Beginning May 12th, 2010, the Phoenix Valley will host the Fifth Southwest Regional Scottish Rite Reunion which will make Scottish Rite history. Since it’s founding in 1801 the Supreme Council for the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in North America has conferred the 4th through the 32nd Degrees leaving the Craft Lodges to confer the first three Degrees of the York Rite; everywhere, that is, except for a handful of Lodges in New Orleans where the first Lodge of Perfection was established in 1764.
Now for the first time ever, a Scottish Rite Reunion will exemplify all 32 Degrees of the Rite. For those who have never experienced the first three Degrees of Scottish Rite, this will be a once in a lifetime experience.
How different are these Degrees from those a candidate goes through in the Blue Lodge? Well, let’s just say it’s not for the feint hearted. The preparation room in the First Degree of Scottish Rite is styled “The Chamber of Reflection” and I still have a vivid memory of the one I entered in Mexico some five years ago.
The entry was in a small alcove just off the Lodge room which was finished in rough gray cement. A single wooden kitchen chair, a wax candle and a book of paper matches were the only contents. “You must light the candle before we proceed” my guide informed me “Please be careful” and pointed the way to a rough hewn tunnel which led down and turned to the right. As I inched forward, the tunnel became smaller and more uneven. Finally, I caught a glimpse of the final turn but not before slamming my bald head against the lowering roof of the tunnel. It ended with a drop down into a small chamber barely large enough to contain a small table upon which sits a skull and crossed tibia, along with a sand hourglass which is already running out. A sheet of paper lies in front of one chair upon which the candidate is instructed to write his last will and testament , along with a cup of water, a small piece of bread and some salt. The similarity to a dungeon is evident. Time creeps by and the candidate is left alone with his thoughts. On the walls of the cell fluorescent signs catch the flickering light cast by the small candle. “If You Are Afraid, Leave”; “If You Are Not Certain, Withdraw”; “If You Cannot Cope, Renounce”; With these sober admonishments the meaning of the chamber becomes clear as the candidate begins to contemplate his decision to become a Freemason.
The Spring Reunion in Phoenix will run from 2 pm on Wednesday, May 12th through the banquet commencing at 7 pm on Saturday the 15th. It will be a non-stop adventure covering all of the 32 Degrees. The Scottish Rite Degree Team from Louisiana under the direction of Brother Mike Poll will present the first three Degrees over two nights. Another first will be the fact that these Degrees will be open to all Master Masons to give them a glimpse into the “College” of Freemasonry.
The task of coordinating which degrees each region will put on will fall on the shoulders of a team of highly motivated Scottish Rite Freemasons who know how to work hard and yet have fun doing it despite the tremendous challenges a program like this presents. The main venue will be at the Chaparral Suites in Scottsdale. The Phoenix Scottish Rite Bodies will provide shuttle busses to pick up attendees at the airport, take them to the different events which are being planned away from the main hotel and return them to the airport for the return flight home. While the event is being planned as a first class event, Arizonans are not fond of rubber chicken meals, so our planning teams are busy negotiating the best possible prices to make the event affordable for everyone who wants to be present at this unique experience.
An exciting ladies program is in the works to make this a memorable event for the ladies who so patiently support us in our quest for light. If you are planning to attend any event in Freemasonry in 2010 this is the one to be at. You will have both an enjoyable and certainly memorable experience that may never come your way again. We will celebrate our honored guests from the great state of Louisiana with a Cajun dinner on Thursday and wind up the reunion with a Western barbeque and Native American Dancers on Saturday.
In the words of my friend and Brother Mike Poll “Laissez les bons temps rouler, I G-U-A-R-O-N-T-E-E!!”