Masonic Knights Templar Membership Requirements

In the correspondence between Sir Kt. L. P. Newby as the M.E. Grand Master of Grand Encampment Knights Templar of the United States of America in 1931 and several of his peers serving around the World as Knight Templar Grand Masters and Grand Priors, Newby proceeded to mail out letters as inquiries into the Masonic requirements for attaining the rank of Masonic Knighthood in the various countries.  He wrote to the Great Priory of England & Wales regarding this matter and the response he received from the Great Vice Chancellor V E Kt Major Sir Thomas Lumley-Smith, DSO, GCT. (1879-1961) of the GP of England, was as follows:

"Under our Statutes, a candidate must be a Master Mason of twelve months standing and a Royal Arch Mason, but it is not necessary for him to be a subscribing member of either of those Orders at the time he is proposed.

The name and number of both and the Chapter to which he belongs, or did belong, must be stated on his proposal form, so that enquiries may be made that he resigned from them in good standing."

Newby pointed out in his letters that in the USA, one must be a Royal Arch Mason at the time of application and he must continue to remain in good standing afterwards in order to maintain his membership in the Knights Templar.  Sir Kt. Newby mentioned that, "There is some talk of changing the Statute, as regards to qualification to the effect that an applicant must be a Master Mason and is or has been a Royal Arch Mason." 

The Great Vice Chancellor V. E. Kt Major Sir Thomas Lumley-Smith reaffirmed that the Great Priory of the United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St. John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta in England and Wales and its Provinces Overseas, did not require that a Master Mason maintain his membership in his lodge or his Chapter after having been admitted.