# York or Scottish Rite



## Virgin Islands Brother (Oct 26, 2012)

In terms of Masonic education, which path have you chosen and why? I have  a number of brothers who travel either path. Although I am partial to the York Rite, I wonder what experiences motivate others to pursue the appendant bodies with such diligence. We are informed that the blue degrees are the important degree and the Holy Royal Arch the completion. If the three degrees of the craft are the only ones necessary, then what is the motivation behind  the additional roads traveled? 

U am not in a rush, just wondering how others handled this process of decision making.


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## widows son (Oct 26, 2012)

I wholly agree the RAD( royal arch degree) completes the MM degree. the AASR expands on the degrees in craft lodge. Both are great bodies. I am going thru the York rite in the new year and will also join the AASR. YouTube Henry  Clausen he was the supreme commander of the AASR southern,  he has a great explanation of the AASR. I'm still searching for a similar video for the YR


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## relapse98 (Oct 26, 2012)

At this point, I've decided to do neither. I'm just too busy as Senior Steward in my blue lodge, plus my scouting hobbies, that I just don't have the time to invest in anything else. Take this week for example. Tuesday we had Golden Trowel and we served a dinner with that, Wednesday practice for an upcoming Master's degree and last night we traveled to a neighboring lodge to initiate one of ours and one of theirs and also served dinner. My wife and children are not fond of weeks like that.

I figure once my kids are gone and I've done my time in the east, maybe I can look at an appendant body, but for now blue lodge is just fine.


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## dreamer (Oct 26, 2012)

Virgin Islands Brother said:


> In terms of Masonic education, which path have you chosen and why? I have  a number of brothers who travel either path. Although I am partial to the York Rite, I wonder what experiences motivate others to pursue the appendant bodies with such diligence. We are informed that the blue degrees are the important degree and the Holy Royal Arch the completion. If the three degrees of the craft are the only ones necessary, then what is the motivation behind  the additional roads traveled?
> 
> U am not in a rush, just wondering how others handled this process of decision making.



Joined the SR, but I understand it it the YR is where the MM degree is completed. I am also told that it is the YR that makes more sense in America and not the SR. So, I must say take your time and keep asking questions and don't be in a rush.


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## Virgin Islands Brother (Oct 26, 2012)

Thanks for that guidance. I am really trying to understand the three degrees, not just memorize the work. Every so often, I get a gentle nudge to advance further. In my mind, I can't see how I can be of any use, or actually learn, when I'm already inundated with information. So, the key seems to be patience.


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## widows son (Oct 26, 2012)

Patience and perseverance my friend, don't kick yourself when you down. It can be a lot to take in, but try and clear your mind and take it one step at a time. I was bombarded, but I found that simple contemplation on the things taught in the degrees on my own time just casually, I found I understood them much better. Sometimes simplicity is key


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## BroBill (Oct 26, 2012)

Your three Craft degrees will make more sense after your Chapter degrees. The Chapter & Council degrees finish "the story". But as others have said, do it when you're ready.

I recommend participating in the Blue Lodge degrees a few times and pay close attention to the lectures to "prepare" for the Chapter & Council. Its not required, but the more familiar you are with "the story", the more your Chapter & Council degrees will mean to you.

Good luck with your decision and your journey!

S&F
BroBill


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## widows son (Oct 26, 2012)

Bro bill I wholly agree with you, but what are your thoughts on the AASR version of the story?


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## timgould (Oct 29, 2012)

In the beginning I was contant to stay with the Blue Lodge. But when I found out the Knights Templar were on the York Rite side; I opted to go that route. I am an ordained minister, so a purely Christian side of Masonry was very appealing. At first, I misunderstood the Scottish Rite, thinking it was part fo the Shriner. But it is not. I must admit I do not know much about the SR side, other than the famous 32 and 33 degrees one hears so much about. At this point, I am so involved with Chapter, Council and Commandry, I just don't have time right now to join another and BE ACTIVE. Save my wife leaving me. ha ha


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## widows son (Oct 29, 2012)

I too am going to take the York rite, but I will also be taking the scottish rite as well. There seems to be an equal amount of mystique to the AASR that has me curious.


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## Virgin Islands Brother (Oct 30, 2012)

It's interesting how informative this forum is. I initially felt that RA was the last stop. However, after the findings, posted on this site, about the Templars vindication, I can see, years from now, that I will be a willing participant. However, I'm confident, once again because of this site, that the blue lodge and RA will be fully absorbed before I continue on the York Rite journey.


