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Be it remembered that on
August 5, 1933, this Grand Council took as its date of formation January
14, 1892, since this date was the beginning of the Allied Masonic Degrees
in America with the formation of the Sovereign College of Allied Masonic
and Christian Degrees at Richmond, Virginia, that on April 16, 1932,
the subsequent establishment of a Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees
of the United States of America occurred in Salisbury, North Carolina,
and that the union of the two bodies was drawn up and entered into July
18, 1933, and was ratified by the North Carolina Grand Council August
5, 1933 and was ratified by the Sovereign College at Norway, Maine August
24, 1933, and became effective as of September 7, 1933. Many of these detached degrees
became dormant in some places, although in others they were conferred
as side degrees. In time, the better of these degrees were grouped together
in an organized body under the title of Allied Masonic Degrees. The
degrees comprising the system in our Jurisdiction in the U.S.A. are
the Royal Ark Mariner, Secret Monitor, Knight of Constantinople, Saint
Lawrence the Martyr, Architect, Grand Architect, Superintendent, Grand
Tilers of Solomon, Master of Tyre, Excellent Master, Installed Sovereign
Master, Installed Commander Noah, Red Branch of Eri and Ye Ancient Order
of Corks. They are conferred in the United States in Councils chartered
by the Grand Council. Each Council is limited to twenty seven members,
with two exceptions. One of these Councils is known as the Council of
the Nine Muses and is limited to nine members. The other is Grand Masters
Council, which has what is known as a roving charter. The purpose of
the latter Council is to provide a place of membership in the Allied
Masonic Degrees for brethren residing in localities where Councils have
not been organized. Membership in every Council of Allied Masonic Degrees
is by invitation, and is predicated on membership in the Royal Arch
Chapter.
MINUTES
OF INITIAL ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION The initial
organizational communication of San Antonio Council Under Dispensation
Allied Masonic Degrees was held on Sunday afternoon, December 16, 1990,
at 2:00 p.m., in the Scottish Rite Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas. Officers present
included the following:
The aforenamed
officers are five of the six Petitioners for a Dispensation to form
San Antonio Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees. Brothers Kelly, Harrison,
Blue, and Henderson are all members of Grand Masters Council A of the
Allied Masonic Degrees. Companion Kelly is a Royal Arch Mason in Bluebonnet
Chapter No. 470 Royal Arch Masons. Companions Harrison, Blue, Henderson,
and Nowotny are Royal Arch Masons in San Antonio Chapter No. 381 Royal
Arch Masons. In Article 1, the name of the Council was agreed to be San Antonio and its jurisdiction shall be Texas. In Article 3, the Uniform Bylaws were revised to read as follows: "There shall be four
regular meetings of this Council each year, one of which shall be the
annual meeting, and this shall be held during the month of December.
The dates of the regular meetings of this Council shall be agreed upon
by the Council and announced at the annual meeting. Special meetings
may be called by the Sovereign Master." Article 5 of the Uniform
Bylaws was revised to read as follows in the second sentence: "Such proposal shall
receive a clear ballot at the annual meeting of the Council before an
invitation is extended." Article 6 of the Uniform
Bylaws was revised to read as follows: "The fee for investiture
in this Council shall include the cost of a member's apron and a member's
jewel, plus the annual dues for the year. The annual dues from each
member shall be $12.00." The Uniform Bylaws for the
local Council of Allied Masonic Degrees were unanimously approved as
revised above upon motion duly made and seconded and are attached hereto
and incorporated by reference the same as if set forth verbatim herein. The Council then proposed Companion Royal Arch Masons for membership in San Antonio Council to complete the full complement of twenty-seven members, recognizing that the initial members are the aforenamed five officers and Robert L. Martinez, for a total of six members, leaving twenty-one to be proposed and selected for membership. The following-named Royal Arch Masons were unanimously elected to membership in San Antonio Council:
Sovereign Master John E.
Jack Kelly requested the Senior Warden, Reese L. Harrison, Jr., 'to
prepare the Letters of Invitation to the above-named proposals for membership
in San Antonio Council UD of the Allied Masonic Degrees. Senior Warden
Reese L. Harrison, Jr., reported that he would send the Letters of Invitation
on Tuesday, December 18, 1990. John S. Henderson moved,
and John E. Jack Kelly seconded, a resolution that the dress for the
regular meetings of the Council be tuxedo, jewel, and apron where appropriate,
e.g. Scottish Rite Cathedral. It was noted on some occasions it may
not be appropriate to wear the apron because the Council might be meeting
in a public facility. The resolution was passed unanimously. Senior Warden Reese L. Harrison,
Jr., reported that members' aprons, officers' aprons, and Sovereign
Master and Past Sovereign Master aprons were available from the New
London Regalia Company in New London, Ohio, and that he would order
a Sovereign Master's apron, eight officers' aprons, and twenty-seven
members' aprons. Senior Warden Reese L. Harrison, Jr., also reported
that he was familiar with a person in Independence, Missouri, who has
members' jewels available at a cost of $15.00 each and a Sovereign Master's
jewel available at a cost of $15.00. The jewel was quite impressive
and hung from an impressive green ribbon to be worn around the neck.
