About the Order
GRAND
Conclave OF THE ORDER OF THE SECRET MONITOR FOR NORTHERN AUSTRALIA AND PAPUA NEW
GUINEA
The Order of the Secret Monitor
or the brotherhood of David and
Jonathan
The Order of the Secret Monitor, or Brotherhood of David and Jonathan, is probably the most caring of all the Masonic Orders.
Each Lodge or Conclave as it is called, has four officers called Visiting
Deacons, each of whom has the responsibility for his quarter of the members of
his Conclave "of affording assistance and support to a
brother in time of sorrow and distress and to search out and warn him if he be
exposed to danger, secret or apparent".
In practise, he must contact his members between each meeting, personally, by
telephone or by letter, in order to find out if all is well, if they are able to
attend the next meeting, if not the reason for their absence, and if he can be
of any assistance to them.
At each meeting of the Conclave, a roll-call of members is held, the Visiting
Deacons report on their contact with the absentees, the reason for their
absence, and if they are in need of help in any way whatsoever.
The Order is of Dutch origin, and was brought to England by Dr. Zacharie on his
return to this country after the American Civil War around 1875.
The Grand Conclave of the Order of the Secret Monitor or
Brotherhood of David and Jonathan for the British Isles and Territories Overseas
was formed in 1887.
The early years of the Order in Great Britain were somewhat complicated,
as the Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees was also empowered to confer
the Degree, but in 1931, C.W. Napier-Clavering who headed both the Allied
Masonic Degrees and this Order, arranged the agreement whereby the AMD gave up
all rights to the degree.
The Grand Conclave of the Order of the Secret Monitor for
Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea became autonomous and was inaugurated on
31 May 1969.
The Order consists of three degrees;
Induction as a Secret Monitor is the first, and
graphically describes how Jonathan warned David (in a non-obvious manner, hence
Secret Monitor), not to return to King Saul's household. It is taken from the
first book of Samuel. The lesson in the Degree is the importance of friendship
and fidelity.
The second is the Princes degree, and tells how
David admitted into his band one who had escaped
from a massacre carried out at the order of Saul. This is also taken from the
first book of Samuel, and again stresses the importance of friendship and
fidelity.
The third Degree is the Installation Ceremony of Supreme
Ruler who is the Chairman of the Conclave. It is unique, in that in
addition to the actual Installation Ceremony that is usually carried out by the
Supreme Ruler's predecessor, there is the Ceremony of
Commissioning, The Ceremony of Commissioning
must be carried out by a Grand Officer, usually the most senior present, which
confers status throughout the entire Order, and a Certificate is issued by Grand
Conclave to that effect.
The regalia for members of the Order is quite simple being a breast jewel
suspended from a different ribbon for each of the first two degrees. The
Officers of the Conclave wear a sash, the colours being different for each of
the first two degrees. The Supreme Ruler wears a robe, a jewel suspended from a
collarette and a sash with the initials SR on it.
Grand Officers wear sashes of different colours embroidered with the symbol of
the Jurisdiction and a Grand Officer Jewel suspended from a collarette, again of
variant colours. The Grand Supreme Ruler and Deputy Grand Supreme Ruler each
wear a Chain of Office, a Grand Officer Jewel surmounted with a Crown on a Gold
Collarette and carry a baton of office.
The Order of the Secret Monitor is an extremely happy and
friendly Order. The qualification for membership is solely that of a Master
Mason in good standing, and the office of Supreme Ruler can be reached without
having to have been through the Chair of a Craft Lodge.