The Harp of Erin Council No.91 hosted
the Most Excellent Great Chief

The Most Excellent Great Chief, Most Excellent Sir Knight Bernard V.A. Woods accompanied by Most Excellent Sir Knight Michael J. Ward, Honorary Past Great Chief, visited the Harp of Erin Council No. 91 at a Special meeting on Thursday 23 September, 2010.

Front row; RESK Robert Barnes, MESK Bernard V.A. Woods ME Great Chief, ESK Ken Hughes Ex Chief, RESK R.J. Whyte, ESK George Drury, MESK Michael J. Ward Hon. Past ME Great Chief.
Second row; SK Craig Barnett, SK Marshall Basham, SK Bernard Young, SK George Thomson, SK James Crawford, SK Geoffrey Grenfell

CONSTITUTION & CREATION OF
Harp of Erin Council No. 91

A council of Knight Masons was formally constituted and a Council Installed on Monday 13 November 2006 in the Ara 348 Lodge rooms Airedale Street Auckland.

Seven Companions from The Ara No. 348 Royal Arch Chapter petitioned the Grand Council in Dublin for a warrant to form a Council of Knight Masons. Approval was granted to form The Harp of Erin Council No. 91.

Right Excellent Sir Knight Michael J. Ward (Provincial Grand Superintendent of Leinster and Overseas Councils) and Right Excellent Sir Knight Sean P. McCabe (Grand Scribe) opened an Occasional Meeting of Grand Council for the purpose of Constituting the new Harp of Erin Council No. 91.

The Harp of Erin Council No. 91 was duly Constituted.

Excellent Sir Knight Roland J. Whyte was installed as Excellent Chief.
The Occasional Meeting of Grand Council was then closed.

The Excellent Chief then installed;
Ex. Sir Kt. Richard G. Faulkner as Senior Knight
Ex. Sir Kt. Roy Houghton as Junior Knight
Sir Kt. Kenneth G. Hughes as Scribe
Sir Kt. Kenneth G. Hughes as Treasurer
V. Em. Sir Kt. Robert Barnes as Director of Ceremonies
Ex. Sir Kt. George Drury as Priest
Ex. Sir Kt. Tony (N.H.A.) Reed as Senior Warden

The Council was then closed and the Knights had a cup of tea and light refreshments.

Knight Masonry contains those Degrees which are worked within a Council of Knight Masons under the jurisdiction of The Grand Council of Knight Masons.
The Grand Council of Knight Masons was formally constituted in 1923 to look after the Degrees which were previously worked by Royal Arch Chapters, Preceptories of High Knight Templars and even a Prince Rose Croix Chapter.

The history of the Judean people, as contained in the Roll of the Law, including the Books of Ezra, Jeremiah and Esdras, records three outstanding episodes intimately connected with Ancient Irish Universal Masonry: -

1. The building of King Solomon’s Temple Craft Masonry

2. The repairs of the Temple by King Josiah Irish Royal Arch Masonry

3. The building of the Second Temple by Zerubabbel after the return of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin from their seventy years of captivity in Babylon, circa. 536 B.C.E. Knight Masonry

So by becoming a Knight Mason you are completing a sequence intimately related to the teaching of Masonry.
There are three Degrees in Knight Masonry formerly known as the Red Cross Degrees:
Knight of the Sword – formerly Red Cross of Daniel or Babylonian Pass, in which we learn of Zerubabbel’s visit to the court of King Cyrus of Persia.
Knight of the East – formerly Jordan Pass, which covers Zerubabbel’s later visit to the court of King Darius.
Knight of the East and West – formerly Royal Order, when Zerubabbel returns to his fellow countrymen in Jerusalem.

Master Masons having become Mark Master Masons and Royal Arch Masons, may after one year become Knight Masons. They may request to join a Council, they do not have to wait to be asked.

By becoming a Knight Mason one discovers a closer degree of intimacy and friendship; as there are a relatively small number of Knight Mason Councils, members are encouraged to visit other Councils where they will always be made welcome.

There are Knight Mason Councils throughout Ireland and they can also be found in the United States of America, South Africa, Jamaica, Hong Kong, Gibraltar, Australia and New Zealand.