Le Maillet et le Ciseau N° 1
Genève

Steinmetz Nr. 2
Luzern

Capricorn Nr. 3
St. Gallen

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

The Degree of Master Mark Mason is universally known as the “friendly degree”, not least because of the joyful and fraternal manner in which the candidate is received at the ceremony of Advancement. The symbols and allegories of the Order deal with an event that occurred during the construction of the Temple of Solomon and explore in greater depth the degree of Fellow Craft. Themes for reflection include working together, human strengths and weaknesses, faith and redemption.

Over the years, the Mark Master Mason discovers a rich and profound teaching and concrete principles for everyday life: the wisest of men can be mistaken, firm and humble perseverance in the face of adversity and ignorance pays off, the light is sometimes perceived by looking in the opposite direction of the blind crowd…

This degree constitutes a link – or even a compulsory passage in some countries – between the Craft Lodge and the Chapter of Royal Arch. Some Mark Lodges also have another Lodge to work the Royal Ark Mariner degree (RAM), a fraternity attached to Mark Masonry, but based on a different narrative and other symbols. As in the Craft Lodges working the Emulation Rite, it is customary for the Brethren to recite the ritual by heart, or at least with heartfelt meaning.

The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Switzerland celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2021.

In 1992, our first Lodge was constituted and consecrated in Geneva under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England by Brothers wishing to work the Mark Masonry degree in Switzerland: Le Maillet et le Ciseau Lodge no. 1500. Subsequently, five other Lodges were constituted and consecrated in different cities of Switzerland, always under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England.

Finally, in 1996, the Mark Master Masons of the six Lodges expressed the desire to form an independent Grand Lodge in Switzerland. With the agreement of the Grand Lodge Alpina of Switzerland, the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Switzerland was constituted and consecrated on 28 September 1996 in Bern by the Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England. At present, it has 8 Lodges and over 200 members.

The Grand Lodge is headed by a Grand Master, who is assisted by a Deputy Grand Master and several Grand Officers who are responsible for the various functions and offices of both ritual and administration. As a Grand Lodge in amity with the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England, it maintains friendly bonds with the other Mark Grand Lodges around the world.

The Grand Lodge meets once a year and receives many foreign delegations on this occasion. The Grand Lodge meeting is open to all regular Mark Master Masons. This event often includes cultural or recreational activities both for the brethren and their ladies.

From the quarries to the sacred temple, the stone takes shape and becomes a wall, column or keystone.

The name of the Order comes from the Mark that the medieval masons used to engrave on the stones they cut, in order to identify the operative mason for the payment of wages and to mark the stones as ready to be used. Marks have also been found on stones used in ancient Egypt and in the remains of King Solomon’s temple. They show a system of organisation and quality control of the work of the operative masons.

The history of Mark Masonry can be traced in Scotland to the 16th century in the Statutes of Schaw. In speculative Masonry, the first mention of the rank of Master Mark Mason is found in the records of a Port Glasgow Lodge in 1758. From Scotland, the Order spread rapidly to Ireland and England, long before the Ancients and Moderns signed the Act of Union in 1813.

However, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) decided not to include Mark Masonry in the regular Masonry of the first three degrees and referred to it as a Knighthood degree. The Mark Lodges continued to work and in 1856, The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales was established. Since then, the Order has grown steadily, and it is now the third largest masonic order worldwide with over 60,000 Brethren in more than 1,500 Lodges.

Eight Lodges in the four corners of Switzerland and in four languages.

Although the ritual is identical in three of our national languages (German, French and Italian) and in English, each Lodge has its own spirit. Lodges generally meet three times a year, some on weekdays, others on Saturdays, and often welcome Brothers from other language regions. They invariably end with a ritual Festive Board to meet new members and to socialise with other Brethren.

Le Maillet et le Ciseau N° 1
Genève

La Clef de Voûte
N° 4
Lausanne

Il Saggio Compagno N° 7
Lugano

Steinmetz
Nr. 2
Luzern

Concord
Nr. 5
Winterthur

St. George
No 8
Morges

To carve one’s own stone, at the risk of being rejected, and to leave one’s own mark on life.

Newly admitted Brethren always say how impressed they are by the liveliness of the ritual and the brotherly love that emanates from it. By going “through the chairs” (each year, each Brother usually “advances” one office) he learns to observe, understand and accept the role that each Brother symbolically plays in the Lodge and to see the faults of his fellow man as opportunities to improve himself. After a few years, he is installed as Worshipful Master, in a special ritual that allows him to see Mark Masonry with another perspective.

The requirement for admission to any of the Lodges of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Switzerland is to have been a Master Mason for at least one year and to be a member of a Lodge of the Grand Lodge Alpina of Switzerland or of a Lodge of a regular Obedience recognised by it. He must also be proposed by two Brethren from the Lodge in which he is a candidate. Finally, he undertakes not to be absent from the regular meetings except for a compelling reason.

If you are interested in this degree, we invite you to meet a Brother of our Order, or, failing that, to contact the Grand Secretary who will guide you.

Brethren wishing to be advanced in the degree of a Mark Master Mason, as well as visiting Brethren wishing for information, are requested to contact the Grand Secretary at:

gs@glmmms.ch

Le Maillet et le Ciseau N° 1 – Genève

La Clef de Voûte N° 4
Lausanne

Il Saggio Compagno
N° 7 – Lugano

Steinmetz
Nr. 2
Luzern

Concord
Nr. 5
Winterthur

St. George
No 8
Morges