Are you interested in joining us?
There are two criteria you must have in order to petition to join the Commandery:
- First you must be a Master Mason.
- Second, you must be a member of a Royal Arch Chapter and a Royal and Select Masters Council.
If you meet those criteria, you are welcome to fill out a petition and submit that and a check for $150 to the Commandery. If you have any questions, you can email the membership chairman.
F.A.Q.
While we will attempt to answer some of the more common questions about joining below, you are always welcome to contact the membership chairman via email with any questions you have.
For Master Masons
Q: “I’m not a member of a Royal Arch Chapter or a Royal and Select Masters Council, how do I find one to join?”
A: You can find a list of Royal Arch Chapters and Royal and Select Masters Councils on the https://www.yorkritemaryland.org/ website.
Q: “Does it matter which Royal Arch Chapter or Royal and Select Master Council I join?”
A: It does not. As long as you are a member in both Chapter and Council, you can petition Maryland Commandery No. 1.
Q: “I’m not a member of a Royal Arch Chapter or a Royal and Select Master Council. How long will it take before I can petition Maryland Commandery No. 1?”
A: It depends. Each Chapter and Council have their own schedules, but in general, you could complete the degrees in Chapter and Council within three months once they begin their degree work.
Q: “I think I was a member of a Royal Arch Chapter / Royal and Select Master Council, in the past, but I don’t remember which one(s). How can I find out which one I was a member of?”
A: We encourage you to visit the joint website of the Grand York Rite Bodies of Maryland, https://www.yorkritemaryland.org/, and contact the Grand Recorder for Chapter and/or Council and inquire with them. They should have a record of your membership.
Q: “I’m already a member of a Commandery, can I join Maryland Commandery No. 1?”
A: If you are already a member of a Commandery in Maryland, you can petition for affiliation with Maryland Commandery No. 1 via the Affiliation Petition. If you are a member of a Commandery outside the State of Maryland, you can affiliate also, if your home Grand Commandery allows dual membership. (In both instances, the assumption is you have already received all three Orders.)
Q: “Once I petition how long will it take before I’m a member?”
A: It depends. If you are submitting a petition for Affiliation, you will become a member as soon as the Commandery ballots on your petition favorably. If you are submitting a petition to join and receive the three Orders, it will depend on when your petition is submitted, how long it takes to verify your membership in a Chapter and Council, and when we are next conferring the Orders. Ideally the Commandery confers Orders in the spring and fall, taking two to three meetings to confer all three Orders.
Q: “Is Knight Templars only for Christians?”
A: From the Petition to Join: “The Undersigned further confirms, that insofar as his petition relates to his becoming a member of the named Commandery of Knights Templar, he is a firm believer in the Christian Religion.”
For Non-Masons
Q: “How do I become a Freemason?”
A: If you reside in Maryland, stop by the Grand Lodge of Maryland AF & AM’s website. From there you can inquire, and the Grand Lodge can help direct you to a lodge. If you live outside of Maryland, you should visit the website of the state, province, or country in which you reside. Once you become a Master Mason, you can then petition to join a Royal Arch Chapter and then a Council of Royal and Select Masters, and then you can petition to join Maryland Commandery No. 1.
Have a question we didn’t answer?
Email us and ask!