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The Supreme Council, 33°
Valley Secretary’s Manual
THE SUPREME COUNCIL, 33°
ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE
OF FREEMASONRY
SOUTHERN JURISDICTION
U. S. A.
2018 March Edition
1733 Sixteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009-3103
202-232-3579
OFFICIAL TITLE
The Supreme Council (Mother Council of the World) of the Inspectors General Knights Commanders of the House of the Temple of Solomon of the Thirty-third Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of
America.
RONALD A. SEALE, 33°
Sovereign Grand Commander
GARY L. SISSEL, 33° Grand Secretary General
WILLIAM G. SIZEMORE II, 33°
Grand Executive Director
March 2018
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Contents
SECTION 1: SENTINEL DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM .................................................... 1
1.1. SENTINEL USER ACCOUNT ........................................................................................................................ 1
1.2. LOGGING IN TO SENTINEL ........................................................................................................................ 1
SECTION 2: MANAGING VALLEY MEMBERSHIP ........................................................................... 2
2.1. INITIATIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 2 2.1.A. Form 330: Statement of Fees and Report of Investitures ............................................................................. 3 2.1.B. Form 330 for Members Taking Additional Degrees ........................................................................................ 3 2.1.C. Courtesy Candidate......................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1.D. Patents, 32° .................................................................................................................................................... 4
2.2. DEMISSION AND AFFILIATION (Transferring Membership)....................................................................... 4 2.2.A. Demission and Affiliation within the Southern Jurisdiction ........................................................................... 5 2.2.A.3. Affiliations from ........................................................................................................................................... 6
2.3. SUSPENSION ............................................................................................................................................ 9 2.3.A. Suspension for Non-payment of Scottish Rite Dues ....................................................................................... 9 2.3.B. Suspension for Other Causes .......................................................................................................................... 9 2.3.C. Suspension in the Lower Degrees ................................................................................................................. 10 2.3.D. Suspension or Demission of an Honor Member (Loss of Honors) ................................................................ 10
2.4. REINSTATEMENT .................................................................................................................................... 10 2.4.A. Procedures for Restoring Membership ........................................................................................................ 10
2.5. EXPULSION ............................................................................................................................................. 11
2.6. DEATH .................................................................................................................................................... 12 2.6.A. Death of a 33° Inspector General Honorary ................................................................................................. 12
2.7. ADDRESS AND NAME CHANGES ............................................................................................................. 12
2.8. SPLIT-VALLEY MEMBERSHIP ................................................................................................................... 12
2.9. DUAL AND PLURAL MEMBERSHIP .......................................................................................................... 13 2.9.A. Plural Membership Defined .......................................................................................................................... 13 2.9.B. Primary and Secondary Dual/Plural Valley Status ........................................................................................ 13 2.9.C. Reporting Dual and Plural Status to the Supreme Council ........................................................................... 13 2.9.D. Dual and Plural Suspension .......................................................................................................................... 14 2.9.E. Dual and Plural Demission ............................................................................................................................ 14 2.9.F. Dual Member Retention of Honors from Other Supreme Councils .............................................................. 15 2.9.G. Dual Member with NMJ – Nomination for Honors ...................................................................................... 15
2.10. SENIOR MEMBER PER-CAPITA EXEMPTIONS .......................................................................................... 18
2.11. ONLINE MEMBER PORTAL (My.ScottishRite.org).................................................................................... 18
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2.12. MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS ....................................................................................................................... 18
2.13. ANNUAL REPORT ON MEMBERSHIP ....................................................................................................... 18
2.14. MEMBERSHIP CARDS ............................................................................................................................. 18 2.14.A. Membership Cards for Dues-Paying Members and Dues-Remitted Members ........................................ 19 2.14.B. Gold Life Membership Cards ...................................................................................................................... 19 2.14.C. Membership Cards for Initiates .................................................................................................................. 19 2.14.D. Ordering Membership Cards ...................................................................................................................... 19 2.14.E. Signature on Membership Card and Patent ............................................................................................... 20
2.15. NEW MEMBER PACKETS ......................................................................................................................... 20
SECTION 3: VALLEY BILLING SYSTEM (VBS) .............................................................................. 21
3.1. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................ 21
3.2. DUES PROCESSING SCHEDULE ................................................................................................................ 21
3.3. DUES REPORTS IN THE SENTINEL SYSTEM .............................................................................................. 22 3.3.A. Sentinel Reports ........................................................................................................................................... 22 3.3.B. Paid/Unpaid Roster ....................................................................................................................................... 22
3.4. DUES DOCUMENTATION FORM ............................................................................................................. 22
3.5. DUES NOTICES ........................................................................................................................................ 22
3.6. CONTRIBUTION REQUESTS ..................................................................................................................... 23
3.7. ENTERING DUES PAYMENTS IN SENTINEL .............................................................................................. 23
3.8. JOINING THE MEMBERSHIP SERVICES VALLEY BILLING SYSTEM ............................................................. 23
SECTION 4: PER-CAPITA ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................ 24
4.1. PER-CAPITA INVOICES ............................................................................................................................ 24
4.2. SENIOR MEMBER PER-CAPITA EXEMPTIONS .......................................................................................... 24 4.2.A. Reporting Senior Member Exemptions ........................................................................................................ 25
SECTION 5: FEES ................................................................................................................................... 27
5.1. LETTERS TEMPORARY, PERMANENT CHARTER, AND RELATED FEES .................................................... 27
5.2. REMITTANCE OF FEES ............................................................................................................................. 28
5.3. SUPREME COUNCIL INITIATE FEES .......................................................................................................... 28
5.4. PATENT, CERTIFICATE, AND TUCK FEES .................................................................................................. 29
5.5. LABEL AND ROSTER FEES ........................................................................................................................ 30
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5.5.A. Valley Mailing Labels .................................................................................................................................... 30
5.6. Membership and Sojourner Rosters ....................................................................................................... 31
SECTION 6: CERTIFICATES ............................................................................................................... 32
6.1. TWENTY-FIVE YEAR CERTIFICATE............................................................................................................ 32
6.2. FIFTY-YEAR CERTIFICATE ........................................................................................................................ 33
6.3. CERTIFICATE OF GOOD STANDING ......................................................................................................... 35
6.4. CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP FOR INITIATES ........................................................................................ 35
6.5. LADIES’ CERTIFICATES ............................................................................................................................ 36
SECTION 7: VALLEY MEMBERSHIP ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM (VMAP) ........................... 37
7.1. VMAP ENROLLMENT .............................................................................................................................. 37
7.2. VMAP 2018 INSTRUCTIONS AND SCHEDULE ........................................................................................... 38
7.3. VMAP RECOGNITION AND AWARDS ...................................................................................................... 38
SECTION 8: BOOKS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS ...................................................................... 40
8.1. SCOTTISH RITE RITUALS .......................................................................................................................... 40
8.2. ALBERT PIKE’S MORALS AND DOGMA: ANNOTATED EDITION ................................................................ 40
8.3. A BRIDGE TO LIGHT ................................................................................................................................ 41
8.4. THE SCOTTISH RITE JOURNAL ................................................................................................................. 41 8.4.A. Scottish Rite Journal Delivery Processes ....................................................................................................... 41 8.4.B. Address Matching and the Scottish Rite Journal .......................................................................................... 41
8.5. Presenting the Scottish Rite ................................................................................................................... 42
8.6. Pamphlets .............................................................................................................................................. 42
SECTION 9: GENERAL COUNSEL. ..................................................................................................... 43
9.1. HIRING GUIDELINES ............................................................................................................................... 43
9.2. PERSONNEL RECORDS AND INTERVIEW NO-NOS ................................................................................... 44
9.3. EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION-OVERTIME OR EXEMPT UNDER FLSA. ........................................................ 44
9.4. EMPLOYEE PAY, POSTERS, AND FMLA .................................................................................................... 45
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9.5. DISCRIMINATION AND WHISTLEBLOWERS ............................................................................................. 45
9.6. DISCIPLINARY ACTION PRACTICES .......................................................................................................... 46
9.7. FIRING PRACTICES (At Will Employees) .................................................................................................. 46
9.8. FIRING PRACTICES (NOT AT WILL EMPLOYEES) ....................................................................................... 47
9.9. OPERATIONS PRACTICES ........................................................................................................................ 47 9.9.A. Computers: ................................................................................................................................................... 47 9.9.B. HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996):.................................................. 48 9.9.C. Related Entities (e.g., Scottish Rite Childhood Language Centers, Corporations Owning Masonic Buildings, Corporations Jointly Owned by Masonic Groups, Foundations): ................................................................. 48
SECTION 10: STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ............................................................................ 50
10.1. Scottish Rite Journal: Deadlines for Submissions ................................................................................... 50
SECTION 11: ROTC AND JROTC PROGRAMS ............................................................................... 51
11.1. JROTC Program for High Schools ............................................................................................................ 51 11.1.A. GUIDELINES FOR SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY JROTC AWARD ......................................................... 52 (For High Schools) ....................................................................................................................................... 52
11.2. Scottish Rite ROTC Program for Colleges and Universities ...................................................................... 53 11.2.A. GUIDELINES FOR SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY ROTC AWARD .......................................................... 54 (For Colleges/Universities) ........................................................................................................................... 54
SECTION 12: DEVELOPMENT OFFICE FOUNDATIONS AND PROGRAMS (PHILANTHROPY) ..................................................................................................... 56
12.1. HOUSE OF THE TEMPLE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOUNDATION, INC. .................................................. 56
12.2. SCOTTISH RITE FOUNDATION, S.J., U.S.A., INC. ...................................................................................... 57
12.3. ADOPT-A-BOOK PROGRAM .................................................................................................................... 57
12.4. CELEBRATING THE CRAFT (CTC) .............................................................................................................. 58
12.5. REBUILDING THE TEMPLE CAMPAIGN .................................................................................................... 58
12.6. PLEDGE GIFTS ......................................................................................................................................... 59
12.7. PLANNED GIFTS ...................................................................................................................................... 59
12.8. SCOTTISH RITE FRIENDS ......................................................................................................................... 60
12.9. DONOR RECOGNITION ........................................................................................................................... 60
SECTION 13: SCOTTISH RITE SCHOLARSHIPS ........................................................................... 61
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13.1. SCOTTISH RITE SCHOLARSHIPS AT GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY................................................. 61 13.1.A. UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM .................................................................................................................... 61 13.1.B. GRADUATE PROGRAM ................................................................................................................................ 62
13.2. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS HANDLED BY THE SUPREME COUNCIL, 33°................................................... 62 13.2.A. PUBLIC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ............................................................................................................ 63 13.2.B. SHEPHERD SCHOLARSHIP ........................................................................................................................... 63 13.2.C. SAM AND MILLIE HILBURN SCHOLARSHIP .................................................................................................. 63 13.2.D. SOVEREIGN GRAND COMMANDER’S SCHOLARSHIP .................................................................................. 63 13.2.E. SCOTTISH RITE YOUTH PROGRAM FOR JROTC ENROLLEES ........................................................................ 64 13.2.F. SCOTTISH RITE YOUTH PROGRAM FOR ROTC ENROLLEES .......................................................................... 64
SECTION 14: SCOTTISH RITE SPONSORED MEMBER BENEFIT PROGRAMS .................... 65
14.1. PARTNERSHIP WITH NATIONWIDE INSURANCE ..................................................................................... 65
14.2. CREDIT CARD PROGRAM ........................................................................................................................ 65
14.3. GROUP CANCER EXPENSE PLAN ............................................................................................................. 65
14.4. MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE PLAN ........................................................................................... 66
14.5. LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE PLAN ...................................................................................................... 66
14.6. GROUP TERM LIFE INSURANCE PLAN ..................................................................................................... 66
14.7. AUTO INSURANCE PLAN ......................................................................................................................... 66
14.8. LIFE LINE SCREENING OF AMERICA ......................................................................................................... 67
SECTION 15: SOCIAL MEDIA ............................................................................................................. 68
15.1. FACEBOOK ............................................................................................................................................. 68
15.2. TWITTER ................................................................................................................................................. 69
15.3. INSTAGRAM ........................................................................................................................................... 69
SECTION 16: THE SCOTTISH RITE WEBSITE .............................................................................. 70
16.1. DIRECT LINKS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES .................................................................................... 70 16.1.A. Store ........................................................................................................................................................... 70 16.1.B. Donate ........................................................................................................................................................ 70 16.1.C. Pay Your Dues ............................................................................................................................................. 70 16.1.D. The Scottish Rite Journal ............................................................................................................................. 70 16.1.E. Videos ......................................................................................................................................................... 71 16.1.F. Podcasts ...................................................................................................................................................... 71 16.1.G. Manuals and Brochures .............................................................................................................................. 71 16.1.H. Social Media ............................................................................................................................................... 71 16.1.I. Supreme Council Strategic Plan ................................................................................................................... 72 16.1.J. Philanthropy ................................................................................................................................................ 72
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16.1.K. Member Programs ...................................................................................................................................... 73
APPENDIX A: ANNUAL SCHEDULE OF OUTPUTS TO AND INPUTS FROM VALLEY ........ 74
APPENDIX B: LETTERS AND MEMOS (REFERENCES) ............................................................. 76
APPENDIX C: FINANCIAL GUIDELINES ......................................................................................... 84
APPENDIX D: A MEMBERSHIP PRIMER ....................................................................................... 95
APPENDIX E: JROTC AND ROTC PROGRAMS ............................................................................. 98
APPENDIX F: 25- AND 50-YEAR CERTIFICATES .................................................................... 106
APPENDIX G: FORMS ...................................................................................................................... 109
APPENDIX H: LIFE MEMBERSHIP GUIDELINES ..................................................................... 134
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Dear Valley Secretary,
I hope this finds you well and in good spirits. Thank You for all you do, each and every day, for
our beloved Fraternity. This publication represents a complete rewrite of the Scottish Rite Valley
Secretary’s Manual. It is designed to be a single resource to help both new and experienced Valley
Secretaries understand and perform their duties and responsibilities in the very best manner possible.
The contents and layout of this Manual are the direct result of inputs from Valley Secretaries all
around the Southern Jurisdiction. That said, there are always ways to improve and we welcome and
would like your inputs on how to make it even better and more useful.
As always, the Supreme Council / House of the Temple Staff exists to serve you. Please let us
know how we can do that in order to make your job performance, job satisfaction, and your Valley the
Very Best that it can be! Please contact me directly if you have any questions, concerns, inputs, and/or
if I can be of any assistance to you in any way ([email protected] / 202-232-3579).
All the Very Best to you Brother!
Fraternally Yours,
W.G. Sizemore II Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired) Grand Executive Director
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Introduction
The purpose of this manual is to provide the Valley Secretary with a set of guidelines and a list of resources that will help him successfully fulfill the duties of his office. Shortly after Grand Executive Director, Bill Sizemore, took office, he determined that the existing Secretary’s Manual was not a complete instructional manual, nor was it written in a style that made the terms and processes easily understandable, especially for Secretaries new to the position. Thus, the Grand Executive Director ordered a total rewrite of the Secretary’s Manual with the goal of providing a “single resource” manual for all Valley Secretaries and their staff. This new Valley Secretary’s Manual is the result of our efforts to reach this goal.
To that end, our staff worked with Valley Secretaries, those with many years of experience as well as those new to the positon. From the long-time Secretaries we drew upon their years of experience, and from the newly appointed Secretaries, we developed an understanding of the challenges they face in their new position. We found the information gained from both groups to be equally valuable in completing this manual.
However, during the writing process, it became very evident that this is a fluid document that will never really be finished, as we are constantly receiving input from the Valleys on how procedures may be made better and also because Scottish Rite policies, procedures, and programs are in constant change. For that reason, we are describing this manual as the “2018 March Version” to distinguish it from any subsequent version that may be released later in the year. We welcome your continued guidance. If you have suggestions on how this manual may be improved, we want to hear from you.
At this point it is important to note that this is not a user’s guide for the Sentinel Database Management System. The Valley Secretary and his staff should reference the Sentinel Training Manual for specific instructions for using the database system. However, whenever required, this Valley Secretary’s Manual will direct the reader to the appropriate instructions in the Sentinel Training Manual. You may download the training manual from the “Document Library” within Sentinel.
Last, but most important, “Thank You” to all those who assisted in the development of the 2018 Valley Secretary’s Manual, and this “thanks” includes virtually every Valley Secretary and every member of his staff. Tammy Fannin Director of Data Management and Operations Supreme Council Computer Services
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SECTION 1: Sentinel Database Management System
Sentinel is your Valley’s database management system. It is the tool you will use for virtually all aspects of membership management. Here is a list of the basic tasks that you will perform using Sentinel:
1. Manage membership dues 2. Update membership contact information 3. Add new members 4. Perform membership searches 5. Create reports 6. Manage Valley committee membership 7. Manage Valley events 8. Manage Valley officers 9. Assign members to play casts
These are but a few examples of the features that Sentinel provides. The Sentinel Training Manual, which you can download from the” Forms and Documents” menu in Sentinel, will cover Sentinel’s features in detail. Also, once you access Sentinel, you will find video tutorials under the “Video Tutorial” link on the Sentinel menu.
1.1. SENTINEL USER ACCOUNT
You will need a username and password to access Sentinel. If you do not already have an account, please contact your Sentinel Valley administrator. If you are a new Sentinel Valley administrator without a username or password, please contact the Supreme Council Computer Services at 202-232-3579.
1.2. LOGGING IN TO SENTINEL
To access the log in screen for Sentinel, open your browser of choice and type http://sentinvelv2.scottishrite.org into your browser’s address line and press the “Enter” key on your keyboard. After you press “Enter,” you will see the log in screen. Enter your username and password. Please note that passwords are case sensitive.
For complete instructions, please see “System Requirements” in the Sentinel Training Manual.
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SECTION 2: Managing Valley Membership
A great deal of a Valley Secretary’s job and those of his staff is managing the Valley’s membership. This includes initiating new members and handling affiliations, reinstatements, demissions, suspensions, expulsions, and deaths. We refer to any one of these actions taken on a membership record as a “status change.” Section 2 will explain these status changes in detail and the Scottish Rite rules that apply to each type of status change.
Most member status changes can be applied directly to the member’s record called his “Profile Screen” in the Sentinel Database Management System. However, there are a few exceptions, such as Dual/Plural members and certain reinstatements and affiliations, which cannot be entered using Sentinel. These exceptions will be explained where appropriate in the following sections.
2.1. INITIATIONS
New members (Initiates) are added to the database using the Sentinel System. Sentinel refers to new members as “Candidates” , and a you may create a Candidate record in the Sentinel System at any time prior to the date on which he will take his Degrees (see the Sentinel Training Manual for specific instructions on how to add new members).
Because members are placed on the mailing list of the Scottish Rite Journal, when adding candidates to Sentinel, It is essential to report specific address, i.e., house number and name of street; post office box or route number; city, state and 9-digit zip code.