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## widows son (Oct 30, 2012)

What do u mean by absorbed? Like all the blue degrees and York degrees will be conferred in the same body?


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## Virgin Islands Brother (Oct 30, 2012)

Absorbed in my brain. Sorry about that.


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## widows son (Oct 30, 2012)

Lol no worries. I too am going to go through the York rite in the next month or two. I believe it be the completion of the master mason degree and constitutes pure ancient masonry. The AASR through intrigues me and i will petition my closest valley when I'm done the York rite


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## Virgin Islands Brother (Oct 30, 2012)

I would love to know how you feel about the experience when you arrive.


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## BroBill (Oct 30, 2012)

widows son said:


> Bro bill I wholly agree with you, but what are your thoughts on the AASR version of the story?



I took the Scottish Rite before I completed my York degrees.  I was somewhat confused by the different esoteric style, but I thought the presentation I saw was excellent and the degree teams were superb.  I liked the degrees, but I found the difference between the York and Scottish "styles" confusing.  

I think this is the main thing- when I continued my York path through Chapter and Council, I knew I was continuing a story and it began making sense immediately, with the Mark Degree.  When I did the Scottish Rite Reunion, I had to learn the whole story over again in a different esoteric style and trying to match a York style EA, FC, and MM to a Scottish 4th - 32nd.  I've never seen the pure, Scottish Rite 1-3 degrees, but I'm betting the story would have been easier to follow just as I found in the York Rite when I progress from MM to Mark. 

I like the Scottish Rite, but my passion lies in the York Rite and in "the story". 

BroBill


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## Virgin Islands Brother (Oct 30, 2012)

Thanks BroBill.


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## BroBill (Oct 30, 2012)

widows son said:


> Lol no worries. I too am going to go through the York rite in the next month or two. I believe it be the completion of the master mason



I think you'll find the Royal Arch Mason Degree is the completion to the Master Mason Degree and I would go further based on my experiences and on my reading and studies- the Mark Master Degree "completes" the Fellowcraft degree (at an early stage in history in England,  they were one degree).  When you add in the Council degrees, the totality of the Chapter & Council complete "the story". 

These "mash ups" (I think is the current lingo) are why I recommend to Master Masons to participate in the EA, FC, and MM degrees a few times and pay close attention to the lectures in preparation for their Chapter degrees, especially if it's been over a year since finishing their MM work.


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## widows son (Oct 30, 2012)

Bro. Bill you a wise one, I pretty much concur with you, and youve cleared up a bit of confusion with your AASR experience. Thank you


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## Pscyclepath (Oct 30, 2012)

I've now done both...  and they each have their own flavor and charms.  I went through the York Rite, chapter, council, and commandery first, and found that having done so, I understood a lot more of the things that went whizzing by during the Scottish Rite degrees.   YR degrees are typically done in a lodge setting with just you or two other companions in some cases, so you have more participation and more "buy in" in the process.  The Scottish Rite degrees are almost universally "communicated," e.g. you sit down and watch somebody else go through the motions.  If you are principally a visual or aural learner, then this may work well for you; if you are more of a kinesthetic learner (e.g., learn by doing) you may have a harder time with the "festival" format degrees.

There is a tremendous amount of information to absorb in a short time, especially in the SR reunions.  The Reunion basically gives you a familiarization with the content of the degrees; we actually walked out of the reunion with a black cap and an armload of books to start studying to fill in the holes in between the exemplified degrees ;-)   And even in the exemplified degrees, it's a tough job to catch it as it goes by.

My preference, other than the blue lodge, is for the Chapter and maybe the Commandery, once I get my feet setled there a little bit.  But one thing that really impressed me with the Scottish Rite was how it all wrapped up at the end of the 32nd degree, with a strong lesson that took me all the way back to the second section of the Master'...  and suddenly all the little light bulbs started to glow  ;-)  The SR really is a set of capstone degrees, which give you a working system to seek and evaluate the light on your own.  Even without going through all the books yet, the SR reunion gave me a lot that I could immediately take back home and to my lodge, and start putting into action.

The path I chose, York Rite first, then Scottish Rite, has worked for me.  The folks in my class who were coming over from the York Rite noted that it was a lot easier for them to follow the stuff they were getting in the SR.  

