# Scottish or York Rite? Why?



## TonyT2020 (Apr 14, 2020)

Greetings Brothers.

I have some brothers that have approached me about both the Scottish and York Rites. I am interested in one over the other but want some perspectives.

If you are Scottish Rite, what made you choose it over York?
If you are York Rite, what made  you choose it over Scottish?
If you are both, which do you feel helps you discover more light?


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## Brother JC (Apr 14, 2020)

I went with "York" specifically to register my Mark and become a Companion of the Holy Royal Arch. While I did pursue the rest of the Degrees and Orders at the beginning I have demitted from Council and Commandery since.
Due to circumstances within my Mother Jurisdiction AASR never held an appeal.


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## Keith C (Apr 16, 2020)

I am involved in both Rites, in Chapter of Holy Royal Arch Masonry I am currently Scribe in my Chapter.   I will say the Mark Master Mason, Most Excellent Master Mason and Holy Royal Arch Degrees were some of the best experiences I have had in Masonry.  The Degrees in Chapter are somewhat similar to the Master Mason Degree in form as in Candidates participate in the degree and it is physically "conferred."

I am also involved in AASR - NMJ through the Valley of Allentown, PA.  I also enjoy Scottish Rite Freemasonry, but it is a totally different experience. The Degrees are pretty much watching plays being performed.  In our Valley the degrees are extremely well done and rival the production quality of professional plays.  For our reunion last Autumn I had the pleasure to have a speaking role in the 12th Degree and non speaking roles in several other Degrees.  There are a lot of way to be involved in the reunions from Marshaling Candidates, wardrobe, make-up, stage hand, set crew, choir, lighting, sound mixing, etc. For me the Degrees aren't as immediately impactful as the Holy Royal Arch Degrees but there is a lot to be learned in the interactions behind the scenes.  Seeing the Degrees more than once helps to process the lessons contained, and participating, going through the rehearsals really sets the message.

I hope this helps.  I enjoy both but be careful not to over extend yourself.


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## YHWH (Apr 16, 2020)

AASR absorbs and summarizes several initiatory traditions: you can find R + C, the Royal Arch, the knightly Degrees etc., but strangely excludes the Mark


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## Keith C (Apr 17, 2020)

YHWH said:


> AASR absorbs and summarizes several initiatory traditions: you can find R + C, the Royal Arch, the knightly Degrees etc., but strangely excludes the Mark



I really don't find it strange as the Mark Degree, in my opinion, belongs between the FC and MM Degree and the Mark Lodge works pretty much identically to a Blue Lodge.


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## Mike Martin (Apr 17, 2020)

I shouldn't really comment as we don't have either in England but just to highlight that the American York Rite doesn't actually originate in a Grand Lodge of York in AD926.


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## Brother JC (Apr 17, 2020)

Mike Martin said:


> I shouldn't really comment as we don't have either in England but just to highlight that the American York Rite doesn't actually originate in a Grand Lodge of York in AD926.



It’s the Great American Amalgamation!
I would love it if Mark and Chapter were separate entities as they are on your side of the pond, Mike.


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## KSigMason (Apr 18, 2020)

I am in both, but I prefer the York Rite. I think how the Scottish Rite races you through a few degrees kind of disappointed me. I also think that the close relationship between Chapter and Council to the Blue Lodge appealed to me. Plus, who doesn't want to be a Knight Templar?


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## J.R. Massey (Apr 19, 2020)

Brother JC said:


> It’s the Great American Amalgamation!
> I would love it if Mark and Chapter were separate entities as they are on your side of the pond, Mike.


I'm on Mike's side of the pond too, but under the Irish Constitution and our Mark and Chapter aren't separate. You need your Mark Master Mason Degree to join the Chapter.


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## Brother JC (Apr 20, 2020)

J.R. Massey said:


> I'm on Mike's side of the pond too, but under the Irish Constitution and our Mark and Chapter aren't separate. You need your Mark Master Mason Degree to join the Chapter.



Interesting, thank you for the additional info!


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## JanneProeliator (Apr 21, 2020)

J.R. Massey said:


> I'm on Mike's side of the pond too, but under the Irish Constitution and our Mark and Chapter aren't separate. You need your Mark Master Mason Degree to join the Chapter.



Same here in Finfland. You need to be MMM to join the Chapter.
I have always taught that it is the same in England too. I believe someone can elaborate on this.

Bro Massey. You do have different organisations for Mark and Chapter thou right?


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## Scoops (Apr 21, 2020)

JanneProeliator said:


> Same here in Finfland. You need to be MMM to join the Chapter.
> I have always taught that it is the same in England too. I believe someone can elaborate on this.
> 
> Bro Massey. You do have different organisations for Mark and Chapter thou right?


