The United Grand Lodge of England administers Craft
Freemasonry (consisting of three degrees). The Holy Royal
Arch is administered through a "sister" organisation
entitled Supreme Grand Chapter.
The ceremony of the Royal Arch is undertaken in Chapters,
which are separate from the Craft Lodges. It was originally part of
the working of the Antient Craft Lodges before the Union of
the two Grand Lodges in 1813.
The impressive ceremony of the Holy Royal Arch covers
the period after the destruction of King Solomon's Temple
and the building of the subsequent Temple.
It is based on the return to Jerusalem from Babylonish captivity and the
need to rebuild the city and temple. In clearing the ground of the original
temple for the foundations of the second temple, the candidate makes a
number of discoveries which emphasise the centrality of God to man's
life and existence, and leads him to a consideration of the
nature of God and his personal relationship with Him, irrespective
of his own religion.
The Provincial Organisation mirrors that of the Craft and
in Jersey the Grand Superintendent of the Provincial Grand
Chapter is the same person who holds the office of
Provincial Grand Master in the Provincial Grand Lodge. This
situation is possible in a small Province whilst in the
larger Provinces in the United Kingdom, this certainly
would not be the case.
There are seven Chapters under the jurisdiction of the
Provincial Grand Chapter of Jersey.