So, was it worth it?  I think so.  I was sort of suspicious about the SR due to all the Albert Pike stuff, but after the first couple of degrees, things started to gel, and you could see how the two stories linked from different perspectives.  York Rite is very practical for the most part, and rooted in the Scriptures, where the Scottish Rite is very philosophical, and takes a broader, multi-cultural approach, due to Pike's varying interests.

I also had the privilege of taking my degrees with the Valley of Little Rock, in the Albert Pike Memorial Temple, with all the old original props and costumes.  All that was awe-inspiring in itself...  and cap off the final afternoon with a little stroll down the street from the Temple (7th & Scott streets) to Albert Pike's original home 4 blocks away at 7th & Rock.   If you ever get a chance to come to LR, you need to check out the Temple!


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## widows son (Oct 30, 2012)

Thanks for the light brother!


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## Virgin Islands Brother (Oct 31, 2012)

Awesome brother. Thanks for the insight.


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## jwhoff (Oct 31, 2012)

I am an ardent SR mason.  However, I have considered of late joining the first group of the York Rite to obtain the Mark Mason Degree.  Somewhere over the years I read that the operatives claimed Anderson hadn't been a mason long enough to realize that the Mark Mason degree completed the Master Mason's work.  Of course, I've read all kind of things and only pick up a few words of understanding here and there.:blush:


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## widows son (Oct 31, 2012)

The mark master completes the fellow craft degree and the royal arch completes the master masons degree. From what I understand the operatives only had 2 degrees


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## CajunTinMan (Oct 31, 2012)

I went YR and really enjoy it.  It's my understanding that in Europe that you are not coonsidered a MM there until you have the Mark Mason degree.


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## THurse (Nov 1, 2012)

This is a very interesting topic. I myself am also busy in other pursuits of life, but I try my hardest to make time to accomplish all.


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## widows son (Nov 1, 2012)

They do things different in Europe. In France politics are discussed and the GM of the Grand Orient meets with ministers in government


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## BroBill (Nov 1, 2012)

CajunTinMan said:


> I went YR and really enjoy it.  It's my understanding that in Europe that you are not coonsidered a MM there until you have the Mark Mason degree.



There is actually a Mark Mason Grand Lodge and the way it was constituted was with a Mark Mason and then Mark Masters. I think it has changed somewhat over the years, but I know the Mark Masons Grand Lodge still exists in England as a seperate body.

I recently found a picture from the Mark Masons Grand Lodge at their 150th Anniversary.  It was posted on our FB page. 

BroBill


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## widows son (Nov 1, 2012)

Ya I've heard of that too. Pretty cool


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## MarkR (Nov 3, 2012)

widows son said:


> They do things different in Europe. In France politics are discussed and the GM of the Grand Orient meets with ministers in government


The Grand Orient also doesn't have a VSL on the altar and allows women members.  They are not recognized by any mainstream Grand Lodge.  The GLNF (Grande Loge Nationale Francais) has also had recognition pulled by many mainstream Grand Lodges for politics and other irregularities.  The third Grand Lodge in France, the Grande Loge du France, may start picking up recognition.  Right now, many mainstream Grand Lodges, including UGLE, are not in fraternal relations with any French Masonic body.


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## widows son (Nov 3, 2012)

Yes I've heard this. They do not practice pure ancient freemasonry


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## CajunTinMan (Nov 3, 2012)

I have read some articles on Masonry in France. The people are fearful of the political power of French Masons.


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## widows son (Nov 3, 2012)

Really eh. So let me ask you something.  Why do you think we don't allow women in the lodge?


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## CajunTinMan (Nov 3, 2012)

It's one of the last vestiges of a men's club around. After they did away with the he-man womens haters club what was left?


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## widows son (Nov 3, 2012)

Lol. I never really got why though, I know they're allowed in irregular and clandestine lodges, but we see them as irregular, but would it make a difference if they were allowed in our lodges?


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## MarkR (Nov 4, 2012)

widows son said:


> Lol. I never really got why though, I know they're allowed in irregular and clandestine lodges, but we see them as irregular, but would it make a difference if they were allowed in our lodges?


There's a whole thread on this question. http://www.masonsoftexas.com/showthread.php?67-Women-Freemasons


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## widows son (Nov 5, 2012)

I've read the whole thread. But my question still isn't answered. All of these points are other brothers opinions, but I still look for a definitive answer. I've googled to no end.


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