Landmarks and Maxims
of Cryptic Masonry
The essential Degrees of Cryptic Masonry in the Universal or American York Rite are the degrees of Royal Master, Select Master, and Super Excellent Master, together with the invitational Orders of the Silver Trowel, or Thrice Illustrious Master, and the Order of the Secret Vault.
The Authority of the Cryptic Rite
All Degrees of Cryptic Masonry are held in trust by any chartered Council or Grand Council.
Any Council or Grand Council chartered by the General Grand Council of Cryptic Masons International is issued that charter as a trustee of the Universal or American Cryptic Rite and must conform to these Landmarks and Maxims to retain recognition by the General Grand Council and the issued charter.
All Degrees of Cryptic Masonry may only be conferred by a chartered Council or Grand Council.
Sovereignty of Councils and Grand Councils
No Grand Lodge, Grand Chapter, Grand Commandery, Scottish Rite, or other Appendant Body of Freemasonry of any jurisdiction may control, supervise, or confer the Degrees of Cryptic Masonry.
No Grand Lodge, Grand Chapter, Grand Commandery, Scottish Rite, or other Appendant Body of Freemasonry of any jurisdiction may control, supervise, or dictate the governance of a chartered Council or Grand Council.
The governance of a chartered Council or Grand Council includes the maintenance and determination of membership data, financial revenues and obligations, conduct of elections and installations, and all regalia of the Cryptic Rite.
Administration and Cooperative Trusts
By affirmative vote of its voting membership, a Chartered Grand Council may enter into cooperative trust arrangements with either or both the Grand Chapter or Grand Commandery of its jurisdiction for joint administration of clerical services, accountable transfers of payments for necessary expenses, provision of expenses for physical locations for records storage or meeting sites, and membership database software systems.
Such arrangements may include per capita due and owing to the chartering authorities of the General Grand Chapter, General Grand Council, or Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America, provided that the governance of that trust arrangement includes representation of the Chartered Grand Council selected solely by the Chartered Grand Council.
A chartered Council or Grand Council is required to hold elections to fill its offices from qualified individuals as specified in a Constitution and Bylaws that have been approved and accepted by its chartering authority.
The Solomonic Rule of Three
All chartered Councils or Grand Councils must be governed by the Solomonic Rule of Three, consisting of the elected Cryptic Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, and Grand Principal Conductor of the Work.
Any action by its governing board must include the affirmative vote of two of those three officers.
Customs and Usages
Beyond these Landmarks and Maxims, a chartered Council or Grand Council is to follow the customs and usages of the recognized Grand Lodge, or recognized Grand Lodges with joint authority by recognized treaties, over its territorial jurisdiction.
Preserving the Cryptic Rite
These Landmarks and Maxims affirm the trust, sovereignty, and sacred responsibility carried by every chartered Council and Grand Council. They preserve the identity of Cryptic Masonry and ensure that the Degrees and Orders of the Rite remain under proper Cryptic authority for future generations.
