ROYAL ARCH FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
On this page you may find answers to many questions asked about the Royal Arch. Should you have a particular question to raise please contact us. We will make every effort to assist you.
Yes they can. (See RA Regulation 66) Candidates for Exaltation can also be proposed by suitable letter transmitted to the Scribe at least fourteen days before the next convocation. But no ballot shall take place unless the full name of the candidate, with his occupation (if any) and place of abode as well as the names of his proposer and seconder shall have appeared on the summons along with the name and number of every Lodge he is or has been a member, the date of his raising and the date of the letter.
Yes you can as long as you can produce your Grand Lodge Certificate and provide Clearance Certificates from all the Lodges of which you were a member and have someone to sponsor you.
There is no reason to do so. And depending upon what he is doing he doesn’t need to sit in Z’s chair to do it. If a Past Master is to conduct the ceremony in Craft – He wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) wear the Masters Collar. It is just the same in the Royal Arch – The PZ would just wear the clothing of his rank.
On November 10th 2004, a recommendation was approved in Supreme Grand Chapter that the R or H Sign should no longer be given before addressing the Principals for the first time. In consequence the sign should only be given when opening or closing a Chapter, or by Companions who arrive late after the Chapter is opened or who leave before the Chapter is closed. When used, the sign should always be directed towards the pedestal, not to the Principals.
No Chapter should be opened unless there are five, and no ceremony of Exaltation worked unless there are seven Companions present (excluding the Janitor and Candidate), of whom two must be members of the Chapter and three must be qualified to occupy the respective Principals’ Chairs. No conclave of Installed First or Second Principals should be opened unless at least two such Principals are present (excluding the Janitor and the Principal Elect).
(Extract from the Report of the Committee of General Purposes adopted on November 8th 2000).
As you are not an Installed Principal your Provincial Regalia is slightly different from those who are:
- 1. Jewel – You continue to wear your Royal Arch Jewel with a White Ribbon (See RA Regulation 85).
- 2. Sash – You wear a special Provincial Officers Sash with a silk fringe (See RA Regulation 97).
- 3. Apron – You wear a Standard Provincial Officers Apron bearing the badge of your Provincial Grand Rank (See RA Regulation 96).
- 4. Collar – You wear a Standard Provincial Officers collar with the Jewel of your Provincial Grand Rank appended (See RA Regulation 94).
If a Craft PM from a recognised Constitution (say Scotland or Ireland) becomes a joining member of a Lodge under the English Constitution, he would, on being elected, be required to make a Declaration as shown in Rule 163(f) B of C and is henceforth governed by the Rules in the Book of Constitutions of the United Grand Lodge of England. He should wear an English Master’s Apron (with levels) but would not be entitled to wear a Past Master’s Collar until he had been through the chair and installed his successor in an English Lodge.
Likewise, if a PZ joins from another recognised Constitution, he is required to make a similar Declaration as shown in RA Reg 67 and would henceforth wear an English RA Apron with a crimson lining, crimson ribbons and a crimson backing to the Tau badge. He would also wear a Sash with a crimson backing to the Tau badge and an English RA Breast Jewel suspended from a crimson ribbon in recognition of him being a PZ. However, he is not entitled to wear an English PZ’s Collar until he becomes a PZ in an English RA Chapter.
On joining an English Royal Arch Chapter a Companion makes a declaration under RA Regulation 67 to pay strict obedience to the commands of the First Grand Principal and the regulations of the Supreme Grand Chapter.
On becoming an English RA Mason a Companion should not wear any jewel not approved or allowed by the First Grand Principal as stipulated in RA Reg 84 (this includes any Jewels from any other Constitution). On becoming a member of an English Constitution Chapter, Companions should wear an English RA Breast Jewel (suspended from the appropriate ribbon – White for Companions who have not been installed as a Principal and Crimson for Principals or Past Principals) and, by the same token, if the Companion is not a PZ of a Chapter under the English Constitution, he should not wear the PZ’s Jewel from any other constitution or a PZ’s Collar until he becomes a PZ of an English Chapter.
Likewise a Craft PM joining an English Lodge from another Constitution would be required to make a similar declaration as above (See Rule 163(f) B of C) and be thereby governed by the Rules in the Book of Constitutions. The Brother would wear an English Master’s Apron (with levels) but would not be entitled to wear a Past Master’s Collar until he had been through the chair of an English Lodge. Again, he should not wear any Jewels from another Constitution.