AMERICAN RITE
Every Mason ought fully to understand the Rite of Masonry to which he owes
his allegiance. As Rites differ in different countries, it is especially
necessary that the Mason from the United States fully know his own system when
he travels in other countries.
The common classification of "York" and "Scottish" Rites is inaccurate and
misleading. "York" Masonry did not originate in York, England, nor did the
"Scottish Rite" begin in Scotland.
Too well known to need elaboration here, it may be mentioned for the benefit
of those new in Freemasonry that the term "York" as applied to Masonry, stems
from the "York Legend" or "Edwin Legend" of which the first trace is in a verse
in the oldest known Masonic document - the Regis Poem, other wise known as the
Halliwell manuscript. This quaint old document, to be seen in the British
Museum, is doggerel verse in old Chaucerian English, almost unreadable as to
spelling and obsolete words, but of course completely translated by scholars.
The legend (that a General Assembly of Masons took place in York, in the year
926, by order of the King) is found in several subsequent manuscripts of the
Craft. It was seized upon by early and uncritical historians who made much of
it, elaborated on it, and built high upon it. Came a more critical era and
modern historians who have so torn the old story to shreds that to many they
have left little more than myth in its place.
Whatever the truth of the tale, however, "York" came into Masonry at least as
honestly as the cherry tree came into contemporary tales of Washington. And York
Rite and Ancient York Masonry and similar combinations of words perpetuate the
old tradition to this day.
Freemasonry begins for any selected candidate in the United States in a
Symbolic Lodge, which is a part of one of forty-nine Grand Lodges-one for each
state in the Union, and the District of Columbia. (Written in 1948 when there
were 48 states)
These forty-nine Grand Lodges are the supreme Masonic authorities within
their territorial jurisdictions.
From the Symbolic -(often called Blue - Lodge), a Mason may apply for
additional Masonic light to four universally recognized Masonic systems; Royal
Arch Masonry; Cryptic Masonry; Knight Templarism; the Ancient Accepted Scottish
Rite.
To none of these may any one apply who is not a member in good standing in a
Symbolic Lodge.
In none of these may any Mason remain in good standing, who is not in good
standing in a symbolic Lodge.
Master Masons may apply directly to the Scottish Rite, and to Chapters of the
Capitular Rite (Royal Arch Masonry). Councils of the Cryptic Rite and
Commanderies of Knights Templar do not accept petitions from Master Masons who
are not also "Companions of Royal Arch Chapters".
The degrees in the Several Tires are:
I.. In the symbolic Lodge Entered Apprentice Fellow Craft Master Mason.
II. In Chapters of the Royal Arch: Mark Master Past Master Most Excellent
Master Holy Royal Arch
III. In Councils of the Cryptic Rite: Royal Master Select Master
Super-Excellent Master (is conferred in some Councils as an additional honorary
degree)
IV. In Commanderies of Knights Templar: Knight of the Red Cross Knight of the
Malta Knight Templar, or, Order of the Temple
There are two Supreme Councils of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of
Freemasonry; that of the Southern Jurisdiction, "Mother Council of the World",
which has jurisdiction in thirty-three States of the Union and the District of
Columbia; and the Northern Jurisdiction, which has jurisdiction in fifteen
States of the Union.
In the Scottish rite, the degrees from the 4th to 14th inclusive form the
Lodge of Perfection in both the Northern and the southern Jurisdictions; in the
Northern Jurisdiction the 15th and 16th degrees form the Council of Princes of
Jerusalem; the 17th and 18th degrees form the Chapter of Rose Croix; and the
degrees from the 19th to the 32nd inclusive form the Consistory.
In the Southern Jurisdiction the degrees from the 15th to 18th inclusive form
the Chapter of Rose Croix, the degrees from the 19th to the 30th form the
Council of Kadosh and the 31st and 32nd degree form the Consistory.
In the Southern Jurisdiction there is an order decoration, or honor entitled
Knight Commander of the Court of Honor, given only by the Supreme Council. From
the ranks of the holders of this honor, usually, are chosen those who are to
receive the thirty-third and last degree. The Northern Supreme Council does not
have the Knight Commander of the Court of Honor but confers its thirty-third and
last degree directly on thirty-second degree Masons of the Rite who have been
elected by the Supreme Council.
No Mason may petition for Knight commander of the Court of Honor, or for the
thirty-third degree. These are conferred only by the respective Supreme councils
and of their own will.
All symbolic Lodges are holden under the Grand Lodges of their respective
States (and the District of Columbia).
All Chapters of Royal Arch Mason are holden under the Grand Chapters of their
respective States (and the District of Columbia). Most, (not all) Grand Chapters
in turn are members of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for the
United States of America, which body, however, has "no power of discipline,
admonition, censure or instruction over the Grand Chapters, nor any legislative
powers whatever not specially granted by its Constitution" (Mackey).
Council of Royal and Select Masters are holden under Grand Councils of Royal
and Select Masters of their respective States (And the District of Columbia)
except in Virginia and West Virginia, which have no Grand Councils. Most (not
all) Grand Councils inn turn are members of the General Grand Council of Cryptic
Masonry.
All Commanderies of Knights Templar are holden under Grand Commanderies of
Knights Templar of their respective "States (And the District of Columbia). All
Grand Commanderies, in turn, form the Grand Encampment of the United States,
presided over by the Grand Master of Knights Templar.
