The Degree Rituals The Supreme Council, 33 ... - Scottish Rite, NMJ

The Degree Rituals
Disobedience - The Tenth Degree
As part of the Rite of Perfection, the ritual of the 10° appeared in the
Francken Manuscript under the title “Illustrious Elect of Fifteen.” It was in
the traditional form of degree ritual, with reception, obligation, and explanatory
lecture. In the mid-19th century the ritual was expanded by Albert Pike,
who injected symbolism with philosophical meanings and titled it “Illustrious
Elu of Fifteen.” Although a virtual copy of the Pike ritual was in use after the
Union of 1867, it was superseded in 1871 by a shorter ritual that omitted
much of Pike’s symbolism and adopted the modern title “Master Elect of Fifteen.”
The influence of Pike reappeared in the ritual of 1894.
The early rituals of the 10°, as those of the 9°, were based on a theme from
the Hiramic legend exemplified in the symbolic lodge; that is, the pursuit and
apprehension of the assassins of Hiram Abif. The lesson that pervaded the
various versions of the ritual was obedience to authority. The ritual of 1917
dramatized the episode of the assassins in two scenes, which was expanded
to five scenes in the tentative ritual of 1966, in addition to the traditional elements
of the ceremonial section. For some years it had been customary to
present the 10° in conjunction with the 9°, as the rituals of the two degrees
were based on the same theme and the dramatic action from the 9° ritual to
the 10° was continuous.
The succession of three tentative rituals proposed for the 10° (as for the
9°) over a span of 15 years from 1965 indicated dissatisfaction with the content
of the ritual and repeated efforts to rework the Hiramic legend and improve
the message. As early as 1943, McIlyar Lichliter had criticized the
rituals of both the 9° and 10° as presenting a version of the Hiramic legend
that differed from that exemplified in the symbolic lodge to which the Scottish
Rite rituals obviously were intended to relate. The primary author of the tentative
rituals was Ill. William H. Cantwell, 33°, Active Member for Delaware,
a member and one time chairman of the Committee on Rituals. Cantwell’s efforts
culminated in a short-lived attempt to combine the ritual of the 9° with
that of the 10° into a single ritual which was approved by the Supreme Council
as the 9° and 10° Tentative Ritual of 1980. In the event the combined ritual
never was issued. By this time the Committee on Rituals was moving to implement
a plan to replace several of the Lodge of Perfection degree rituals,
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