The Order of the Secret Monitor

The Brotherhood of David and Jonathan

Within the extensive family of Free-Masonry, the Order of the Secret Monitor (OSM) exists as a distinct appendant body, or "side degree". This designation means it is an additional, optional Order that a Free-Mason can choose to join after he has completed the three foundational degrees of the "Blue Lodge," culminating in the rank of Master Mason. This is the sole qualification for membership: a candidate must be a Master Mason in good standing, belonging to a regular Craft Lodge under a recognized Constitution. In many jurisdictions, entry into the Order is by invitation, reflecting its emphasis on personal fidelity.

The Order is known by two distinct names that are central to its identity: "The Order of the Secret Monitor" and "The Brotherhood of David and Jonathan". These titles are not merely interchangeable; they represent the core philosophy and the primary mechanism of the Order. The "Brotherhood of David and Jonathan" refers to the Order's philosophical inspiration—the profound biblical covenant of friendship and fidelity. Conversely, "Secret Monitor" describes the specific action taken by Jonathan to provide a discreet warning to David, thereby saving his life. Therefore, the "Brotherhood" is the principle (the 'why'), while the "Secret Monitor" is the practice (the 'how').

This duality frames the Order's unique purpose. While all of Free-Masonry promotes brotherly love, the OSM focuses on translating this abstract virtue into a tangible, actionable duty. It is explicitly designed to foster mutual, watchful care among its members, providing a structure for support in times of distress.

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

The entire philosophical and ritualistic framework of the Order of the Secret Monitor is built upon the "remarkable friendship which existed between David and Jonathan," as chronicled in the First Book of Samuel. Their solemn covenant, which the text notes was made in the presence of God, serves as the defining ideal for all members of the Order.

This biblical foundation is articulated in the Order's guiding tenets. It is described as a "Society framed upon the principles of self sacrifice; of mutual trust, watchful Brotherly care; of warning in time of danger; solace in time of sorrow; and skillful and effective friendly advice in every circumstance of life". The Order's purpose is to meet a "great and crying need in human affairs" by providing a structured network of support.

The name "Secret Monitor" is derived from the pivotal moment in this narrative. When King Saul, consumed by jealousy, plots to kill David, his own son Jonathan—David's covenant friend—intervenes. Jonathan discreetly warns David of the mortal danger, allowing him to escape. A "Monitor" is one who provides a warning; the "Secret" refers to the fidelity and discretion required of that warning, which must be given without regard for personal risk.

This leads to the Order's central thesis, which is to provide a "fundamental principle underlying all the teachings of the Order". This principle is the "affirmative reply to the old question, 'Am I my brother's keeper?'". This is the Order's raison d'être and its key differentiator from other Masonic bodies. While most Masonic degrees teach morality allegorically and encourage the member to apply it, the OSM institutionalizes this application. It reframes "Brotherly Love" from a passive sentiment into a proactive, assigned duty. This is not left to chance; the Order's structure is built to ensure this "watchful care" is practically carried out.

The Origins and History of the Order

The Order's evolution is a complex narrative that spans centuries and continents, moving from an 18th-century European concept to a 19th-century American "side degree," before being formalized as a global body in London.

Early Origins (1778-1850s)

The earliest known references to a society of this nature are Dutch. Records from 1778 mention an "Order of Jonathan and David," which was connected to an "Order of Jesus Christ". Anecdotal evidence and some traditions suggest the degree may have existed in Continental Europe even earlier, possibly carried by Dutch settlers to the New World around 1658 or 1685.

The American "Side Degree" (c. 1850-1875)

The degree as it is recognized today first arose in the United States around 1850. It was not a formal Order but one of many "side degrees" popular at the time. It was conferred informally and "by communication," meaning any Mason who had received it could confer it upon another Master Mason. This was often done without a fee and with no official records kept, which allowed the degree to spread rapidly but inconsistently. During this period, it was known by various titles, including "Brotherly Love," "Jonathan and David," and finally "Secret Monitor".

