Originally posted by bod
The degree system worked in England & Wales is similar, but different to that worked in the US. Ireland and Scotland have other similarities and differences.
Within craft freemasonry (the bit that comes under UGLE) your 33rd degree carries as much weight as a small and tiny thing that weighs not very much.

The 33rd Degree carries the same amount of weight within the Craft Lodge of Freemasonry in the United States as well. The 33rd Degree is a part of the (so-called) Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite (the 4th - 33rd Degrees) and, as in the UGLE, not a part of the Craft Lodge (with the rare exception of 10 Craft Lodges in Louisiana which are considered "Scottish Rite"...but that's a different story.)

Another difference is that in the U.K. several of the AASR Degrees are conferred by name only (viz. 4-17, 19-29) This is not so in U.S. Scottish Rite Freemasonry. Although several of the degrees are "communicated" for the sake of saving time, they are "rotated" and over a period of time ALL the degrees (4-32nd) are conferred....and the 33rd is always conferred upon, not communicated to) those elected to receive it.

Regards

Originally posted by Researcher
Again, read "Old Cahier" , the powers of a 33d degree.

He can eject the WM, JD & SD from their lodge. Promote Masons on the spot. Make outsiders Masons. Sounds likea great deal of power to me.

That is the biggest load of crap that I have ever heard! Don't believe everything that you read!

Originally posted by 32nd_Degree_MM

Originally posted by Researcher
Again, read "Old Cahier" , the powers of a 33d degree.

He can eject the WM, JD & SD from their lodge. Promote Masons on the spot. Make outsiders Masons. Sounds likea great deal of power to me.

That is the biggest load of crap that I have ever heard! Don't believe everything that you read!

Ummm, the highest rank is 3rd degree a lodge. Yes, some have 32 and 33rd degree members, but those ranks show how much the brother had decided to study into Freemasonry. 3rd degree is the highest, once achieved to that level, we are all the same and equal. Now, there are also Royal Arch Members as well and it is the same thing. 3rd degree is still the highest in a lodge. Well, there are specail lodges that meet seperately for the other degrees, but still and yes I will repeat it again, the 3rd degree is the highest. No one can kick the officers out of their seats, except the District Officers or the Grand Lodge officers and they there would have to be investigations and the like.

Originally posted by 32nd_Degree_MM

Originally posted by Researcher
Again, read "Old Cahier" , the powers of a 33d degree.

He can eject the WM, JD & SD from their lodge. Promote Masons on the spot. Make outsiders Masons. Sounds likea great deal of power to me.

That is the biggest load of crap that I have ever heard! Don't believe everything that you read!

Actually, the "Old Cahier" was official at one time for the Grand Consistory and Supreme Council of Louisiana; it was originally published by Pike, and re-prints are available from Kessinger.

But the jurisprudence in the Old Cahier describes only the Supreme Council of Louisiana, which no longer exists (this body voluntarily dissolved in the 1860's in order to join the Southern Jurisdiction). The Blue Lodges mentioned in the Old Cahier concerned only the Scottish Rite Blue Lodges in Louisiana, not the York Rite ones chartered by the Grand Lodge.

"Researcher"'s error here is similar to that of Necros. Both have taken outdated material, which at a certain time and place were legitimate, and have fell into the fallacy of believing that it applies throughout Masonry.

Fiat Lvx.

Both my great grandfathers were 33 degree Masons.

One was a rear admiral in WWII, head of salvaging in the Pacific Theatre. He was one of the first people to try and raise the Titanic and came from a long line of sea captains. I have photos and transmissions from WWII about one battle in particular with code names, etc.

The other owned Axton-Fisher Tobacco in KY and had a huge contract to sell tobacco products to the Army. He also sold the first mentholated cigarettes called SPUDS.

I am an Eastern Star and my husband is a 32 degree Mason out of NYC Scotia lodge. Are we evil? only sometimes

Originally posted by CPYKOmega
As 33 degree masons were highly elite and the person knowing them would have great knowledge and power.

OK, this is an old thread but someone else bumped it and I'd like to address this one part. My grandfather actually was a high level mason for eons. However, I disagree with the statement, '...and the person knowing them would have great knowledge and power.'

