What a Candidate should know
The Ancient & Accepted Rite
District of Berkshire
WHAT A CANDIDATE
FOR THE ROSE CROIX DEGREE
SHOULD KNOW
Sinodun Chapter No. 548
www.berkshirerosecroix.org.uk
The purpose of this leaflet is to tell members of the Order what the Supreme Council believes a member of the Craft should know before his name is submitted to a Chapter for consideration as a candidate for Perfection in this Christian Order.
It is as easy to give too little guidance about this as it is to give too much, but whatever guidance is given must be consistent with the Rules of the Order, and proposers and seconders must make themselves familiar with the section of those Rules headed ‘Candidates and Membership’ in order to satisfy themselves that their proposed candidate will not be disappointed by finding at a late stage that there is some impediment to his candidature. The most important thing with a potential candidate, after satisfying yourself that he is duly qualified, is to be sure he will take his part in the work of the Rose Croix Chapter and enjoy its intimate atmosphere.
While there are excellent texts about the Order to which a candidate could be referred, it is probably confusing for him if he is confronted at this stage with details about such things as its history, government and philosophy; this leaflet therefore concentrates on essentials. You should however, make sure that he is fully informed about dates of meetings and costs (including dues, cost of meals and regalia). He should also know certain facts about the Order, and these are dealt with in the succeeding paragraphs.
A Candidate should know that:
1. He will be joining a Christian Order known as The Ancient and Accepted Rite which comprises thirty-three degrees.
2. Membership of the Order implies a desire for further advancement in Masonic knowledge. Its degrees will be found to amplify the teachings of Craft Masonry within a Christian context. For this reason a candidate MUST profess the Trinitarian Christian Faith and he will be required, prior to any formal consideration of his candidature, to sign a declaration to this effect.
3. The Order acknowledges the authority of The United Grand Lodge of England over the three degrees of Craft masonry and accepts them as equivalents of the corresponding degrees of the Rite. For this reason a candidate MUST:
a) have been a Master Mason for at least one full year and be in good standing with the craft before he can be elected to membership of this Order.
b) have received his three Craft degrees in a Lodge or Lodges under the Grand Lodge of England unless otherwise authorised in the Rules of the Supreme Council.
4. A candidate is expected to seek admission into a Chapter near his home of place of business. He will be asked for his reasons if this is not the case. The object of this requirement is to preserve the friendly and intimate atmosphere in which our Chapters meet.
5. Once accepted and elected as a candidate for Perfection he will have the 18th degree conferred on him in full, the Intermediate Degrees (4th to 17th) being first conferred by name.
6. As a member of a Chapter he will be invited, over a period of years, to progress through a number of offices in succession (should he so wish) before attaining the Chair, as in other Masonic Orders. The learning requirements of these offices are minimal. The ritual of the Chair requires more work but is usually shared so that the demands of the office are reduced and the pleasure of the year enhanced.
It would obviously be wrong at this stage to go into detail about the Perfection ceremony; apart from anything else, to do so would spoil the candidate’s enjoyment of the ceremony and lessen its effect for him. He can be assured, however, that it contains nothing incompatible with his religious, Masonic or civil duties.