Dr. Zacharie and the Formalization in England (1875-1887)

The pivotal figure in the Order's modern history is Dr. Issachar Zacharie. Zacharie was an English surgeon who had served in the American Civil War. His motivation for promoting the degree appears to be deeply personal. He had witnessed firsthand the horrors of the conflict, where "Brother's hand was against Brother's instead of being clasped in it". He saw how Free-Masonry could "amend the horrors of Civil War" and viewed the Secret Monitor degree as a powerful tool to "cement a closer fraternal union".

Zacharie returned to London around 1875 and began sharing the degree with other Masons. On July 15, 1887, he and other prominent Masons who had received the degree abroad met at the Hotel Victoria in London to form the Grand Council of the Order of the Secret Monitor, under the banner of the Alfred Meadows Conclave No. 1. Zacharie, along with figures like Judge F.A. Philbrick, took the simple, single American degree and significantly expanded it. They rewrote the ritual and created the three-degree system that is now the standard in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

The Jurisdictional Conflict (1887-1931)

The new Order's immediate success created a significant jurisdictional conflict. The Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees (AMD), a separate Masonic body designed to collect and preserve various "side degrees," had also been empowered by an American body to confer its own version of the Secret Monitor degree.

This resulted in the AMD denouncing Zacharie's new Grand Council and attempting to claim sole jurisdiction over the degree. For over 37 years, a state of schism existed in English Masonry, with two rival bodies conferring a degree of the same name.

The 1931 Resolution

The conflict was finally resolved in 1931 through a unique "personal union." C.W. Napier-Clavering was, at that time, in the highly favorable and unusual position of being both the Grand Supreme Ruler (head of the OSM) and the Grand Master (head of the AMD). He used this dual authority to implement an agreement between the two Orders. The Allied Masonic Degrees transferred all rights to the degree to the Grand Council of the Order of the Secret Monitor, and the degree was permanently removed from the AMD's list in the United Kingdom.

This 1931 resolution cemented the OSM as a fully independent, sovereign Appendant Order in the UK and Commonwealth. However, this agreement was specific to the UK. It had no jurisdiction in the United States, where the American Allied Masonic Degrees (a separate, autonomous body) already possessed the degree and, consequently, kept it. This historical divergence is the direct cause of the different structures of the Order that exist today.

Conclaves, Councils, and Deacons

The organizational blueprint of the Order is designed to facilitate its unique philosophical mission, with a clear hierarchy from the international governing body down to the local Conclave and its specialized officer roles.

International and National Governance

The supreme governing body of the Order in the United Kingdom, the British Isles, and its Districts and Conclaves Overseas is the Grand Conclave. This body, which also operates with an executive component known as the Grand Council, holds the ultimate authority over the Order's members and regulations. The full title of this governing body is "The Order of the Secret Monitor, or Brotherhood of David and Jonathan, in the British Isles and its Districts and Conclaves Overseas".

The Order is administered from Mark Masons' Hall in London. It is led by a Grand Supreme Ruler, who presides over the annual meeting of the Grand Conclave.

The Local Conclave and its Officers

The local body of the Order is not called a Lodge, but a "Conclave". The presiding officer of a Conclave is titled the "Supreme Ruler". In the ritual drama of the Order, the Supreme Ruler symbolically represents King David. The Immediate Past Ruler, in turn, represents Jonathan.

Other principal officers differ from those in a standard Craft Lodge, as detailed in the table below.

Order of the Secret Monitor - Conclave Officers and Roles

The Visiting Deacons

The office of the Visiting Deacon is "unique to the Order of the Secret Monitor" and is the single feature that most "distinguish[es] this Order from any other in Free-Masonry". This role is the "practical expression" of the Order's entire philosophy.

