Roughly a year or so, I was having a conversation with a Past Grand Master of my Jurisdiction and he caught me saying “Scottish Rite is my favorite part of Freemasonry”. As any inspiring Past Grand Master would do, he challenged me on that statement by asking me to elaborate and explain. I gave a “good enough” answer at the time, but it is something that has stuck with me this past year.
This led me to ask myself why I felt this way. I am much more active in Blue Lodge than in Scottish Rite, after all, the primary purpose of any Blue Lodge is to make Master Masons, and few pursuits are more noble in my opinion. So why did I still feel this way?
I have been a Scottish Rite Mason since April 3rd 2016. That day I was given the Royal Secret in Guthrie Oklahoma, and it was not lost on me. I was completely enamored with the Beauty of the Degrees that I had witnessed. It was so inspiring that I have made time and put in the effort to continue this pilgrimage to Guthrie for every Spring Reunion since my own in 2016.
Approaching three years ago there was a Brother who left his “bustling metropolis” of Little Rock Arkansas to visit my “quaint and quiet” hometown of Seattle Washington. His wife and kids had plans one evening that didn't include him, so he decided to find if there were any Blue Lodges opening that evening. As fate would have it he walked right into my Lodge. We had a shared experience that we could bond over without needing to discuss the proper way to hold a Deacon/Steward rod or how many raps of the gavel it takes to change a light bulb. We were meeting upon the level because we were both given that Royal Secret, and we both had a passion for the Scottish Rite.
Not long after that encounter I found myself visiting Little Rock multiple times a year and even joining the Little Rock Valley. There, I met two other members who were likewise interested in the deeper meaning of the degrees. We bonded over the late-night discussions of the symbols, words, and translations of various Scottish Rite rituals. Together, we are now the Education committee in the Orient of Arkansas. Every third Tuesday of the Month we deep-dive the next degree with Scottish Rite Masons from across the Southern Jurisdiction who are willing to attend. In just a small bit of time, seven months, it is now a tradition I look forward to every month. Not only do I gain enlightenment through the teachings of the Scottish Rite, but I also continually build a Fraternal Bond with Brothers across our Jurisdiction. I get to learn firsthand about the boons and hardships that are happening across our nation. I can share with Brothers who wouldn’t otherwise know that most places outside of the Pacific Northwest overcook their salmon. Honestly think about it, how else would a “small-town” Seattle-ite like me find out that McClard’s BBQ is worth the detour if you happen to be in the “big city” Little Rock?
EUREKA! Think back to when you became a Master Mason. Someone inevitably told you the importance of travel as soon as you attained that Third Degree. What does it mean to gain the right to “travel in foreign countries” or to “work and receive Master’s wages”? Our “jurisdictional boundary” is something many of us don’t often contemplate. It is the Southern Jurisdiction that brings so many of us across this great nation together. We may not have the same foods, weather patterns, or tire stores, but we have all been through the 29 Degrees of the Southern Jurisdiction. It is THIS shared experience that leads us to harmonizing the rest...and that is why the Scottish Rite is my favorite part of Freemasonry. See you at the October Reunion Brothers!
This article was published in the August 2024 edition of the Voice of the Orient.
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