Page 7 - Triangle December 2007 Issue 3

Royal Ark Provincial Royal Ark of giants who were, ‘not only remarkable for their strength
and stature but also for their violence and cruelty’.
Mariner Mariner Assembly 23rd The Lecture further related that God had given the
February 2008
Antediluvian race a period of 120 years to undertake
News The Provincial Grand Master repentance, but since this warning was ignored, then the
will preside over a Provincial Almighty had brought forth the Flood.
Royal Ark Mariner Assembly Following this, the second Lecture continued with an
at the meeting of Somerset interesting explanation that, prior to the Deluge, no rain
had ever fallen on the Earth, and that the irrigation of
Installed Commanders Lodge at Nailsea on crops had been occasioned by thick wet mist which
rd
Saturday the 23 February 2008. At the meeting six deposited moisture on the ground. As there had been no
Past Commanders will be invested with Provincial rain and therefore no rivers or lakes had formed; then
Royal Ark Mariner Grand Rank. ALL Royal Ark this was the reason the Antediluvians had never learned
Mariners are welcome to attend. to swim and the reason according to the lecture why no
The Degree of Royal Ark Mariner and Rainbow had ever been seen before the onset of the

other Constitutions Flood.
Two other unusual elements are contained in the second
The Degree known as the Royal Ark Mariner Degree, Lecture, which are now omitted. The f rst was related to
has had a somewhat chequered history. This is ‘The Precepts of Noah’ which are the equivalent of list
illustrated by the divergent Authorities which now claim of seven Commandments. The Second element was that
superintendence over the ceremony. the earlier rituals contained a Christian aspect.
In England, it is held to be a singular Order of The Christian references appear only in the second
Freemasonry, under the supervision of the Grand Lodge Lecture and have been omitted from modern ritual, while
of Mark Master Masons. In America, it falls under the the textural content surrounding them has been retained.
supervision of the Grand Council of Allied Masonic It is surmised that as with the many other Degrees
Degrees. In Ireland, the Degree is no longer worked. opening to Brethren of non-Christian beliefs, a Royal
Whilst in Scotland, the Degree is worked under the Ark Mariner Degree, which specif cally referred to Christ
authority of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter. and aspects of Christianity, could not be easily f tted into
The Degree was certainly being worked by the Scottish the scheme of things and that a non denominational
Chapters in the decade 1823 – 1833. approach was adopted.
In Scotland, the Degree is worked under the aegis of It is hoped that the explanation of an early Royal Ark
Lodges and Councils of Scottish Royal Ark Mariner Mariner ritual will provide an interesting insight into the
and Red Cross Councils. (Not to be associated with method of conferring the Royal Ark Mariner Degree as
the Masonic and Military Order the Red Cross of worked over 175 years ago. David Platten
Constantine).
The ceremony enacted in Scotland today in similar in
many respects to the ceremony we know in England.
However, in the 1830’s the Scottish ceremony was indeed
considerably different. In the old Royal Ark Mariner ritual,
the Worshipful Commander stated that it was his wish to
open the Lodge and after offering up a prayer, the Lodge
was declared open on one knock. Similarly, a candidate
was admitted with a much shorter ceremony than is
now worked. After being received, he was obligated and
adorned with the distinctive apron of the Degree and at
this point charged to observe two lectures. The f rst being
a question and answer interchange between Noah and
Japheth. Here in the f rst lecture, all the elements of the
present day Opening, all the Secrets, repetition of the After the concecration of the of the Portal Lodge Royal
Words, and the demonstration of the signs were duly Ark Marniner Lodge at Frome last September, its f rst
illustrated through the interrogation of Japheth by Noah. Commander Trevor Burton decided that not only would
The obligation was again required to be recited at length he visit the Lodges in the Province but would extend his
and a full explanation of the Working Tools the symbolism researches beyond that area. He arranged two visits
of the Equilateral triangle, the relevance of the Sun, moon outside the Province and was supported by brethren
and stars and an allegorical reference was made to the of Portal, the f rst to Vaudville Lodge No 801 in North
passages of the Book of Isaiah. London. Here the visitors had to wear pink ties or give
In the second Lecture, in response to questions put by £10 to Lodge charities. The idea was originated by
the Worshipful Commander Noah, Shem gave responses Vaudville member Roger DeCourcey (minus Nookie
which detailed the moral laxity which resulted in the bear who insn’t a Royal Ark Mariner). The second visit
Deluge, and then at some length, recited the legend that was to London West Afria Lodge No 1457 when a team
the sons of Seth had married the daughters of Cain. Not from both Vaudville and Portal gave an explanation of
only were such marriages forbidden by God, due to the the Royal Ark Mariner tracing board. The photo shows
depravities enacted by the sons of Seth, but the progeny members from all three Lodges at London West Africa
resulting from these unions caused the creation of a race Lodge. Trevor Burton
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