Masonic Abbreviations
If anyone wants to send me email, especially if any of the information on this chart is not correct or if you know of additional information that should be included, please send me email by clicking on the following: paulb’at’bessel.org
| 1st GP | First Grand Principal (Royal Arch) |
| 2nd GP | Second Grand Principal (Royal Arch) |
| 3rd GP | Third Grand Principal (Royal Arch) |
| A | Answer |
| A&AR | Ancient & Accepted Rite (Scottish Rite) |
| AA & EF | Ancient, Accepted & Esoteric Freemasons |
| AAONMS | Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners) |
| AASR or A&ASR | Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite or Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite (without the &) |
| AB | Year of the Blessing (see http://bessel.org/masdates.htm ) |
| A Dep | Year of the Deposit (see http://bessel.org/masdates.htm ) |
| AEAONMS | Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order, Nobles Mystic Shrine (Prince Hall Shriners) |
| AEOS | Ancient Egyptian Order of Sciots |
| AF&AM or AFAM | Ancient Free & Accepted Masons |
| AFHR | American Federation of Human Rights (Co-Masonry) |
| AFM | Ancient Free Masons (South Carolina) |
| AGL | Assistant Grand Lecturer |
| AGSW | Assistant Grand Superintendant of Workings (Australia) |
| AH | Anno hebraico (used by AASR) |
| A Inv | Year of the Discovery (see http://bessel.org/masdates.htm ) |
| AL | Year of Light (see http://bessel.org/masdates.htm ) |
| ALR | American Lodge of Research (New York) |
| AM | Year of the World (see http://bessel.org/masdates.htm ) |
| AMD | Allied Masonic Degrees |
| AO | Year of the Order (see http://bessel.org/masdates.htm ) |
| APR or A&PR | Ancient and Primitive Rite |
| AQC | Ars Quatuor Coronatorum (transactions of English research lodge) |
| AR | Year of Revival (see http://bessel.org/masdates.htm ) |
| AYM | Ancient York Masons |
| Bro | Brother |
| CBCS | Chevaliers Biefaisants de La City Sainte (Holy Order of Knights Beneficient of the Holy City) |
| CH or COH | Captain of the Host (Royal Arch) |
| CMCR | Canonbury Masonic Research Centre, London, England |
| COGMINA = CGMNA | Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America |
| COIFR | Commission on Information for Recognition of the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America |
| Comp | Companion (Royal Arch and Cryptic Rite, or Royal and Select Masters) |
| CWLR | Civil War Lodge of Research (chartered in Virginia) |
| DC | Director of Ceremonies |
| DDGL | District Deputy Grand Lecturer |
| DDGM | District Deputy Grand Master |
| DEO | District Education Officer |
| DGCHAP | Deputy Grand Chaplain |
| DGDC | Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies |
| DGIW | Deputy Grand Inspector of Workings (Work) |
| DGM | Deputy Grand Master |
| DGZ | Deputy Grand Zerubbabel (First Grand Principal) |
| DH | Droit Humain (Co-Masonry) |
| DIW | District Instructor of Work |
| EA | Entered Apprentice |
| EC | Excellent Companion (Royal Arch) or Excellent Chief (Knight Masons) or English Constitution or Eminent Commander |
| EHP | Excellent High Priest (Royal Arch) |
| EO | Education Officer |
| ERAM | Esoteric Royal Arch Masonry |
| F&AM | Free & Accepted Masons |
| FAAM | Free And Accepted Masons |
| FAAYM | Free and Accepted Ancient York Masons |
| FC | Fellowcraft or Fellow Craft |
| FPOF | Five Points of Fellowship |
| FPS | Fellow of the Philalethes Society or Fellow of the Phylaxis Society or Fellow of Phyllis Chapter |
| GAOTU | Great Architect of the Universe |
| GC | Grand Chief (Knight Masons) |
| GCR | Grand College of Rites |
| GHP | Grand High Priest (Royal Arch) |
| GJD | Grand Junior Deacon |
