Masonic Abbreviations
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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 |