What is Royal Ark Mariner |
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At your advancement into Mark Masonry you | Since then the fraternity has grown apace and | |||
were handed the Book of Constitutions and | lodges of this degree have spread throughout | |||
Regulations. On looking through it you will | the world. | |||
have noticed that the Book has a section | ||||
containing the Regulations for the Government | The Degree of Royal Ark Mariner is worked in | |||
of the Degree of Royal Ark Mariner. As this | Royal Ark Mariner Lodges, but such Lodges are, | |||
joint Book of Constitutions and Regulations | and must be, attached (“moored”) to a Mark | |||
indicates, the Royal Ark Mariners have long | Master Masons Lodge. | |||
been closely associated with Mark Masonry. | ||||
They usually meet less frequently than Mark | ||||
The first authentic record of the degree | Lodges, and therefore the subscription to them | |||
appears in the minute of a meeting held in | is generally less. | |||
Bath in 1790, while numerous records exist | ||||
throughout the country of 'elevations' since | The degree worked in Royal Ark Mariner Lodges | |||
that date. | commemorates the providence and mercy of | |||
God, and relates to the legend of the Deluge: | ||||
This degree however was to experience great | the subject matter being taken direct from the | |||
difficulties and it was many years before a | Volume of the Sacred Law is naturally both | |||
serious revival of Ark Masonry took place, but | beautiful and instructive. | |||
in 1816 a Bro. John F. Dorrington awakened a | By joining the Royal Ark Mariners, which as a | |||
renewed interest in the degree when he | Mark Mason you are entitled to do, you thereby | |||
became Grand Commander. | make an important advance in Masonic | |||
knowledge. It is a step which is strongly | ||||
It was this revival that eventually stimulated | recommended by the Grand Lodge of Mark | |||
the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons to | Master Masons and the Provincial Grand Lodge | |||
take a decisive action by placing the degree | of Mark Master Masons. | |||
under its protection. | ||||
A Grand Master's Royal Ark Council was formed | ||||
to regulate the degree, and the first original | ||||
working under the new constitution was | ||||
effected in Mother Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners | ||||
No. 1 in 1872. | ||||
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