That doesn't seem true because my grandfather refuses to tell us anything about his mason days and, I believe, was under oath to not disclose certain things. So simply knowing or being related to a high level mason really has nothing to do with being exposed to power or knowledge. That is the impression I received anyways from talking to my grandfather and his reluctance to share any secrets with us.

I am not a mason, but I would like to say that some mason's are very good members of their community and take pride in helping others (not just masons).

My ex-wife's great grandfather was a 33 degree mason. He lived to be 101 years old. During his long life he did many things to help as many people as he could. His most notable accomplishment is that he served as mayor of Emeryville, CA. He rose up from a very poor and humble beginning and managed to aquire great wealth before he died. This was not because he was a mason, but because he had a very strong work ethic. He did not keep his money for himself. He paid for the college education of many people (not only relatives or mason's). If someone had a problem and he could solve it, he did.

Mason's are not bad people. This is a bold statement coming from me, because I really do not trust anyone and feel that everyone is out to get me.

I had a chance to be a mason, but I did not take it. I do not fair well in social situations. Do I wish that I had taken the chance when I had it? Sure, I do, but it's too late now.

My Step-Father is a 33 D.M of the Scottish Rite. (I hope I phrased that correctly).
When I as visiting them (in the States) last year he showed me a tiny book with a bunch of writing in code. Old book, I'd say from the 50's.
(Someday I will get my hands on it - he wouldn't let it out of his sight).
He also told me a great deal about the ceremonies and the rituals etc.
Though there was nothing he imparted of anything secret or *woo woo*...
Only information about the handshake, the sign for *Distress* that you'd make that no brother mason could not deny, how a mason employer would hire masons over non-masons, etc.
Tads of info that really didn't mean a blot to me but he is extremely proud of.

You're all full of beans! Every last one of you!
There is no "power" and all the baloney about degrees... sheesh! About the only thing you get as the grandchild of a 33rd degree mason is eligibility for scholarship money (and even that has nothing to do with degrees-- it's more about being the direct descendants of a Freemason; period!). My grandfather and those masons before him were not reptilians, they had nothing to do with a secret shadow government, and wasn't part of a plot to take over the world. He did a lot of charity work with the Shriners but that's really about it. There is so much baloney about Freemasons on ATS I could just scream! In my case, I wasn't even eligible for the scholarship money because I was unfortunate enough to be born/raised in Canada (instead of the US).

Originally posted by AFAMfounder
It very true that there is only a small amount (around 10% worldwide) are elected to the honorable degree on Supreme Rite 33rd degree. 99% of freemasons throughout the world will never see 33rd and more than likely .05% American grandpa's have not/will not ever see this. Traditionally it takes at least one year between each degree thus 33 years min. but American know how to ruin everything.

-S&C

Seeing as the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction is the "Mother Council" of the World, it is somewhat asinine to argue that the way they do things is wrong. The Scottish Rite only exists in the world because of Americans (Mackey and Pike, to be specific).

Furthermore, there has never been a tradition of waiting a year between Scottish Rite degrees. It isn't the "Supreme Rite." It is the Scottish Rite. In general, you become a 33rd for outstanding service to the Rite. You go to a one (long) day event, or a weekend event, or something and get degrees 4 - 32. Then you spend years working to present the degrees, working your way through the line of one of the 4 Scottish Rite bodies, attending meetings, raising money for the charities, and serving the Rite in general. Then, if you are very lucky, one day, perhaps, you are invited to become an honorary 33rd.

There may be thousands of 33rds, but that still means the total percentage of Master Masons (or Scottish Rite members) who become 33rds is fairly low.

These men are to be admired for the selfless devotion to the ideals of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. The 33rds I have met have been unfailingly gracious, generous with their time and energies, devoted to the fraternity, and always willing to take a moment to teach a younger man.

Incidentally, the Supreme Council's full title is "The Supreme Council of Sovereign Inspectors General of the 33rd and last degree of the Ancient (and) Accepted Scottish Rite of the (jurisdiction)." So much for those 34s in the Scottish Rite, eh?

