About the Knights of the York Cross of Honour
The Order of Knights of the York Cross of Honour is conferred only upon those York Rite Masons who are recommended and have presided as the Master of a Symbolic Blue Lodge, the High Priest of a Royal Arch Chapter, the Master of a Cryptic Council, and the Commander or Preceptor of a Knight Templar Commandery or Preceptory. It cannot be awarded posthumously or honorary. The recipient may use the post nominal KYCH after their name or signature.
A Knight of the York Cross of Honour who has served as the Grand Presiding Officer of one of the qualifying bodies is invested with the rank and dignity of a Knight of the York Grand Cross of Honour, with the a quadrant of the appropriate color added to his jewel, and may use the post nominal KYGCH after his name or signature. For each additional Grand Body he presides over, an additional quadrant is added. The quadrants are in symbolic colors for each body, blue for Craft Masonry, red for Capitular Masonry, Purple for Cryptic Masonry, and white for Chivalric Masonry. For those few exceptional individuals who are holders of all four quadrants, the informal nickname of “”four-star general”” is sometimes used in references toward the honoree.