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The Cryptic Rite in New York
by Dr. Floyd R. Bass Sr. {ARM23} The early development of the Council of Royal and Select Masters or the Cryptic Rite in Prince Hall Freemasonry may be traced [Hinman, History of the Cryptic Rite, 1861] to Henry A. Fracken, founder of the Lodge of Perfection at Albany, New York, 1767 in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Joseph Cerneau conferred the degree Royal Master in New York during 1807, establishing a Grand Council authorizined by the Grand Consistory of France. A Council of Select Masters in New York, founded by Eckel and Miles formed in 1821, joined around d1824 with a Council to confer the Super Excellent Master degree. Authority was provided to give the Royal, Select and Super Excellent Masters Degrees.
The Royal and Select Master Degrees: These Cryptic Rite degrees were slower to take root in the Prince Hall Fraternity. It was not until August 14, 1916 that the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Master for Ohio, at tis session in Dayton, sanctioned the establishment of Councils of Royal and Select Masters. (Harry Davis) "The Cryptic Rite is one of the smallest, yet one of the most important and certainly one of the most curious of all the rites. One of its oddities is that the two degrees of Royal Master and Select Master have associated with them a ceremony known as Super Excellent Master, which is not considered a degree, yet is more dramatic than most Masonic degrees.
Another peculiarity is that there has long been a difference of opinion as to which of the two degrees should be conferred on the candidate first. Both the Royal and the Select are known as Ninth Arch or Secret Vault degrees and the name Cryptic was given them by Rob Morris as derived from the Greek crupe or the Latin crypta, meaning vault. Hugan stated that Cryptic Masonry was worked in England from about 1760 but died out, though it continued in Scotland under one branch of the Grand Encampment of Knight Templar, where it evidently also died out. Phillip C. Tucker, Grand Master of Vermont (1847 - 1861) said, "We have good authority for saying that as early as 1766 they were conferred in the city of Albany." He referred to the Royal and Select degrees. The Select Master, under the name, Select Masons of Twenty-seven, was conferred at Charleston, S.C. in 1783, and that is probably the earliest that either degree was worked in this country. Some investigation has shown that the Charleston bodies did not possess the Royal Master degree in that early period … and that Royal Master was never conferred with Selet Master until after 1821 and then first in New York (Mackey).
No data is available on the history of the Super Excellent Master ceremony. An event which may not only remove the isolation of the Cryptic Rite but may even strengthen and consolidate the York Rite was the decision of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States in 1958 to give State Grand Commanderies the option of declaring the Royal and Select Master degrees prerequisite to the degrees of the Commanderies (Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, 1961).
Harry Davis (History of Freemasonry among Negroes in America, 1964) stated that three councils were authorities (1916) in Ohio: Adoriam #1 (Cleveland), Zabud #2 (Toledo) and Herald #3 (Columbus), and n August 13, 1917 a convention of delegates from these three councils organized a Grand Council at Cincinnati and this body was incorporated under the laws of Ohio on December 21st, 1920. Councils were soon organized in Boston, Chicago, Newark, Portsmouth, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and Springfield. Deputies were appointed for Pennsylvania, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
It wasn't until after the Great Depression of 1929 that Councils spread to other Prince Hall jurisdictions. Prince Hall Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters, Sate of New York also warranted by the Prince Hall Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of Ohio on May 26th, 1958, and included three subordinate councils: Alpha Council #1 (New York); Jordan Council #2 (Connecticut); and Philadelphia Council #3 (Pennsylvania) Subsequently, this New York Grand Council R&SM has contributed to the establishment of Grand Councils R&SM in neighboring jurisdictions: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C., North Carolina and Florida.
The principal leadership during the past four decades has been provided by these twenty Thrice Illustrious Grand Masters: Emmett J. Avery 58-69; Phelmon E. Johnson 69-71; Samuel A. Jackson 71-73; Owen H. Thompson 73-75; Jerry Bigger 75-77; Cliford J. Story 77-79; Wilfred C. Medley 79-81; William B. Simmons 81-83; Julius H. Snoddy 83-85; Arthur L. Taylor 85-88; Albert Bennett 88-89; Robert L. Williams 89-91; Dr. Floyd L. Bass, Sr. 91-92; Maurice LaFate Sr. 92-94; Robert M Barrett, Jr. 99-01; Raymond Joiner 01-02 and currently Leonard W. LaRue.
The Most Illustrious Prince Hall Grand Council of Oryal and Select Masters, State of New York and its Jurisdiction has included selected subordinate councils: four in New York City - Alpha Council #1, Zabud Countil #7, Mystic Tie Council #8 and Melchizedek Council #17; two in Delaware - John H. Hubert Council #12 and William H. Barrett Council #22; two in Massachusetts - Ish Sodi Council #10 and Adonriam #23; and Jordan Council #2 in Connecticut. M.I. Past Thrice Illustrious Grand Master, Companion Maurice W. LaFate Sr., pointed out in his 1994 annual address, "A Royal and Select Master is God's other self, Cryptic Rite Masonry possesses antiquity tradition, irrevocable landmarks, its own jurisdiction and a ritual peculiar to itself." The ritual of Cryptic Masonry admonishes individual Master to be aware of his influence in their lives. The 'voice of God' is perhaps the same voice referred to in the Charge of the Degree, Entered Apprentice. "Care little for the jibes of men, but heed the sting of conscience!"
