Education
The Valley of St. Louis is proud to have an active Education Committee dedicated to providing top-level experiences, content, and discussions for Brothers in our Valley to pursue various interest they may have.
“Ordo ab Chao”, Order from Chaos, one of the most noted mottos of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite could be an apt way to describe the importance and efforts of education within the Valley of St. Louis. What’s often said to be a firehouse of information falls before newly made Brothers and can be overwhelming for them as well as even the most seasoned Mason. That’s where the committee steps in providing opportunities for education discussions, perspectives and development.
It is in that sense that the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite is often called the “College of Freemasonry”, but why so? That’s the effort of the Valley’s extensive education program. The lessons of the Scottish Rite Ritual Work are many and would and do require a lifetime of study by Brothers. It’s the Valley’s hope that a strong effort can help give Brothers new insights and perspective leading to a fruitful and rewarding experience as they pursue understanding mankind, themselves, and the work.
MEMBER/CANDIDATE EDUCATION
The Valley’s education program starts from before brothers join the Rite and continues well on after just receiving the degrees. Committee members are always available to speak to local Lodges regarding Scottish rite topics, symbolism and other aspects of interest, many of these presentations are highly informative and hold no real recruitment focus, they’re purely masonic education.
When new Brothers attend their first reunion to see the degrees they’re immersed in the Valley’s unique Candidate Education program and participate in discussions before and after each degree where Brothers hear reflections on the symbols, commentary on the degree’s history and the relevance of the lessons imparted by each specific Degree.
Outside of the Candidate and Member Education presented at Reunions the Valley’s Education Committee also coordinates additional efforts including presentations at Valley Meetings; the Virtual Education Series Presentations, which discuss Scottish rite degrees, topics and other subjects; and working with the Master Craftsman Committee to coordinate the Valley’s one of a kind Study Group Program.
VALLEY OF ST. LOUIS MASTER CRAFTSMAN STUDY GROUPS
The Valley of St. Louis Master Craftsman Program is unlike any other currently in existence due to its format and the level of engagement it creates. The Master Craftsman Program itself is a correspondence course administered by the Supreme Council, S.J. It allows Brothers to work through 3 courses focusing on different topics. Master Craftsman 1 explore craft Lodge symbolism, Master Craftsman 2 explores the history, symbolism and meaning of the Scottish Rite Ritual, and Master Craftsman 3 explores Albert Pike’s seminal work Morals & Dogma. These programs require Brothers to complete various reading assignments and then complete quizzes made up of multiple choice, short-answer, and essay questions. Normally Brothers can participate in this course individually at their own pace, over time completing quizzes and mailing them off in return for the next section. The Valley of St. Louis has taken a different approach after considering and realizing that varied perspectives and discussion can benefit someone exploring the layers of the Scottish Rite. In 2018, the Valley Master Craftsman Committee and Education Committee, along with the support of the Valley’s Personal Representative and Sovereign Grand Inspector of Missouri, launched our new Master Craftsman Study Group Program. This allows Brothers to participate in 5-6-month sessions exploring one of the various programs in a group setting with 7-30 Brothers. In recognition of the large area our Valley covers we rotate meeting formats and Brothers alternate meeting virtually and in-person at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in St. Louis. This has allowed Brothers from as far as 4 hours away to participate and reduce the burden of having to travel more then perhaps once a month to St. Louis for a meeting. Courses are ran on a progressive schedule and guided by a set curriculum and syllabus outlining reading assignments, topics and other details.
Currently sessions are offered on rotation with Master Craftsman 1. Master Craftsman II, and Master Craftsman 3. There are no prerequisites for Master Craftsman 1 or 2, nor does one have to be a member of the Scottish Rite. To complete Master Craftsman III, a Brother must have completed at least Master Craftsman 2.
These Study Groups serve to provide a Brother with one of the most well-rounded perspective possible of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite while fostering the fellowship, good discussion, and free exchange that makes Masonry so enjoyable. The Master Craftsman Course in it’s various sections is a perfect way to knock the dust off or start to dig in whether you’re the newest Scottish Rite Mason or the Oldest, most seasoned.
Master Craftsman Course #1
The Symbolic Lodge will familiarize students with aspects of the development of Blue Lodge Masonry and explore some of its developing symbolism. This will reveal that the “High Degrees” began to develop soon after formation of the Premier Grand Lodge (1717). Albert Pike’s book, Esoterika: The Symbolism of the Blue Degrees of Freemasonry, along with Arturo de Hoyos’s Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor & Guide (3d ed.) will be used to demonstrate a rational and philosophical interpretation for much of what is found in Craft Masonry.
Registration for MC1 is not open at this time
Master Craftsman Course #2
Scottish Rite History & Ritual consists of six lessons, utilizing the Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor & Guide by Arturo de Hoyos, 33°, Grand Cross, and A Bridge to Light (4th ed.) by Rex Hutchens, 33°, Grand Cross, as its textbooks
Registration for MC2 is now open at this time [Through May 19, 2023]
Master Craftsman Course #3
Scottish Rite Philosophy uses Albert Pike’s Morals & Dogma, Annotated Edition, by Arturo de Hoyos, 33°, Grand Cross and returns to the ritual of the Scottish Rite to re-explore it on a deeper level, by looking for the moral lesson imparted in each degree and then applying that lesson to one’s everyday life. The course consists of 33 quizzes, grouped into 10 sections
Registration for MC3 is not open at this time