The Consistory is of the Scottish Rite, NMJ responsible for conferring the 19th through the 32nd degrees.
32°
Scottish Rite Freemasonry is built upon six Core Values: Reverence for God,
Devotion to Country, Integrity, Justice, Tolerance, and Service to Humanity.
The 29 degrees of the Scottish Rite serve as allegories that demonstrate how a
Mason can apply these Core Values to his life while exploring the ethical
teachings of the Blue Lodge in greater depth.
What is the Consistory?
The
word "Consistory" derives from the
Latin word consistere, meaning "stand firm," ultimately leading to
the term consistorium or "assembly place." The Romans used the term to
describe either a council of the advisors of Roman emperors or the papal
Consistory, a meeting of the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church.
In Scottish Rite Freemasonry, however, Consistory refers to a Supreme
Council-approved assembly of Masonic officers that grants degrees.
Sometimes
referred to as the "Traditional," Chivalric," and
"Modern" degrees, the Consistory degrees exemplify the challenges of
social and moral conflicts, drawing on lessons from the age of chivalry through
the modern day.
History of the Consistory
The
history of Consistories predates the Scottish Rite by centuries, originating in
ancient Rome. In the Roman government, the Consistory consisted of high
magistrates or government officials in the empire who served as a council to
the emperor.
While
Scottish Rite Consistories date back to early American fraternalism, they were
not always consolidated under the Supreme Councils. In fact, during the first
half of the 19th century, the bodies of the Scottish Rite were not united at
all. When Sovereign Grand Commander Josiah Hayden
Drummond, 33º was
elected to lead the Supreme Council of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction after
the Union of 1867, he had three top priorities: adoption of a unifying constitution,
consolidating its bodies, and establishing bodies where none existed, primarily
Vermont and Delaware.
Commander
Drummond succeeded in consolidating bodies into 50 Valleys, with approximately
20 members per body. At that time, Consistory membership accounted for about
two-thirds of the membership of the Lodge of Perfection. In the wake of this
achievement, membership in the entire jurisdiction increased
tenfold between
1893 and 1943.
Today,
there remains some variation between the Consistories in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction
and the Southern Masonic Jurisdiction. This is partly due to the NMJ's efforts
to revise or replace degree rituals as necessary, as it did for several
Consistory degrees in the 1970s. These alterations are intended to make the
rituals easier for Valleys to perform and reflect updated thinking to meet the
needs of modern Freemasons.
In contemporary Scottish Rite
Freemasonry, Consistories are the meetings of members of the 32° or Sublime
Princes of the Royal Secret in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. The
elective officers for NMJ Consistories include a Commander-in-Chief,
Lieutenant-Commanders, Chancellor, Minister of State, Almoner, Registrar, and
Treasurer. The Southern Jurisdiction is slightly different with the second and
third officers being called Seneschal and Preceptor, respectively. A Consistory
in the Northern Jurisdiction confers the 19° through 32°, while in the Southern
Jurisdiction, it confers only the 31° and 32°.
The Consistory Emblem and Cap
A unique symbol represents each body of the Scottish Rite. The Consistory is perhaps the most recognizable, for it is the famous emblem representing the entire fraternity: the double-head eagle. The figure is emblazoned on the Consistory cap. These pieces of regalia may be worn by elected Consistory officers.
Degrees of the Consistory
As
with Masonic ritual, whether in the Blue Lodge, the Scottish Rite, or another
appendant body, the degrees found in the Consistory can take years to
comprehend thoroughly. Even after becoming 32° Scottish Rite Freemasons,
members routinely revisit the Chivalric degrees to derive new insights from
these rituals.
Here
are brief summaries of the allegories and ethical teachings found in the
Consistory degrees in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction:
19° -
Brothers of the Trail
Along
the Oregon Trail in the 1840s, one pioneer lives up to his sacred obligation to
care for his Brother.
Philosophy: A Mason's word is good as gold any place in the world where a man's
word still counts for something.
