Provincial Grand Master

Part of a series on
Freemasonry
Core articles Freemasonry Grand Lodge Masonic Lodge Masonic Lodge Officers Grand Master Prince Hall Freemasonry Regular Masonic jurisdictions Continental Freemasonry
History History of Freemasonry Liberté chérie Masonic manuscripts
Masonic bodies Masonic Masonic bodies York Rite Order of Mark Master Masons Holy Royal Arch Royal Arch Masonry Cryptic Masonry Knights Templar Red Cross of Constantine Scottish Rite Knight Kadosh Societas Rosicruciana Order of Royal and Select Masters Grand College of Rites Swedish Rite Order of St. Thomas of Acon Royal Order of Scotland Order of Knight Masons Research Lodge Corks Side degrees The Shrine Royal Order of Jesters Tall Cedars of Lebanon The Grotto Masonic groups for women Women and Freemasonry Order of the Amaranth Order of the Eastern Star Co-Freemasonry Masonic youth organizations DeMolay A.J.E.F. Job's Daughters International Order of the Rainbow for Girls
Views of Masonry Anti-Masonry Anti-Masonic Party Anti-Freemason Exhibition Opposition to Freemasonry within Christianity Suppression of Freemasonry Masonic conspiracy theories Papal ban of Freemasonry Taxil hoax
People and places Masonic Temple James Anderson Prince Hall William Preston Thomas Smith Webb Albert Mackey Albert Pike John the Evangelist John the Baptist William Schaw Elizabeth Aldworth List of Freemasons Lodge Mother Kilwinning Freemasons' Hall, London Mark Masons' Hall, London House of the Temple Solomon's Temple Detroit Masonic Temple List of Masonic buildings
Other related articles Masonic ritual and symbolism Great Architect of the Universe Square and Compasses Pigpen cipher Eye of Providence Hiram Abiff Sprig of Acacia Masonic Landmarks Pike's Morals and Dogma Propaganda Due Dermott's Ahiman Rezon
By country Barbados Belgium Canada Denmark France Germany Indonesia Italy Lebanon Luxembourg Malta Mexico Portugal Romania Russia Scotland Spain Sri Lanka Sweden Philippines Turkey Ukraine Venezuela

Provincial Grand Master (abbreviated PGM or PrGM), sometimes called District Grand Master or Metropolitan Grand Master, is an office held by the senior Freemason in the middle management layer of masonic administration, between the national and the local levels. Similar terms are also used in some other fraternal organisations.

Freemasonry

History of the Office

Freemasonry's first Grand Lodge was formed in London in 1717 by four private Lodges meeting in that city; all of the first private lodges warranted by it were within easy communicating distance of London. As lodges became more distant an intermediate level of administration became necessary. The very first Provincial Grand Master was appointed for Cheshire in 1725. There are currently 47 Masonic Provinces in England and Wales under the original 1717 Grand Lodge, now known as the United Grand Lodge of England.

Worldwide use

This intermediate level of administration is not restricted to England & Wales. There are Provinces (with Provincial Grand Masters) under the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the National Grand Lodge of France, and the Grand Lodge of Scotland, for example. However, not all Masonic jurisdictions have Provinces or Provincial Grand Masters.

Alternative titles

Under the United Grand Lodge of England, three terms now exist for this intermediate level of administration. In the counties of England and Wales there are Provinces, each headed by a Provincial Grand Master. In overseas territories controlled (masonically) from London (mostly in the states of the former British Empire) the equivalent unit is called a District, headed by a District Grand Master. Since 2002 the facility has also existed to create an equivalent layer of administration and management in any urban conglomeration, to be known as a Metropolitan Area, and headed by a Metropolitan Grand Master. The only such Metropolitan Area so far created is that of London, although potentially a similar Metropolitan Area could be created in any large English or Welsh urban zone, such as Birmingham or Manchester. Similarly, the Grand Lodge of Ireland has a Metropolitan Area of Dublin, and the Grand Lodge of Scotland has Provinces at home, but Districts overseas. All Provincial Grand Masters, District Grand Masters, and Metropolitan Grand Masters hold a patent of appointment from their nation's Grand Master, by which he delegates to them the authority to govern his private lodges within their respective Province, District, or Metropolitan Area.

Women Freemasons

Generally speaking, Orders of women Freemasons use identical rituals, titles, and regalia to their male counterparts. Thus the foregoing applies (with local variation) to female masonic Grand Lodges worldwide.

Non-masonic bodies

The same offices are also found historically within the Orange Order, a Protestant organization which has close similarities to Freemasonry in terms of regalia and symbolism, both in Northern Ireland where it began, and overseas.

A later organization, which in part mimics the hierarchical structure of the Masons, is the Oddfellows. In the Manchester Unity (a leading branch of the organisation) a Provincial Grand Master holds an office between local Lodge and National level.

Other fraternal organizations such as the Buffaloes, while retaining the Central Committee/Intermediate Strat/Lodge structure, use equivalent terms such as Provincial Grand Primo.

See also

• Grand Master (Masonic)