I'm having trouble navigating the site, I'm new...so if there is a better place for this, let me know!
My grandfather was offered membership over and over and had some mysterious involvement with freemasonry that nobody will effing tell me anything about....
All I know is ultimately he pissed them off.
His house was blown up in the 60s. Nobody got hurt.....but I think it was something other than an effort to kill someone. He was harassed in numerous ways years on end. He was taken in by the cops for supposedly speeding, but somehow that was good enough a cause to throw him in prison and pump him full of experimental drugs for months.
He's had to see this doctor in town for decades since, at the doctor's home. This man is the creepiest F*** I've ever met; and now he claims some strange things have been done to him to 'control him'. Everybody just passes him off as a crazy old schizo that never amounted to much, but it's a different story for his children and their families.
I'm so glad to be out of that town. I believe most involved with freemasonry are there for good reasons, aren't into satan worship or whatever theories there are, but my town is full of some creepy rich bastards and all the women are in these ....groups....
Most of the men are in the lodge, most of the women are in covens, and those are no mystery to anyone in the area or surrounding, either.
Even little 7 year old girls around here that I've babysat randomly talk about special meetings they got to go to with mom.
My family has been majorly the outcast group in town since my grandfather's experiences. My sister was stalked and photographed repeatedly. The mayor gave her stink eye for an entire choir concert at the high school, and scarcely stopped staring straight at her for the entire thing (which I find rather juvenile, but really it was creepy...) the women basically have done anything they could to screw my mom over and tell their kids to not talk to any of hers. I mean it goes from large scale to downright petty. The only people we've ever been able to associate with in a positive way have been people that moved to the area and knew nothing about anything.
(Anyway, there's a huge list of stuff but I've been awake for 48 hours and can't think. I could post more later.)
My 3rd cousins, on the other hand....my grandfather's brother's kids and their families and whatnot...they're just fine in this town. Not a problem there. Why would there be this persecution, I guess you could call it, on my family, we're just the kids of the crazy man's kids for f***'s sakes....but not them...
The only exception to this all is the one uncle I have (son of my grandfather that is) who was always a s***-disturber and a rebel was brought into the lodge. He's a genius but psychopathic....he's doing some crazy stuff right now that is completely illegal but nobody will touch him because he's on their side....I guess.
A neighbour reported him for some things, specifically, storing weapons in large amounts that he possessed illegally.....the cops came right over and took them. His Mason friends had a little chat with the boys, and every last item was returned to him, not a word more about it. wtf is that....

I was really afraid something was going to my sis for awhile. I dunno how the hell she brought some of this stuff onto herself, but the town mayor, and several of the 'reputable', so-called high-standing members in town have come up to her and said some really threatening, cryptic stuff that seems to have nothing to do with anything, that she or I knows about.
Maybe it isn't related, but if so, wtf would be the reason for this?
Or any of anything....

I know some on here are mason's and maybe you've never seen anything hostile or odd in your involvement with the lodges and feel it's all a good thing, but if anyone happens to have an idea of what may have spurred all of this...or any thoughts....whatever...I'd appreciate it

I know it's 'not masonry' but it is the fact that it seems to be linked to my grandfather's dealings with them that precipitated all of this. Cult stuff, actually...yeah, I could certainly believe that. And maybe it just so happens that many of the masons in town are involved with these people, not because that's what masons ALL do or anything but...just the way it is there...lol..
I have nothing against freemasonry...it could just be the fact that being a d*ck is popular where I'm from and if you have any amount of power or standing...hey why not use it....
At the same time, why the hell did his house go up....that's a little more than juvenile town politics IMO....

I feel really awkward about leaving the name of this town there, even though I now live in a different location....
I don't have enough posts, but maybe have enough points for u2u? I was able to receive one from a staff already anyhow.
I also can't seem to figure out how to send u2u's. Could you perhaps send me a test one, and then I'm sure there will be a easily discovered 'reply' button on it or around it....
I'd much prefer to tell you privately, if you are indeed interested in the situation.
Plus I think I shouldn't have posted this in this thread, it's a tad off-topic, so continuing privately might be smart....