 The Rite's name is derived from the city of York, where, according to one Masonic legend, the first meetings of Masons in England took place.The York Rite is one of the appendant bodies of Freemasonry that a Master Mason may join to further his knowledge of Freemasonry.But the York Rite is not found as a single system worldwide, and outside of the United States there are often significant differences in ritual, as well as organization.