Although the Ancient and Masonic Order of the Scarlet Cord is the most recent Masonic Order to become widely accessible to brethren in the United Kingdom, the Royal Order of Masonic Knights of the Scarlet Cord, as it was then known, was first introduced into this country in 1910 as an extension to the Order of the Secret Monitor and ceased to exist in 1929.
The origins of the Scarlet Cord degree itself, based on the biblical story of Rahab, go back much further, probably to Ireland in the late eighteenth century, and it was certainly in America by the early 1800s. The other five degrees were written by two of the new Order’s founding members, Adolphus Philbrick and William Spratling. Between 1889 and 1910, the story of Rahab featured briefly in the ritual of the second degree of the OSM. The six degrees were only conferred upon the most senior members of the major Masonic Orders and other very distinguished brethren, at the behest of the Grand Summus. Consequently, it was known to only a limited number of high ranking freemasons.
The records and rituals of the Order were placed in the Archive of Mark Masons’ Hall and were rediscovered during the late 20th century. In due course a decision was made to revive the Order under the leadership of the then Grand Supreme Ruler of the Order of the Secret Monitor, Right Worthy Brother Peter Glyn Williams, and this eventually occurred in 2006. The rituals for the six degrees currently in use are largely based on those of the original Order, with some simplification and other changes.
Candidates were required to be Princes of the Order of the Secret Monitor and also be members of the OSM Benevolent Fund.
As time passed, however, membership of the Order languished and by the early 20th century it ceased to exist at all, except as an archive in the vaults of Mark Masons Hall.
However following the discovery of these archives towards the end of the last century, the then Grand Supreme Ruler of the Order of the Secret Monitor decided that these ceremonies should be revived and in 2006 he consecrated The Scarlet Cord Conclave No 500 with the authority to transpose itself into a Consistory and confer Grades of the Scarlet Cord upon senior members of the Order of the Secret Monitor.
By 2010 the ceremonies had become so popular that there were 62 Secret Monitor Conclaves dedicated to the Scarlet Cord and these were constituted into a new Sovereign Body at a splendid inauguration ceremony at Freemasons’ Hall, London on the 21 July 2010.
Since then the Order has continued to grow and by the time of the Grand Senatus meeting in May 2015 there were over 100 Consistories formed in 27 Provinces.
Details of the Order can be found on the official website of the Order.
https://markmasonshall.org/orders/scarlet-cord
So why should I join the Order of the Scarlet Cord?
If you can answer YES to the following statements then the Scarlet Cord is for you and I would earnestly recommend you speak either with a member known to you or contact the Provincial Recorder.
- Do you enjoy the Order of the Secret Monitor?
- Do you wish to learn more of the symbolism of the Princes Degree?
- Do you wish to learn more of David’s ancestors including Rahab, Ruth and Boaz?
- Do you take pride in West Yorkshire being a strong Province?
Remember the Order is only open to members of the Order of the Secret Monitor and as such it is an Order for you.
