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Concordant v. Appendant

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
Well, this is what I was told....Appendant are the bodies where you can receive additional degrees, the Scottish Rite and the York Rite. Concordant are the other bodies that are in the Masonic family, Shrine, Grotto, etc. Don't know if this is everyone's definition or anyone else's definition, just what I was told by one Brother.
 

MarkR

Premium Member
I understand it the opposite way. Appendant bodies are attached (appended) to Masonry but are not "Masonic" per se. Concordant bodies require Blue Lodge membership and confer additional degrees. The have to have a "concord" or agreement with the Grand Lodge to be able to work in the jurisdiction.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
Both could be. I think, however, BL membership is required for any concordant or appendant body except maybe the Shrine in some areas for men? I may have read that wrong somewhere. Obviously Rainbow, Demolay, OES, Amaranth, Jobies, Triangle, etc does not require BL membership for kids and women but for men I would think it would if you were affiliated with it in any way you'd need to be a MM. I think you use to have to be a 32nd to join Shrine but that got dropped to 'just' MM requirement from what I understand. But I thought I read too that even BL membership isn't a requirement in some places for Shrine. Again, I may be mistaken.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Both could be. I think, however, BL membership is required for any concordant or appendant body except maybe the Shrine in some areas for men?
....
I think you use to have to be a 32nd to join Shrine but that got.
The prerequisite does not apply in ARK. Yes, 32 was required at one time.
 

goomba

Neo-Antient
Site Benefactor
In Virginia the Royal Arch Chapter is considered a concordant body. All others are considered appendant.

But as we can see from this thread the terms are interchangeable and exclusive at the same time.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
....But as we can see from this thread the terms are interchangeable and exclusive at the same time.

We sure about that ? I'm not, but I've not got any great insight on this.... I've been waiting for Coach to come in and mention
Appendant; attached or added, especially in a subordinate capacity.
Concordant: in agreement; consistent.
(Both from a google search and first result)

Or Glenn to post with a definition...

Guessing; might be be you need to be a MM for an Appendant Body but not for a Concordant body, but those concordant bodies are not considered clandestine ?

This was interesting
http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/amity/defined.html

And we're far from the only ones who wonder about this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Masonic_bodies#Appendant_vs._Concordant
 

goomba

Neo-Antient
Site Benefactor
We sure about that ? I'm not, but I've not got any great insight on this.... I've been waiting for Coach to come in and mention
Appendant; attached or added, especially in a subordinate capacity.
Concordant: in agreement; consistent.
(Both from a google search and first result)

Or Glenn to post with a definition...

Guessing; might be be you need to be a MM for an Appendant Body but not for a Concordant body, but those concordant bodies are not considered clandestine ?

This was interesting
http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/amity/defined.html

And we're far from the only ones who wonder about this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Masonic_bodies#Appendant_vs._Concordant

In this thread post 2 and 3 speak of hearing the words used in opposite ways. I think an argument could be used that most of the bodies are in agreement with the blue lodge degrees/teachings (thereby concordant) and they are at the same time attached to the blue lodge as a life source (appendant).

The Grand Lodge of Washington uses them interchangeably on their website: https://freemason-wa.org/freemasons/concordant-bodies/

The Grand Lodge of Canada AF&AM in the Province of Ontario http://mason33.com/content/canada/grand-lodge/home/our-organization/appendant-bodies.html uses the word appendant in the URL but then uses concordant in the webpage.

"In the United States, various terms have been applied to the high degrees, such as appendant, appurtenant, concordant, supplementary, allied, associated, and finally, one that is descriptive but inconvenient: degrees for which the degree of Master Mason is a prerequisite. Some oppose the term high degrees, because they dislike the implication that the Master's degree is not the highest, but the name is simple and convenient and its long usage would seem to preclude any possibility of avoiding it" (Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia, Henry Wilson Coil. Richmond, Virginia : Macoy Publishing, Revised 1995. p. 312) - http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/amity/defined.html

I do believe the words can and are used interchangeably in a generally Masonic context. However, each grand lodge may choose to break the bodies down under two categories using the words as distinct.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
"degrees for which the degree of Master Mason is a prerequisite"

Let's just stick with this one maybe lol.
 
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