THE ROSICRUCIAN FRATERNITY.

Secret Societies have existed from the most early times, each having its own peculiar modus operandi method of operating for contact with the world.

There have been Secret Political Societies, Religious, Civil, Mystical and Occult, but not all of them have worked for the betterment of mankind.

The Rosicrucian Fraternity is a Secret Society in so far as it guards its Secrets from the profane the uninitiated or those who lack reverence for the teachings, but for any sincere student who desires to understand the cause of his existence: the problems of life and death, Re-incarnation, the unfoldment and mystery of the mysterious powers latent in all human beings, then the door of the Outer Court is open to him in the first place and in the second: the Great Fraternity.

The Rosicrucian Order, Crotona Fellowship, with its Outer Court, is the preliminary to the Ordo et Ecclesia Sanctissimus Rosae Crucis Most Holy Order and Church of the Rosy Cross, which may be considered the Fraternity, or Elder Brethren.

The Fraternity has its descent from the Antient Rosicrucian Adepts of 1347, of whom Count von Falkenstein (Bishop of Trèves modern day Trier, Germany) was the Imperator supreme leader or commander.

The Fraternity became established in England during the time of Queen Elizabeth, when Francis Bacon and Dr. Robert Fludd received the succession from Dr. Count Michael Maier (of Continental fame) who, in his turn, received the succession from the earlier Adepts.

Many of the Fraternity's records were preserved in another Order which was not Rosicrucian, but its servant, as it were.

Such records were preserved and have been passed down through the centuries; thus were they protected from the profane and archived in the most unlikely places to the uninitiated.

The Rosicrucian Order (Crotona Fellowship), abbreviated to R.O.C.F., as such has been in existence at least one hundred years. One family which has a descendant in the Order today has been represented in the Fraternity for that period.

It is only of late years that the Order has been advertised, for students were chosen only from people highly recommended by accredited members.

Now the Outer Court exists, into which students may pass and become acquainted with preliminary studies so that they may qualify for entrance into the Order.