|
I
would like to introduce you to a very
special organization! One that I know
every Master Mason would enjoy being a part
of!....That is the Scottish Rite!
The
Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of
Freemasonry traces its origins to early 18th
century France. The term
“Scottish” is believed to come from
those Scottish Masons who fled to France
during and following the Jacobite Rebellion.
Many of the earliest degrees in the Rite
were believed to have come from Scotland.
Like
all good things, it left France and came to
America were it was perfected and grew to
its current form in Charleston, South
Carolina in 1801.
The
Scottish Rite is often referred to as the
University of Freemasonry. The twenty-nine
degrees of this Rite amplify those of the
Blue Lodge by offering a broader and deeper
geographic, historical, philosophical and
spiritual connotation drawn from the
greatest teachings of antiquity.
The
Scottish Rite in the U.S. is divided into
two jurisdictions. The Supreme Council of
the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite for
the Southern Masonic Jurisdiction is located
in Washington, D.C., at the House of the
Temple, one of the most impressive Masonic
structures in the world. It is sovereign
over all Scottish Rites in the 35 states
south of the Ohio and west of the
Mississippi Rivers. The other 15 states are
part of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction
headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Each
state is referred to as an Orient.
Individual Scottish Rites, known as Valleys,
are located in cities across the state. The
first three degrees of the Scottish Rite are
conferred in the Symbolic, or Blue Lodge.
The other degrees are organized into three
bodies consisting of the Lodge of
Perfection, Chapter of Rose Croix, Council
of Kadosh, and the Consistory. The
Lodge of Perfection includes degrees 4 - 14;
the Chapter of Rose Croix includes degrees
15 - 18; the Council of Kadosh includes
degrees 19 - 30; while the Consistory
includes degrees 31 - 32. The 33rd
Degree is reserved for those who have been
recognized for outstanding service to
Freemasonry and their community.
If
you are a Master Mason in good standing and
would like to further your Masonic
education, you may contact consistory@cableone.net
or more information. Petitions for
membership are available here.
|
