Join The Chapter

Joining The Chapter

Take The Pathway

In most cases, you will have been invited to join a Holy Royal Arch Chapter by a member of that Chapter or you will have approached a member of a Chapter and asked him to propose you. Please don’t be shy about asking.
Your proposer will provide you with an Application for Exaltation (aka Schedule F) which he can obtain from his Chapter Scribe Ezra.
Your proposer will hand your completed application form to the Chapter Scribe Ezra who will give notice of it on the Chapter Summons.

A ballot will be held and, if successful, you will be admitted into the Holy Royal Arch Degree in two stages.
The first is to be Instructed in the Excellent Master Mason Degree. A ceremony of instruction can often happen on the same night as the ballot.
The second, taken at a subsequent convocation, is to be Exalted as a Royal Arch Freemason.
Prior to the Instruction Ceremony you will be asked to sign a Declaration, in which you promise to follow the rules of the Order, and to pay the necessary dues.

Bring your own VSL if you would like to be obligated on it.
Ensure that regalia – an apron, a sash and a jewel – has been arranged for you and that the apron has been adjusted to fit around your waist.
Your progress along a Pathway of Enlightenment commences with the Instruction in the Excellent Master Mason Degree.

This is a colourful ceremony in which you will learn things that will prepare you for the next ceremony.
The Exaltation Ceremony is an impressive one in which you will make a significant discovery and become a Companion of the Order.

You will be accompanied every step of the way, in both ceremonies, by an Officer of the Chapter so all you need to do is relax and enjoy it.

Qualifications

You must be a Master Mason and have held your Master Mason’s Certificate for a minimum of six months and continue as a subscribing member in good standing of a Craft Lodge in Freemasonry Victoria or of a Craft Lodge in a jurisdiction recognized by Freemasonry Victoria.
You must agree to conform to the Rules of the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Victoria, the by-laws and the ancient usages, established customs and landmarks of the Order.

Commitment

Holy Royal Arch Chapters usually meet five or six times a year. Office-bearers, or those wishing to become office-bearers, are expected to attend rehearsals which usually occur a few days before each meeting.
A Chapter Convocation usually lasts about two hours and is generally followed by a meal which is called the Festive Board. Attendance at the Festive Board is not compulsory but affords the members an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company in informal surroundings and so attendance is highly recommended.

Each member pays annual fees which are set by each Chapter according to its circumstances.
In addition, each member pays an annual capitation fee to Grand Chapter via his HRA Chapter.
Members pay only one annual capitation fee irrespective of how many HRA Chapters they belong to.

Some Chapters also charge a fee of about $10/person for the meal.
New regalia is available from the usual Masonic regalia suppliers, however second-hand regalia is usually available.