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Welcome to the website for the District of Surrey in the Ancient and Accepted Rite....

I am delighted to extend a very warm welcome to you and introduce our website for the Ancient and Accepted Rite in Surrey, known as the Rose Croix District of Surrey, which will provide information for our members and, we hope, also provide you with an insight into our wonderful Order.  

We are a Masonic Order founded on the Masonic Principles of Faith, Hope and Charity and so strive to live our lives within these three fundamental principles. Our members tell me that experiencing the thought provoking spiritual nature of our Ceremonies and the quiet and gentle manner in which they are conducted, makes this is the Order they truly love to be part of.

Within the Surrey District we have 12 Chapters, including a Higher Degrees Chapter for those members of the 30th Degree and above. These Chapters meet at Masonic Centres throughout Surrey and are within easy reach of the members in the District.

In order to participate, members must have been a Master Mason for six months or more, so please do review this website for further information.

We welcome new members so if you are interested in joining us, then please contact our District Recorder, Ill. Bro. Ray Beadle, 30o, using the simple Contact Information Form provided on the "Contact Us" page of this website.

V. Ill. Bro. Richard J. Wileman, 33o

Inspector General - Surrey

The Companion Orders

The Ancient and Accepted Rite - The Rose Croix

As the Degrees of the Craft have evolved over time, so too have the Companion Orders of Freemasonry and rituals peculiar to them. Prominent among them in England and Wales is the Ancient and Accepted Rite, whose Chapters are grouped into Districts and administered by The Supreme Council 33rd Degree, whose headquarters are located at No. 10, Duke Street, St. James' London. The complete Order comprises Thirty Three Masonic Degrees, of which only the 18th Degree (The Rose Croix) is worked in full in the Chapters. The first three degrees of UGLE Craft Masonry are accepted as equivalent to the first three degrees of this Order and only the Supreme Council confers the Higher Degrees.

Of the degrees beyond the Craft probably one of the most thoughtful, beautiful and respected is the 18th Degree (or Knight of the Pelican and Eagle or Sovereign Prince Rose Croix) of the Ancient and Accepted Rite, normally referred to as the Rose Croix Degree. The Degree is open to any brother who has been a Master Mason for at least six months.

The ceremony requires a thoughtful consideration and a special understanding, as it is a mason's self-awareness and his personal faith which are key to his participation – especially as the Order amplifies the teachings of Craft Masonry.

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