Leader of a Secret Society

I was talking with my father about the wierd things I have read on this website and we started to discuss the Freemasons. Wierdly enough my father was part of the freemasons when he was young. He went on to tell me that my Grandfather was a member for 30 years and that he had reached the 76th degree (i think that is what he called it) which was wierd cause I read about someone who wrote a book when he was around the 20th degree and he thought he was pretty high in the ranks. Anyways, my father went on to tell me that when I was at a family reunion (aka the McLeod Parliment) which is once every 4 years in Scotland on the Isle of Skye, I had met the leader of the Freemasons or a secret society attached to them. It is soo wierd. I just thought I would tell everyone about this and I will talk to my father in the next couple of days and try to see if I could get the name of the guy I met in Scotland.

Originally posted by Lachliggity
I was talking with my father about the wierd things I have read on this website and we started to discuss the Freemasons. Wierdly enough my father was part of the freemasons when he was young. He went on to tell me that my Grandfather was a member for 30 years and that he had reached the 76th degree (i think that is what he called it) which was wierd cause I read about someone who wrote a book when he was around the 20th degree and he thought he was pretty high in the ranks.

There isn't a 76th degree in regular Freemasonry. It is possible that he was a member of either the Rite of Memphis or Rite of Mitzraim, both of which have a 76°, but both of these organizations are "irregular", or illegitimate, and are not recognized as Masonic in orthodox Freemasonry.

Also, degrees do not confer "rank", only membership status.

Anyways, my father went on to tell me that when I was at a family reunion (aka the McLeod Parliment) which is once every 4 years in Scotland on the Isle of Skye, I had met the leader of the Freemasons or a secret society attached to them. It is soo wierd. I just thought I would tell everyone about this and I will talk to my father in the next couple of days and try to see if I could get the name of the guy I met in Scotland.

Here is the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, Most Worshipful Brother Archibald D. Orr Ewing:

www.grandlodgescotland.com...

[edit on 16-5-2006 by Masonic Light]

Thanks for clearing up this whole this whole thing for me.

I never knew there were so many misconceptions about Masonry. My father is a past master, my mother was a part of the OES until she demited. I have just in the past month started my journey. The more that I read here the more chuckles I get. This is too good.

Ajax, didn't you notice that there is a 76th degree in masonry, just not in UGLE regular masonry????

Originally posted by Nygdan
Ajax, didn't you notice that there is a 76th degree in masonry, just not in UGLE regular masonry????

The only thing is, is that no one would actually be a "76° Mason" in the Rite of Memphis or Mitzraim, just as no one is a "20° Mason" in the Scottish Rite, at least not for longer than a few minutes. This is because those degrees are not stopping points.

For example, most of the Mystic Temples of Memphis would confer the first 33 degrees of its system in ceremonial form, which were usually variations on the Cerneau versions. Then, they would simply confer titles for the rest of them.

So, if I were a Hierophant of the Rite of Memphis, and you a candidate, we would work you through the first 33 degrees, then I'd just say something like, "By the authority vested in me as Grand Hierophant of the Oriental Rite of Memphis, I now do proclaim you a Sage of the Orient of the 34°, a Knight Elect of Constantinople of the 35°, a Hermetic Philosopher of the 36°", and so on, all the way up the 96°. The 97°, which was the highest in the Rite of Memphis, was honorary, and possessed only by the grand Hierophant.

This Rite obviously set itself up in competition with the Scottish Rite. In many versions of the Scottish Rite 33° obligation, there is a clause where the candidate pledges never to recognize any Masonic degree that claims to be higher than the 33rd.

[edit on 17-5-2006 by Masonic Light]

Hey thanks for all the help guys but just to let you know i found out my Grandfather was in the Shriners in BC Canada