What Is an Appendant Body in Freemasonry?

A newly raised Master Mason soon discovers that his lodge is only one door in a larger house. Within weeks he will hear of Chapters and Councils, Valleys and Commanderies, Shrines and Grottos. To an outsider the vocabulary is bewildering, and it has fed a good deal of suspicion about secret ranks. In truth these are appendant bodies, optional organisations that build upon the Craft lodge, and once you see how they relate, the picture is quite orderly.

An appendant body is any Masonic or Masonic related organisation that requires its members to be Master Masons, or to have a family connection to one. They offer further degrees, distinctive fellowship or particular charitable work. None of them is required. None of them governs the Craft lodge. And many Masons never join any of them.

§The Craft lodge comes first

Everything begins in the Craft, or Blue, lodge, where a man receives the three degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason. The Three Degrees of Freemasonry describes them. Once raised, he is a complete Mason with full rights of membership. Appendant bodies are sometimes described as further education. They elaborate on themes introduced in the Craft, but they cannot add to its standing.

To join any appendant body, a man must remain a Master Mason in good standing in his Craft lodge. If he stops paying lodge dues or resigns, his membership in the appendant bodies ends with it. That single rule tells you where authority really rests. For the broader structure, see Why Are There So Many Different Types of Freemasonry?.

§The Scottish Rite

The Scottish Rite confers the 4th to the 32nd degrees, usually as dramatic presentations at large gatherings called reunions. Its degrees explore philosophy, ethics, religion and history. The honorary 33rd is awarded for outstanding service, as described in The 33rd Degree Explained. In the United States the Rite is divided into the Southern and Northern Masonic Jurisdictions, and its local units are called Valleys.

§The York Rite

The York Rite is not one body but a family of three, each with its own degrees.

• Royal Arch Masonry, meeting in Chapters, which many consider the completion of the Master Mason degree. In England it is closely bound to the Craft itself.
• Cryptic Masonry, meeting in Councils, which continues the story of King Solomon's Temple.
• Knights Templar, meeting in Commanderies, open in most US jurisdictions to Master Masons who profess the Christian faith. Legends about the medieval Templars are many, but this body is a modern fraternal order, not a medieval survival.

§The Shriners

Shriners International, famous for its fez, parades and hospitals for children, was founded in 1872 by Masons who wanted more fun in their fraternal life. For many decades a man had to complete the York or Scottish Rite before joining. Since 2000 any Master Mason may join directly. Shriners vs Freemasons: What Is the Difference? explains the relationship in full.

All of these bodies have one entry point: the Craft lodge. Take the free Readiness Quiz to see if you are ready to start there.

§Bodies for families and young people

Several appendant bodies open the Masonic family to women and young people.

• The Order of the Eastern Star, open to Master Masons and their female relatives. The Order of the Eastern Star covers it in detail.
• DeMolay International, for young men aged 12 to 21, teaching leadership and civic virtue.
• Job's Daughters and the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, for young women.
• The Order of Amaranth and the White Shrine of Jerusalem, further bodies for Masons and their female relatives.

These organisations are a large part of why many families describe Freemasonry as a family tradition. If your spouse is wondering where she fits, Will My Family Be Welcome? is the right next read.

§Research and honorary bodies

Beyond the large bodies are smaller ones devoted to research, ritual or fellowship. Research lodges, such as the celebrated Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 in London, publish scholarly papers on Masonic history. Some bodies are invitation only, such as the Allied Masonic Degrees or the Societas Rosicruciana. Invitation is extended to men who have shown sustained commitment, and there is nothing sinister about it. They are simply small.

§When to join an appendant body

My counsel, given to every new Master Mason I have mentored, is to wait. Spend at least a year in your Craft lodge. Learn its rhythm, its ritual, its members. Only then look outward. Each appendant body brings its own fees, its own meeting calendar and its own expectations. A man who joins four bodies in his first year usually ends up neglecting all of them. The Real Cost of Being a Freemason and How Much Time Does Freemasonry Take? will help you weigh the commitments.

When you are ready, choose one body that matches your interests. If philosophy and drama appeal, try the Scottish Rite. If you are drawn to the story of the Temple and enjoy regular small meetings, try the Royal Arch. If you want to raise money for sick children and have a good time doing it, the Shrine is waiting. There is no wrong answer and no race.

§A note on titles and regalia

Each appendant body has its own regalia, from the Royal Arch sash to the Templar uniform and the Shriner's fez. This can look like rank to an outsider, and new Masons sometimes feel they are falling behind brethren who wear more ornate collars. They are not. Regalia shows which bodies a man has joined and which offices he has held, nothing more. In the Craft lodge, every Master Mason wears the same apron and meets on the level. Masonic Ranks and Hierarchy explains why that equality is so central, and The Masonic Ring covers the jewellery associated with several of these bodies. My advice is to admire the regalia, ask its wearer what it means, and enjoy the story he will almost certainly tell you.

Appendant bodies are one of Freemasonry's great riches, but they are the upper storeys of the building. The ground floor is the lodge. Begin there with How to Join a Masonic Lodge.