THE SO-CALLED HIGHER DEGREES (THE ANTIENT AND ACCEPTED RITE)

38 These, known to the United Grand Lodge as ‘Further Degrees, from Secret Master to Grand Inspector General are governed by their own Supreme Council housed in Duke Street, St James’. In marked contrast to initiation into the three Craft Degrees, which has to be sought, initiation into any of these degrees is only open to Master Masons who are selected by the Supreme Council. According to Stephen Knight:

  • only a small proportion, even of the limited number of Freemasons who take the first step [beyond the Third Degree], progress beyond the 18th Degree, that of Knight of the Pelican and Eagle and Sovereign Prince Rose Croix of Heredom. With each Degree, the number of initiates diminishes. The 31st Degree (Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander) is restricted to 400 members; the 32nd (Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret) to 180; and the 33rd — the pre-eminent Grand Inspectors General — to only 75 members. (The Brotherhood, p4l)
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    39 Unlike the three Craft Degrees and the Holy Royal Arch, only a few of the Higher Degrees are conferred by special ritual in this country. The 4th to 17th Degrees are conferred at once and in name only during the initiation of the selected Freemason to the 18th Degree. For the few who rise higher than the 18th Degree, the 19th to 29th are conferred nominally during the rite of initiation to the 30th Degree — that of the Grand Elected Knight Kadosh or Knight of the Black and White Eagle. Degrees above the 30th are conferred singly. No initiate can rise higher than the 18th Degree without the unanimous agreement of the entire Supreme Council. (Cf. Appendix VI)