The Allied Masonic Degrees are a series of Masonic degrees conferred by Councils of the Allied Masonic Degrees. The Allied Masonic Degrees form an appendant order of Freemasonry that exists in some Masonic jurisdictions; its degrees are conferred only by invitation. Councils of the Allied Masonic Degrees exist in Great Britain, the United States, Canada, France and Australia and their members also educate one another by presenting research papers on Freemasonry.
Organization
The structure is very like that of the craft lodges, with the exception that the offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined in some councils.
The entry degree is the Order of Saint Lawrence the Martyr. This is the requisite for participating in Council meetings. The other four degrees, which can be taken in any order, are Knight of Constantinople, Grand Tilers of Solomon, Grand High Priest, and Red Cross of Babylon. However, the degree of the Grand Tilers of Solomon is normally taken last by a candidate. In England and Wales, the Order of the Secret Monitor, once part of the AMD, now has its own independent conclaves. The Order is administered from Mark Masons' Hall, London.
Knights of Constantinople — Plymouth Working: In 1865 a Council of Knights of Constantinople was formed in Devonport, Plymouth. In 1910 three remaining councils, Numbers 33, 34 and 35 conceded to the Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees, but in doing so, obtained for themselves the right to wear their own distinctive apron, and the privilege and exclusive right to confer the degree as practised by the Plymouth Councils since 1865. Only Christian brethren are eligible to join the Plymouth Working.
In Scotland, there is no direct equivalent of the Allied Masonic Degrees, nor are the degrees for which it is responsible carried out under the auspices of any of the Scottish masonic bodies, although the 'Red Cross of Babylon' is a truncated version of the Scottish 'Babylonish Pass' degree under the control of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland. There is no reciprocal agreement on intervisitation in the 'Lodge & Council' degrees between the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland and the Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees. Nonetheless, The Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees of England and Wales and Districts and Councils Overseas has been recognised since 2004 as a 'Masonic Body in Amity with The Grand Lodge of Scotland'
The degrees in the US
In the United States of America, a national Grand Council charters local councils, which confer their degrees on selected Royal Arch Masons. Most councils are limited to twenty-seven members, but the Council of the Nine Muses is limited to nine authors, and the Grand Master's Council has no limit, either numerically or geographically. The officers of a Council utilize many of the same titles as the officers of a Masonic lodge, with the presiding officer being denominated 'Sovereign Master." The Councils are given wide discretion as to choose how frequently they meet and what programs to pursue. Generally speaking, Councils study or discuss Freemasonry in some way at each meeting. The Grand Council has created some internal honors, the most notable being "Knight Grand Cross". The degrees conferred in the United States are:
