A Century of Scottish Rite Masonry in Des Moines

This little book was written by Don Lavender 33° - He dedicated it to the memory of:

Jerald E. Marsengill, 32° KCCH (1930-1991) Masonic Scholar, Author and Editor.

Over the next few weeks I am going to post parts of the book as most of our members will not have read it since it was published in 1992. I hope you enjoy it.

Origin of Scottish Rite

Scottish Rite began with the Rite of Perfection in France in 1761. It consisted of the Fourth to the Twenty-fifth degree under what was known as the Secret Constitutions of 1761 and the Constitutions of 1762. It was first introduced tin this country in New Orleans in 1763 from Bordeaux, France through the West Indies, and subsequently at other points including Albany, New York in 1767, Philadelphia in 1781 and Charleston S. Carolina in 1783. The Rite was extended to 33 degrees by the Grand Constitutions of 1786.

A Manifesto in Charleston in 1801 established that the Rite would be governed in each country by a Supreme Council of the Thirty-third and last degree.

The name Scottish Rite was not in general use until Albert Pike was Grand Commander about 1859. It did appear in France in 1832 when the Grand Constitutions of 1786 were published. Official word from our present Supreme Council indicates that the Scottish Rite did not originate in Scotland as there was no Supreme Council there until 1846.

In 1761, in Paris, the Council of Emperors of East and West granted a Patent or Deputation to Stephen Morin authorizing him to establish the Rite in the Western Continent. In the same year, Morin arrived in the city of St. Domingo where he began the dissemination of the Rite and appointed Inspectors both for the West Indies and the United States. He conferred the degrees on M. Hayes with the power of appointing others. Hayes in turn appointed Isaac Da Costa, Deputy Inspector General for South Carolina and he is the one who introduced the Rite in that state by establishment of a Grand Lodge of Perfection. Other Inspectors were subsequently appointed and the Supreme Council was established at Charleston by John Mitchell and Frederick Dalcho.

The Birthplace of the Mother Supreme Council of the World in Charleston, South Carolina.