K.Y.C.H.
Elected by ballot after nomination from other holders of the K.Y.C.H. at one of their regular meetings. To be qualified you have to have been installed as and some say: "served as… not just installed" as a: (1.) Worshipful Master of a Masonic Blue Lodge. (2.) Excellent High priest of a Royal Arch Chapter. (3.) Illustrious Master of a Council of Royal and Select Master or Council of Cryptic Masons. (4.) Eminent Commander of a Commandery of Knights Templar. Add up the number of required years to be the head of each of the above four bodies and that is how long it would take to have the K.Y.C.H., if you were ever elected to receive it.
The crown in their jewel is for dedicating your life to the service God and Man as any true leader or (KING) would under the eye of GOD. The four emblems representing the four Masonic bodies which compose the York Rite of Freemasonry. The Masonic Lodge, Royal Arch Chapter, Council of Royal and Select Masters, and Knights Templar. The four color four ribbon cord representing the colors of the four orders are symbolic of: Blue: Masonic Lodge; Red: Royal Arch Chapter; Purple: Cryptic Masons; and White: Knights Templars. The rays representing the ever giving flow of light and knowledge by service to the orders and mankind. The quadrant with the appropriate color for the body served.
Description
The Order was formed in Monroe, North Carolina on March 13, 1930. On June 6, 1930 the Convent General of the United States of America was formed to administer the Order.
Requirements for membership are that each proposed candidate for membership must have presided over a Lodge as a Master, over a Chapter as High Priest, over a Council as Illustrious Master and over a Commandry as Commander.
Knights of the York Cross of Honour is a Honor Group of York Rite Masons who are dedicated to serving the Masonic Fraternity as a Labor of Love.
No individual should aspire to membership in KYCH, when he has done the required work, and done it well, he will be invited to membership. Those who labor will be rewarded by being invited.
After a Mason has fulfilled the requirements of membership, his name may be proposed for membership by a member of the K.Y.C.H.. The prospective member should not know that he has been proposed. When a Priory receives a proposed, such proposal must be held over until the next stated meeting of the Priory before it is Balloted on. Some of the Ballot rules vary in different Jurisdictions, to comply with Grand Lodge Rules and Regulations. In this Jurisdiction the prospect must receive a unanimous vote by secret Ballot. The prospective proposal should not know that his name was proposed until he is official notified that he is elected to be invited to petition to membership. I f this rule is followed, no one that is proposed and rejected should ever know that he was proposed and rejected, thereby saving much embarrassment to everyone.
A member of K.Y.C.H. who has served any of the Four Grand York Rite Bodies as presiding Officer is thereby a Knight Grand Cross of Honour, with one Quadrant for each of the Grand Bodies he has served. This means that if he has served any of these Four Grand Bodies, before he is inducted into K.Y.CH. , he would be a Knight Cross of Honour upon being inducted into membership.. If he serves any of these Four Grand Bodies after he is a K.Y.C.H, member, then he gets a Grand Quadrant when his term ends for each of those Grand Bodies. When a member becomes a Knight Grand Cross of Honour, he is entitled to a Certificate from Convent General showing the distinction, i.e., Knight Grand Cross of Honour with, One Quadrant, Two Quadrants, Three Quadrants, or Four Quadrants, as the case may be. These certificates are available from the Grand Registrar - General at no cost. Lapel emblems are available to indicate Knight Grand Cross of Honour. Each Quadrant is represented by the appropriate color of the order served, i.e., Blue for Lodge, Red for Chapter, Purple for Council, and White for Commandry, if the member is a Past Prior the background of his emblem should be Purple, if he is a Knight Grand Cross of Honour, but not a Past Prior, the background should be white.
The meaning of membership in K.Y.C.H. can best be explained by a closing statement of Most Eminent Knight Donald E. Friend, Grand Master General, at his Convent General Session in 1995 , "As a Knight of the York Cross of Honour, you are a proven servant of the Masonic Fraternity , your inspiration has came from your Past, your duty is in the present , your Hope is in the Future, I ask you always to remember—In all you do , In all you say, In all of your actions, take a good look at yourself, you are someone impression of Freemasonry ".
This information prepared by Ivan D. Rinck, Personal Representative No, 18 April 3, 1999.
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This page is adapted from the Glossary at Phoenixmasonry — Used with permission.
