On June 8, 2023, Sovereign Grand Commander Peter J. Samiec, along with Ill. Bro. Richard Elliot, Executive Director of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library (SRMML) presented a special Author in Residence distinction to Ill. Brother Kamel Oussayef, 33°, MSA.
Left to right: SGC Samiec, Ill. Bro. Oussayef, and Ill. Bro. Rich Elliot, Executive Director of the SRMML
The framed proclamation recognizes Ill. Bro. Oussayeff for “his tireless efforts through the written word to contribute to the study of the genesis of the rituals for Scottish Rite Freemasonry and for his vision realized to bring different perspectives and beliefs to light.”
Brother Oussayef, 33°, has been a volunteer at the SRMML for 20 years. He is the author of the following Masonic translation works, available for purchase within The Masonic Marketplace:
Freemasonry by Questions & Answers: From a 1761 French Manuscript, including a ritual in Three Degrees for a Women's Masonic Lodge
A glance at Freemasonry during the Enlightenment and the American and French revolutions. With annotated translation from a 1761 French manuscript that describes the rituals used at the conception of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, as well as a groundbreaking ritual in three degrees for a female Masonic Lodge.
Saint Edoüard: A 1748 Masonic Scottish Lodge During the French Enlightenment
In the words of a 2019 review by Masonic author Christopher Hodapp:
“This isn’t just a translation of creaky lodge minutes from 270 years ago. It also contains descriptions of the lodge’s early members, their professions, and notes about their lives. All of a sudden, dull lists of forgotten names come alive, and you can see what a huge cross section of Paris society were members of the fraternity at that time – still 30 years before their first revolution.”
The Spirit of Freemasonry
An annotated translation of Jean Doszedardski’s French manuscripts. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts’ blog review tells us: “The book, and particularly the footnotes, will cast a brighter light
on Masonic texts, symbols, rituals, definitions, secret alphabets and calendars that up to now were thought to be difficult for the uninitiated to comprehend. But above all, it definitively establishes that Napoleon Bonaparte was neither a saint nor a Freemason.”
Book of Wisdom by Jean Doszedardski, as translated by Kamel Oussayeff, 33°
This book contains statutes and general regulations for Lodge le Choix des Hommes, located in Jacmel, San Domingo, providing unique insight into the lodges of the West Indies during the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Freemasonry from the 1st to the 33rd Degree
This annotated translation from an 1875 Swiss meeting of Freemasonry councils aids students, scholars, and historians of Freemasonry in understanding the evolution of Masonic rituals and the importance of preserving Masonic values.
About the Author
Kamel Oussayef, 33°, MSA, is a member of the Valley of Boston.
He was born in Sétif, Algeria and attended school in France, where he resided for many years. Oussayef holds an MA from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a MS from the School of Public Communications at Boston University.
Ill. Bro. Oussayeff is a Past Master of William Parkman Lodge and Converse Lodge. He has been awarded the prestigious Henry Price and Joseph Warren medals for distinguished service to Freemasonry in Massachusetts and is the proud recipient of Scottish Rite, NMJ’s Meritorious and Sovereign Grand Commander Distinguished Service awards.