Palmetto Grand Lodge

Free and Accepted Ancient York Masons

Sublime Prince Of The Royal Secret

This is the thirty-second degree of the Ancient and Accepted Rite masonry.

There is abundant internal evidence derived from some historical facts that the degree of the Sublime Prince of The Royal Secret was instituted by the founders of the council of emperors of the east and west, which the body was established in the year of 1758.

It is certain that before that period we hear nothing of such a degree in any of the rites. It was brought to America, by Morin, as the summit of the high masonry which he introduced, and the propagation of which he had received his patent. In the subsequent extension of the Scottish Rite about the beginning of the present century, the addition of eight new degrees to the original twenty-five, the sublime prince of the Royal Secret became the thirty-second degree. Bodies of the thirty-second degree are called consistories and were there is a superintending body erected by the Supreme Council for the government of the inferior degrees in a state or province, it is called a Grand Consistory.

Fred Simon Grand Consistory, West Columbia, SC was chartered on May 23,1970.

This consistory was started under the direction of S.P. Tim Robertson from the Greenville area. Fred Simon Grand Consistory consisted of seven local consistories throughout the state of South Carolina. These local consistories are as follows:

St. John Consistory is currently inactive. A dispensation was issued on July1,1992 for a consistory to be established in McCormick, SC. Past Grand Commander-in-Chiefs were:

S.P. Joseph Scott (Charleston) is currently serving as our present Grand Commander-in-chief. S.P. Clyde Shepard served as Grand secretary for 15 years.

Revised February 2009