2009 Bienial Session - Supreme Council, Scottish Rite

Unto the divine light of the holy altar
From the outer darkness of ignorance
Through the shadows of our earth life
Winds the beautiful path of initiation

Beth and I arrived in Washington DC at 1:00 AM this morning, after traveling from the Grand Lodge of California. We are here attending the 2009 Biennial Session of the Supreme Council, 33degree, Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction.

At this morning’s session, I was introduced along with 31 other Grand Masters of the 35 Grand Lodges in the Southern Jurisdiction. Tomorrow afternoon will be the 33degree Conferral Ceremony. Alaskan members of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction elected to receive this honor include:

Dale Stephen Cain
Don Garrett Chaffin, II
Edward Joseph Malhoit
Samuel John Schwendner

Additionally, the following Alaskan Masons have been elected to receive the Knight Commander Court of Honor, KCCH (Red Hat):

John Kenneth Bishop
Dwane Lee Anderson
Marvin Bea Fitzpatrick
Arnold Samuel Vachss
James R. Herrington
John William Erickson, Jr.
David Worel
Charles Edward Rogers
Lawrence Edwin Schaufler

I congratulate all of these Brothers on their preferment.

This afternoon, Beth and I took a tour of the “House of the Temple”, the headquarters of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction is Washington D.C. The temple was modeled after the Mausoleum of Mausolus and designed by John Russell Pope. Ground was broken on May 31, 1911 and the cornerstone was laid on October 18, 1911. The building was dedicated four years later on October 18, 1915.

An alcove in the temple holds the remains of Confederate general and former Sovereign Grand Commander Albert Pike. Pike was the author of Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, a book that describes in detail the 33 ranks of Freemasonry, the stories and teachings associated with each rank, the rituals connected to each rank, and other lodge proceedings.