Grand Lodge of Scotland facts for kids
Arms of the Grand Lodge of Scotland A.F. & A.M.
|
|
| Constituted | 1736 |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Scotland |
| Location | Edinburgh |
| Website | grandlodgescotland.com |
The Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland is the main group that guides Freemasonry in Scotland. It was started in 1736. About one-third of all the local Freemasonry groups in Scotland were there when it was first created.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the Grand Lodge
The oldest records kept by the Grand Lodge of Scotland are from a group called Lodge Aitcheson's Haven. These records began on January 9, 1599. This shows how old some of the traditions are!
There's a clear link in Scotland between old-time stonemasons (people who built with stone) and today's Freemasonry.
How Scottish Freemasonry is Special
Scottish Freemasonry has its own special style. It's even different from other Freemasonry groups in Britain.
The leader of this group is called the Grand Master Mason. Many important people in Scottish history have held this job.
Unlike other Regular Masonic jurisdictions, everyone in Scottish Freemasonry is called "Brother." It doesn't matter how important their role is. The fancy titles are for the job itself, not for the person.
Local Groups: Lodges and Their Freedom
Local groups, called Lodges, under the Scottish system are quite independent. They have a lot of say in how they run things.
Many of these Lodges existed even before the Grand Lodge was formed in 1736. They really wanted to keep their own ways of doing things. This included their special rules, clothing (called regalia), and ceremonies (rituals).
Because the Grand Lodge agreed to let the older Lodges be independent, new Lodges formed after 1736 also got this freedom. This means that while all rituals must have the main parts of each degree, there's lots of room for them to add their own interesting details.
Scottish Lodges can also pick the colours of their special clothing. This makes their meetings very colourful, especially when visitors from other Lodges are there!
How the Grand Lodge is Organized
The Grand Lodge of Scotland has 32 smaller groups called Provincial Grand Lodges within Scotland. It also has 26 District Grand Lodges in other countries. Each of these is led by a Provincial Grand Master or District Grand Master.
Local Lodges belong to one of these Provinces or Districts. They report to the Grand Lodge in Edinburgh through them.
Important Leaders: Grand Office-Bearers
The current Grand Master Mason is The Rev. Canon Joseph Morrow. He started this role in November 2023. He is also known as the Lord Lyon King of Arms.
The Grand Secretary, who handles many important papers, is Brother William M. S. Semple.
Working with Other Countries
The Grand Lodge of Scotland is one of the three oldest and most important Freemasonry groups. The others are the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of Ireland. These three are often called the Home Grand Lodges.
In many parts of the world, local Lodges might be part of the Scottish, English, or Irish groups. A rule in Freemasonry says that new Lodges are not started in a country once that country has its own Grand Lodge. However, Lodges that were there before the local Grand Lodge can keep operating under their original group.
For example, in 1953, the Grand Lodge of Scotland helped start the Grand Lodge of the State of Israel. This made it an independent Grand Lodge.
Images for kids
-
King George VI and Scottish Freemasons
See also
- List of grand master masons of the Grand Lodge of Scotland