Place of birth should be specific, that is, town or nearest post office, and state or country. This applies to foreign-born as well as native-born members. Naming the country alone is not sufficient.
Specific occupation, profession, or kind of business should be given, such as merchant, clerk, salesman, lawyer, doctor, druggist, barber, banker, etc.–whether owner or employee; if retired, give former occupation. This is necessary not only for future identification, but for assurance that the occupation is or was a reputable one.
Because the information entered becomes part of the Supreme Council's membership records and is also used to print the 32° Patents, accuracy is important.
Once all Candidates are entered and the conferral of Degrees has taken place, Valleys will submit the list of Candidates on a Form 330, Statement of Fees and Report of Investitures using the Sentinel System. This form can be found in Sentinel on the “Members” tab.
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2.1.A. Form 330: Statement of Fees and Report of Investitures
Valleys report initiates electronically using Sentinel. Valleys will use the “Generate a Form 330” function in Sentinel to create and print a Form 330. It is not necessary to submit a Form 330, "Statement of Fees and Report of Investitures," report after the conferral of each Degree, nor separately by Lodge, Chapter, Council, or Consistory. Instead, the report of initiations should be submitted at the conclusion of a Reunion or a series of Degrees, except when a Reunion or series of Degrees extends over a long period of time or into the next calendar year. In such a case it is essential that initiations that occurred before the end of the year are reported promptly to the Supreme Council so that they can be included in that year's Annual Report.
The Statement of Fees and Report of Investitures should, however, be prepared and submitted promptly after the close of a Reunion or at the conclusion of a series of Degrees. For example, if a Valley has only a Lodge of Perfection, its report should be submitted promptly after the conferral of the Fourteenth Degree, because the initiates may be taking higher Degrees in another Valley, and the Supreme Council cannot process the latter initiations until it receives the report of their initiation in the lower Degrees.
Figure 2.A Sample Form 330, Statement of Fees and Report of Investitures
2.1.B. Form 330 for Members Taking Additional Degrees
In the event that a member has completed one or more of the lower Degrees and has already been reported on a Form 330, and thus has a membership record identified by a membership identification number in Sentinel, the Valley may report any upper Degrees conferred on a “Form 330 for Members Taking Additional Degrees.”
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The Form 330 for Members Taking Additional Degrees is located in Sentinel on the “Members” tab. This form can be used to report additional Degrees for both members who received the lower Degrees in your Valley or for members who received the lower Degrees in another Valley.
Please bear in mind that the Statutes of the Supreme Council do not permit higher Degrees to be conferred upon anyone not in good standing, or on those who have received the lower Scottish Rite Degrees and belong to lower Bodies in a Jurisdiction other than the Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. In the former instance, such Brethren must first reestablish their good standing. In the latter instance, they must become affiliated in the lower Degrees with Bodies in our Jurisdiction before they are eligible to petition for the higher Degrees.
Reference: Statutes of the Supreme Council, Article XVII, Sections 17 through 22. See also restrictions and directives on Affiliation/Initiations regarding members of Bodies under the Supreme Councils of England and Wales, Scotland, and Canada in Appendix B.2, B.3, and B.4)
Figure 2.B. Sample Form 330 for Member Taking Additional Degrees
2.1.C. Courtesy Candidate
A “courtesy candidate” is a Brother upon whom a Valley confers Degrees as a courtesy to another Valley. The initiation of a “courtesy candidate” is not to be reported by the conferring Valley. The Valley to which he belongs is responsible for reporting his initiation on a Form 330 and remitting the required fees.
2.1.D. Patents, 32°
Upon receipt of the Form 330-Report of Investitures and Statement of Fees, the Office of the Executive Director will have 32° Patents printed for the Initiates. The completed patents are mailed to the Valley. The patent fee is included in the total fees calculated on the Form 330.
2.2. DEMISSION AND AFFILIATION (Transferring Membership)
“Demission” and “affiliation” are the terms used to describe the transfer of a Brother’s membership from one Valley to another Valley either within the jurisdiction of this Supreme Council or from a Valley within the jurisdiction of any other Supreme Council that is recognized by this Supreme Council.
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A Brother who is transferring membership between two Valleys within this jurisdiction or from a Valley in another jurisdiction, can do so only if he is in good standing in his demitting Valley at the time of his transfer. The term, “good standing,” means that the Brother has paid the current year’s dues to his demitting Valley.
The following sections will explain affiliations from within the Southern Jurisdiction and affiliations from other jurisdictions.
2.2.A. Demission and Affiliation within the Southern Jurisdiction
The process of transferring membership from one Valley to another is accomplished by “demitting” the Brother from his current Valley and “affiliating” him with his new Valley. There are two ways to handle membership transfers, by formal Demit or Certificate of Good Standing.
2.2.A.1. Transfer of Membership by Demit
To start the transfer process, the Brother may request a formal “Demit” from his current Valley. A formal Demit is a document (see Appendix G.9) issued to a Brother in good standing who wants to either change his membership from active to inactive or who wants to transfer his membership to another Valley. A formal Demit does not have an expiration date; a Demit is valid for whatever period of time a Brother chooses to remain inactive. If the Brother later applies for affiliation, either with his former Valley (re-affiliation) or with another Valley, he will then present the Demit to the Valley to which he is applying for affiliation. Once the Valley has approved his affiliation, the Valley will report the affiliation to the Supreme Council on Form 660 (Figure 2.C).
Please Note! If a Brother who has demitted later wishes to reactivate his membership in his former Valley, the procedure to be used is “affiliation” not “reinstatement,” as “reinstatement” is the procedure used only to restore a Brother who was suspended.
2.2.A.2. Transfer of Membership by Certificate of Good Standing
The most common method of transferring membership is by Certificate of Good Standing (CGS). The Certificate is a document unique to the Southern Jurisdiction and is to be used only between Valleys within our Jurisdiction. It is valid only until the end of the calendar year in which it is issued.
The Statutes, Article XVII, Section 24, provide for the issuance of a Certificate of Good Standing, which may be used in place of a Demit for the purpose of transferring membership from one Valley to another within the Southern Jurisdiction. The Brother himself may request the Certificate of Good Standing from the issuing Valley or the Valley to which he is petitioning for affiliation may request the Certificate of Good Standing from the issuing Valley.
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By presenting such certificate with his petition, a Brother may apply for affiliation with another Valley within our Jurisdiction. If he is elected, he thereby becomes a member of the Valley with which he filed his petition, and then the Secretary of the affiliating Valley must, without fail, certify such election by completing the bottom stub of the Certificate of Good Standing and returning it to the issuing Valley. Upon receipt of the completed Certificate stub, the issuing Valley shall, without the formality of issuing a Demit, promptly report the member demitted to the Supreme Council using the Sentinel System.
Further, a demission effected by means of a Certificate of Good Standing stub is as valid as one accomplished with a Demit; consequently, when such demission is reported to the Supreme Council, no explanation of how it was affected is necessary–merely report the date of occurrence and levels affected.
A demission should be reported as promptly as possible to the Supreme Council through the Sentinel System. This is important because the Supreme Council cannot process an affiliation until it receives a report of demission from the member's previous Bodies.
When an affiliation is accomplished through the use of a Certificate of Good Standing, the bottom stub must be completed and returned promptly to the Valley that issued the certificate because the completed certificate stub triggers the member's demission from his previous Valley. That is, upon receiving the completed stub, the Valley must remove the Brother from its rolls and promptly report him demitted to the Supreme Council by submitting an electronic status change request in the Sentinel System.
If within two weeks after the Supreme Council receives a report of affiliation, it has not received a report of demission from the Brother's former Bodies, we must notify the Secretary of the member's former Valley that, unless we hear to the contrary by a stated date, we will process a demission for the Brother, effective the same date as his affiliation in the new Valley. This procedure creates additional work and delay, thus report demits promptly.
For additional information on the GCS, see Section 6.3 and Appendix G.8.
2.2.A.3. Affiliations from another Valley within the Southern Jurisdiction
The affiliation of a Brother from another Valley within the jurisdiction of this Supreme Council is reported on Form 660 (see Figure 2-C). Because two Valleys are involved in the transfer of membership, the affiliation from another Valley cannot be reported via the Sentinel System; only the demission can be reported via Sentinel. When a Valley reports an affiliation to the Supreme Council Computer Services on Form 660, the Computer Services staff confirms that a demit has been reported by the Brother’s current Valley. Under no circumstances should a Brother be affiliated without his presenting either a Certificate of Good Standing or a Demit from the Bodies to which he belongs.
If a Certificate of Good Standing is issued by the demitting Valley and presented to the affiliating Valley, the Secretary of the affiliating Valley should fill out, sign, and return the bottom stub to the Valley issuing the certificate. This stub informs the demitting Valley that the
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Brother has been accepted into his new Valley and should be demitted from the issuing Valley. Upon receiving the bottom stub, the issuing Valley should remove the Brother from its membership rolls by promptly submitting a report of demission through the Sentinel System. Failure to do so causes delay at the Supreme Council in processing the Brother's transfer to the affiliating Valley. The report of affiliation on Form 660 should include all information as shown in Figure 2.C. Place an “X” in the spaces available to indicate the levels affected by the transfer.
Figure 2.C. Sample of a Completed Form 660 for Affiliation. An electronic Form 660 is available upon request to the Supreme Council Computer Services. The electronic form can be completed and emailed back to the Computer Services office.
