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The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite is a Masonic Order. The Scottish Rite is one of the two main branches of Freemasonry in the United States which a Master Mason may decide to join for further exposure to Masonic knowledge. The other main branch is the York Rite.
The Scottish Rite claims to enlarge upon the ethical teachings and philosophy of Blue Lodge Masonry through dramatic presentation. To this end, the Rite confers thirty degrees, from the fourth through the thirty-third.
Notable members of this order include Albert Pike, Buzz Aldrin, Bob Dole, John Wayne, and Michael Richards.
The core of the Scottish Rite is a series of 29 degrees, numbered from 4 to 32, which expand upon the morals, teachings, and philosophy of the first three degrees. These are not degrees of rank, but rather degrees of instruction.
The 33rd degree is an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding service. It is conferred on brethren who have made major contributions to society or to Masonry in general.
The titles of the degrees are as follows:
According to the various Scottish Rite jurisdictions in the world, all of which operate independently, the 32 degrees are worked at will by their governing bodies. For example, some jurisdictions, like the Northern Jurisdiction of the United States separate the degrees as follows:
In other jurisdictions, like the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States:
The Supreme Council is the governing body of the Scottish Rite. Members of the Supreme council are chosen from among those members who have obtained the 33rd degree. Most countries have only one Supreme Council, but in the United States, as we have seen, two jurisdictions have evolved. The original body, now called the Southern Jurisdiction, ceded control of Scottish Rite activities in fifteen northern states, forming the Northern Jurisdiction.
In Paris in the year 1758 The "Grand Council of Emperors of the East and West" organized a " Rite of Perfection ," consisting of 25 degrees, the highest being the "Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret." Many British expatriates, who were JacobitesThis article is not about the Jacobite Orthodox Church, nor is it about Jacobinism. While military campaigns are covered in outline, for details see Jacobite Rising. Jacobitism was the political movement dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to and living in FranceThe French Republic or France ( French: Republique francaise or France is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. at the time, took an active part in creating the rite and saw in its symbolism their political aspirations of a return of the Stuart kings to the thrones of EnglandEngland is the largest, the most populous, and the most densely populated of the four " Home Nations" which make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). Occupying the south-eastern portion of the island of Great Britain, England and ScotlandScotland or in Scottish Gaelic, Alba is a country and former independent kingdom of northwest Europe, and one of the four nations comprising the United Kingdom. Scotland occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Scotland took part in a p. Because of its CatholicGeneral meaning Catholic means universal or whole''. With respect to the Christian Church, the early Christians used the term to refer to the whole undivided church. It is in that sense that all Christians today claim ownership of the term, including Prot sympathies, it has been suggested that the Jesuits at the college of Clermont also had a hand in the formation of the Rite.
In 1761, this council granted a patent to Etienne Morin, permitting him to promulgate the Rite in the New World. Morin subsequently spread the Rite to the West Indies and North America from the city of St. Domingo in the Dominican RepublicRepublica Dominicana ( In Detail) National motto: Dios, patria, libertad (God, Country, Liberty Official language Spanish Capital Santo Domingo President Leonel Fernandez Area Total % water Ranked 138th 48,730 kmē 1,6% Population Total ( 2002) Density Ran. In 1783 Isaac De Costa, one of the deputies commissioned to establish the Rite in other countries, formed Scottish Rite bodies in South CarolinaSouth Carolina ( In Detail) (Full size) State nickname: Palmetto State Other U. States Capital Columbia Largest City Columbia Governor Mark Sanford Area Total Land Water % water Ranked 40th 82,965 kmē 78,051 kmē 4,915 kmē 6% Population Total ( 2000) Densi, which eventually became the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.
Up to that time only the twenty-five degrees of the Rite of Perfection were worked, but with the formation of the Supreme Council in continental America 8 more degrees, the so-called Continental High Degrees, were added to make the 33 degrees of the modern Scottish Rite.