Inaugural Inter-District Golf Competition

Since 2005 East and West Cheshire have conducted their Rose Croix Masonry in the Ancient & Accepted Rite as two seperate Districts and now the two will meet on the golf course.

Golfers of all abilities from the two Districts will come togther in Holmes Chapel on 24th June 2022 to complete for the inaugural RC Cup.

Only one person per team needs to be a RC member with families and non-players welcome to support competitors on the day.

It is hoped this will be an annual event alternating between courses in East and and West Cheshire.

For further details https://www.eastcheshirerosecroix.org.uk/inter-district-golf-competition

Higher Degree Promotions

It has pleased The Supreme Council to elect several members of East Cheshire Chapters to the Higher Degrees recently as follows:

32° Degree

Philip Broadhurst - Good Shepherd Chapter

31° Degree

Richard Antipas - District Recorder

Robert Ashley - Vivat Chapter

David Smith - Staveleigh Chapter

David Wood - Good Shepherd Chapter

The 32° Degree will be conferred in June 2022 and the 31° in October 2022. Due to the backlog of Higher Degree ceremonies caused by the Pandemic those elected to a Higher Degree are entiteld to wear the regalia of their new rank upon being elected.

The following Brethren having previously been elected to Higher Degrees are due to have them conferred in February 2022:

31° Degree

Rowland Chambers - Crewe Chapter

Howard Waddell - Cheshire St. Thomas Chapter

30° Degree

Ian Bailey - Stockport Chapter

David Banks - Branxholm Chapter

Roger Currie - Crewe Chapter

John Egerton - Silk Chapter

Lyndon Loweth - Vivat Chapter

We congratulate all of those elected to Higher Degrees and wish them a happy day at Duke Street when attending for the Degrees to be conferred and every success in their new rank. Continued dedication to and support of the Order in general and its Chapters in particular is an important part of promotion.

Every member of the Higher Degrees is expected to make a positive contribution to his Chapter and become involved in the welfare of the Ancient & Accepted Rite in the District. As promotion to Degrees above the 30th is strictly limited in number only those carrying out outstanding work on behalf of the Rite will receive consideration for further election.

Did you know?

The full titles of the Higher Degrees are:

33° Sovereign Grand Inspector General

32° Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret

31° Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander

30° Grand Elected Knight Kadosh, Knight of the Black and White Eagle

Candidates for preferment to all the Higher Degrees must be recommended by their Chapters and for the 30th to the 32nd their Inspector General. Whilst most Sovereigns of Chapters will qualify to be promoted to the 30th Degree the number of holders of the 31st degree is limited with the 32nd Degree even more limited.

Since 1872 England & Wales has been divided into Districts under the direction of an Inspector General who is automatically promoted to the 32nd Degree and invariably to the 33rd. The degree of Sovereign Grand Inspector General 33rd Degree is reserved for the Supreme Council and Inspectors General of Districts, though it is also very occasionally given to other distinguished members of the Rite. One such recipient is a member of Staveleigh Chapter in East Cheshire; V.Ill. Bro. Benjamin Addy 33° who was promoted in 2011.

The regalia of each Degree is described in detail in the Rules & Regulations issued by the Supreme Council for England & Wales. Actually, all 33 degrees have regalia but except for those degrees which are conferred in full, this is only ever seen in England & Wales at Chapters of Improvement under the Supreme Council performing demonstrations.

Of course private Chapters in England & Wales work the 18th Degree and the regalia of that degree so familiar to us is worn here but other Supreme Councils may work degrees not conferred in full in England & Wales and then the appropriate regalia of the degree being worked is worn. The regalia worn by other Supreme Councils differs only in minor design but the regalia worn in Sweden is completely different.

(Information on the Higher Degrees and Regalia taken from "Rose Croix - A History of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for England and Wales" by ACF Jackson 33° first published in 1980)

Cheshire St. Thomas @ 75

The 75th anniversary of Cheshire St. Thomas Chapter Rose Croix 367 was celebrated in style at Stockport Masonic Guildhall on Monday 8 November with 35 members and their guests from around the District.

The meeting combined the Enthronement of Illustrious Brother Derek Ankers, who the Inspector General described as a stalwart of the District, with a lively and funny account of the last 25 years highlighting the characters in the Chapter from Recorder; Howard Waddell, himself having recently attained his 31st Degree.

Seen here with with the Inspector General, Derek Ankers gave an amusing account of how he became a member of so many Chapters in the District and looked forward to leading the Chapter into the future with a Candidate for Perfection proposed at the meeting. Congratulations to everyone involved for a superb evening.