About us...                                                         

Welcome to the Grand Council website, we hope that what you see is both enjoyable and informative. If you have any comments that may usefully help us to improve the content, then we would be pleased to hear from you.

 The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes was believed to have been founded at a time during the sixteenth century when societies were frowned upon, indeed you could have lost your head. It is said that Queen Elizabeth the 1st, being satisfied that we were not a threat to either the monarchy or society in general, presented us with a Banner, which enabled us to meet without fear or favour, and to this day when ever a Lodge meets, politics and religion may not be discussed. 

The Formation of Grand Council

In the early part of the nineteenth century a collective of Banners came together and met under the name of the 'Grand Surrey Council', for the purpose of working together and therefore being able to offer more to it's members, for example an Orphanage,  Convalescent Homes and other benefits.  The Grand Council was formed in 1923/4 from Banner Members of the Grand Surrey Council, incorporating the Grand Surrey Banner (Mother Banner), Grand Surrey Banner (Mother Lodge), Grand Midland Counties Banner, Royal Wiltshire Banner, Grand Sussex Banner, Grand Phoenix Banner, Grand Lodge of Canada, Grand Council of Africa, New Zealand, Belgium, Western Australia and Queensland.