Core Values: Reverence for God & Integrity
20° - Master
Ad Vitam
Benedict
Arnold seeks pardon for his treason.
Philosophy: Treason is a crime over which Masonry casts no mantle of charity.
Core Values: Devotion to Country & Integrity
21° -
Patriarch Noachite
Knights
and Nobles come together to punish crime, reward virtue, protect the innocent,
and provide aid to the needy.
Philosophy: Freemasonry is not a shield for evil doing.
Core Values: Justice
22° - Prince
of Libanus
A
Brother is introduced to wood cutters who test his willingness to put aside his
rank and status.
Philosophy: Honest work is honorable and noble in the sight of God and man.
Core Values: Service to Humanity
23° - Knight
of Valor
Based
on a true incident during World War II and the heroic actions of the Four
Chaplains.
Philosophy: This degree teaches us that faith in God will find expression in
love for our fellow man, even to the ultimate personal sacrifice.
Core Values: Reverence for God, Tolerance, Devotion to Country & Service to
Humanity
24° - Brother
of the Forest
A
Native American petitions for membership in a colonial Symbolic Lodge.
Philosophy: Freemasonry is a universal Brotherhood.
Core Values: Tolerance
25° - Master
of Achievement
Industriousness
is shown through the life of Brother Benjamin Franklin.
Philosophy: The wages of a Mason are earned and paid in their dealing with one
another.
Core Values: Devotion to Country & Service to Humanity
26° - Friend
and Brother Eternal
While
on opposite sides of the Civil War, two officers maintain their Masonic principles.
Philosophy: Masonic unity and harmony transcend conflict.
Core Values: Devotion to Country & Integrity
27° - Knight
of Jerusalem
A
historic clash between Pope Honorius III and Emperor Frederick II.
Philosophy: When tensions arise between church and state, one must be governed
by his conscience.
Core Value: Tolerance
28° – Knight
of the Sun
This
degree shows Masonry's transformation from an operative guild to a speculative
moral fraternity.
Philosophy: The working tools of the builders' art are used to express unique
qualities of moral instruction.
Core Values: Integrity
29° - Knight
of St. Andrew
Masonic
teachings and tolerance resolve an incident in Europe's long wars between Islam
and Christianity.
Philosophy: No one religion has a monopoly on truth.
Core Value: Tolerance
30° – Grand
Inspector
A
14th-century trial in the English civil court during the reign of Edward II is
conducted.
Philosophy: To be attentive, impartial, and equitable in judging others.
Core Values: Justice
31° - My
Brother's Keeper
While
attending St. Andrew's Lodge at the Green Dragon Tavern, Brothers Warren and
Dawes come to the aid of an injured Brother.
Philosophy: The degree reinforces our call to service in the fraternity.
Core Values: Integrity & Service to Humanity
32° Degree –
Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret
The
degree dramatically teaches us to choose between personal advancement and
service to humanity.
Philosophy: The degree represents the victory of the spiritual over the human
in man.
Core Values: Devotion to Country & Service to Humanity
Many
members of the Scottish Rite consider The Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret to
be their favorite degree. It is a moving ritual that challenges our natural
inclination to preserve our self-interest. It describes the triumph over our
appetites and passions by moral sense and reason and the spiritual joy of
serving our fellow man. It is a fitting message to reside at the top of the
Scottish Rite teachings, distilling the philosophies first introduced in the Blue
Lodge into a moving ritual no man can easily forget.
Members of the Scottish Rite, NMJ seek to aid mankind's search for identity and
destiny in God's universe. However, producing wiser, happier men to create a
better world that promotes the dignity of every person is not always a linear
process. The men of the Scottish Rite return to the Valleys to learn from our
Masonic ancestors how to better serve our communities in the face of daily
distractions and pressures. The lessons found in the Consistory are among the
most sublime, and it's easy to see why our members so value these
rituals.
Related Stories
Discover additional Scottish Rite blogs and news on this topic.