Any traveling man of 32° Scottish Rite Freemasonry knows there is nothing quite like making the journey to witness a new degree. Of course, traveling to observe degrees requires time and financial investment that some brethren just cannot manage -- sometimes preventing Master Masons from joining the Scottish Rite in the first place.
Scottish Rite, NMJ hopes to make those hurdles a thing of the past with our new Rite on the Road kits. Designed to bring the Scottish Rite experience closer to home, Rite on the Road provides Valley officers with the tools necessary to initiate members anytime and almost anywhere, while ensuring proper protocols are still followed.
Presiding officers are no longer beholden to reunion dates in order to initiate and welcome a Master Mason into the Scottish Rite. Master Masons can be inducted anytime into the NMJ by witnessing the 4° in their local area. The process, administered by a presiding officer or their official designee, is proper and formal. Guidelines and a script must be adhered to, and the induction includes a formal obligation. A specific 4th Degree Kit is included in Rite on the Road as well. To learn more about this kit, you can visit our Rite on the Road page or it can be downloaded in our Leadership Resource Center.
The Rite on the Road program creates a paradigm shift in the NMJ in the ability to welcome men into the Scottish Rite. The Fraternal Development Committee and Director of Membership and Valley Relations, George T. Taylor, IV, 32°, created the program.
“The kits not only increase the number of opportunities Master Masons have to join but also reduce the man-hours and effort required to put on degrees,” said Brother Elbridge H. Brewer, 33°, Chair of the Fraternal Development Committee. “It’s another way we honor our commitment to ICE – inspiration, convenience, and enjoyment – and show our members we care about their needs.”
Brother Taylor, 32°, added, “Gone are the days when a Brother has to travel hundreds of miles from home to witness a degree and delve deeper into their craft,” “The path to light is now that much easier to access.”
Scottish Rite, NMJ’s Valley secretaries recently received their Rite on the Road kits, which include:
- A lightweight projector to show degrees and informational videos on Scottish Rite on most any wall or large screen
- A secure, password-protected hard drive with video assets, from the 4° to the new 17°, to our “Not Just a Man. A Mason.” series
- Guidelines and a script to ensure rituals are being properly conferred (to be administered by a Valley’s presiding officer, or his designee)
For those interested in taking advantage of this new tool, we encourage you to reach out to your Valley secretaries with inquiries.
If your Valley is planning an event where they are leveraging their Rite on the Road kit, please use the #RiteontheRoad hashtag when promoting it on social media to share this unique Scottish Rite experience with your brethren.
We would like to feature your success stories too. Let us know how the kit works for you, and provide event photos please! Send your information to [email protected].
