The Three Degrees of the Order

The Order of the Secret Monitor or Brotherhood of David and Jonathan in the British Isles and its Districts and Conclaves Overseas is one of the fastest growing Masonic Orders in the United Kingdom and is administered at Mark Masons’ Hall in London.

As with many orders in Freemasonry, the ceremonies typically surround a biblical story or legend and this Order is based upon the remarkable friendship which existed between David and Jonathan as can be found in the Bible – First book of Samuel.

There are three Degrees in the Order of the Secret Monitor as follows:

FIRST DEGREE:
During the Induction Ceremony of a new Candidate, the story unfolds recalling the Friendship that developed between David and Jonathan, the son of King Saul who hated David, and the wonderful lessons to be learnt in friendship, support and fidelity.  David and Jonathan are heroic figures of the kingdom of Israel, who formed a profound friendship and sacred covenant to always protect each other and their families. 

SECOND DEGREE – PRINCE: 
Admission into an Assembly of Princes is also derived from the Book of Samuel and recalls how King Saul sought to destroy David and relates the interesting legend of the methods contrived to foil the pursuits of the jealous King.

THIRD DEGREE – SUPREME RULER:
This last degree concerns the Installation to the Chair of a Conclave and surrounds David’s Kingship. Within the ritual of this degree there is a ceremony of Commissioning, which permits rank and status throughout the Order as a whole and furthermore, a certificate is issued to confirm the Officer is Commissioned, both of which are quite unique in Freemasonry.