Royal Arch - Macdonald Chapter
THE METROPOLITAN GRAND CHAPTER OF LONDON
"The next step in Freemasonry"
(Text taken from Met GC leaflet).
Who is eligible to join the Royal Arch ?
A Master Mason may join a Royal Arch Chapter four weeks after being Raised to the third degree. It is the natural and traditional next step in Freemasonry.
What is the Royal Arch ?
Long ago, the Royal Arch degree would have been worked in a craft lodge. For many years following the re-organisation of Freemasonry after the Union of the Grand Lodges in 1813, the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch was stated to be the completion of the Third Degree, but it is now more accurately described as the completion of the journey through pure, ancient Masonry. This is undoubtably a most rewarding and enlightening step for a Master Mason to take. It offers him an opportunity to fill the gaps left in Craft Masonry after the Third Degree and to continue his Masonic journey towards a spiritual conclusion. In the degree which you received in the craft you were taught that Freemasonry is a system of morality, based upon beliefs and promoting brotherly love, relief and truth as the rule for your earthly pilgrimage. The ceremony of Raising implies that there is more to learn, for it urges us to lift our eyes beyond our civil duties and routine existence. The Royal Arch develops this theme and teaches us that the true secrets of a Freeemason are to be found within ourselves.
Why should I join ?
The Royal Arch has a unique position as part of the mainstream of Freemasonry, so that it and the Craft a totally complementary, and are together described as forming the whole of "pure, ancient Masonry". There a other Masonic Orders, all of which require Craft membership as a pre-requisite; many of them also requiring candidates to have been exalted into the Royal Arch. Usually, a Royal Arch Chapter is attached to a specific lodge, and will most likely use its name and number, though not all Lodges have a Chapter. It follows that companions of a chapter will come from different lodges, and perhaps from the provinces. Certainly, joining a Chapter will extend the circle of your Masonic friends.
How often does Macdonald Chapter meet
The Chapter meets three times a year.
How much does it cost ?
Joining fees and annual dues are less than the Craft.
What are the Royal Arch ceremonies ?
Apart from the annual installation ceremony, there is only one ceremony in the Royal Arch ritual, that of the 'exaltation' of a new Companion.