Nope, here in England, as a result of the union of 1813 Mark Masonry was left out of "pure and ancient freemasonry". Supreme Chapter and the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons are, therefore, totally separate and unrelated bodies. The only pre-requisite for both HRA and Mark is that one far been raised to the sublime degree of a master Mason. 

Sent from my EML-L09 using Tapatalk


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## Brother JC (Apr 24, 2020)

Thank you all for the clarifications per jurisdiction. I will rephrase my comment to say I wish Chapter were a separate entity in the US as it is elsewhere.


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## Jim Barr (May 1, 2020)

I am a member of both, and get a lot out of both. That said, my passion is the York Rite.

As a Christian, the York Rite appealed to me more because of its Judeo-Christian focus in the Chapter and Council, and its Christian focus in the Commandery. Technically speaking, the York Rite, with the Royal Arch Chapter, is the "completion" of the 3 degrees of the Blue Lodge, with the Council of Royal and Select Masters providing the reasons for why and how the Royal Arch degree could take place. The Scottish Rite is a complete rite from first through 33 degrees with the first three being slightly different from those in the Blue Lodge. Most jurisdictions have dispensations by the Supreme Council such that the first three degrees of the Blue Lodge are sufficient to replace the first three degrees of the Scottish Rite.

I am personally very passionate about the Cryptic Council, having had the honor of serving as Most Illustrious Grand Master of the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of South Carolina, 2017-2018.

Where the York Rite is generally Christian-focused, the Scottish Rite is more of a study in comparative religion. Its degrees delve into many religions and philosophies, providing a much broader scope. Scottish Rite meetings tend to have more people than York Rite meetings which tend to be more intimate. Both provide great fellowship and more amazing light in Freemasonry. 

Finally, always remember that these rite take you deeper, not higher.


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## Jon WX5NCO (May 1, 2020)

Brother Jim said everything that I was thinking.  I received my Blue Lodge and SR degrees in 1994.  I didn't take the YR Degrees and Orders until 2017 because of a line that was in the 18° of the SR until recently, which said "All the degrees of Scottish Masonry can be received by good men of every race and every religious creed.  Any degree which cannot be so received is not Masonry – which is universal – but something else, which is exclusive and, therefore, intolerant."
That line stopped me from being a York Rite Masons for many years, which was the BIGGEST mistake that I've ever made in Masonry.  If I could only turn back the hands of time, I would have become a YR Mason in 1994.  It's a shame that I missed out on all those years of YR education.  
Good luck in your journey, both Rite's are worth the time and effort.


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## Jim Barr (May 1, 2020)

Better late than never!

An irony about that is that Cryptic Council in the York Rite can be considered a sort of "bridge" between the two.

The origin of the degrees of the Royal and Select Masters (generally) are not completely known, but consider the jurisdiction under which the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters in South Carolina resided according to the _Constitution of the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of South Carolina_ from 15-Feb-1860 which states:

ARTICLE FIRST.
The Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of South Carolina is formed by a power delegated to the several subordinate councils in this State, so to do, by the Supreme Council of Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the thirty-third degree of the Ancient and Accepted Rite, for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, from whom their Warrants of Constitution were originally derived, and under the express stipulation that all the rights and privileges of the said Inspectors over the said degrees, except so far as the granting of Dispensations and Warrants, and the exercise of supreme Masonic control over the Councils, and their members shall be reserved inviolate to the said Inspectors, and that the Grand Council will assume no authority to open Councils beyond the limits of the State of South Carolina. And this and the following Article of the Constitution shall be forever unrepealable as fundamental principles of law, except by and with the consent of the said Supreme Council of Sovereign Grand Inspectors General.​
The Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of South Carolina has since became separate and standalone, but the roots definitely go back to the Scottish Rite.


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## Warrior1256 (May 1, 2020)

I belong to both The York and Scottish Rites. However, I prefer, and am more active in, the York Rite. In my opinion it is more a continuation of the Blue Lodge degrees. It explains some of the things mentioned in Blue Lodge which are not explained in the first three degrees.


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## Javon Wooten (Jul 30, 2020)

In my jurisdiction, our Grand Lodge recognizes two Southern Jurisdiction Supreme Councils. With that being said, I have always leaned more towards the York rite.


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## Bro. Landry (Jul 30, 2020)

Javon Wooten said:


> In my jurisdiction, our Grand Lodge recognizes two Southern Jurisdiction Supreme Councils. With that being said, I have always leaned more towards the York rite.



Where do you hail?


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app


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## Javon Wooten (Jul 30, 2020)

Bro. Landry said:


> Where do you hail?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app


MWPHGLNC


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