The duties of the four Visiting Deacons are specific and mandated:

• Assigned Care: The Conclave's membership is divided into four sections, and each Visiting Deacon is assigned one "portion" of the members.
• Constant Contact: It is their explicit duty "to contact" their assigned members "at intervals between the meetings". This contact, whether in person, by phone, or by email, is to "ensure that all is well with them".
• Mandatory Reporting: At every Conclave meeting, a roll-call is held. Each Visiting Deacon must then stand and "report to the Conclave" on their contact with every member in their section, detailing their "welfare, or should providence so will it, their ill-fare".
• First Point of Contact: Should "any trouble befall a Brother," he is instructed to apply for help not to the Conclave leadership, but directly to his assigned Visiting Deacon, who is "bound to do all he can for him".

This "admirable scheme" is the mechanism that provides the "affirmative reply" to the question "Am I my brother's keeper?". It creates an institutionalized social safety net, though its success "depends almost entirely on the conscientiousness of the Deacons".

The Three Degrees (UK/Commonwealth Model)

The three-degree system developed in the UK and practiced in the Commonwealth guides the candidate through the complete narrative of David and Jonathan, instilling the Order's moral lessons.

First Degree: Induction Ceremony (Secret Monitor)

The Induction Ceremony "vividly portray[s]" and "act[s] out" the story of the "powerful bond" between David and Jonathan. The drama depicts King Saul's growing, irrational jealousy of David's military success and his subsequent plot to kill him. The degree culminates in the climactic moment where Jonathan, "true to his loyalty," performs the act of a "Secret Monitor" by discreetly warning David not to return to Saul's household, thus saving his life. The lesson of this degree is a powerful charge on the "lasting themes of friendship, loyalty, and unwavering support".

Second Degree: Princes Degree (Admission to an Assembly of Princes)

This degree, also derived from the Book of Samuel, continues the narrative, following David's life as a fugitive after escaping Saul's court. It describes how Jonathan developed a "secret communication system" to keep David informed of events. When Saul discovers their alliance, he launches a "ruthless search" and massacres those he suspects of helping David. A key moment in the degree highlights how David, despite his own peril, "welcomed a survivor" of this massacre. This part of the ritual expands the theme of fidelity. Where the First Degree focuses on one-to-one friendship (David and Jonathan), the Second Degree expands this to a one-to-many duty of care, demonstrating David's responsibility to others who are loyal, thus laying the groundwork for the "brother's keeper" model of the Conclave.

Third Degree: Installation of Supreme Ruler

The final degree is not a universal degree for all members, but is the ceremony of installing a Conclave's new leader. It "symbolis[es] King David's role within a Conclave". The ceremony features a "special Commissioning ceremony", which is described as "unique in its kind". This Commissioning endows the new Supreme Ruler with the authority and status "to confer the Degree in any conclave". This is a crucial piece of organizational design, as it creates a universally qualified and empowered pool of ritualists. This fosters inter-visitation between Conclaves, helps standardize the ritual, and makes the "supportive network of practical friendship and care" a tangible, interconnected reality across the Order.

The Secret Monitor in the United States

The historical divergence that occurred in 1931 directly informs the different status and structure of the Order in the United States today.

In the US, the Order of the Secret Monitor is "still a part of the Allied Masonic Degrees (AMD)". It is not a standalone appendant body as it is in the UK and Commonwealth. A US Mason does not join an "OSM Conclave." Instead, they join a "Council" of the Allied Masonic Degrees, which is a body that confers several different degrees, with the Secret Monitor (also called "David and Jonathan") being one of them.

Ritually, the American AMD traditionally conferred the original, simple, single "side degree". However, in a significant move toward convergence, the US Grand Council of AMD approved the optional use of the more elaborate, three-degree English ritual in the year 2000.

This convergence is also seen in the regalia. The original American apron for the degree was "black, edged with white border," with a "hackle... in white" on the center and an "ear" on the flap. However, with the adoption of the English ritual, this distinctive apron is "no longer worn". The jewel currently worn by US members of the AMD for this degree is the English-pattern jewel.