2.2.A.4. Reporting Re-affiliations
A “Re-affiliation” is the term used for a Brother who has demitted from a Valley and later wishes to reactivate his membership in that same Valley. If his former record with the status of “demission” is recorded in the Sentinel System, and he did not use his Demit to affiliate with another Valley, then his re-affiliation may be submitted via the Sentinel System.
However, if the Brother used his original Demit to affiliate with another Valley, then he must proceed through the regular demission and affiliation steps as explained in section 2.1.A.3, and the affiliation will be reported on Form 660 (Figure 2.C).
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2.2.A.5. Affiliations from the Northern Jurisdiction/Other Jurisdictions
A Brother affiliating with Bodies of our Jurisdiction whose former membership was with Bodies owing allegiance to a Supreme Council other than our own is required by our Statutes to present a demit from his former Bodies and either to purchase the Patent of our Supreme Council, or, if he has such document from another regular Jurisdiction, to have the same officially endorsed. (See Statutes, Article XVII, Section 18.) Furthermore, in order to enroll the Brother upon our records properly, it is necessary that you report his affiliation on Form 331 (Figure 2-D).
Figure 2.D. Report Affiliations from Other Jurisdictions on Form 331. An electronic Form 331 is available upon request to the Supreme Council Computer Services. The electronic form can be completed and emailed back to the Computer Services office.
With reference to petitions for affiliation or initiation from Brethren under the Jurisdiction of the Supreme Councils of England and Wales, Scotland, or Canada, refer to the Grand Commander's directives on this subject in Appendix B.1, B.2, B.3, and B.4.
In order that there may be uniformity in the matter of endorsing the Patents of Brethren who affiliate, it is suggested that the space between the right-hand column and the margin of the
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Thirty-second Degree Patent be utilized and that the following form be used with corresponding changes in date, location, name of Body and officers to make the same applicable:
Affiliated with (Name of Body) in the Valley of , Orient of , on , 20 .
(Signed by)
Registrar
M. of Kadosh
This endorsement applies to both affiliations within the Jurisdiction of this Supreme Council and those from other Supreme Councils, except that in the latter case the selection of a suitable space is dependent upon the Patent that the Brother possesses and is, therefore, left to the discretion of the participants concerned. Affiliation endorsements on diplomas or patents of the lower Degrees should be the same as above except for change in name and designation of Body, etc.
2.3. SUSPENSION
A Brother is suspended for non-payment of annual dues or for “Other Causes.” Other causes include, but are not limited to, non-affiliation with a Blue Lodge and un-masonic conduct.
Effective November 2017, all suspensions submitted by the Valleys must be approved by the Orient’s Sovereign Grand Inspector General or Deputy. Valleys will report suspensions using Sentinel. The SGIG or Deputy will use Sentinel to approve or deny these suspensions. If a suspension is denied, the SGIG or Deputy is required by the system to provide the Valley Secretary with a return message. The messages are delivered via sentinel and appear under the “Notification” tab.
2.3.A. Suspension for Non-payment of Scottish Rite Dues
A Brother having dues in arears for two years will be suspended for non-payment of dues. The due date for yearly dues is December 31 of the preceding year. For example, a Brother should pay his 2018 dues not later than December 31, 2017. On January 1, 2018, he is considered to have a past-due amount.
2.3.B. Suspension for Other Causes
A Brother who is unaffiliated with a Blue Lodge either by demission or suspension will be suspended from the Scottish Rite for “Suspension – Other Causes.” A member who engages in un-masonic conduct may be suspended for Other Causes if the offense does not warrant expulsion.
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2.3.C. Suspension in the Lower Degrees
No Brother may be active in the upper Degrees of membership while inactive in the lower Degrees. If a Brother whose levels of membership are split among two or more Valleys is suspended in his lower levels, he becomes automatically suspended in his higher levels as well. Upon receipt of the report of suspension in the lower levels, this office will automatically change his status to “suspended” in his upper levels of membership.
2.3.D. Suspension or Demission of an Honor Member (Loss of Honors)
If a suspended or demitted KCCH Brother does not re-establish his Scottish Rite membership in good standing within one year, he will lose his rank as a Knight Commander of the Court of Honour, along with all his rights and privileges as such (see Article XIV, Section 5, Paragraph [4] of the Statutes of the Supreme Council). If a suspended or demitted 33° Brother does not re-establish his Scottish Rite membership in good standing within one year, he will lose his rank as an Inspector General Honorary, along with all his rights and privileges as such (see Article IV, Sections 16 and 17 of the Statutes of the Supreme Council).
2.4. REINSTATEMENT
Reinstatement is the procedure used to restore to good standing a Brother who was suspended. A Brother may only reinstate in the Valley from which he was suspended.
2.4.A. Procedures for Restoring Membership
There are two situations: The Brother who seeks to restore his membership within two years of his suspension and those who seek to come back after having been out for a longer period of time.
In the case of the individual who seeks reinstatement within two years, the process is automatic. Pay current and no additional action is required. If an individual has been suspended for longer than two years, he must pay current to the date of his suspension plus the current year’s dues. For example, the member who last paid his dues in 2009 but was suspended effective December 31, 2011 for failure to pay 2010 and 2011. Now, in 2018, he has regained his interest and wishes to reactivate. He owes for 2010, 2011, and 2018. The interim years of non-payment are forgiven. Additionally, a Brother who has been suspended for more than two years must make a written request for reinstatement, receive a favorable committee report and a majority vote of the members present at a Stated Meeting (see Appendix D: A Membership Primer).
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There are two procedures for reporting a reinstatement to the Supreme Council:
1. The Valley may report a Brother who has an existing “suspension” record in the Sentinel System by submitting an electronic request for reinstatement using Sentinel. The Brother will retain his original membership identification number.
2. If a Brother to be reinstated has no membership record in Sentinel, the Valley will report the reinstatement to Computer Services on Form 660 (an electronic form is available upon request). Valleys may email the Form 660 to the Computer Services’ staff. Once the Form 660 is received in the Computer Services office, the staff will create a Sentinel record for the reinstated member, and Sentinel will assign his permanent membership number.
Figure 2.E. Sample of a Report of Reinstatement on Form 660. (An electronic Form 660 is available upon request to the Supreme Council Computer Services. The electronic form can be completed and emailed back to the Computer Services office).
2.5. EXPULSION
Expulsion is the process by which a Brother’s membership in the Scottish Rite is terminated. Valleys will report expulsions via the Sentinel System. Most expulsions are the result of un-masonic conduct. For more information, see Appendix D, A Membership Primer: What happens when a member has Masonic “charges” or other disciplinary action pending against him in the Symbolic (Blue) Lodge?
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2.6. DEATH
A notice of a Brother’s death should be reported immediately via the Sentinel System. For instructions, see the Sentinel Training Manual. If a member is mistakenly reported as deceased, or if a date of death needs to be corrected, contact the Supreme Council Computer Services at 202-232-3579.
2.6.A. Death of a 33° Inspector General Honorary
When a 33° Inspector General Honorary passes away, the Secretary should promptly update the deceased member’s record in the Sentinel System and notify the Sovereign Grand Inspector General or Deputy in his Orient, who should, in turn, notify the Grand Executive Director. Notification should include the date of death. Emailed notification to the Grand Executive Director is acceptable.
2.7. ADDRESS AND NAME CHANGES
To keep up-to-date membership records, the Grand Executive Director depends on the Valley Secretary to report a Brother’s change of address or name change. The Valley should promptly enter all such changes in the Sentinel System. A Brother whose name has changed due to legal action should present the legal document to the Valley Secretary who should in turn submit the document to the Grand Executive Director.
2.8. SPLIT-VALLEY MEMBERSHIP
A brother who is a member of the lower Degrees in one Valley but is a member in another Valley in the upper Degrees is considered to have “split-Valley” membership. For example, the following Valley membership for a Brother is considered as Split-Valley membership.
14° - Lodge – Logan, WV
18° - Chapter – Logan, WV
30° - Council – Charleston, WV
32° - Consistory – Charleston, WV
Although rare, it is possible for a Brother’s Degrees to be distributed among up to four Valleys.
In accordance with the Statutes of the Supreme Council, a Brother must maintain good standing in the lower Degrees in order to remain in good standing in the upper Degrees. If a Brother becomes inactive in his lower Degrees, he will automatically become inactive in the upper Degrees. For example, a suspension in the lower Degrees carries with it suspension in the upper Degrees as well.
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It is important to note that Split-Valley membership is not the same as Dual/Plural membership which is explained in the following section.
2.9. DUAL AND PLURAL MEMBERSHIP
The following sections will define the difference between a Dual membership and a Plural membership. These sections will explain the different types of Dual and Plural memberships, the way these memberships are maintained within the Sentinel database, and the ways in which these memberships are reported to the Supreme Council.
2.9.A. Plural Membership Defined
Dual and Plural memberships are defined as follows:
1. Plural Membership identifies a Brother who holds membership in the Lodge, Chapter, Council, or Consistory in two Valleys located within the same Orient. For example, a Brother is a Plural member when he holds membership in the Lodge, Chapter, Council, or Consistory in the Valley of Dallas, Texas, and also holds membership in the Lodge, Chapter, Council, or Consistory in the Valley of Houston, Texas.
2. Dual Membership among Southern Jurisdiction Valleys identifies a Brother who holds membership in the Lodge, Chapter, Council, or Consistory in two Valleys located in different Orients. For example, a Brother is a Dual member when he holds membership in the Lodge, Chapter, Council, or Consistory in the Valley of Dallas, Texas, and also holds membership in the Lodge, Chapter, Council, or Consistory in the Valley of Gulfport, Mississippi.
