THE WORSHIPFUL SOCIETY OF FREE MASONS (THE OPERATIVES)
The Worshipful Society Free Masons, Rough Masons, Wallers, Slaters, Paviors, Plaisterers and Bricklayers.
Brief History and Origin
Organisation and Structure Bodies are termed Assemblages, consisting of one lodge of each, from the fourth to the first degree ruled by the Master who is called the Deputy Master Mason and he rules the Assemblage on behalf of the Grand Master Masons According to tradition, when the Operatives were just about on the point of extinction, steps were taken by speculative Freemasons, one or two of them whom were also operatives, to make sure that these guild practices were not wholly forgotten. Therefore on the 21st May 1913, the Channel Row Assemblage was formed. Wor. Bro. Carr officiated as Enthroning Master under a special letter of the authority, issued by 'the Masters' and signed by the Secretary of the York Division Wor. Bro. Clement Stretton.
The lodges of the V 0 and VI 0 degrees are ruled by a DMM V 0 and the Senior Passed Master respectively, and they appoint a team to carry out the ceremonies for each of these degrees.
Membership of the Society is restricted to Master Masons who are in good standing with or are members of a Craft Lodge and who are also Mark Master Masons and Royal Arch Masons under constitutions recognised by the Grand Lodge of England. The additional quali-
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