Ye Antient Order of Noble Corks, also known as The Cork, is an informal degree allied to Freemasonry. It is described as “fun” and is distinctly nautical in form. The Cork or Corks is derived from the organization’s emblem of a cork with a corkscrew inserted at an angle. Membership is not onerous—the only additional costs are dining fees, drinks, etc. The idea and aim are to raise money for children’s charities, and with Corkies having fun in so doing.
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 Cork tradition is stronger in Scotland than elsewhere, and there the Cork Lodges come under the supervision of Royal Arch Masonry. In the US, it forms an informal part of the Allied Masonic Degrees.