3. Dual Membership between two jurisdictions identifies a Brother who holds membership in an Orient in the Southern Jurisdiction and also in the Jurisdiction of another Supreme Council that permits it.
2.9.B. Primary and Secondary Dual/Plural Valley Status
The Valley in which a Brother is affiliated with at the time he applies for Dual or Plural membership with another Valley becomes his “Primary” Valley membership. The Valley to which a Brother affiliates as a Dual or Plural member becomes his “Secondary” Valley membership. This rule applies to Dual status with other jurisdictions as well.
Unless a Brother is a Life Member or exempt from paying dues for other reasons, Dual and Plural Brothers will pay dues to both his Primary and Secondary Valley.
2.9.C. Reporting Dual and Plural Status to the Supreme Council
A Valley may receive and act upon applications for Dual or Plural Membership from a Brother who holds membership in an Orient in the Southern Jurisdiction or in the Jurisdiction of another
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Supreme Council which permits it (Currently, only the Supreme Council of the Northern Jurisdiction, and the Supreme Council of the Philippines recognize Dual Membership without prior approval from both Supreme Councils). An applicant can verify that he is a member in good standing by showing his current dues (identification) card. A Certificate of Good Standing should not be used for Dual Membership purposes, as a CGS is only to be used when a member wishes to demit from his current Valley and affiliate with another Valley. Thus issuing a Certificate of Good Standing may result in the Brother's demission in his current Valley.
After electing such a Brother to membership, the Secretary should report the Dual Member to the Supreme Council. If the Brother is a member of another Valley within the Southern Jurisdiction, his Dual Membership should be reported on the blue Form 440 (Figure 2-F). Plural membership (two Valleys within the same Orient) should also be reported on the blue Form 440.
If the Brother is from the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, his Dual Membership should be reported on Form 44D (Figure 2-G). If the Brother is from the Supreme Council of the Philippines, his Dual Membership should be reported on Form 44E (Figure 2-H). One copy of the completed application should be mailed to our Grand Commander and one copy to the Grand Commander of the other Supreme Council involved. No other report is required.
It is absolutely necessary that Dual and Plural Memberships be reported on the proper forms as outlined above. Form 660 (for reinstatement and affiliations) should not be used for reporting either Dual or Plural Members. Dual and Plural memberships are not regular affiliations and should not be reported as such because regular affiliation involves demission from the member's former Valley.
The Secretary of the Secondary Valley will notify the Secretary of the Brother's Primary Valley that the Brother has been accepted as a Dual or Plural Member as of the date of election.
2.9.D. Dual and Plural Suspension
Suspension of a Dual or Plural member for any reason other than non-payment of Scottish Rite dues carries with it suspension in all Valleys to which the member is affiliated. Upon receiving a report of suspension for other than non-payment of dues (Other Causes), the Supreme Council will process the change in both Valleys to which he belongs.
Valleys report the suspension of a Dual or Plural membership using the Sentinel System.
2.9.E. Dual and Plural Demission
A report of the demission of a Dual or Plural Bother will be used to either terminate the Brother’s status as Dual or Plural in the reporting Valley or to transfer his Dual or Plural status to another Valley.
Valleys report the demission of a Dual or Plural membership using the Sentinel System. Any Valley, upon receiving a notification that a Dual Member from the jurisdiction of another Supreme Council has demitted from his Valley in that jurisdiction, will report this change to the
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Grand Executive Director’s office in writing, as he will no longer be a Dual Member. The Brother will remain on the rolls of the Southern Jurisdiction as a regular affiliated Brother.
2.9.F. Dual Member Retention of Honors from Other Supreme Councils
Dual membership, with retention of any Supreme Council honors which may have been invested or conferred by this or any other Supreme Council, is permitted on a reciprocal basis with other jurisdictions with which we are in amity (Statutes, Article XVII, Sec. 33.4).
2.9.G. Dual Member with NMJ – Nomination for Honors
When a Brother holds a Dual Membership between the Northern and Southern Jurisdictions, he may choose which Valley he wishes to be his Primary Valley for the purpose of allowing him to be eligible for elective office and for further honors. This choice must receive the approval of the Actives or Deputies of the two Orients involved. In each case, the Grand Commanders should be notified of the change.
Here are the Dual and Plural reporting Forms. These forms are also in the Appendix of this manual on pages 112, 114 and 115. Electronic versions are available. Contact Julie Kraus, Supreme Council Computer Services, at 202-777-3115 or email [email protected].
Figure 2.F. FORM 440 for Reporting Dual and Plural Membership within the Southern Jurisdiction
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44D. Form To Be Used Only for Dual Member Applicants from the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction
ANCIENT & ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY
APPLICATION for DUAL JURISDICTION MEMBERSHIP
(Print Name in Full) (Degree) (Primary Valley Member ID # on Dues
Card)
I am a member in good standing of the A&A Scottish Rite, Valley of , Orient of
, in the Jurisdiction.
This is my request for DUAL (secondary) MEMBERSHIP status in the Valley of , Orient of
, in the Jurisdiction.
I understand that in making this application for Dual Membership, the following rules will apply:
a) That the rules and regulations of my primary membership jurisdiction shall continue to apply;
b) That I am not eligible for Honors except in my primary Valley;
c) That in my secondary Valley I may serve on committees or hold an appointed office;
d) That in applying for Dual Membership, I must maintain good standing in both my Masonic
Lodge and primary Scottish Rite Bodies.
____________________________________
Signature of Applicant for Dual Membership
________________________________________________________________________________________
PLEASE ANSWER IN FULL
Mailing Date of Birth: ________________________
Address Place of Birth: __________________________
Present Blue Lodge: No. ___
Location: ______________________________
Residence Work Phone: _____________________________
Address: Home Phone: _____________________________
Date of Primary Valley Scottish Rite Degrees:__________ Lodge: Chapter: ____________
Council: Consistory: Occupation ________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
VALLEY CERTIFICATION
I CERTIFY that I have verified the paid-up dues status of this member’s primary Valley membership. On
this member was voted/accepted as a dual member of this Valley. I have notified the primary Valley Secretary of this action and
have forwarded a copy of this application to him and to the Sovereign Grand Commanders of each jurisdiction.
______________________________________ _____________ ______________________
(Signature of Secondary Valley Secretary) Date Date of Dual Affiliation
Primary Valley Name: Secondary Valley Name: ________________________
Street: Street: _______________________________________
City/State/Zip: City/State/Zip: ________________________________
Phone: Phone: _______________________________________
Figure 2.G. FORM 44D for Reporting Dual Status with the Northern Jurisdiction
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USE THIS FORM TO REPORT DUAL MEMBERS FROM THE PHILIPPINES ONLY
ANCIENT & ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY
APPLICATION for DUAL MEMBERSHIP with The Philippines
Date _
To the officers of the A.& A. Scottish Rite Valley of ______________________________________
I, , am a member in good standing of the A.& A.Scottish Rite
(Print or Type Full Name Above)
Valley of , Orient of Degree _____
Date of Election My dues card expires on _____________________
PLEASE GIVE FULL AND COMPLETE INFORMATION
Street
Address Date of Birth ______________________
Place of Birth _______________________
City State Zip Name, No. and Location of Present Blue Lodge
Permanent Residence Address: No. ____
Location _____________________________
Year You Joined the Scottish Rite _________
Occupation ___________________________
I understand that in making this application for Dual Membership, the following rules will apply:
a) That dues are the same as regular membership in the Bodies to which application is made;
b) That I am not eligible for Honors except in my primary Bodies;
c) That I may serve on committees or hold an appointed office;
d) That my two sponsors must be members of the Bodies to which I am applying;
e) That in applying for Dual Membership, I must provide continuing proof of good standing in my Craft
Lodge and in my primary Scottish Rite Bodies.
f) That the rules and regulations of the Supreme Council for the Philippines shall continue to apply.
___________________________________
Signature (Write Plainly)
I CERTIFY that, as a sponsor, I am personally acquainted with the applicant, and from a confidence in his
integrity and Masonic Worth, do cheerfully recommend that his petition for Dual Membership be granted.
(Signatures of Two Sponsors)
_____________________________________ ______________________________________
Date of Election as Dual Member in the A.&A.S.R., Southern Jurisdiction _____________________
Mail copy of completed form to the Sovereign Grand Commander of each Supreme Council at the address
following:
The Supreme Council, P.O. Box 555, Manila, The Philippines
The Supreme Council, 1733 - 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009-3103
Figure 2-.H. FORM 44E for Reporting Dual Status with the Philippines
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2.10. SENIOR MEMBER PER-CAPITA EXEMPTIONS
The Grand Commander may waive the Supreme Council’s per capita assessment on “Senior Members” (those who are either 80 years of age or have 50 years or more of total membership) who are in financial need in conjunction with their Valley’s waiving their annual dues. For further details, see Section 4.2. of this manual and Statutes of the Supreme Council, Article XVII.
Sec. 26.3.
2.11. ONLINE MEMBER PORTAL (My.ScottishRite.org)
All Scottish Rite members may access the online Member Portal at My.ScottishRite.org or www.ScottishRite.org (click on Pay Your Dues). The Brother will be asked to create a secure account to gain access to his payment information. Using the Member Portal, a Brother may update his contact information, pay his dues, and receive information about his Valley.
For Member Portal service and support, call the Membership Services department at 202-777-3114.
2.12. MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS
Membership statistics are available in the Sentinel System (see the “Welcome to Sentinel” page). These statistical reports list all initiations, affiliations, reinstatements, deaths, demissions, suspensions and expulsions.
