The Royal Ark Mariner Degree is around two hundred years old and as the
name suggests, has a nautical flavour, taking for it’s setting, the circumstances
leading up to the Great Flood and the steps taken by Noah to build the Ark, by
which mankind was preserved from perishing in the Universal Deluge.
The Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Royal Ark Mariner, more commonly
known as RAM, has been under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Mark
Master Masons, since 1871 and is governed by the Grand Masters Royal Ark
Council.
Its early history, however is obscure. Statutes refer to Grand Lodge being
reconstituted in 1772 and, it is recorded that the Grand Lodge of Mark Master
Masons took possession of the rights to the Grand Lodge of Royal Ark Mariner
on June 19th 1884, for just £25.
Lodges are attached, or moored, to Mark Lodges assuming their Number in
the Roll.
To be a member, the Candidate has to have been advanced as a
Mark Master Mason.
However, there the similarity ends. In chronological terms, it precedes the
Mark Degree by hundreds of years because it relates to the building and
voyage of Noah’s Ark and the Great Flood and has none of the other
characters we meet in freemasonry.
There are no individual Ranks within either Province or Grand Lodge. Brethren
holding those ranks suffix their name with Royal Ark Mariner Provincial Grand
Rank or, Royal Ark Mariner Grand Rank. The Grand Master of the Mark is, ipso
facto, the Grand Master of the Degree of Royal Ark Mariner.
The Elevation into the Royal Ark Mariner degree consists of one ceremony. It
usually takes around 45 minutes and again there are some beautiful sections
that will make a lasting impression on the candidates.
The ethos of the Degree contains events before, during and after the great deluge
and is based on the story of Noah, his family and the Ark, which closely parallels
the story of creation: a cycle of creation, desolation, and re-creation, in which the
Ark plays a pivotal role.
The story of the building of an Ark and the great deluge is told in the ‘Epic of Gilgamesh’ as recorded on a stone tablet some 4000 years old, now in the British Museum.
Recent scientific discoveries have placed the flooding of the Black Sea to a period
8000 years ago when the wall of rock restraining the Mediterranean Sea from the
Black (Sea) Lake crumbled eastwards and the waters flowed into what is now the
Black Sea.
This event saw water levels rise relentlessly for many days and when aligned with
evidence of language and human migration in the same period, demonstrates that the Royal Ark Mariner Degree is centred on historical events.
Royal Ark Mariner Regalia
The Regalia is extremely colourful and they reflect all the colours of the
rainbow.
There are three distinctive aprons within the degree. Firstly, when a brother is
elevated, he wears an apron with rosettes surrounded by bands of colour
reflecting the colours of the rainbow. In addition, they are presented with a
representation of a Dove on a Breast Jewel. Once made an Officer in the
Lodge they will wear a collar with the jewel of the Office they hold.
Once a Brother has progressed through the Lodge and reached the Chair, he
then wears the apron of Worshipful Commander. Although it still has the
colourful banding, the rosettes are replaced by triangles of white metal and are
a representation of the layout of the Lodge. They then replace the Dove Breast
Jewel, with a capital N, still retaining the Dove, denoting that they are a Past
Commander representing the Patriarch Noah.
After a number of requisite years from when a Brother has passed the Chair,
they qualify to receive Provincial Royal Ark Mariner Grand Rank. This is
presented by the Provincial Grand Master at Grand Assembly, held in May
each year. The apron is unchanged, but he is then entitled to wear a Provincial
Collarette. (Pictured Below)
After a further number of years of continued support for the Royal Ark
Mariner Degree, a brother may be invited to become a holder of Royal Ark
Mariner Grand Rank. This honour is presented by The Grand Master at Grand
Assembly held in London in December each year. The collarette changes from
white coloured metal to gold and includes a further gold emblem on the
collarette and collar.
In Worcestershire we currently have seventeen Royal Ark Mariner Lodges. Our meeting rooms are based throughout the Province and Lodges usually meet on
the same evenings as the Mark Lodges to which they are moored.
As with the Mark Degree we also have an Installed Commander Lodge, which
meets twice a year and the Grand Assembly is held following the completion of
the May meeting.
Royal Ark Mariner Lodges meet at the following meeting Halls :-
Evesham
St Egwin Lodge RAM 1335.
Redditch
Bromsgrove Lodge RAM No.1334
St Lawerence Lodge RAM No 893
Halesowen
Abraham Green Lodge RAM No. 330
Perseverance Lodge RAM No. 733
Mosaic Lodge RAM No. 1136
Stourbridge
Athlumny Lodge RAM No. 590
Stourport
Vernon Lodge RAM No. 923
Tenbury Wells
Teme Valley Lodge RAM No. 1260
Kings Heath
Moseley Lodge RAM No. 667
Stechford Lodge RAM No. 747
Eaton Lodge RAM No. 977
All Saints Lodge RAM No. 1462
The Centenary Lodge RAM No. 1623
Worcester
Malvern Ark Lodge RAM No. 59
Malvern Priory Lodge RAM No. 1351
Worcestershire Installed Commanders Lodge No.1409
Northfield
Millennium Lodge MMM No. 1822
For more information about Royal Ark Mariner Masonry in Worcestershire or for a more personal discussion please call: 07305 241282 or email; provinfo@worcestershiremarkpgl.org.uk
W.Bro Paul Alan Yarnell PGJD RAMGR
Deputy Provincial Grand Master Worcestershire MMM & RAM