A major policy shift has led to an exciting change for those Craft Masons who have not yet taken the next step on their journey. It promises to greatly expand their appreciation of Freemasonry.

Grand Lodge has done a deal with Grand Chapter that will allow Craft Freemasons to get a ‘teaser’ of what Chapter is like without having to meet the full financial and time costs associated with Chapter membership. The degree of Mark Master Mason is the 4^th step in Freemasonry (and the first one in Chapter) and will now be available to all Master Masons.

In the past, a Master Mason had to wait a full year before being permitted to apply for membership to Chapter. That waiting period has now been removed and any Master Mason can apply for chapter membership as soon as he has been raised. Chapter freemasonry is more theatrical than Craft and is less obsessed with rote memorisation. These two factors alone make it extremely popular with all those who take that next step.

There are a few other advantages as well.

Grand Chapter have agreed to waive their capitation fees for a period of TWO YEARS for those masons who choose to be Mark Master Masons but prefer not to do any of the other degrees available to full Chapter members.

Mark Master Masons are welcome to attend all of the Chapter business meetings as well as any ceremony where the lodge is open in that degree.

You are permitted to be an Office Bearer in the Mark Degree (with the exception of the posts of Worshipful Mark Master and the Senior or Junior Wardens).

Mark Master Masons are permitted to wear their breast jewels in Craft lodges.

In closing, let me recommend SWAN CHAPTER. They meet at the same lodge rooms as we do (on the 3^rd Wednesday of the month) and you’ll see a lot of familiar faces there. Our DC (the handsome one in the purple robe) as also the 2IC of ALL the Chapter freemasons in WA so we’ve got a man on the inside at the highest levels.