2.13. ANNUAL REPORT ON MEMBERSHIP
Annual Reports of all membership activity during a given year are provided to each Valley by the Supreme Council by March 1 of the following year, and a copy is also provided to the Sovereign Grand Inspector General or Deputy of the Orient. Once the Annual Report is processed, it will not be redone in order to incorporate minor changes. Such changes will be entered as part of the next year's activity.
Annual Reports are delivered to the Valleys via the Sentinel System under the “Members” tab on the Sentinel menu bar. On the submenu, choose Supreme Council Reports. See also Chapter 3 in the Sentinel Training Manual.
2.14. MEMBERSHIP CARDS
The Grand Executive Director provides plastic membership cards for all members on the Valley’s roles who are in good standing. Good standing is defined as not suspended, demitted, or expelled. Membership cards are explained in further detail in the following sections.
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2.14.A. Membership Cards for Dues-Paying Members and Dues-Remitted Members
The Executive Director will print and mail membership cards to every Valley each June for dues-paying members and dues-remitted members. These cards will display the dues year for which the card is valid.
The Executive Director will also mail a supply of paper membership cards to each Valley in June. The Valley Secretary can issue these “temporary” paper cards to new members to use until their plastic card is printed and sent to them by the Supreme Council in their New Member Packet.
2.14.B. Gold Life Membership Cards
Gold cards are provided for members who have purchased a Life Membership as well as for members who are considered Life Members after reaching the 50-year mark. Gold cards are not dated because they never expire. These cards are printed on an “as needed” basis. “As needed” is defined as gold cards for new Life Members and replacements for lost or damaged cards. Because gold cards do not expire, gold card holders do not receive a newly printed card each year.
2.14.C. Membership Cards for Initiates
Every Initiate receives a “New Member Packet” from the Supreme Council that includes his membership card. These packets are printed and mailed directly to the Initiates after the Office of the Executive Director receives the Valley’s Form 330, Statement of Fees and Report of Investitures, along with payment of all necessary fees. The Supreme Council urges the Valleys to report its Form 330 promptly so that the new members may be added to the roles and receive their packets in a timely manner.
For additional information regarding Form 330, see Chapter 3 in the Sentinel Training Manual, or contact Computer Services.
2.14.D. Ordering Membership Cards
Valleys may order plastic membership cards from the Supreme Council for a variety of reasons that include the following:
1. Members who are reinstating but were never issued a plastic card 2. Members who are affiliating from another Valley 3. Members who are affiliating from another jurisdiction 4. Members who are affiliating as a Dual or Plural member 5. Members who have purchased a Life Membership (Gold Card) 6. Members who have reached the 50-year mark and are considered
to be Life Members (Gold Card) 7. Members who have lost their original plastic card (There is a $5 replacement fee for lost
cards)
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There are currently five types of plastic card order forms:
1. GOLD CARD 50-Year Order Form 2. GOLD CARD (Lost) Order Form 3. GOLD CARD Paid Life Member Order Form 4. REGULAR DATED CARD (Lost) Order Form 5. REGULAR DATED CARD Order Form
Valleys may obtain these electronic order forms from Supreme Council Computer Services (see also Appendix G.12-G.16: Forms). The Valley may submit the forms to the Supreme Council Computer Services via email, fax, or regular mail. Upon receipt of an order, Computer Services will print and mail the cards to the Valley for distribution. The cards will arrive affixed to a backing sheet that fits into a #9 double-window envelope for mailing.
2.14.E. Signature on Membership Card and Patent
Occasionally, Brethren neglect to sign their identification cards or Patents in the space provided thereon for that purpose. Because this is a serious matter, the members should be cautioned to sign these documents immediately upon receiving them.
2.15. NEW MEMBER PACKETS
The Grand Executive Director will provide every new Initiate with a “New Member Packet.” The packet contains a copy of Presenting the Scottish Rite, a lapel pin, and a plastic membership card. The Office of Membership Services mails the packets directly to the Initiates after the Valley creates a Form 330-Statement of Fees and Report of Investitures in Sentinel. The Supreme Council urges the Valleys to report its Form 330 promptly so that the new members are activated on the roles and sent their packets in a timely manner.
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SECTION 3: VALLEY BILLING SYSTEM (VBS)
The Supreme Council offers a service to Valleys for billing their annual membership dues and for maintaining their members' dues records easily and efficiently. Valleys can enjoy the benefits of computerized billing by using this service and sharing the costs. Each Valley defines its own dues structure and has exclusive control of its members' billing records. Basically, the service generates dues notices for the Valley's members based on the billing and payment information contained in the annual Dues Documentation Form submitted by the Valley (see Appendix G.11). These forms are emailed to participating Valleys by Computer Services prior to the August/September dues notice mailing. Member dues notices are printed, zip code sorted, and mailed at the non-profit bulk postage rate.
3.1. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
Enrolling in the Valley Billing System consists of two main parts: the initial set up phase and, once this has been completed, recurring operations.
1. Set up. The set up phase is a one-time procedure to establish that each member’s dues record is accurate in the Sentinel System.
2. Recurring Operations. Each Valley should promptly enter dues payments in the Sentinel System.
3.2. DUES PROCESSING SCHEDULE
The Supreme Council handles the printing of dues notices three times yearly. The three printings are as follows:
August/September Initial Dues Notices Printed & Mailed (dates may vary)
November Follow-up Dues Notices Printed & Mailed (optional)
March Follow-up Dues Notices Printed & Mailed (optional)
The November and/or March printings are optional. Computer Services will email an opt-in or opt-out form to each Valley Secretary prior to each follow-up printing.
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3.3. DUES REPORTS IN THE SENTINEL SYSTEM
The Valley will find several dues related reports in Sentinel. For specific report details, see the Sentinel Manual, Chapter 5.
3.3.A. Sentinel Reports
Valleys have the option to run predefined reports, such as the Paid/Unpaid roster, the Dues Batch Report and the Dues Payment Processing Report, or to create reports based on Ad-Hoc queries. For more information regarding Sentinel reports, see the Sentinel Training Manual, Chapter 5.
3.3.B. Paid/Unpaid Roster
The Paid/Unpaid report is a cumulative listing of each member's dues status. It will show the member's name, ID number, amount due for the current year and the two previous years (if any), the total amount of dues owed, the date and amount of his last payment and the total amount of dues paid. It also provides a record of contributions to three charity/solicitation fields.
We strongly suggest that Valleys use Sentinel to generate a Paid/Unpaid Roster on a regular schedule to track member payments. For more information, see the Sentinel Training Manual, Chapter 5.
3.4. DUES DOCUMENTATION FORM
Valleys instruct the Supreme Council Computer Services on how to print the Valley’s dues notices by completing a Dues Documentation Form (Appendix G.11). The Computer Services will email the form to Valley Billing System participating Valleys in May. The Valley will return the form by the due date printed on the form.
It is important that these forms be completed accurately and completely and returned to the Computer Service’s office by the due date. Failure to complete the forms accurately and on time could result in a delay of printing the dues notices or in printing incorrect notices.
3.5. DUES NOTICES
The dues notices sent to members on behalf of the Valley will display the Valley's name and return address, any prior balance due, the amount due for the current year and the total amount due. Each member will mail his dues directly to his own Valley in the return envelope provided with the notice. Follow-up notices will be printed in November and the following March for a Valley that elects to participate. All follow-up notices include the message "If dues are current, please disregard." The Supreme Council will contract to have the dues notice forms
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printed, and then bill the participating Valleys for the notices at cost plus postage at the bulk nonprofit rate for each notice.
For pricing details, contact the Supreme Council Office of Finance at 202-232-3579.
3.6. CONTRIBUTION REQUESTS
For Valley members who are exempt from paying dues, such as Life Members and dues-remitted members, the Valley has the option to send a request for contributions to these members when the dues notices are sent out. The Valley will use the Dues Documentation Form to specify which dues exempt members they want to receive a request for contributions. For more information on the Dues Documentation Form, see section 3.4.
3.7. ENTERING DUES PAYMENTS IN SENTINEL
Dues payments must be entered in the Sentinel System as these payments are received by the Valley. Valleys must enter payments in Sentinel in a continuous flow on a regular basis. Prompt dues entry is vital to ensuring that members are presented correct dues balances when accessing their dues payment history online through the Member Portal.
For information regarding the Member Portal see Section 2.11. For instructions on how to enter dues payments in Sentinel, see the Sentinel Training Manual, Chapter 5.
3.8. JOINING THE MEMBERSHIP SERVICES VALLEY BILLING SYSTEM
A Valley wishing to join Membership Services Valley Billing System should notify the Supreme Council Computer Services by emailing [email protected] or calling 202-777-3112. Next, the Supreme Council Computer Services will guide the Valley through the initial setup process.
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SECTION 4: PER-CAPITA ASSESSMENT
Each Valley is required to pay an annual member per capita amount. The amount due is assessed for each level of membership and is based on the following schedule of fees.
Table 1. Per-capita Schedule of Fees
Year Lodge Chapter Council Consistory
2017 $8.80 $4.40 $4.40 $4.40 2018 $9.60 $4.80 $4.80 $4.80 2019 $10.40 $5.20 $5.20 $5.20 2020 $11.20 $5.60 $5.60 $5.60 2021 $12.00 $6.00 $6.00 $6.00
4.1. PER-CAPITA INVOICES
The annual per-capita assessment is a two-part process.