Table 2: Jurisdictional Comparison - Order of the Secret Monitor (OSM)

Symbolism and Regalia

The regalia of the Order is known for being "relatively simple" and "inexpensive on entry", consisting primarily of breast jewels, sashes, and collarettes.

The regalia progresses with a member's rank:

• Member (1st and 2nd Degrees): Wears a Breast Jewel. There are distinct jewels for the 1st Degree and the 2nd Degree.
• Conclave Officer: Officers wear a sash over the right shoulder to the left hip.
• Supreme Ruler: The presiding officer wears a robe, a sash, and a collarette (a ribbon worn around the neck) with the jewel of his office attached.
• Past Supreme Ruler: Upon completing his term, a member exchanges his breast jewel for a collarette and jewel signifying his past rank.
• Grand Officer: Provincial and Grand Officers wear highly decorative sashes (often medici crimson or purple) and collarettes with the jewel of their high office.

The Order's primary insignia, seen on jewels and sashes, is a composite emblem that tells its core story. This emblem consists of two interlaced triangles, which form the Magen David (Shield of David) or Seal of Solomon. This directly represents King David and is also said to represent our "two-fold nature, spiritual and material". Overlaid on the triangles are three arrows and the initials "D.J." for David and Jonathan.

This central jewel is not a random collection of symbols; it is a complete pictogram of the Order's ritual. The "D.J." names the protagonists. The "interlaced triangles" represent David. The "arrows" are a direct reference to the Second Degree, as they were the object used in the "secret communication system" Jonathan devised to warn David of Saul's plans. Thus, the jewel itself is a visual summary of the legend of the Secret Monitor.

The International Presence of the Order

The Order of the Secret Monitor is considered one of the "fastest growing Masonic Orders" in the United Kingdom. Its governing Grand Conclave in London is recognized as the "mother, or Primus Inter Pares (first among equals), of all Sovereign Grand Conclaves in the world".

Following its formalization in London in 1887, the Order spread rapidly throughout the British Empire. Early warrants were issued for Malaysia (Penang), India, Burma, Jamaica, Singapore, South Africa, and Australia.

Today, the Order has a significant global footprint and is active in:

• North America: The United States (as part of the AMD) and Canada.
• Europe: The United Kingdom, France, Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Greece.
• Australasia: Australia and New Zealand.
• Asia: India, South East Asia, and Hong Kong.
• Africa: South Africa.
• Other Regions: South America, The West Indies, The Bahamas, and Papua New Guinea.

This international success as a "significant international fraternity" is facilitated by its profound philosophical accessibility. Its teachings are "embraced by Brethren from all the major religions of the world". Because its entire legend and moral framework are drawn from the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament, its lessons of friendship, loyalty, and mutual support are universally resonant for Masons of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and other faiths. This allows the Order to flourish in a wide variety of religious and cultural contexts, unbound by specific theological doctrines.

The Enduring Place of the Secret Monitor

The Order of the Secret Monitor has established its enduring and vital place within Free-Masonry by framing its philosophy as a solution to a "great and crying need in human affairs". That need is for a system of "self sacrifice... mutual trust, [and] watchful Brotherly care".

Its ultimate purpose is the "practical elucidation of the Masonic virtue of Brotherly Love". The true "secret" of the Order is not a piece of hidden, esoteric knowledge. The secret is the practice of fidelity itself: the "secret" (discreet) act of "monitoring" (watchful care).

The unique genius of the Order was its ability to take the abstract ideal of friendship, which all of Free-Masonry espouses, and institutionalize it. Through the unique office of the Visiting Deacon, the Order of the Secret Monitor transforms a passive virtue into an active, organized, and accountable duty. It provides a definitive, affirmative answer to the timeless question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" by making it a binding, personal responsibility for every member.

Article By Antony R.B. Augay P∴M∴