[tags Allied Masonic Degrees, Invitational Bodies, Joining, York Rite, Ritual]
[delay 2018-06-09 08:00:00 CST]
I’m a member of the Allied Masonic Degrees (AMD) now!
I attended TAMDA Day, which is a Friday/Saturday weekend get-together hosted by the Texas Allied Masonic Degrees Association. Things got started off on Friday night with being initiated into the Order of the Scarlet Cord (“elected to the First Grade”). This was pretty interesting stuff, but I was also a little lost at first – since AMD is a collection of several different Rites & degree systems, you can take them out of order. For the OSC, you “need” to have gone through the Order of the Secret Monitor first! I had a good time, anyway.
In the morning, I was “admitted” a Grand Tiler of Solomon. This was a pretty neat degree to witness. This degree, the Select Master degree in the Cryptic Council, and the Intimate Secretary degree (the 6°) in the A&ASR-SJ Lodge of Perfection, are all descended from the same degree, the *Elu des Vingt-Sept*, or the *Select of the 27*. It’s very similar to both, but also very different. I liked it a lot.
I was also inducted into the First Grade of the Order of the Secret Monitor as the exemplar candidate. This was put on by Holy Stone Council #274, which is filled with guys from Jewel P. Lightfoot Lodge #1283. This was a cool degree. The Companions who put on the degree knew their parts really well, and made it a very immersive experience. The lecture was unusual – far more practical than most lectures that I’ve heard. I really liked the apron, and I’d like to see if I can find or make a replica of it.
We got to see the Architect and Superintendent degrees, but not the Grand Architect. That’s the one in the middle. The Architect degree was put on by Robert Bruce Bannon Council, and it was pretty good – also immersive. Perhaps slightly gross.
In the afternoon, we were “elevated” to the degree of Royal Ark Mariner. Man, that regalia is so pretty. Unfortunately, I don’t remember a whole lot of it! One of the things about doing festivals and reunions is that you blast through degrees and end up retaining very little.
After TAMDA Day concluded, some of us went and got “dubbed” as Knights of the Masonic Order of the Bath. This degree was hilarious. I can’t say more, but I can say that I may have been knighted using a stolen butterknife.
AMD was dope. 10/10 would recommend.