1. The first invoice is a 90% of membership assessment that is mailed to the Valleys in mid-November. The reason that the first invoice is calculated on 90% of membership is because it takes into account that the Valley’s membership numbers may decrease between November and the close of the processing year due to end-of-year losses.
2. The second invoice is for any remaining balance due and is sent to the Valleys in February after the close of the processing year on January 31.
Per Capita payments are due and payable upon receipt of the invoice.
For more information on per-capita invoices, see Statutes of the Supreme Council, Article XI, Sec. 6.
4.2. SENIOR MEMBER PER-CAPITA EXEMPTIONS
The Grand Commander may waive the Supreme Council’s per capita assessment on “Senior Members” (those who are either 80 years of age or have 50 years or more of total membership) who are in financial need in conjunction with their Valley’s waiving their annual dues. Such action is based upon receiving from their Valleys the names and ID numbers of “Senior Members” who meet the foregoing requirements, certifying that their dues have been waived. ”Waivers, when granted by the Grand Commander, will be for one per capita year only.
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By order of the Grand Commander, all senior exemptions will be removed yearly in March and the process begins anew. Valleys are expected to re-assess their senior member list by contacting the Brother to see if his financial circumstances have changed. If a Brother has a “lost” address and cannot be contacted, he is not eligible for the senior exemption because his financial circumstances cannot be confirmed.
4.2.A. Reporting Senior Member Exemptions
The Valley will report senior exemptions on Form 80(s) (see Figure 4.B and Appendix G.20). The form must be signed by the Orient’s Sovereign Grand Inspector General or Deputy. Once the form is received and approved by the Grand Executive Director, the Computer Services staff will insert “this member is senior exempt” under the Brother’s “Member Dues Information” in the Sentinel System (Figure 4-A).
Figure 4.A. Senior Exemption Status is Displayed on the Brother's Profile Screen in Sentinel
A Valley may perform a search in Sentinel to create a list of senior exemptions, but the code cannot be manually added or removed by Valley Sentinel users. Because all senior exemptions must be approved by the Grand Executive Director, all senior additions and deletions are performed by the Supreme Council Computer Services and Membership Services staff.
The schedule for reporting senior member exemptions depends on whether a Valley participates in the Membership Service’s Valley Billing System or if the Valley prints and mails its own dues notices. The deadlines are explained in the following sections.
4.2.A.1. Valley Billing System Valleys Deadline for Reporting Senior Exemptions on Form 80s
For Valley Billing Valleys to ensure that members do not receive a dues notice with a balance due in August, the Valley must submit Form 80(s) between January and May of each year. The Computer Services staff will email a form to each Valley and notify the Valleys of the yearly deadline.
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4.2.A.2. Non-Valley Billing System Deadline for Reporting Senior Exemptions on Form 80s
Valleys that print their own dues notices on their own schedule may report senior exemptions at any time during the year up until December 31. However, keep in mind that the 90% per-capita assessment is performed in mid-November, so it is up to the Valley to submit the Form 80(s) prior to that time in order to have the exemptions deducted from the 90% assessment.
2018 Senior Member Per-Capita Exemptions (Form 80s)
VALLEY: ORIENT:
The following members meet the criteria of the Supreme Council Statutes, Article XVll, SEC. 26. [3], which states:
(3) The Grand Commander may waive the Supreme Council’s per capita assessment on “Senior Members” (those who are either 80 years of age or have 50 years or more of total membership) who are in financial need in conjunction with their Valley’s waiving their annual dues. Such action will be based
upon receiving from their Valleys the names and ID numbers of “Senior Members” who meet the foregoing requirements, certifying that their dues have been waived.”
Waivers, when granted by the Grand Commander, will be for one per capita year only.
Membership Number Name in Full
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Figure 4.B. Form 80(s) for Reporting Senior Member Exemptions (For the complete form with signature line,
see page 133)
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SECTION 5: Fees
The fees for services and supplies are provided in the following sections.
5.1. LETTERS TEMPORARY, PERMANENT CHARTER, AND RELATED FEES
LODGE OF PERFECTION Letters Temporary ................................................................................................................ $60.00 Permanent Charter ................................................................................................................. 70.00 1 Revised Standard Pike Ritual on CD (4°-32°) ............................... (Loaned to Valley Secretary) 1 Scottish Rite Ritual, Monitor and Guide .............................................................................. 63.75 1 Grand Constitutions ............................................................................................................ 29.00 1 Morals and Dogma (Valley orders for new candidates) ...................................................... 25.00 1 Morals and Dogma (other) .................................................................................................. 75.00 1 A Bridge to Light (ordered by Valley) .................................................................................... 5.00 Supreme Council Fee on Initiate, Lodge of Perfection Degrees (31 years and older) ............ 8.00 Supreme Council Fee on Initiate, Lodge of Perfection Degrees (30 years and younger) ....... 6.00 Per Capita Assessment, Annual, Lodge of Perfection ....................................................................
(2017 payable 2/18 - $8.80; 2018 payable 1/19 - $9.60; 2019 payable 1/20 - $10.40; 2020 payable 1/21 - $11.20; 2021 payable 1/22 - $12.00)
CHAPTER OF ROSE CROIX
Letters Temporary ................................................................................................................ $75.00 Permanent Charter ............................................................................................................... 100.00 1 Revised Standard Pike Ritual on CD (4°-32°) .............................. (Loaned to Valley Secretary) Supreme Council Fee on Initiate, Chapter of Rose Croix Degrees (31 years and older) ........ 5.00 Supreme Council Fee on Initiate, Chapter of Rose Croix Degrees (30 years and younger) ... 3.00 Per Capita Assessment, Annual, Chapter of Rose Croix .............................................................. (2017 payable 2/18 - $4.40; 2018 payable 1/19 - $4.80; 2019 payable 1/20 - $5.20; 2020 payable 1/21 - $5.60; 2021 payable 1/22 - $6.00)
COUNCIL OF KADOSH
Letters Temporary ................................................................................................................ $75.00 Permanent Charter ............................................................................................................... 100.00 1 Revised Standard Pike Ritual on CD (4°-32°) ............................... (Loaned to Valley Secretary) Supreme Council Fee on Initiate, Council of Kadosh Degrees (31 years and older) .............. 5.00 Supreme Council Fee on Initiate, Council of Kadosh Degrees (31 years and younger) ......... 3.00 Per Capita Assessment, Annual, Council of Kadosh ...................................................................... (2017 payable 2/18 - $4.40; 2018 payable 1/19 - $4.80; 2019 payable 1/20 - $5.20; 2020 payable 1/21 - $5.60; 2021 payable 1/22 - $6.00)
CONSISTORY
Letters Temporary ............................................................................................................... $90.00 Permanent Charter ............................................................................................................... 120.00 1 Revised Standard Pike Ritual on CD (4°-32°) .............................. (Loaned to Valley Secretary) Supreme Council Fee on Initiate, Consistory Degrees (31 years and older) .......................... 5.00 Supreme Council Fee on Initiate, Consistory Degrees (30 years and younger) ..................... 3.00
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32° Patent (31 years and older)…………………………………………………………………..8.00 32° Patent (31 years and younger………………………………………………………………..7.00 Per Capita Assessment, Annual, Council of Consistory ................................................................ (2017 payable 2/18 - $4.40; 2018 payable 1/19 - $4.80; 2019 payable 1/20 - $5.20; 2020 payable 1/21 - $5.60; 2021 payable 1/22 - $6.00)
5.2. REMITTANCE OF FEES
All orders and reports should be accompanied by the required fees. (See Statutes of the Supreme Council, Article XI, Secs. 5 and 6.) Checks should be made payable to "THE SUPREME COUNCIL, 33°," unless it is specified to do otherwise, and all envelopes containing checks should be addressed to "THE SUPREME COUNCIL, 33°, 1733 - 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-3103," including checks in payment of Membership Services (Valley Billing Service) invoices and checks payable to the Scottish Rite Foundation.
In every case payments should be accompanied by a letter or memo explaining what it is for, or the purpose should be indicated on the memo line of the check itself. Checks in payment of an invoice should include the number of the invoice.
It is especially important that checks or drafts bear the signature/s of the proper officer/s. This will avoid inconveniences and delays. Checks are acceptable at face value only if banks do not make a charge for cashing them.
If different types of mail (checks, Form 330s, Form 660s, Lady's Certificate applications, etc.) are combined in one large envelope, the envelope should be addressed to "THE SUPREME COUNCIL" and the items inside should be categorized in smaller envelopes labeled according to the enclosures, such as the following:
MEMBERSHIP CHANGES
VALLEY BILLING PAYMENTS/CHANGES
LADY'S CERTIFICATE APPLICATIONS
5.3. SUPREME COUNCIL INITIATE FEES
The Valley is required to pay the Supreme Council a portion of the fees assessed on Brothers who complete some or all Degrees. These fees are broken down by Lodge, Chapter, Council, and Consistory (Table 2).
Additionally, in 1972, the Supreme Council provided a provision, pursuant to the Statutes of the Supreme Council, including, among others, the provisions of Article IV, Section 26, that allows the Sovereign Grand Inspectors General and Deputies of the Supreme Council, in their discretion, to reduce by not more than one-half the fees for young men who petition for, are elected, and in due course complete our Degrees prior to their thirty-first birthday. In these
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cases the Subordinate Bodies shall be required to pay the Supreme Council only the proportionate fees as follow:
Table 2. Supreme Council Initiation Fees Required
5.4. PATENT, CERTIFICATE, AND TUCK FEES
Table 3 displays the costs for various patents, certificate and tucks.