Senior Warden Reese L. Harrison, Jr., also announced that he would order
Rituals for the new members and for the present members who did not
currently own a Ritual, and that he would order lapel pins, and that
these items would be sold at cost to all desiring the same. Sovereign Master John E.
Jack Kelly expressed his intention for the purposes of San Antonio Council
Allied Masonic Degrees. He declared that he wanted the Council to be
a think tank and a pool of leadership to bring about improvement in
Freemasonry in general in San Antonio, and the development of the Scottish
Rite Cathedral into a Masonic center for San Antonio. He expressed concern
that the Council not compete with Texas Lodge of Research, and that
the Council devote its efforts toward the study and meaning of symbolism
of the Allied Masonic Degrees, and study and research into management,
leadership, and administration of Freemasonry in general and the development
of a practical application of same for various Masonic Bodies. He expressed
his desire that on the local San Antonio level the Council become to
San Antonio what Texas College SRICF is to Texas Freemasonry, which
is a think tank and leadership organization of Masonic visionaries.
He expressed a desire that membership include exclusively Freemasons
in the San Antonio Metropolitan Area. He noted that Councils of AMD
are limited to twenty-seven members and three Emeritus members, and
accordingly it was recognized that there will be other Councils of AMD
probably formed in San Antonio, Texas, as well as in a number of other
cities throughout the State, and that there was no need to take in members
from outside the San Antonio Metropolitan Area. All in the Council were
in agreement with the expressed purposes and intention of the Sovereign
Master John E. Jack Kelly. The officers and members
present on this occasion expressed their appreciation and thanks to
John E. Jack Kelly, Past Grand Master of Masons in Texas, for accepting
their nomination to the Sovereign Grand Master for John E. Jack Kelly
to be the first Sovereign Master of San Antonio Council of the Allied
Masonic Degrees, and the first Sovereign Master of a Council of AMD
in the State of Texas. They recognized that it was his influence and
leadership that made it possible for The Grand Lodge of Texas to recognize
the Allied Masonic Degrees and approve Councils meeting in Lodge Halls
of constituent Masonic Lodges of the Grand Lodge. For the sake of history it
should be noted that the officers, other than John E. Jack Kelly, were
selected based upon their seniority in membership in Grand Master's
Council A of the Allied Masonic Degrees. Senior Warden Reese L. Harrison,
Jr., Past Grand Master of DeMolay International, was received in Grand
Master's Council A in 1976. Junior Warden Alexander E. Blue, Past State
Master Councilor of Texas DeMolay, was received in 1984. Treasurer John
S. Henderson, Past National President of National Sojourners, was received
in 1985. Robert L. Martinez, Past Deputy State Master Councilor of Texas
DeMolay, was received in 1985, but is not currently a resident of San
Antonio, Texas, but a resident in Orlando, Florida, and has been for
a number of years. Gerald F. Nowotny is a Royal Arch Mason not yet obligated
and received into the Allied Masonic Degrees, but is also the Secretary
of San Antonio Chapter No. 381 Royal Arch Masons, and the Recorder of
San Antonio Council No. 14 Royal and Select Masters, who had agreed
to be the Secretary of San Antonio Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees.
The aforementioned members and officers of the Allied Masonic Degrees
had agreed among themselves, in the absence of John E. Jack Kelly, that
even though Sovereign Master John E. Jack Kelly had not been received
into the Allied Masonic Degrees until 1988, it was felt that his leadership,
influence, and Masonic stature was such that he should be the first
Sovereign Master of a Council of Allied Masonic Degrees in Texas and
of this Council. No further business appearing,
San Antonio Council UD of the Allied Masonic Degrees was closed in due
form at 4:00 p.m., peace and harmony prevailing.
Questions/comments: |
The
Allied Masonic Degrees are an invitational organization, and requires
membership in the Royal Arch as well as the Symbolic Lodge. Membership
is limited to 27 members in a subordinate Council. The presiding officer
of a subordinate Council is the Venerable Sovereign Master. The governing
body is the Grand Council and is presided over by the Most Venerable
Sovereign Grand Master. Decorations are the Knight Grand Cross (KGC)
and Knight of the Red Branch of Eri (KRBE). Meetings are referred to
as Convocations.
