by Grand Lodge of British Columbia & Yukon

The Masonic family is a loosely defined grouping of those bodies with practices and beliefs complementary to Freemasonry that also either restricts their membership to regular freemasons in good standing or to relatives of regular freemasons in good standing. Those organizations restricted to freemasons are generally termed concordant while those restricted to relatives, or requiring a freemason as sponsor, are generally termed appendant. There is little agreement on the use of these terms; in the narrowest sense only the Scottish and York Rites are styled concordant while the Shrine and Grotto, not conferring degrees, would be defined as Masonic clubs.

Adding to the confusion, some Craft Grand Lodge jurisdictions will recognize those bodies by constitutionally recording that they are simply "in amity" with them. Not all Grand Lodges will recognize the same bodies. The important point is to understand that these bodies, and the various degrees they confer, are auxiliary or additional, and not superior to Craft Freemasonry.

	Grand Lodge of British Columbia & Yukon Freemasonry has been described as a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. This, of course, creates more questions than it supplies answers. :: read more...
	Lodge of Perfection The fourth to the fourteenth degrees amplify the legend of the Master Mason degree and the story of the building of King Solomon's Temple. These degrees are designed to impress more forcefully the teachings of the first three degrees. :: read more...
	Rose Croix Chapter The fifteenth and sixteenth degrees relate to the rebuilding of the Temple of Zerubbabel. In our Canadian rituals of the seventeenth and eighteenth degrees we teach the Christian philosophy. :: read more...
	Consistory Several of the degrees of the Consistory series, nineteenth to thirty-second, further amplify the teachings of the previous degrees, others have the Crusades as a background. The 30th, 31st and 32nd are obligatory. :: read more...
	Supreme Council 33° The Scottish Rite is one of the two branches of Freemasonry in which a Master Mason (Third Degree) may proceed after he has completed the three degrees of Symbolic, Blue or Craft Lodge Masonry. Although similar, in Canada we prefer using the term Craft Lodge. :: read more...