THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE

A brother in good standing in his Blue Lodge may elect to take the degrees of this rite, which does not of course include any of the degrees of the American Rite, and is administered by bodies of the Thirty Third degree, called Supreme Councils. This Rite is today more widely extended than all the others put together, no other Rite being worked to any very great extent the United states, Canada, Great Britain, the Latin countries of Europe and South America. This Rite takes care of the degrees from the 4d to 14d in Lodges of Perfection. 15d to 18d in Chapters of Rose Croix. 19d to 30d in Councils of Knights K. H. 31d and 32d in Consistories of M. R. S. and 33d Supreme Council, of which there are but two in the United States.

This Rite came to us from Europe between the years 1783 and 1801, as the origin of the Rite is a subject of much controversy. We will "nick it at that" as a good old Brother used to say when he wanted an argument stopped in the Lodge. The word "Scottish" the name of this Rite is a misnomer, as none of the degrees ever originated in the "Land O Bibles Kirks and Haggis." It is claimed, however, that amongst its founders were Scotch exiles in France, followers of the Pretender, who introduced the word Scottish in order to make the degrees more attractive and acceptable to the Jacobite party resident there.

Our aspiring Brother will take notice that the degrees of the various Rites are not interchangeable, when he has taken all the degrees of the American Rite he is no further on his way to the 33d; if he elected to take the degrees of the A. & A. S. R. first, he would still have to come back to the American Rite to reach the Commandery.

-Source: The Builder July 1916