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Completed 4th - 32nd

The Traveling Man

Registered User
That would raise a red flag in my book being that the United Supreme Council AASR in witch I am under is set up as a whole with a Northern & Southern Jurisdiction and states represented as Orients

The AASR NMJ uses Council of Deliberation in the same way that the SJ, as well as USC NJ and SJ, use the term Orient.
 

The Traveling Man

Registered User
How long does it usually take from you get the 4th untill the 32nd degree? What degrees are done in full?


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In Michigan my Valley does about 10 degrees a year. But between the 5 Michigan Valleys and 2 Reunions each yearly here you can probably see somewhere 15 and 20 degrees in a year. But only 4 degrees are required to obtain the 32nd here so its possible to go from 4th to 32nd in 2 days (1 Reunion) or 6 months (2 Reunions).
 

jermy Bell

Registered User
What is the rush from the 4th to 32nd degree? Do you actually learn anything? , or is it hey ! I'm a 32°mason now. Just curious to know. There are brothers that became master masons and still have no clue on what is going on, and I myself coming on 5 years is still trying to figure out what is what.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
What is the rush from the 4th to 32nd degree? Do you actually learn anything? , or is it hey ! I'm a 32°mason now. Just curious to know. There are brothers that became master masons and still have no clue on what is going on, and I myself coming on 5 years is still trying to figure out what is what.
That's pretty much it. I believe, and I may have heard this incorrectly, but a 32 degree mason is a very big deal in Europe with years of progression. Here it's a dime a dozen. I would venture to guess most AASR members in the U.S. can't remember anything about most of the degrees.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
What is the rush from the 4th to 32nd degree? Do you actually learn anything? , or is it hey ! I'm a 32°mason now. Just curious to know. There are brothers that became master masons and still have no clue on what is going on, and I myself coming on 5 years is still trying to figure out what is what.

In the late 1800s in the US the SR decided to be like a pillow or teddy bear - Wrapping first, stuffing later. So they did a few degrees mandatory as an outline then handed Brothers a passport so they could list all of the other degrees as they filled in their list.

This happened at about the same time as when blue lodges went dry so they stopped having drinks at US lodges and also at the same time the Shrine became popular as the place to gather for a drink. To get as many as possible into the Shrine they had to abbreviate.
 

JohnXRV

Registered User
That's pretty much it. I believe, and I may have heard this incorrectly, but a 32 degree mason is a very big deal in Europe with years of progression. Here it's a dime a dozen. I would venture to guess most AASR members in the U.S. can't remember anything about most of the degrees.

As a newly raised English MM this is something I have found difficult to get my head around. I have to wait at least one month after raising if I want to join Royal Arch but I chose Mark which still required a period of time, petitioning and acceptance and more lodge fees before I did the degree. So that's two years to do #1 through #4

In the late 1800s in the US the SR decided to be like a pillow or teddy bear - Wrapping first, stuffing later. So they did a few degrees mandatory as an outline then handed Brothers a passport so they could list all of the other degrees as they filled in their list.

That's interesting and shocking! Having just done Mark after raising I have no desire to rush through anything else until I have got the 3rd and 4th down to a comfortable level of understanding and practical skills to get through the four ceremonies without reference to my peers or mentor

John
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
That's interesting and shocking!

When US Masonry decided to take part in the temperance movement that eventually led to Prohibition, that triggered an interesting sequence of events.

Even though Prohibition failed in mundane society we still have dry jurisdictions here. Yet because we have the Shrine there's almost no pressure to go back to having a drink at lodge.
 

MasonicAdept

Premium Member
In the Orient of Washinton, which is SJ, we are required to put on the 5 terminal degrees:

4th, 14th, 18th, 30th, and 32nd.

This will spread over 4 months, because usually the 4th and 14th are given on the same day.


As far as the PHA SR, there is only mutual recognition and intervisitation. They do not have dual membership, so I can't see how someone from Mainstream AASR could join a valley over on the PHA side. As far as I know right now, even PHA members cannot be members of more than one Valley or Lodge in their respective jurisdictions.

Thge so-called "Slaughter SC" is in fact recognized. They are recognized by DC, NC, Hawaii, Virgin Islands., and there is one more State I cannot recall at the moment. In NC and DC, the jurisdction is split between the two. You can be a member in either and still be recognized as a Mason.

The court case is over and the verdict gave Slaughter's group the right to exist (did not determine regularity).

The Imperial Shrine for PHA also recognizes the Slaughter group and did so, by official pronouncement.

I do have some documentation from the whole issue as well.
 
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