The ceremony of Elevation to the order of the Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Royal Ark Mariner is a delightful one with many unique features. It is based on the story of Noah and his Ark and teaches that the virtuous and industrious will prosper. The Flood is a story of cleansing and rebirth, where the wicked and impenitent perished in the deluge while the faithful and the good, represented by Noah and his family, were saved to repopulate the earth. Furthermore, it has connections to the theme of building, by celebrating a particular builder – Noah, who constructed the Ark. It teaches the futility of relying on any human endeavour or expedience to escape divine justice without the direct instructions of the Almighty. Obedience to the Deity is not to be avoided, but to be embraced.
To join the Royal Ark Mariner Degree one must be a Mark Master Mason, although there is no definite historical association between the orders. As with the Mark Degree, the Royal Ark Mariner degree has its own distinctive regalia.
The Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Royal Ark Mariner is controlled by ‘The Grand Master’s Royal Ark Council’, which is administered by the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales.
