Beyond the Craft

Order guide / England & Wales

Order of the Silver Trowel

The Order of the Silver Trowel is the Thrice Illustrious Master degree within Royal & Select Masters, conferred selectively on experienced members after service in the chair. It is not a standalone order open from Craft, Mark or Royal Arch and creates no separate ordinary membership calendar.

Order of the Silver Trowel emblem

Thrice Illustrious Master's Order under the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters. This page distinguishes its documented institutional history, present eligibility and closest alternatives. By Beyond the Craft Editorial Team · Published 13 June 2026 · Last reviewed 21 June 2026 · 7 min read.

Typical themes

Leadership, merit, service and the responsibilities of presiding over a Cryptic Council.

Common misconception

It is not simply awarded upon taking the chair, and it is not a standalone order open to petition.

Good fit if…

You are a Past Thrice Illustrious Master with sustained useful service in the District.

May not be for you if…

You have not yet joined and presided over a Council of Royal and Select Masters.

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Documented chronology

  1. The English Grand Council of Royal & Select Masters was constituted. [1]

  2. The Thrice Illustrious Master degree became a selective continuation for senior Cryptic members. [1]

  3. The national authority lists Silver Trowel among two further degrees available by invitation to senior members. [1]

A degree after the Council chair

The national Royal & Select Masters page identifies Thrice Illustrious Master, or Silver Trowel, as one of two further degrees into which senior members may be invited. That wording establishes both its internal position and its selectivity. [1]

The archived London description places it after service in the Council chair and records the silver trowel worn on the apron. Because the district page is historical, current recommendation detail must be checked locally. [2]

No separate joining route

A Mason first needs Craft, Mark and Royal Arch, then joins Royal & Select Masters and serves within a Council. Silver Trowel is therefore several steps beyond those foundations and cannot sensibly appear as a parallel choice beside Mark or Royal Arch. [1]

Its conferral does not create another normal Lodge or Council subscription. The practical commitment remains service to Royal & Select Masters and attendance at the occasion arranged by the District or governing authority. [1] [2]

Who may value it

The degree is relevant to an experienced Cryptic Mason whose service has led to recommendation. Its meaning belongs to reflection on presiding responsibility and merit, not collecting an additional independent membership.

Royal & Select Masters is the essential full guide. Allied Masonic Degrees is a genuine separate membership for qualified Mark and Royal Arch Masons and should not be confused with this chair degree. [1]

Key distinction

It is an internal chair degree of Royal & Select Masters, not another independent body merely sharing Cryptic symbolism.

Frequently asked questions

What most distinguishes Order of the Silver Trowel?

It is an internal chair degree of Royal & Select Masters, not another independent body merely sharing Cryptic symbolism.

Who can join Order of the Silver Trowel?

The published starting point is Past Thrice Illustrious Master recommended for merit and usefulness. Check the dated official eligibility source below because national and local procedures can change.

What happens at meetings of Order of the Silver Trowel?

Public information describes this pattern: Conferral is occasional and normally arranged at District level following recommendation. It does not create a separate ordinary meeting calendar like a Council membership. A recent local programme remains the best evidence of the continuing experience.

What should I compare with Order of the Silver Trowel?

Begin with Royal & Select Masters and Allied Masonic Degrees. Compare purpose, eligibility, governance and ordinary participation rather than rank.

Sources and further reading
  1. Mark Masons’ Hall: Royal & Select Masters ↗Grand Council of Royal & Select Masters · Official organisational source · Retrieved 21 June 2026 · Supports: governance, structure, selective degree.
  2. Archived London District: degrees and regalia ↗London District of Royal & Select Masters · Archived former official source · Retrieved 21 June 2026 · Supports: degree position, regalia, historical district description.