You may be invited to join some of the other orders in Freemasonry, but the Royal Arch is the first one you should join because your Craft Masonry is not complete until you become a Royal Arch Mason.

You should join the Royal Arch as soon as you feel comfortable in the Craft.

You can become a Principal in the Royal Arch without first being a master of a Craft Lodge.

It is possible to be a master of a Lodge and principal in the Royal Arch at the same time.

You will sometimes hear Masons say that they will wait until they have been Master of their Craft Lodge before they join Royal Arch. It is never too late to become a Royal Arch Mason, but to become Master before completing the Third Degree is not the best way to enjoy Freemasonry.

In the Address to the Brethren at a Craft Installation we are told that we should have but one aim in view, "to unite in the grand design of being happy and communicating happiness". Freemasonry is something you should enjoy - its ceremonies, its symbolism, its teachings, its fellowship. But it must be fitted into the general design of your life, and enjoyed without detriment to the other claims on your time - by your family, your business or other activities. If you play your part in Freemasonry it will reward you with friendship, interest and happiness - if you are not happy about Masonry you should not extend your involvement until you are willing to make an additional commitment.

It is important to extend your knowledge of Masonry so that you can experience the benefit of those teachings, but that, in itself, is not enough. You need to have the will to extend your fellowship within Freemasonry and you must be sure that it will not conflict in any way, with your family or work commitments.

If a thing is worth doing, and joining the Royal Arch is worth doing, it is worth doing sooner rather than later.