The Royal Order of Scotland
History
The order has existed since at least 1741, based on records in the archive of the Grand Lodge demonstrating activity in London, with a further charter being granted in 1750 to work the degree at The Hague. The holder of that warrant, William Mitchell, moved to Edinburgh around 1752/3, using the charter to establish a Provincial Grand Lodge there. In 1767 this body became the Grand Lodge of the Royal Order of Scotland. Activity appears to have dwindled, with the Order nearing extinction in the early 19th century, but a resurgence culminated in the establishment of further Provincial Grand Lodges by 1843.
The legends of the order date its origination to the reign of King David I in the 12th century in the Heredom degree, with the Rosy Cross degree originating in 1314 following the Battle of Bannockburn.
This Order has a history of over two centuries, and charges itself with preserving the rituals of the two-degree craft system before it was de- Christianised in 1723.
Each of the four Provincial Grand Lodges in New Zealand meets four times yearly, and owes allegiance to the Grand Lodge of the Order in Edinburgh.
The local control is under a Provincial Grand Master who is appointed for five years, and membership is by invitation to Master Masons who have been raised for at least five years and who are judged to have made some reasonable contribution to freemasonry.
Membership
The essential and universal qualifications for applicants are membership of the three degrees of Craft Freemasonry, five years or more continuous subscription to a St John’s Lodge as a Master Mason, and profession of the Trinitarian Christian faith.
The Royal Order of Scotland’s Grand Lodge and the Provincial Grand Lodges confer two degrees:
• Heredom of Kilwinning
• Knight of the Rosy Cross
The ceremonies are usually learnt and rehearsed without scripts, and they include a considerable amount of rhyming verse. Elements of many other Masonic degrees and orders are incorporated into, or referenced within, the Royal Order of Scotland ceremonies.
