Grand Chapter of
Royal Arch Masons of Serbia

In October 2013, under the auspices of the Prince Hall Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of South Carolina, three new Chapters were established in Belgrade:   King Solomon No. 64, Keystone. No.65, and Harmony No.66. After a year working under dispensation, on October  17 th 2014, at the annual meeting of the Prince Hall Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of South Carolina, , these Chapters received their Charters and became a just and duly constituted Chapters of the Royal Arch Masons.

On November 1st  2014, at the joint meeting of the three Chapters in Belgrade, in the presence of the Grand High Priest of the Prince Hall Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of South Carolina and other Grand Officers, it was decided, with the permission of the Grand Chapter of South Carolina, that these three Chapters form a new Grand Chapter under the name Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Serbia. Grand Officers and Grand High Priest of the new Grand Chapter were elected and then installed into their Offices by the Grand High Priest of the  Prince Hall Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of South Carolina. Bro. Vladimir S. Markovic, Past Grand Master of the UGLS, was elected and installed as Grand High Priest. Following this, the First Grand Session of the Grand Chapter of Serbia was held and the Constitutions and By-Laws were adopted. The Headquarters the Grand Chapter RAM of Serbia is in Belgrade. Regular Annual Assemblies are held every year in October.

The three founding Chapers were given new numbers: King Solomon No. 1 Keystone No. 2.  and Harmony No.3. During the first year the number of members of the three Chapters doubled. To learn more about  Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons of Serbia, please visit their website.

CONCORDANT BODIES

A concordant body of Masonry refers to the Masonic organization that confer other Masonic degrees beyond Craft Degrees. In the York Rite there are three concordant bodies: Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons, Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters and Grand Commandery of Knights Templar. In the Scottish Rite, degrees from fourth to thirty third are under control of the Supreme Councils of the AASR. To any of these Bodies Grand Lodge conferring craft degrees represent concordant body since these organizations make a “Concordat” (agreement) with the Grand Lodge describing mutual relations and responsibilities in regard to the conferral of the Masonic degrees. Loss of the membership in the Craft Lodge automatically results in the loss of the membership in the concordant bodies.

United Grand Lodges of Serbia support further development of its members through the participation in the work of the Concordant Bodies. According to this, UGLS has a fraternal relationship with the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Serbia which confers Capitular degrees and with the Prince Hall Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of South Carolina (USA), which founded in Belgrade, Serbia three Councils of Royal and Select Masters in order to accommodate further development of Serbian Freemasons through the York Rite degrees.   

Members of the Grand Chapter of Royal arch Masons of Serbia at work with guests from foreign Jurisdiction.

Degrees of
Royal and Select Masters

On the initiative by the United Grand Lodges of Serbia and Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Serbia, and in order to enable their members to continue on the road in York Rite Masonry, a group of Companions from the Prince Hall Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of South Carolina, led by Right Grand Trice Iliustrious Comp. Kenneth M. Barkley, visited Belgrade on November 2nd 2014 and organized degree work of the three cryptic degrees for the qualified Royal Arch Masons from the Grand Chapter of Serbia, after which three Councils of Royal and Select Masters were formed in Belgrade for the work under dispensation. The names of three new Councils are Jerusalem, Zarubabbel, and Alpha.

Councils of Royal and Select Masters Jerusalem, Zerubbabel and Alpha are the very first Cryptic Councils ever organized in Serbia.  

Members of the Councils of Royal and Select Masters Jerusalem, Zarubbabel, and Alpha from Berlgrade with their guests from South Carolina, November 2014.