A map of the American Masonic family

Masonic Bodies of America

Every body below grows from the Blue Lodge. A man becomes a Master Mason first; from there he may join the York Rite, the Scottish Rite, or any of the social and service bodies, and later be invited into smaller orders that require further membership.

Craft Lodge York Rite Scottish Rite Open to any Master Mason Invitational / by qualification Family & youth
The foundation

Blue Lodge · Symbolic Lodge

Chartered by a Grand Lodge in each state. Every other body on this page requires the Master Mason degree conferred here.

1° Entered Apprentice 2° Fellowcraft 3° Master Mason Past Master (installed)

York Rite

Three bodies, taken in order. Read from the bottom up.

Royal Arch Chapter

Royal Arch Masons

  • Mark Master
  • Virtual Past Master
  • Most Excellent Master
  • Royal Arch Mason

Past officers: Order of High Priesthood (past High Priests)

National honor: Ephraim Kirby Award, elected at the national level

Cryptic Council

Royal & Select Masters

  • Royal Master
  • Select Master
  • Super Excellent Master

Past officers: Order of the Silver Trowel (past Illustrious Masters)

National honor: Order of the Secret Vault, elected by the General Grand Council

Commandery · Christian order

Knights Templar

  • Illustrious Order of the Red Cross
  • Order of Malta
  • Order of the Temple

Past officers: Past Commanders Association and Knight Crusader of the Cross (past Commanders)

National honor: Knight Commander of the Temple (KCT), elected by the Grand Encampment

Some Grand Jurisdictions let a Royal Arch Mason proceed to the Commandery before the Council.

Scottish Rite

Degrees 4° to 32°, grouped into bodies that differ by jurisdiction.

Southern JurisdictionNorthern (NMJ)
Lodge of Perfection4–14°Lodge of Perfection4–14°
Chapter of Rose Croix15–18°Council, Princes of Jerusalem15–16°
Council of Kadosh19–30°Chapter of Rose Croix17–18°
Consistory31–32°Consistory19–32°
33° Inspector General Honorary
Conferred by the Supreme Council on elected members for outstanding service. Preceded in the SJ by the KCCH (Knight Commander of the Court of Honour) and in the NMJ by the Meritorious Service Award.

Scottish Rite Research Society: a group within the Scottish Rite.

Knights of St. Andrew: a service group within the Scottish Rite open to 32° Masons.

SJ covers 35 states; NMJ covers 15 states east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio River.

Open to Master Masons

Social, charitable, and fraternal bodies joined by petition.

Shriners International

Temples known for parades, circus units, and Shriners Children's hospitals. The fez is their emblem.

The Grotto

Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm. Fun and fellowship; supports dental care for children with special needs. Black fez.

Tall Cedars of Lebanon

"Forests" concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic; supports muscular dystrophy research.

National Sojourners

Master Masons who serve or served as military officers or senior NCOs.

Grand College of Rites

Preserves and publishes the rituals of dormant and defunct Masonic rites in its annual Collectanea. Members are styled Fellows (F.G.C.R.).

High Twelve & Philalethes Society

A luncheon service club and a Masonic research society.

Invitational and qualification-based orders

AMD · Allied Masonic Degrees

Preserves a collection of otherwise orphaned degrees. Councils are capped at 27 members.

Royal Arch MasonInvitation

Order of the Secret Monitor

Built on the friendship of David and Jonathan; meets in Conclaves. In the United States it is part of the Allied Masonic Degrees.

Allied Masonic DegreesInvitation

Royal Ark Mariner

A degree built on the story of Noah and the Ark. In the United States it is part of the Allied Masonic Degrees.

Allied Masonic DegreesInvitation

Red Branch of Eri

An honor of the Allied Masonic Degrees, conferred by election.

Allied Masonic DegreesElected

HRAKTP

Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests. Thirty-three "pillars" of ritual; Tabernacles are capped at 33 members.

Knight TemplarInvitation

KYCH

Knights of the York Cross of Honour. Meets in Priories and honors service in the chair of all four bodies.

Presided over Lodge, Chapter, Council & Commandery

KYGCH

Knight York Grand Cross of Honour. A rank within the KYCH for Knights who have presided over a Grand Lodge, Grand Chapter, Grand Council or Grand Commandery. A colored quadrant on the jewel marks each Grand Body served: blue, red, purple, white.

KYCHPresided over a Grand Body

SRICF

Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis. A study society of nine grades; Colleges are capped at 72 members. The VIII° and IX° grades are elected honors.

Master MasonChristianInvitation

York Rite College

York Rite Sovereign College of North America; recognizes active York Rite Masons.

All four York Rite bodiesInvitation

Order of the Purple Cross

An honor of the York Rite Sovereign College, conferred by election.

York Rite CollegeElected

Red Cross of Constantine

Masonic and Military Order of the Red Cross of Constantine, with the Orders of the Holy Sepulchre and St. John.

Royal Arch MasonChristianInvitation

Knight Masons

The Irish "Green Degrees": Knight of the Sword, Knight of the East, Knight of the East and West.

Royal Arch MasonInvitation

Royal Order of Scotland

Degrees of Heredom of Kilwinning and Rosy Cross, governed from Edinburgh through a Provincial Grand Lodge.

32° Scottish Rite or Knight TemplarChristianInvitation

Knights Beneficent of the Holy City

CBCS. The Rectified Scottish Rite as worked in America, organized in Priories.

Knight TemplarChristianInvitation

Royal Order of Jesters

A fellowship drawn from within the Shrine; meets in "Courts."

ShrinerInvitation

Order of Quetzalcoatl

A Shrine fellowship taking its name and imagery from Mexico's feathered serpent; meets in "Teocallis."

ShrinerInvitation

Order of Knights, Eagles & Tigers

The honor body of the Order of Quetzalcoatl, conferred on selected members for service (O.K.E.T.).

Order of QuetzalcoatlHonor

Masonic Order of Athelstan

An English order honoring the Saxon king Athelstan and the York legend of Masonry; meets in Courts.

Royal Arch MasonInvitation

Order of St. Thomas of Acon

Commemorates a medieval crusading order of English knights; meets in Chapels.

Knight TemplarChristianInvitation

Order of Knights Preceptor

An honorary body for distinguished Knights Templar; meets in Preceptories.

Knight TemplarInvitation

Masonic Order of Pilgrim Preceptors

An English order that honors service in the East; meets in Conclaves.

Presided over Lodge & ChapterInvitation

The Operatives

The Worshipful Society of Free Masons, Rough Masons, Wallers, Slaters, Paviors, Plaisterers and Bricklayers. Works seven degrees modeled on the old operative guilds; meets in Assemblages.

Master, Mark & Royal Arch MasonInvitation
Family and youth organizations

Order of the Eastern Star

The largest fraternal order open to both men and women.

Master Masons & female relatives

Order of Amaranth · White Shrine of Jerusalem

Adult orders for Masons and their female relatives; White Shrine is Christian in character.

Masonic relationship

Daughters of the Nile · Social Order of the Beauceant

Women's organizations tied to the Shrine and to Knights Templar.

Shriner / KT relatives

DeMolay International

Leadership and character for young men.

Ages 12–21

Job's Daughters International

Service and leadership for young women with a Masonic relationship.

Ages 10–20

International Order of the Rainbow for Girls

Service, leadership, and charity for girls.

Ages 11–20
How the bodies depend on each other
Blue Lodge 1° · 2° · 3° Master Mason required for every body Past Master presiding officer Scottish Rite Degrees 4°–32° Knights of St. Andrew (32°) KCCH · MSA (elected) Scottish Rite Research Society 33° Inspector Gen. Hon. elected Shriners International Royal Order of Jesters Order of Quetzalcoatl Daughters of the Nile Knights, Eagles & Tigers honor Shriner The Grotto Tall Cedars of Lebanon National Sojourners Grand College of Rites High Twelve · Philalethes Order of the Eastern Star White Shrine of Jerusalem † Order of Amaranth SRICF † Grades I–VII · VIII° & IX° elected Royal Order of Scotland † also needs 32° or Knight Templar Royal Arch Chapter Mark · Past · M.E. · Royal Arch Order of High Priesthood past High Priests Cryptic Council Royal · Select · Super Excellent Order of the Silver Trowel past Illustrious Masters Commandery Red Cross · Malta · Temple † Past Commanders Association Knight Crusader of the Cross then (order varies by state) Allied Masonic Degrees Knight Masons Red Cross of Constantine † Order of Athelstan The Operatives (needs Mark) Order of the Secret Monitor Red Branch of Eri (elected) Royal Ark Mariner Royal Arch Mason HRAKTP Order of St. Thomas of Acon † Order of Knights Preceptor Knights Beneficent (CBCS) † York Rite College * Social Order of Beauceant Order of the Purple Cross elected Knight Templar Order of the Secret Vault elected · national honor Ephraim Kirby Award elected · national honor Knight Commander of the Temple · national honor Pilgrim Preceptors KYCH KYGCH presided over any Grand Body presided over Lodge + Chapter presided over Lodge + Chapter + Council + Commandery
Read left to right: each arrow points from a membership to the bodies it qualifies a man for. Gold dashed boxes are the past-officer honors inside each body, and the gold dashed lines show which of them qualify for the Pilgrim Preceptors and the KYCH. † Christian faith also required. * York Rite College requires membership in all four York Rite bodies. Youth orders (DeMolay, Job's Daughters, Rainbow) are sponsored by Masonic bodies and have no membership prerequisite, so they are not shown.

Prince Hall Freemasonry runs a parallel structure of its own, with Prince Hall Grand Lodges, York Rite bodies, the United Supreme Council (Scottish Rite), the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine, and Prince Hall-affiliated Eastern Star chapters.

A note on variation. Requirements, degree names, and membership caps differ between Grand Jurisdictions and change over time. Invitational bodies publish their own current requirements; confirm with the local body before relying on details here.