| GJS | Grand Junior Steward |
| GJW | Grand Junior Warden |
| GK | Grand King (Royal Arch) |
| GL | Grand Lodge or Grand Lecturer |
| GLAE | Grand Lodge of All England |
| GLF or GLoF or GLdF | Grand Lodge of France |
| GLFB | Feminine Grand Lodge of Belgium (Grande Loge Feminine de Belgique) |
| GLFF | Feminine Grand Lodge of France |
| GLFS | Feminine Grand Lodge of Switzerland (Grande Loge Féminine de Suisse) |
| GLNF | National Grand Lodge of France (Grand Loge Nationale Francais) |
| GM | Grand Master |
| GOF or GOdF | Grand Orient of France |
| GOUSA | Grand Orient of the United States of America |
| GS or GSec | Grand Secretary (or GS could be Grand Scribe) |
| GSD | Grand Senior Deacon |
| GSS | Grand Senior Steward |
| GSW | Grand Senior Warden or Grand Superintendant of Workings (Australia) |
| GWM | Grand Worthy Matron |
| GWMM or GWM or GWMNM | George Washington Masonic Memorial (located in Alexandria, Virginia) (previously called George Washington Masonic National Memorial) |
| GWU | George Washington Union |
| HA | Hiram Abif or Abiff |
| HP | High Priest (Royal Arch) |
| HRA | Holy Royal Arch |
| HRAKTP | Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests |
| HTWSSTKS | abbreviation used in Royal Arch Masonry to describe someone in the Royal Arch ritual |
| IG | Inner Guard |
| IGH | Inspector General Honorary (33rd degree) |
| IM | Illustrious Master (Cryptic Rite, or Royal and Select Masters) |
| IOJD | International Order of Jobs Daughters |
| IORG | International Order of the Rainbow for Girls |
| IPR | Initiation, Passing, and Raising |
| JD | Junior Deacon |
| JGD | Junior Grand Deacon |
| JGS | Junior Grand Steward |
| JGW | Junior Grand Warden |
| JMC | Junior Master of Ceremonies |
| JS | Junior Steward |
| JW | Junior Warden |
| K | King (Royal Arch) |
| KCCH | Knight Commander of the Court of Honor (Scottish Rite) |
| KM | Knight Mason or Knight Masons |
| KT | Knights Templar |
| KTP | Knight Templar Priest |
| KYCH | Knight of the York Cross of Honor |
| LDH | Le Droit Humain (Co-Masonry) |
| LEO | Lodge Education Officer |
| LIW | Lodge Instructor of Work |
| M&M | Memphis & Misraim |
| MasEd | Masonic Education or Masonic Education Yahoo Group on the Internet |
| MBBFMN | Masonic Brotherhood of the Blue Forget Me Not (recognition of those involved in Masonic education) |
| MC | Master of Ceremonies, Middle Chamber |
| MCL | Middle Chamber Lecture |
| ME | Most Excellent (Royal Arch) or Master Expert (in Scottish Rite Lodges in Louisiana) |
| MEC | Most Excellent Companion (Royal Arch) |
| MEGHP | Most Excellent Grand High Priest (Royal Arch) |
| MEM | Most Excellent Master (Royal Arch) |
| MEZ | Most Excellent Z (Royal Arch) |
| MGMB | making good men better |
| MHC | Masonic High Council |
| MIC | Masonic Information Center (related to MSA – Masonic Service Association) |
| MIGM | Most Illustrious Grand Master (Cryptic Rite) |
| MLC | Masonic Leadership Center |
| MLMA | Masonic Library & Museum Association |
| MM | Master Mason or Mark Master |
| Mon | Monarch (Grotto) |
| MOS | Moment of Silence |
| MOVPER | Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm (Grotto) |
| MPS | Member of the Philalethes Society or Member of the Phylaxis Society or Member of Phyllis Chapter |
| MSA | Masonic Service Association |
| MSANA | Masonic Service Association of North America |
| MSRICF | Masonic Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis |
| MW | Most Worshipful |
| MWA | Masters and Wardens Association |
| MWB | Most Worshipful Brother |
| MWGL | Most Worshipful Grand Lodge |
| MWGM | Most Worshipful Grand Master |
| MWM | most worshipful master |
| NCRL | Northern California Research Lodge |
