AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ROYAL ORDER OF SCOTLAND
The Royal Order of Scotland is the oldest Masonic Order, after the Craft, having originated in London between 1725 and 1740. It was re-introduced in Edinburgh in 1763, becoming a Grand Lodge and Chapter in 1767. The Grand Lodge in Edinburgh controls the 96 Provincial Grand Lodges situated all over the world.
The Constitution of the Royal Order decrees the King of Scots to be the hereditary Grand Master for whom, at every meeting of the Royal Order a vacant seat or throne must be placed at the right hand of the Presiding Officer.
In the absence of a reigning Scottish Monarch the acting Head of the Order is the Deputy Grand Master and Governor who is currently Bro. Ewan Rutherford.
Originally, membership of the Order was restricted to Scotsmen or those of Scottish descent, but later the privilege has extended to deserving and highly esteemed Masons of other nationalities.
The only Masonic qualification required by the Constitution of the Order is that Candidates must have been a Master Mason for at least five years.
The Ritual of this Christian Order has remained unchanged for over 260 years and is recited almost entirely in the form of rhyming catechisms. The Royal Order comprises two Degrees, namely:
1. The Heredom of Kilwinning, conferred in Provincial Grand Chapter.
2. Knighthood of the Rosy Cross, conferred in Provincial Grand Lodge.
The word Heredom has been variously interpreted, but the most obvious derivation is from the Hebrew word Harodim, meaning “The Rulers”, and the name Kilwinning refers to the place where King Robert the Bruce re-established the Order and presided as its first Grand Master. The degree of Heredom of Kilwinning is particularly interesting and enlightening to students of Craft Masonry, as its lectures deal exhaustively with the symbolism and teachings of the first three degrees of Saint John’s Masonry (the Scottish term for the Craft).
Tradition informs us that the Rosy Cross degree which incorporates the conferral of Knighthood, originated on the fields of Bannockburn on Summer Saint John’s Day in the year 1314, and was instituted by Robert the Bruce who, having received signal assistance from a body of Freemasons in the battle for Scottish independence conferred on them the Masonic Rank of Knighthood and gave each an individual “Characteristic”- a motto descriptive of his actions at Bannockburn.
To this day, Candidates admitted into the Order are given such a Characteristic, based on their profession, hobbies or achievements.
