity, but its mendicrs are composed of Alaster Masons in good standing, their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters, together with the widows of such Master Masons. The system which ad- mitted women to membership in bodies allied to Freemasonry originated in France about 1730. The bodies were called 'Lodges of .doption.' be- cause each organization was required to be adopted bv a JIasonic lodge and was imder its control. Lodges of adoption are said to have been introduced into this country about 177S. but they never flourished to any extent. .s early as 1793 there was an 'Order of the Eastern Star' in existence in this coiuitrv. This organization dis- appeared early in the last century. The system at present prevailing in the United States was foimded in ISfiS by Robert Macny of New York, upon the basis of a ritiial developed by Robert Morris, an eminent ^lasonic writer. There are now in the United States thirty-two Grand Chap- ters and over 2."i0.000 members. The Sovereign College of .Mlied lrnsonie and Christian Degrees of America is a body of Masons clothed with power to confer academic as well as ritualistic degrees, the former being given for honorable cause. The highest academic de- gree conferred is that of Doctor of Universal JIasonry, which has been conferred on only five distinguished members of the Order. The fitual of the college comprises the degree of Ark Mar- iner, Secret Monitor, Tylers of Solomon, Saint Lawrence the Martyr, Knight of Constantinople, Holy and Blessed Order of Wisdom, Trinitarian Knight of Saint .Tohn of Patmos. The Order is in fraternal communication with the CJrand Council of the Allied Degrees, and the Grand Ark Mariners Council, both of England. The following table gives the Grand Lodges in the United States and British Anu'rica, with their respective and total membership brought down to a recent date : Masoxtc Graxd Lodges in the United States ani> British America, with their Respkctive Mem- bership AT THE Close of 11102 Alabama 12,7S8 Nevada 885 Arizona 939 .W'w Brunswick 1.884 Arkansas i:j.3ii6 .New Hampshire 9,387 British Columbia 11.978 New .Jersey 19.150 California 22,77B .New .Mexico 1,U79 Colorado 8.895 New York 111,365 Connecticut 17.7:10 North Carolina 12.012 Delaware 2,:ir.4 .North Dakota 3,744 District of Columbia.. 0,257 Nova .Scotia 3,574 Florida 4,62:i Ohio 48,349 Georgia 20,844 Oklahoma 3.291 Idaho 1.410 Ontario 26.939 Illinois 59.689 OreRon 5.598 Iniliana 33.604 I'enns.vlvania 57,266 Indian Territory 4,024 Prin('e Edward Island 659 Iowa 30.324 tjuebec 4.019 Khode Island 5.471 .South Carolina 6..' Kansas 22,;tS8 Kentucky 20.627 Louisiana 6.361 .South Dakota 4,ss Maine 23.224 Tennessee 17.' Manitoba.... 3,2;)8 Texas 29.680 Mar.vland 8.278 Utah 9«2 Massachusetts 42.09:J Vermont 10,235 Michigan 45,304 VirKiuia ; 13.842 Minnesota 17,528 Washington 6,795 •Missis.'iippi 10.531 West Virginia 7.421 Mi.^aouri 34.707 Wisconsin 18.210 Montana 3.:)25 Wyoming 1.187 Nebraska 12,767 " Total membership...933,023 The above American and British American (Jr:uid Lodges maintain fraternal relations with the Grand Lodges of Belgium, Costa Kica.Cuba. Den- mark, Eclectic Union ( Frankfort-on-the-Mainl, England, Germany. Hungary, Ireland, New South Wales, New Zc:ilan(l. Norway, Peru, Porto P.ico, Royal York (Berlin). Saxony, Scotland. South Australia, Sweden. Switzerland. Tasmania, Three Globes (Berlin), Victoria ( .Vustralial , Zur Ein- tracht (Darmstadt), and Zur Sonne (Bayreuth). Besides what may be called orthodox Masonry there are two other bodies operating in the United States known as thoitory, founiled in 1807 by .Toseph Cerneaii in affiliation with the Grand Orient of France and enrolled under the Scottish rite, has two consistories in New York City, and a 'Supreme Council of Sov- ereign Grand Inspectors-General of the Thirty- third and Last Degi-ce.' It is not in affiliation with Masonic bodies generally in America and Canada, owing to its connection with the Orand Orient of France, which does not require for ad- mission to membership the necessity of a be- lief in the existence of a Supreme Being. It has jurisdiction over seventy subordinate con- sistories of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret, which are subdivided into Lodges of Perfection,