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

68 The Degree Rituals
For 50 years thereafter the new ritual served its purpose until it was impacted
by the 1985 decision to transfer to the Lodge of Perfection those Consistorial
degree rituals based on Old Testament themes. Thus, in 1992, the
“Joseph Allegory” became the ritual of the 12°, where, in a modified form, it
still remains.
Of course, the most challenging aspect of the exercise was finding a suitable
replacement ritual for the 26°. From time to time the Committee on Rituals
had considered the efficacy of a degree ritual based on the American
Civil War. The first substantive possibility to this end appeared in the late
1970’s with House Undivided, a dramatization of incidents relating to
Freemasonry during the Civil War, based on Allen E. Roberts’ book of the
same title. There being no immediate need for a new degree ritual, the opportunity
passed by. Publication of House Undivided was approved by the
Supreme Council in 1979 for presentation to the general public.
As the 1980’s progressed, the need for new rituals to replace those transferred
from the Consistory degrees to the Lodge of Perfection took on new
urgency. The goal of the committee crystallized on development of a degree
ritual with Abraham Lincoln as the central character, notwithstanding the fact
that Lincoln had not been a Freemason. Eventually, in each of the years 1988-
90, the committee reported work on a new ritual for the 26° based on an incident
relating to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The theme had been
suggested by a play written many years previously by Ill. Henry J. Cooper,
33°, Active Emeritus Member for Rhode Island, a member/consultant of the
committee, and primary author of the “American Indian” ritual of the 24°.
Cooper, assisted by Ill. Robert F. Case, 33°, Active Member for New York and
a member of the committee, assumed the primary role in modifying the play
and incorporating Masonic content to make it suitable for a degree ritual.
After a number of revisions and trial exemplifications, the “Lincoln Allegory”
was proposed and approved as the 26° Tentative Ritual of 1992 and subsequently
as the 26° Ritual of 1999, although not without persistent opposition.
The new ritual was well received. It had a familiar subject as a theme and
it played well dramatically. It consisted of a prologue and three scenes with
two set changes, a script of only seventeen pages, and required only four
speaking roles. Despite this, the ritual never was able to convince its dissenters.