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The Origins of our Order
By SSKC
Clive Warham O.M. G. Scribe
The
Knights of the Golden Horn, like the Guild Companions of the Ark started life as an additional or higher Order available to
members of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes [R.A.O.B.]. The Order was
founded in 1872 and for many years operated through Minor Lodges setting
up their own Encampments, working unchallenged within the R.A.O.B.,
with its headquarters or head office in Hull. In 1880 a charter was
applied for, to form the Erimus Encampment No.1 in Middlesbrough and from
then on new Encampments were formed in Stockton – on – Tees, Darlington,
West Hartlepool, Leeds, Etc. with membership restricted to those
initiated into the R.A.O.B.
By 1888 it was the wish of the membership to admit and initiate
gentlemen independently into the Order, that is without the R.A.O.B.
membership qualification, this, of course, was refused by Hull. It was
therefore decided at a general meeting of the Northern Encampments to
sever links with Hull and the Grand United Order of the Knights of the
Golden Horn was born. The Order continued to grow and soon covered all
parts of England and even though it had severed its links with Hull, it
still remained as part of R.A.O.B.
system until 1926 when it broke away completely. It was thought by many
that the Order then just drifted off into obscurity, but this, however,
was not the case and it has now been extant for 122 years, celebrating
its Centenary in 1988.
Structure
of the Order
The
members are styled as Comrades and meet in Camps ruled by a Knight
Commander and Grand Marshall, assisted by other supporting officers.
Minor Encampments are placed into Districts, which in turn are governed
by the Grand Camp of the Order. Minor, Divisional and Grand Camps each
have their own officers who are elected annually. There is no longer any
R.A.O.B. qualification for membership, although many members are either
Buffs or Freemasons.
The
Order consists of Six degrees:
·
Companion
·
Knight
·
Knight of the Shield
·
Sir Knight Counsellor
· Senior
Sir Knight Counsellor
. Arch Knight
Counsellor
As in the R.A.O.B. and
some Masonic Orders these degrees are conferred according to length of
service and attendance. Minor Encampments can also award jewels for
attendance & meritorious service to deserving
members. Also, the Order of Merit, which is the highest honour that can
be awarded by Grand Camp, for exceptional service to the Order.
Each Camp meets either
weekly, fortnightly or monthly although ceremonial events are only
carried out when and where necessary. Great emphasis is placed on
harmony at G.U.O.K.G.H. meetings, which is quite refreshing, as this
social aspect of fraternal orders seems to be disappearing in many of
our Buffs and Masonic Lodges.
The Order At Present
At present there are
15 Encampments divided into
four Districts. Most of the Camps are
situated in the Teesside and Durham areas, although there are Camps in,
Milton Keynes, Chippenham, Sheerness &
Weston-Super-Mare,
the Wessex District,
with plans for further Camps in the future. The G.U.O.K.G.H. has not
expired as an Order, on the contrary, it is
re-emerging and expanding, and looking forward
to the next 100 years in its history.
SSKC Clive Warham O.M.
[Updates
by SSKC Robin Todd O.M.]
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