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An Explanation of the AMD Emblem
By Pat King PSM
A cursory glance at the emblem of the Allied Masonic Degrees usually
yields the remark "very striking, but what does it mean ?" Heretofore,
the average member has had to respond "I don't know."
This monograph will attempt to answer that perplexing question. As the
Allied Masonic Degrees sprang from the fertile mind of J.Ray Shute II,
it would be wise to assume that the emblem had its genesis with that
worthy Mason also. It was Brother Shute who discovered the various
degrees then in existance in foreign countries and decided to bring
them to America for the enjoyment and edification of US Masons. He
organized the three initial Lodges of Royal Ark Mariner and Councils
of the Red Cross, composing them of his friends and acquaintances. He
called them together in April of 1932 to found the Grand Council of
the Allied Masonic Degrees of the United States of America. It was at
that founding meeting that the emblem as we now know it was adopted
without debate.
In designing a symbol to represent the AMD, Shute was faced with two
choices. He could create something that had representations of a
symbol of each degree as is done in England, or he could create an
emblem to represent all the degrees simultaneously in one symbol.
Shute chose to do the latter. The degrees of the yet to be born Grand
Council AMD consisted of; Royal Ark Mariner, Secret Monitor, Knight of
Constantinople, Saint Lawrence the Martyr, Grand Tyler of Solomon, and
Excellent Master. The degrees of Master of Tyre, Architect, Grand
Architect, and Superintendent were added at the Grand Council meeting
in 1933, while those of the Red Branch of Erie were added by way of
Grand Steward's Council B which was created in 1937.
The emblem consists of four seperate symbols combined into one; the
Triangles, the Compasses, the Crown and the Cross. The four symbols
represent the epochs of Masonry covered by the various rituals of the
Allied Degrees. The first symbol, the Triangles, stands for Noachite
Masonry and the time surrounding the building of the Ark. It
encompasses the degree of Royal Ark Mariner in the AMD system. The
second symbol, the Compasses, stands for Solomonic Masonry and the
time surrounding the building and rebuilding of the Temple at
Jerusalem. It encompasses the degrees of Excellent Master and Grand
Tyler of Solomon. The third symbol, the Crown, stands for Royal
Masonry and the instances where royalty has had an influence on
Masonry or Masonic characters. It encompasses the degrees of Secret
Monitor (David/Saul) and Knight of Constantinople (Constantine). The
fourth symbol, the Cross, stands for Christian Masonry and the
instances where Christianity has had an influence on Masonry or
Masonic characters. It encompasses the degree of St.Lawrence the
Martyr. The degrees added in 1933 fit neatly into the Solomonic Epoch
and thus are also represented by the Compasses. The Red Branch of Erie
degrees can be considered a part of the Royal Epoch, even though it
has a well known emblem of its own. The "chair" degrees also fit into
this emblem; the Installed Sovereign Master degree in the Solomonic
Epoch and the Installed Commander Noah degree in the Noachite Epoch.
The only exception to this symbolic representation is Ye Antient and
Olde Order of Corks. Inasmuch as the "Order of Corks" started out as a
seperate organization which later merged with Grand Master's Council A
and subsequently established its own governing body under the AMD
"umbrella" with an emblem of its own, it is not really necessary to
include it in the "general" AMD emblem. Each local Council (with a RAM
Lodge attached) can confer the degrees represented by the AMD emblem,
but cannot (without permission) confer the "Order of Corks". Therefore
it is acceptable to exclude this one degree from the general symbolic
emblem without damaging the logical arrangement of the epochs.
While certainty could only be secured by an interview with the late
Brother Shute, this seems a plausible explanation of the AMD emblem
given his style and knowledge. The Epochs of Masonry covered by the
various degrees can be represented by each symbol individually while
the Triangles, Compasses, Crown and Cross together represent the
Allied Masonic Degrees as a whole. It is a worthy and symbolic emblem
indeed. |
