1. That no chapter of the H. R. A. shall be held or convened within the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or masonic jurisdiction thereunto belonging, but under the authority and sanction of a regular subsisting warrant granted by the grand lodges according to the old institu tions, and by consent of said lodge first signified to the grand chapter.
2. That no chapter of the H. R. A. shall be convened and held for the purpose of making royal arch masons, unless six registered royal arch masons be present.
3. That no brother shall be admitted into the H. R. A. but he who has regularly and faithfully passed through the three progressive degrees, and has filled and per formed the office of worshipful master in his lodge to the satisfaction of the brethren, or passed the chair by a dis pensation from the R. W. Grand Master, upon the recom mendation of his said Lodge ; to ascertain which they shall deliver to him, in open lodge, a certificate to the following purport.
" To the presiding chiefs of the chapter of excellent royal arch masons, under the sanction of lodge No. Whereas our trusty and well beloved brother a geometric master mason, and member of our lodge, has solicited us to recommend him as a master mason, every way qualified, as far as we arc judges of the necessary qualifications, for passing the holy arch ; we do hereby certify, that the said our trusty and well beloved brother, has obtained the con sent of our lodge No. for the recommendation and signing of this certificate." Given under hands and the seal of our said lodge, this day of Anno Lucis 58.
4. That a general grand chapter of the H. R. A.* shall be held half yearly, on the third Monday in June and December in each year: that every warranted lodge shall be directed to summon its excellent royal arch members to attend the same, and that none but past and present officers of chapters duly and regularly brined under the sanction of a warrant from the grand lodge of Pennsyl vania, and registered and past grand officers (being arch masons) shall be members thereof; and royal arch ma sons, members of private chapters and certified so journers, to be admitted as visitors only.
5. That for the better preservation of the supreme degree of free masonry, a register shall be kept by the scribes, of all brothers admitted to the most excellent degree, and a return of the brothers so admitted by the private chapters of their own or other lodges, mention ing the names and times of exalting every brother, shall be presented to the general grand chapter, 1:eld half yearly as aforesaid, to be entered in the register book of the general grand chapter of the H. R. A.
6. That general grand chapters may be held more frequently, if occasion may require, application for that purpose being made by at least six excellent masons to the grand chiefs, or on the discretion being given by the presiding grand chief. But at such general grand chap ters of emergency, no established law shall be altered, and no new law that may be made shall be conclusive and binding, until ratified and confirmed by a regular half yearly general grand chapter. But at such general grand chapters of emergency, certificates for registering may be granted.
7. That on the admission of a new brother, the form of the return to the general grand chapter shall be as follows : " We, the three chiefs, whose names are hereunto subscribed, do certify, that in a chapter of the H. R. A. convened and held under the sanction and authority of the warrant of the worshipful lodge No. our be loved brothers A. B. C. D. E. F. and G. H. having de livered to us the proper certificates, and proved them selves, by due examination, to be well qualified in all the three degrees of apprentice, fellow craft, and master mason, and to have passed the chair, were by us admitted to the supreme degree of excellent royal arch masons." Given under our hands and the seal of our chapter, this day of in the year of masonry 58, and in the year of our Lord 17.
8. That all registered R. A. Masons shall be entitled to a grand royal arch certificate, on the payment of two silver dollars of the United States for the same ; which shall be applied as follows, to wit : a dollar and thirty three cents for the grand scribe, he paying the expense of printing, parchment, ribbon, Etc. 8ce. and sixty seven cents for the use of the general grand chapter.