What is the Order of Secret Monitor?

Originally an honorary or side degree conferred informally upon Master Masons 21, the Order of the Secret Monitor centers on the principle of brotherly love and unfaltering friendship 2. Its foundational narrative and watchwords draw upon the biblical account of David and Jonathan, specifically passages from the First Book of Samuel 2.

Tracing its antecedent traditions to an eighteenth-century Dutch society called the Order of Jonathan and David 2, the degree developed in its modern form in the United States around the middle of the nineteenth century as a means to reinforce fellowship and mutual assistance among Masons 1. Historically, it was communicated with minimal ceremony in informal settings by anyone possessing the ritual 21. A Grand Council of the Order was established in London on June 17, 1887, which adapted the American ceremonies for English usage 2.

In its modern administrative structure under the Grand Council of the Secret Monitor, the system comprises two main degrees, alongside seven attached degrees of the Scarlet Cord and a Chair degree 1. Three degrees were ultimately prepared for English working 2. A key practice within the Order is adapted from the old Aberdeen concept of an intender, wherein a Deacon is assigned to maintain regular contact with each brother between meetings and offer aid whenever needed 1.