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Scottish Rite
Of
Free-Masonry
32 Masons
Are You One?
If Not ! Why Not !
Why a 32 Mason ?
You took the necessary steps to
become a Master Mason. You earned the right to become a part of the
oldest and greatest fraternal organization in the world. Now you
have an opportunity to expand upon your knowledge of Freemasonry, to
widen your circle of acquaintenances, and to serve humanity in
unique ways.
You may approach a 32 Scottish Rite
Mason to take the next step into the Scottish Rite. Or he may
approach you to suggest that you continue your Masonic journey,
which should be a never-ending path. There is always room for
improvement in our lives.
Although there is no higher degree
than that of Master Mason, the 29 degrees of the Scottish Rite serve
to enrich the philosophy of the Symbolic Lodge. A Mason who chooses
to further his Masonic experience by becoming a 32 Scottish Rite
Mason will be expanding upon the fundamental principles of
Freemasonry. The moral and ethical lessons will allow him to be
constantly reminded of his duty to God, family, country and fellow
man.
How Long Will It Take?
A Master Mason may become a 32
Scottish Rite Mason in one day, or he may take each body of degrees
separately over a period of time. Each degree requires elaborate
preparation, so not every degree is presented in full form during a
degree-conferring session. The lessons for degrees not performed are
summarized for the candidates. Every 32 Scottish Rite Mason should
strive to witness in future years as many degree presentations as
possible.
Is Memorization Required?
A candidate is not required to commit
the Scottish Rite degrees, signs, passwords, tokens or grips to
memory. No examinations are given either during the degree work nor
for admission to the meetings of other Valleys.
Following initiation, a member gains
entrance to meetings of any Scottish Rite Valley by presenting a
current dues card/ traveling card.
What is Scottish Rite Masonry?
The Scottish Rite Fabric and its Origin.
1. Starting from the original
twenty-five degrees of perfection elaborated in France by certain
Scotch royalist refugees, the Scottish Rite has been developed into
a complete system of progressive Masonic organization from the first
degree of Masonry to the thirty-third and last degree. The idea of
thirty- three degrees is said to have been suggested to correspond
with the thirty-three years of the life of the Savior. The Ancient
and Accepted Scottish Rite, in the form that it exists today, was
elaborated from the "Degrees of Perfection" or the "Ancient and
Accepted Rite," as they were called. These Degrees of Perfection
were originated by certain adherents of the House of Stuart, who in
1754 had taken asylum in the Jesuit College of Clermont in Paris.
One of these degrees was known as the Degree of Scottish Master,
which together with the facts that the originators were mostly
Scotch, is supposed to have given rise to the name of the "Scottish
Rite." These degrees in their earlier form soon found their way into
Germany, where the Masonic fraternity was under the patronage and
royal favor of Frederick the Great, who had put himself at the head
of the Order in the country. Under the direction of that illustrious
monarch, the first constitution and system of government of the Rite
was promulgated. This constitution was greatly revised and enlarged
in 1786 under the same auspices, and has ever since been considered
the Charta of the Order. About this time, and certainly not much
later, the remaining eight of the degrees which comprise the
complete system of the Scottish Rite, were added. While the Order
originated in France, it was shaped into a system of historical and
philosophical degrees, and also given its form of government, in
Germany. The influence of the latter country is seen in the adoption
of the Prussion double-eagle and the Teutonic cross as the two most
important symbols of the Order.
2. The first three degrees of
the Scottish Rite, like all legitimate Masonic fabrics, consist of
the universal symbolic degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft,
and Master Mason. Originally, and still in some countries, notably
in France, the Scottish Rite maintains jurisdiction over the
symbolic degrees. But this is not so in America. While theoretically
the Scottish Rite has authority to confer the first three degrees,
yet it has become the invariable and well founded custom to do no
such thing. The very wise practice of foregoing its right in this
respect and leaving the first three degrees entirely to the regular
symbolic Grand Lodges, is to avoid confusion in Masonic government
and conflict in authority; also to maintain harmonious and working
relations with the symbolic lodges. Therefore, everywhere in
America, the Rite began with the administration of the fourth
degree, and receives into that degree only those who are in good
standing in regular symbolic lodges of our affiliation.
3. In the minds of those who
do not understand the nature and history of the development of
higher degrees in Masonry, there is a confusion as to the order in
which such degrees should be taken. It is therefore wise to state
clearly and positively that there is no reason, historically or
otherwise, why a Master Mason should not take either series of the
higher degrees in any order he pleases. The two Rites are distinct
and separate, although in harmonious accord. Certain Scottish Rite
jurisdictions have undertaken to require their members to take the
Capitular and Templar degrees before taking any of the Scottish Rite
degrees; but there is no warrant for this either historically or
legally, and the requirement is unsound and indefensible.
Source
A.B.C.'s of Scottish Rite Masonry
Prepared by George W. Crawford, 33
Ill. Grand Minister of State |
