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Ye Antient Order of Noble Corks

Ye Antient Order of Noble Corks also known as The Cork, is an informal degree allied to Freemasonry. It is described as "fun". Distinctly nautical in form, its membership is open to Master Masons in good standing who are either a companion in the Holy Royal Arch or a Warden, Master or Past Master of a craft Lodge. The Cork or Corks is derived from the organisation's emblem of a cork with a corkscrew inserted at an angle. Membership is not onerous—the only costs on top of membership being dining fees, drinks, etc. The idea and aim being to raise money for children's charities, and with Corkies having fun in so doing.

Origins and Degree of The Cork

The origins of the degree are unknown, the ritual is satirical and based around the era of Noah and the great flood.

Candidates can be proposed and initiated on the same night. Compared with masonic meetings, dress is informal - as meetings tend to be boisterous affairs, in good spirits. The ritual and initiation part takes up the first part of the evening, followed by festivities that are “closer to a Scottish Harmony than an English Festive Board”. Hats are worn during the meeting, with head-gear style being of personal choice - the sillier, the better.

All lodge officers have naval titles, roughly equating to the Officers in a craft Lodge, with jewels of office often being borne on strings of corks. Titles vary, but the following may be considered a typical list:

Rather Worshipful Admiral
Uncommonly Worshipful Mate
Highly Worshipful Purser
Hardly Worshipful Lookout
Nearly Rather Worshipful Vice Admiral
Undoubtedly Ship's Writer

Little Less Worshipful Doctor
Barely Worshipful Cook
Mainly Worhsipful Bosun
Particularly Worthy Screw
Almost Worthy Carpenter
Particularly Worthy Shipmate

Scotland

The Cork tradition is stronger in Scotland than elsewhere. Cork Lodges come under the formal supervision of Royal Arch Masonry.

United States of America

In the US, the Cork degree forms an informal and optional part of the formal system of the Allied Masonic Degrees.

England & Wales

In England the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons holds the oldest known English Cork records, manuscripts, and regalia. Before the Second World War there are various references to English Mark Lodges working the Cork degree at dinner after their formal Mark meeting. A body known as the 'Great Board of Corks', and consisting of senior Grand Officers of the Mark Grand Lodge, controlled the Cork degree for many years, but fell into abeyance. It has more recently been revived, somewhat tentatively, with at least one surviving member of the original Great Board. However, the English situation is now complicated in that some old Cork lodges have histories originating without reference to the Great Board, and may properly be considered independent of any formal organisation.

Charity

All fees received by the Lodge must be paid, in full, to the treasurer of a charity, preferably a children's charity with no deduction being made for administrative expenses. Members are required to carry the jewel of the order, a piece of cork in a metal ring, at all times and be able to produce it on demand. Any member being unable to produce the jewel is fined, this being given to the Lodge treasurer at the next meeting for contribution to charity.

Cork Lodges

The following are some examples of Cork Lodges.

Scotland

Maeshowe Antient & Noble Cork Lodge, Kirkwall, Orkney
Angus & Mearns Cork Lodge
Eastmuir Cork Lodge & Chapter, Glasgow
Lodge Oak, Kelty, Fife
Dunearn Cork Lodge, Burntisland, Fife
St Andrews Antient Cork Lodge, Glasgow
Stirling Rock Royal Arch Cork Lodge, Chapter No 2

England

The Fleet Board of Corks, London (membership restricted to Craft Grand Officers only)
The Isis Board of Corks, Oxford
Itchen Cork Lodge, Hampshire
Nelson Cork Lodge, Beaconsfield, Bucks
Radlett Cork Lodge, Hertfordshire
Wildfire Cork Lodge, Kent