There never has been a General Grand Lodge of the United States. Such a body
was several times proposed during the early history of Freemasonry in the United
States - first with the hope of having General George Washington as the first
General Grand Master. He declined the honor, and all subsequent attempts to form
such a body were as abortive as the first. The proposal has not been seriously
advanced since the outbreak of the War Between the States. Grand Lodges are of
one mind that such a body would be disastrous to Masonic unity and all Grand
Lodges are rightfully and wisely protective of the many advantages of
independent sovereignty.
There are many so-called "side orders" of Masonry in the United States, of
which the most popular are the Shrine - "Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the
Mystic Shrine"; the Grotto - "Mystic Order Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted
Realm". The Order of the Eastern Star is for wives, daughters, sisters and
mothers of Masons, and also for Masons.
While Masonry is required of members of the first two, and Masonic
connections are required of the ladies of the Eastern Star, these are not
Masonic orders, or a part of the American Rite; they are orders predicated upon
Masonic membership, just as are Masonic Clubs and the National League of Masonic
Clubs.
In very early days in this country travel was slow, difficult, and expensive
and Masons were comparatively few. With the increase of travel due to railroads
and steamships, Masons often sojourned for periods of time in other localities
than their homes. All lodges, of course, welcome visiting brethren, but brethren
do not like for extended periods to seek continuing hospitality. Brethren also
have in a large degree a loyalty to the Mother Lodge which often stands in the
way of their taking a dimit to join a more convenient Lodge.
These ideas resulted in the formation of Masonic Clubs, in which brethren
meet and discuss their affairs. They often engage in charitable and / or
educational activities and promote friendships, without severing the ties which
bind them to their Mother Lodges.
Shortly after the beginning of the century several clubs in New York formed
themselves into a league, and the National League of Masonic Clubs is now what
its name implies, a national organization of many Masonic Clubs the country
over.
A natural misunderstanding often arises in the mind of a newly made Mason as
to what he has heard named as "the higher degrees" of Masonry.
It is an American characteristic to admire that which is of greatest size.
Men boast of the highest building, the biggest lake, the largest town, the
richest county, the finest forest, the greatest area, satisfied that whatever
can be described by a superlative is, therefore, prima facie excellent. The
mental habit continues in uninformed Masonic thinking, so that the several
degrees in the Scottish Rite and the Chapter, Council and commandery,
necessarily coming after the Symbolic degrees, are usually thought of in terms
of being above, higher, and, therefore, greater.
It is undeniably that the thirty-third degree has a larger number as its
designation than the third degree, but it may also be argued that a line
thirty-two feet long is no "higher" than one three feet long.
The additional degrees to be sought in Freemasonry can be a most ennobling
experience. They extend the Masonic story, increase the Masonic teaching, add to
the Masonic Philosophy.
But, compare to citizenship. An American by birth is a citizen of this
country. He may also become a lawyer, be chosen as a judge, serve with
distinction, finally be nominated of the Supreme Court and confirmed by the
Senate - but the deserved honor makes him no more a citizen than he was by birth
and upbringing.
The President of the United States is the "First Citizen" but as a citizen
has no more right, power privilege or honor than his humblest neighbor.
The additional degrees and Rites of Masonry all of which form the American
Rite, can make their fortunate possessor better Masons than they might have been
without these experiences and additional teachings.
But none of them can make a good man more a Mason than he was when he was
raided to the Sublime Degree.
By a mutual and wise agreement between the four concordant orders of Masonry
in the United States, which, with the Grand Lodges of Symbolic Masonry in the
United States form the American Rite, all are recognized as primarily dependent
upon Symbolic Masonry for their existence. He who dimits from his Symbolic
Lodge, not to reaffiliate with another, thereby severs his connection with
Chapter, Council, Commandery and Consistory. He who is suspended or expelled
from Symbolic Masonry likewise stands to lose his membership in all the bodies
of Masonry, all of which demand, as a necessity for membership therein, that
members be in good standing in a symbolic Lodge.
It is to be noted that there is a distinction between dimission (voluntary
withdrawal) and expulsion (Masonic Death) and suspension, often phrased "Dropped
for non-payment of dues."
The suspended brother is still a member, although denied the instant exercise
of his rights and privileges as such. By proper procedure he may be reinstated.
As a general rule, it may be said that the brother who is suspended from his
Symbolic Lodge is also considered suspended from the concordant bodies which
demand of their members good standing in a Symbolic Lodge. But such suspension
may be subject to review. Sovereign Grand Commander Melvin M. Johnson, of the
Northern Supreme Council, Ancient Accepted Scottish rite, states;
"The Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite holds that such suspension or expulsion
by a symbolic Lodge does not become effective (in the Scottish Rite) unless such
suspension or expulsion is found to have been lawfully inflicted, upon which
question the brother in case has the right to be heard before the proper
tribunal of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite."
As every Master Mason who visits in another Jurisdiction than his won soon
discovers, the rituals of no two Grand Lodges are alike. They all tell the same
story, are founded on the same legends, have the same philosophy, teach the same
truths, but they do this with differing arrangements of sequence and of words.
Nevertheless, the ritual of Freemasonry is the basic rock on which all the
Masonic rituals of all the several bodies of Freemasonry are built, or from
which they departed on a voyage or secure for themselves a new ritual.
Symbolic Masonry is the heart and soul of all Masonry, and the wiser a Mason
becomes in any of the concordant bodies, the longer he lives and learns within
them, the more convinced is he of the primacy of that which is given the
initiate when he is raised to the sublime Degree.
It is because of these facts that there is one Freemasonry in this country,
not five; there are four recognized, desirable and admirable branches of the
universal Masonic tree, but the trunk and the roots thereof are Symbolic
Masonry, to which all Masons of whatever affiliation or degree must belong.
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