Golden State Research Chapter U.D.
Paper presented by Edgar W. Fentum High Priest
at the Institutional Ceremony. October 12th 2002

1. Companions, this Paper is intended to be of no more than a 10 minute duration. Members are encouraged to prepare Papers of this length to be made available to Chapters in the State to provide some educative content for Stated Meeting. Longer Papers of a symbolic and philosophical nature will also be presented for discussion and publication.

General Grand Chapter

In 1797 the idea of a governing Royal Arch body was supported and encouraged by Thomas Smith Webb, High Priest of Temple Chapter, New York and John Hanmer, an English Freemason, residing in New York. Hanmer was a member of the Lodge of Antiquity No 4 in London. Their intention was to bring together the existing Lodges (conferring the Royal Arch Degree into Chapters), Chapters in existence and Grand Chapters of North America under the control of one grand organization. The influence of John Hanmer upon Webb is difficult to trace but he may have been of great significance in the structure of what became known as the York Rite. They were very close friends and Hanmer may also have had a close connection with William Preston of the Lodge of Antiquity No 4 as both were members. William Preston printed his book 'Illustrations of Freemasonry' in 1772 and Webb in his Monitor of 1802 credits William Preston as the source for his material which he modified to suit the American degrees.

William Preston was excluded by the Premier Grand Lodge (Moderns) for irregularities concerning his participation in a Masonic procession without permission. On the 24th June 1779 Preston succeeded in using the schism in the Lodge of Antiquity No 4 and the support of the insignificant 'Grand Lodge of All England' (which was formed in 1725 at York and lasted until 1792) to form the 'Grand Lodge of England South of the River Trent' of which he became Grand Master.

In 1791 Preston created the short lived 'Grand Chapter of the Ancient and Venerable Order of Harodim' which conferred five classes or degrees. These were the three degrees of the Craft followed by the Past Master and Royal Arch Degree. The York Grand Chapter of 1778 which lasted to 1781 listed a sequence of degrees including the Royal Arch and Knight Templar. Hanmer's influence upon Webb may explain the emphasis upon the name of York Rite Masonry in what really is the 'American Rite'! However, there were many Rites including the Irish and Scottish that were established which may have provided Webb with a paradigm for the York Rite.

Many Lodges and Chapters in North America had been conferring degrees from Warrants received from England, Ireland and Scotland. There was no authority to oversee these conferrals and various attempts were made to gain such authority from their former jurisdictions. However, the lack of communications after 1776 thwarted all attempts. Grand Chapters were formed but lacked direction and purpose.

On October 24th 1797 in Masons Hall Boston, Massachusetts a Convention was held with Thomas Smith Webb presiding. The meeting was supported by St. Andrews Chapter Boston, and Newburyport Chapter, Massachusetts andTemple Chapter of Albany, New York.

It was apparent that there were differences between even these three Chapters in the way the degrees of the Mark and Most Excellent Master were conferred. Webb and Hanmer did a lot of 'networking' during the following months to create the climate for the next meeting. This meeting was judiciously held in Hartford, Connecticut on January 24th 1798.

In order to appease the Connecticut group Thomas Smith Webb stood down and allowed Benjamin Hurd Jr. of Connecticut to become the first General Grand High Priest of the 'Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the Northern States of America'. The Convention decided to meet every seven years and adopted the degrees of Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master and Royal Arch Degree. The jurisdictions of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut became Deputy Grand Chapters with a Deputy Grand High Priest.

Over the years the name was modified, the frequency of meetings was reduced to Triennial and the title of Deputy Grand High Priest from Grand Chapters was dropped in favor of Grand High Priest.

The General Grand Chapter grew as Charters for Chapters were sought and eventually these individual Chapters in the various States formed their own Grand Chapters. It was on May 6th 1854 that three Chapters namely, San Francisco No 1, Sonora No 2 and Sacramento No 3 met to act upon their request to General Grand Chapter to form themselves into a Grand Chapter. The request was granted and on July 28th 1854 in San Francisco the Convention of these three Chapters ended the morning Session at which it was agreed not to adjourn. At 12 noon the Grand Chapter of California was opened with Charles M. Radcliff as Grand High Priest Pro Tem. After elections he was installed as Grand High Priest by John D. Creigh. Then Most Excellent Companion Radcliff installed his elective and appointive Officers.

It is curious that even though Webb produced his first Monitor in 1797 and published the 'Illustrations of Masonry' in 1802 with it's subsequent improvement in 1817 that the Grand Chapter of California complained that there was no acceptable specific ritual. I presume they were referring to the esoteric work!

An appeal was made to the General Grand Chapter Triennial Convocation in Hartford, Connecticut in 1856 for assistance. Grand High Priest Dibble of California, who at the age of seventy made the long arduous journey to learn the work was sorely disappointed. He returned with a Resolution from the General Grand Chapter stating that it could not find a specific ritual and that affiliated Grand Chapters should find their own!

Eventually in 1879 the Grand Secretary of California Thomas H. Caswell, a notable Mason who became the Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the Scottish Rite - Southern Jurisdiction, produced what became known as the 'Caswell Hand Book'. In 1907 it was decided that the ritual requirement of General Grand Chapter were not being met ( I presume that General Grand Chapter had adopted a specific ritual) and 'Ashcroft's Monitor' replaced 'Caswell's Hand Book'. This Ashcroft Monitor was brought up to date in 1986 and is the Ritual in use today.

The General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons International claims to be the largest single Masonic Group in the world. All the States in the United States with the exception of Pennsylvania, Virginia and Texas are members. It has affiliated Grand Chapters all over the world with only a few notable exceptions such as England, jurisdictions in Australia, India and New Zealand. Most Excellent Companion Murray E. Cooke of California served as General Grand High Priest from 1996 to 1999.

The charities are the Royal Arch Research Assistance Program which supports the work in auditory problems of hearing dysfunctions in children. The DeMolay Endowment Fund provides Scholarships.

The General Grand Chapter also provides support to the affiliated Grand Chapter by way of Capitular Education through publications and its Royal Arch Magazine and assistance in Ritual. There are seven Deputy General Grand High Priests to coordinate and assist the affiliated constituent Grand Chapters. In 2002 Most Excellent Companion Xavier A. 'Sam' Pitassi P. G. H. P. of California became the Deputy Grand High Priest of the South Western Department It was his support that resulted in our formation and he has been kind enough to serve as the King of this Golden State Research Chapter.

References:
'William Preston and his work' by Colin Dyer
'History of Royal Arch Masonry' by General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons        International
'The York Rite of Freemasonry' by Speidel
'Illustrations of Freemasonry' by Thomas Smith Webb 1817 Edition
'Freemason's Book of the Royal Arch' by Bernard Jones
'Guide to the Royal Arch Chapter' by Sheville and Gould 1897

Edgar W. Fentum
High Priest
Golden State Research Chapter U. D.