The KYCH

      Knights of the York Cross of Honour (KYCH), was established as an Honor Group for York Rite Masons. The requirements for membership are that each proposed Candidate for membership must have presided over a Lodge as a Worshipful Master, over a Chapter as Excellent High Priest, over a Council as Thrice Illustrious Master and over a Commandery as Eminent Commander for at least one entire year. Knights of the York Rite Cross of Honour are York Rite Masons who are dedicated to serving the Masonic Fraternity as Labor of Love.

 

       No individual should aspire to membership in K.Y.C.H. When he has completed the required work and labor and done it well, he will be rewarded by being invited to become a member. Prior to his invite, his name must be submitted by a member of the Priory. The prospective member should not know that he has been proposed until he is officially notified that he has been elected to petition for membership. If this rule is followed, no one that is proposed and rejected should ever know that he was proposed and/or rejected, thereby saving much embarrassment and discontent for everyone.

 

       When a Priory receives a proposal, such proposal is supposed to hold it over until the next stated meeting before his petition is ballot upon. Just serving as the Master, High Priest, Thrice Illustrious Master and Eminent Commander does not automatically bestow this prestige honor upon anyone. You must have worked for the Good of the Order receive invitation via a petition.  

 

       The meaning of membership into the Priory can best be explained by a closing statement of the Most Eminent Knight Donald F. Friend, Grand Master General at his Convent General Session in 1995, “As a Knight of 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’s impression of Freemasonry.

 

(YOU CANNOT just be installed without serving a full term of at least one year or only receive an honorary title)

 

1. Worshipful Master of a Masonic Blue Lodge.
 

2. Excellent High Priest of a Royal Arch Chapter

 
3. Thrice 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 KYCH, if you were ever elected to receive it.

 

The crown 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 Commandery of Knights Templar. The letters KYCH stand for Knight of the York Cross of Honour. The four color four string cord represent the colors of the four orders are symbolic of:

 

 

Blue: Masonic Lodge
 

Red: Royal Arch Chapter

 
Purple: Cryptic Masons
 

White: Knights Templars

 

 

*Please take a moment to observe the emblem/jewel above*

 

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 as a sitting/presiding "Grand Head".  The title then becomes Knight of the York Grand Cross of Honour (KYGCH) with the appropriate quandrant identified.

The jewel (above on the left) with the Blue Quadrant under it is for a KYCH member who has also been a Most Worshipful Grand Master of a Grand Lodge... You can have all four Quadrants and be what is called a "Four Star General"; they are extremely rare. The Quadrant colors are Blue (bottom), Red (Left), Purple (Right), and White (Top).

 

A member receives each quadrant at the beginning of his term of office in the Grand York Rite body. If the member receiving the Grand Cross of Honour is a Present or Past Prior of a KYCH Priory, the award emblem will have a blue background behind the crown with rays radiating (Eminent rank). If the member receiving the Grand Cross of Honour is a Convent General officer other than the presiding officer, the award emblem will have a red background behind the crown with rays radiating (Right Eminent rank). If the member receiving the Grand Cross of Honour is a Present or Past Grand Master General of the Convent General, the award emblem will have a purple background behind the crown with rays radiating (Most Eminent rank).  A visual index of the various quadrants of the KYGCH are in the table below.