THE ROYAL ORDER OF SCOTLAND
Brief History
in the absence of a King of Scots, a vacant
The recorded antiquity of the Order is sec-
Chair holding the emblems of royalty is pre-
ond only to that of the Craft.
sent in the Grand Lodge and in every Pro-
Although the
‘traditional history’ of the Royal Order of
vincial Grand Lodge throughout the world.
Scotland dates its origin from the time of King Robert the Bruce and the Battle of Ban-
Aims
nockburn in 1314, the recorded history (The
According to its doctrine, the Order was es-
Royal Order of Scotland, Robert Strathern
tablished to correct the errors and reform
Lindsay, 1972) dates the origin, in London,
the abuses that had crept in among the three
sometime between 1725 and 1741, and was
degrees of St. John’s (Craft) Masonry.
referred to as ‘The Scotch Heredom or An-
Order is highly Christian Trinitarian, and the
It
ritual of the Degrees is delivered in cate-
appears to have ceased to exist in that city
chetical form between the Provincial Grand
by 1754. The first Chapter of the Order of
Master (or his Deputy) in the east and the
Heredom of Kilwinning is reputed to have
two wardens in the west.
been held in Edinburgh in 1764, although no
ritual is delivered in ancient versified form
Meeting Minutes exist from that time.
and it touches on most, if not all, of the De-
cient or Honourable Order of Kilwinning’
The
present Grand Lodge of the Royal Order of
The
The ceremonial
grees and Orders practiced in this State.
Scotland was established in 1767, and is ruled by a Deputy Grand Master and Gover-
Organisation
nor (Sir Archibald Donald Orr Ewing, Bart.,
The Provincial Grand Lodge of Victoria was
MA.), the hereditary King of Scots being the
chartered on 7th February 1945 and was con-
traditional Grand Master of the Order, and,
stituted on 27th April that same year.
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