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

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34 The Degree Rituals the Scottish Rite degree system with the 26° Ritual of 1942, the allegory was a dramatization of the familiar biblical story of Joseph and his brothers, and was considered to be an ideal vehicle to teach the then lesson of the 26° — mercy. The primary author of the allegory was Ill. Ernest W, Hotchkiss, 33°, a member of the Valley of Detroit, who had written the drama some years earlier for presentation by Scottish Rite players in his Valley. Despite general agreement as to the appropriate nature of the theme, it took nearly ten years for the “Joseph” allegory to be awarded permanent status as the ritual of the 12°. The problems were practical ones, similar to those experienced with other degree rituals transferred from the Consistory to the Lodge of Perfection. The length of the ritual, size of the cast, and staging requirements of four scene changes and three different sets posed production difficulties for smaller and single-body Valleys, as well as under the time constraints imposed by the trend toward shorter reunion schedules. The scheduling and casting problems were partially addressed in the tentative ritual of 1996, which deleted the ceremonial section in compliance with the policy adopted by the Supreme Council the previous year. However, the Committee on Rituals recognized that this was not a complete solution. This led, in 2002, to a complete rewrite of the prologue and the allegory, of which Ill. C. DeForrest Trexler, 33°, Active Member for Pennsylvania and chairman of the Committee, was the primary author. The most radical change was the reduction of the allegory from five to two scenes (revised scenes three and five of the tentative ritual), without requiring a change of set. As rewritten, these scenes contained a condensed dramatization of the story of Joseph and his brothers, as well as the lesson of the degree. A revised version of scene one of the tentative ritual was retained for optional use as an introductory scene by those Valleys with adequate casting and staging resources and time in the reunion schedule. In addition to extensive revisions in the dialogue, several changes were made for the sake of greater consistency with the story as related in the biblical book of Genesis. As a result of the foregoing, the 12° Ritual of 2002 represented a considerable simplification of casting and staging requirements as well as shortening of playing time. A further step needed to be taken. In 2005, the name of the degree was changed from the once descriptive, but now arcane “Grand Master Architect” to the apropos “Master of Mercy.”
The Degree Rituals Royal Arch — The Thirteenth Degree A complete ritual for the 13°, by name “The Royal Arch,” is recorded in the Francken Manuscript. Written for a cast of five lodge officers, it consisted of an opening and prayer, reception, obligation, a long lecture reciting the legend of the Royal Arch of Enoch, and a closing in which the signs and words of the degree were rehearsed. The setting of the ritual was an underground vault. During the reception, three candidates were admitted at a time. Descending into the earth by rope and retrieving the delta proved them worthy to receive the secrets of the degree. By the middle of the 19th century, the Carson/Van Rensselaer ritual (1853) and that of Albert Pike (1855) still retained the substance of the Francken ritual but with more dramatization under the name “Knight of the Ninth Arch.” Following the Union of 1867, the Carson/Van Rensselaer ritual essentially was adopted by the Supreme Council as the ritual of 1871. With the ritual of 1894, the degree received its modern title, “Master of the Ninth Arch.” The ritual of 1917 was a revised and abridged version of the Carson/Van Rensselaer ritual which continued in use for more than half a century. The tentative ritual of 1971, approved as the ritual of 1977, represented an extensive revision in the structure of the 13°, although the substance was retained. In the fashion of Scottish Rite degree rituals of the period, it was comprised of a ceremonial opening, reception, and obligation, followed by a prologue and dramatic section, or allegory, of five scenes, alternating between the audience chamber of King Solomon and the entrance to the subterranean Temple of Enoch. The legend that had been communicated by the lecture in previous versions of the ritual was now dramatized in the allegory. Another extensive revision was introduced with the 13° Ritual of 2004. Consistent with the policy adopted by the Supreme Council in 1995, the ceremonial opening, reception, and obligation were eliminated. The prologue was shortened. Although the five alternating scenes were retained in the allegory, there were numerous stylistic changes and abridgements in the dialogue. The result was a significant reduction in playing time. Despite the revisions, the substance of the ritual remained that of Carson/Van Rensselaer and consistent with the theme found in Francken, albeit recast in form for the 35
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Page 17 and 18: The Degree Rituals A Long Journey
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The Degree Rituals Sublime Prince
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The Degree Rituals Moreover, despit
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Chronological Development of Northe
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