,\ RABIC )ICDER NUIIII.ES TIIE.) ganizations are the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, with head quarters at Hamilton. N. Y., and the Independent International Order of Owls, with headqn:n•ters at Nashville. Tenn. These societies are purely social organizations, founded for amusement and recreation.
The only soeiety allied to Masonry that re ceives women into membership is the Order of the Eastern Star. It is not a Masonic body, nor has it ever been recognized by the Masonie fra ternity. but its nienibe•s are composed of :Master :Nlasons in good standing,. their wives, daughters, mothers. and sisters. together with the widows of such Master Masons. The system which ad mitted women to membership in bodies allied to Freemasonry originated in France about 1730. The bodies were called 'Lodges of Adoption.' be cause each organization was required] to he adapted by a Alasonie lodge and was under its Lodges of adoption are said to have been int rodueed into this eonntry about 1775. but the\• never flourished] to any extent. .\s early as 179:1 there was an 'Order of tire Eastern Star' in existence in this eountry. This organization dis appeared early in the last century. The system at present prevailing in the United Slates was founded in I56S by Robert Macey of New York, upon Ihe basis of a ritual developed by Robert Morris, an eminent Masonic writer. There are now in the Vnited States thirty-two Grand Chap ters and over 250.000 members.
The Sovereidpn College of Allied Mnsonie and Christian Degrees of America is a body of Masons clothed with power to confer ncademie as well as ritualistic degrees, the former being given for honorable cause. The highest academic de gree conferred is that of Doctor of Universal Masonry, which has been conferred on only five distinguished members of the Order. The ritual of the college comprises the degree of Ark Mar iner, Secret Monitor, Tyle•s of Solomon, Saint Lawrence the Martyr, Knight of Constantinople, Holy and Blessed Order of Wisdom, Trinitarian Knight of Saint John of Patmos. The Order is in fraternal communication with the Grand Council of the Allied Degrees, and the Grand Ark Mariners Council, both of England.
The following table gives the Grand Lodges in the United Stales and British America, with their respective and total membership brought down to a recent date: The above American and British American Grand Lodges maintain fraternal relationswith the Grand Lodges of Belgium. Costa ltiva, Cuba. Den
mark, Eelectie Union (Erankfort-on-the-:Nlain), England. Germany, Iltinga my, irelaml, New' South \Vales. New Zealand. Norway. Peru, Porto Flied), Royal York (Berlin). Saxony. Scotland. South Australia, Sweden. Switzerland], Three Globes ( Berlin), Victoria (Australia), Zur Ein traelit (Darmstadt). and Zur Sonne (Bayreuth).
Besides what may be enlled orthodox :Masonry there are two other bodies operating in the United States known as those of the Cernenu rite and the Ancient and Primitive Rile of 'Memphis, which ditTer in ritual from the older orders. The Ce•nean Masons. or Sovereign f:rond Consistory, founded in is(); by Joseph Cerneait in affiliation with the Grand Orient of France and enrolled under the Scottish rite. has two emisistories in New York City, and a `Supreme C01111Cil of Sov ereign Grand Inspectors-General of the Thirty third and Last Degree.' It is not in affiliation with Masonic bodies generally in America and Canada. owing to its with the Grand Orient of France. which does not require for ad mission to tnernInqS11 I p the necessity of a be lief in the existenee of a Supreme Being. it has jurisdiction over seventy subordinate eon sistories of Sublime Princes of the Roynl Secret, which are subdivided into Lodges of Perfection, Councils of Princes of Jerusalem, Chapters of Rose Croix, and Consislories. The Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis was established in Montauban, France, in 1814, by Jacques Etienne Marconis and others. On November 9, 1S56, the first organization of the Ancient and Primitive Rite in America was created in New York under the title of 'A Supreme Council Sublime Masters of the Great Work Ninetieth Degree' by Jacques Etienne Marconis. On March 1. 1857, he organ ized a 'Sovereign Grand Council-Gene•al Ninety fourth Degree' and granted a charter with full authority for the administration and government of the Order, and on June 21, 1862, a 'Sove•eignn Sanctuary Ninety-fifth Degree' was created in and fur the continent of America in affiliation with the Grand Orient of France. The 'Mystic Temple Grand Council-Gene•al Ninety-fourth De gree' has charge of the State of New York, There are branches in existence for the government of other under titles of Sovereign Sanctu aries. viz. for Great Britain and Ireland, Egypt, Rumania, Naples, Palermo, and India.