| NECOMELI | Northeast Conference on Masonic Education & Libraries |
| NMJ | Northern Masonic Jurisdiction (Scottish Rite) |
| OES | Order of the Eastern Star |
| PAGSW | Past Assistant Grand Superintendant of Workings (Australia) |
| PDDGL | Past District Deputy Grand Lecturer |
| PDDGM | Past District Deputy Grand Master |
| PDGM | past district grand master |
| PDM | past district master |
| PGBHQ | Past Grand Bethel Honored Queen (Job’s Daughters) |
| PGH | Past Grand Haggai (Royal Arch) |
| PGHP | Past Grand High Priest (Royal Arch) |
| PGM | Past Grand Master |
| PGSW | Past Grand Superintendant of Workings (Australia) |
| PHA | Prince Hall Affiliated |
| PHACGM | Prince Hall Conference of Grand Masters |
| PHO | Prince Hall Origin (National Compact) – NOT the same as PHA |
| PHQ | Past Honored Queen (Job’s Daughters) |
| PIM | Past Illustrious Master (Cryptic Rite) |
| PM | Past Master |
| PMA | Past Masters Association |
| Pot | Potentate (Shrine) |
| POTS | Parting on the Square (sometimes used in place of “sincerely” in email messages from one Mason to another) |
| PS | Principal Sojourner (Royal Arch) |
| PSOC | Philalethes Society listserv (email group) |
| PW | Password |
| PZ | Past Z (what the head of a Royal Arch Chapter is sometimes called) |
| QC | Quatuor Coronati (research lodge in London) or Quatuor Coronatorum (proceedings published by that lodge) |
| QCCC | Quatuor Coronati Correspondence Circle |
| RA | Royal Arch |
| RAC | Royal Arch Captain |
| RAM | Royal Arch Mason or Masonry or Royal Ark Mariner |
| RE | Right Excellent (Royal Arch) or Rite Emuulation (Emulation Rite) |
| REAA | Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte – (Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite) |
| Rec | Recorder |
| REC | Right Excellent Companion (Royal Arch) |
| RER | Rite Ecossais Rectifie (Scottish Rectified Rite) |
| RF | Rite Français (French Rite) |
| RGLE | Regular Grand Lodge of All England |
| ROS | Royal Order of Scotland |
| RW | Right Worshipful |
| RWB | Right Worshipful Brother |
| S | Scribe (Royal Arch) |
| S&C | Square and Compasses (or Compass) |
| S&F | Sincerely & Fraternally |
| SBF | Society of Blue Friars (association of Masonic authors) |
| SC | Scottish Constitution |
| SCRL | Southern California Research Lodge |
| SD | Senior Deacon |
| SEM | Super Excellent Master (Cryptic Rite) |
| SGC | Sovereign Grand Commander (Scottish Rite) |
| SGD | Senior Grand Deacon |
| SGIG | Sovereign Grand Inspector General (Scottish Rite) |
| SGS | Senior Grand Steward |
| SGW | Senior Grand Warden |
| SJ | Southern Jurisdiction (Scottish Rite) |
| SK | Sir Knight (Commandery and Knight Masons) |
| SMC | Senior Master of Ceremonies |
| SMIB | so mote it be |
| SOF | soc.org.freemasonry (Masonic email group) |
| SRICF | Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis (now called MSRICF – Masonic Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis) |
| SRJ | Scottish Rite Journal |
| SRRS | Scottish Rite Research Society |
| SS | Senior Steward |
| STC | Supreme Tall Cedar |
| SW | Senior Warden |
| 2B1Ask1 | to be one (a mason) ask one |
| TB | Tracing Board |
| TCF | Tres Cher Frere (Very Dear Brother) |
| TIM | Thrice Illustrious Master (Royal and Select Masters) |
| Ty | tyler |
| QC | Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, London (research lodge – see AQC) |
| UD | Under Dispensation |
| UGLE | United Grand Lodge of England |
| UGLQ | United Grand Lodge of Queensland (Australia) |
| VSL | Volume of Sacred Law |
| VW | Very Worshipful |
| WB | Worshipful Brother |
| WGAmb | Worshipful Grand Ambassador |
| WM | Worshipful Master |
| WMA | Worshipful Masters Association |
| Wor | Worshipful |