Table 3. Fees for Patents, Certificates, and Tucks
*If the Patent or certificate is issued incorrectly and was not the result of an error on the Valley's Form 330 report, the Supreme Council will replace the Patent at no charge to the Valley. If the error was the Valley's, it should remit the fee for a corrected Patent along with its order for a replacement.
30 YEARS OR YOUNGER 31 YEARS AND OLDER
LODGE $6.00 $8.00
CHAPTER $3.00 $5.00
COUNCIL $3.00 $5.00
CONSISTORY $3.00 $5.00
32° PATENT $7.00 $8.00
$22.00 $31.00
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Also, duplicate patents are issued upon request. The fee for a duplicate Patent should be included with the request.
5.5. LABEL AND ROSTER FEES
Mailing labels, member rosters, Valley Sojourner labels and rosters can be produced by the Valley using the Sentinel System. For instructions on creating these labels and rosters see the Sentinel Training Manual, Chapter 3. If the Valley is unable for any reason to produce labels and rosters, they may be ordered.
Jurisdiction-wide Sojourner mailing labels and rosters must be ordered from the Supreme Council Computer Services as well as any other mailing labels and rosters that the Valley cannot produce. The following sections provide instructions for ordering labels and rosters.
5.5.A. Valley Mailing Labels
Pressure sensitive (pull off - stick on Avery 5160) mailing labels, in either alphabetical order or zip-code sequence, may be ordered from the Supreme Council. Should a Valley need a duplicate set of labels or a duplicate roster, it should request two copies when placing its order. Orders should be placed using the appropriate order form (See Appendix G.18).
1. Valley Labels in alphabetical order or zip-code sequence:
Pressure Sensitive - Peel-off, stick-on labels, 30 labels per sheet (Avery 5160). These labels have to be attached to mailing material manually.
Original Set = 3¢ per name
Duplicate Set = 3¢ per name
2. Valley members in Special Zip-code Areas (send zip codes when ordering, arranged in numerical order. Example: 25968, 25930, 25932-25940, 25942, 25944-25947.
Original Set = 3¢ per name
Duplicate Set = 3¢ per name
3. Sojourner (Orient or Jurisdiction-wide). Sojourners are members of other Scottish Rite Valleys who are living in your Valley's zip-code areas. Mailing labels for Sojourners who are Brothers in Valleys within your Orient may be created by using the Sentinel System (See the Sentinel Training Manual, Chapter 6). Sojourner mailing labels for Brothers in Valleys in Other Orients who are living within
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your Valley’s zip-code area must be ordered from the Supreme Council Computer Services.
Original Set = 3¢ per name
Duplicate Set = 3¢ per name
5.6. Membership and Sojourner Rosters
Valleys may order membership or Sojourner One-line Rosters from the Supreme Council Computer Services using the order form displayed in Appendix G.19. These rosters may be displayed in alphabetical or zip-code order. A One-line Roster includes the Brother’s identification number, full name, address, Degree, levels of membership in your Valley, and occupation. See the sample One-line Roster in Figure 5.A. The cost is $6.90 per 1,000 names printed.
Figure 5.A. Sample of a One-line Membership Roster
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SECTION 6: CERTIFICATES
The next sections will explain the following certificates and provide ordering instructions when applicable:
1. Twenty-five Year 2. Fifty Year 3. Certificate of Good Standing 4. Certificate of Membership for Initiates 5. Lady’s Certificate
6.1. TWENTY-FIVE YEAR CERTIFICATE
A Valley may present a certificate to Brothers who have reached 25 years of membership. The Office of the Executive Director provides 25-Year certificates to Valleys at no cost other than the shipping charge. To order 25-Year Certificates, contact the Office of the Executive Director at 202-232-3579.
It is not necessary for the Valley to submit the names of its 25-year members to the Office of the Executive Director for verification of their eligibility. The Valley verifies the twenty-five years of membership and personalizes the certificates in-house for presentation as it sees fit and proper.
Figure 6.A. Sample of a Blank 25-Year Certificate.
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6.2. FIFTY-YEAR CERTIFICATE
Any 14° member in good standing in the Southern Jurisdiction who was initiated fifty or more calendar years ago is eligible to receive a Fifty-year Membership Certificate and lapel pin. (See Statutes of the Supreme Council, Art. XIII, Sec. 21.)
Figure 6.B. Sample of a Completed 50-Year Certificate
Because our Valleys now use the Sentinel System to access and update their members’ records, the Valley can easily produce a list of their potential 50-year members, based on the 14° initiation dates (Valleys should refer to the Sentinel Training Manual for instructions.) In addition, in Sentinel the Valley can view an image of the Supreme Council’s original record card of each member to verify whether the Brother had any breaks in his membership exceeding one year. With this information the Valley can make its own determination regarding the eligibility of its potential 50-year members.
The Statutes of the Supreme Council state that a Brother in good standing “who became a member…fifty or more calendar years prior to the current year is entitled to recognition as such.” The Valley has the option of waiving any breaks in service per action of the Supreme Council in 1995. Certainly we want to encourage those members who are active in the Fraternity in every way possible, and recognizing the 50th anniversary of their initiation is one
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way to do that. The verified list of potential 50-Year members may be emailed to the Office of the Executive Director for processing.
Accordingly, the Supreme Council now assumes that all of the members submitted by the Valley for the 50-year award have been verified and deemed eligible by the Valley, and we shall process the 50-Year Certificates and mail them, along with the lapel pins, to the Valley for presentation to the awardees.
A Brother's years of active membership in the jurisdiction of another Supreme Council with which this Supreme Council has relations in amity count towards his fifty-year eligibility, but the Secretary must request from the member's former Bodies written verification of his 14° initiation date and his continuous membership in the other Jurisdiction, or the dates of any break(s) in his membership. Such verification should accompany the Secretary's submission to the Grand Executive Director requesting the Brother's fifty-year award. To allow adequate time for processing and mailing, Valleys should send their requests for fifty-year awards to this office at least 30 days prior to the date of their presentation ceremony.
The Supreme Council supplies a Fifty-year Certificate and lapel pin at no cost other than the shipping charge for each member whose record confirms his fifty-year eligibility. Duplicate certificate charge is $5 each, including shipping charge. If a fifty-year member wants a cap, either the Valley or the recipient must pay for it. Caps are available from the following suppliers:
Fraternal Supplies Inc. 80 S. Railroad Street New London, OH 44851-1268 Telephone (800) 345-3682 or (419) 929-1523 Fax (419) 929-0047 Website: www.fraternalsupplies.com
New London Regalia Mfg. & US Sword Co. One Harmony Place New London, OH 44851 Telephone (800) 634-8253 or (419) 929-1516 Fax (419) 929-0122 Website: www.newlondonregalia.com
D. Turin & Co., Inc. 8045 W. 26th Court Hialeah, FL 33016-2797 Telephone (800) 982-2004 or (305) 825-2004 Fax (305) 364-0786 Website: www.turinfez.com E-mail: [email protected]
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6.3. CERTIFICATE OF GOOD STANDING
A Certificate of Good Standing is used to for transferring membership from one Valley to another within the Southern Jurisdiction. The certificate confirms to the affiliating Valley that a Brother’s current dues are paid and that the Brother is eligible for transfer.
For complete Certificate of Good Standing details, see Section 2.2.A.2 and Appendix G.8.
6.4. CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP FOR INITIATES
Secretaries may supply a newly-invested Brother with a certificate to be used until the Supreme Council has issued him a Patent. A suggested form follows:
ANCIENT & ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY
SOUTHERN JURISDICTION, U.S.A.
CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP (Valid only for twelve months from date of issue.)
The Statutes, Article XVII, Section 32, states:
*** a Body which has conferred Degrees may furnish to the member receiving the same a Certificate showing his investiture with the Degrees thus conferred. This Certificate will, for twelve months, entitle the member to be received and acknowledged as having received the Degrees stated on his Certificate.
This is to certify that Brother , who received the Scottish Rite Degrees as follows: 14° on , 18° on ,
30° on , 32° on , and whose present address is ________________________________________________________ is a member in good standing (and possesses all the Degrees of each unless otherwise specifically stated) of the following named Bodies of this Rite, sitting in the Valley of , Orient of _____________________ Viz.:
Lodge of Perfection
Chapter of Rose Croix
Council of Kadosh
Consistory
Dated , 20___ (SEAL) (signed) , Secretary
Address ____________________________________
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6.5. LADIES’ CERTIFICATES
Ladies' Certificates may be ordered for wives, widows, mothers, sisters, and/or daughters (natural or legally adopted) of all Brethren in good standing in Scottish Rite Bodies of the Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. An application (Form 990) for such certificate should include the lady's full given name (not the name of the male member of her family), her age category (under or over twenty-one), her residence, her relationship to the Brother through whose membership she is entitled to receive a Lady's Certificate, the full name of the Brother, his highest Degree or honor attained, and his residence. Applicants must be at least seven years of age. Applications should be sent to the Grand Executive Director's office through the Secretary of the Bodies of which the Brother is a member. The Supreme Council's charge for this certificate is $5.00 each and payment should be sent with the order (See Statutes of the Supreme Council, Article XI, Section 3.2.)
For order forms, see Appendix G.17.
Figure 6.C. Ladies Certificate
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SECTION 7: Valley Membership Achievement Program (VMAP)
The purpose of Membership Services is to work with our Orients, Valleys, and members to achieve the best possible Scottish Rite experience, and the Valley Membership Achievement Program (VMAP) is our most important tool in meeting our membership goals.
The intent of VMAP is to help each Valley carry out its service to the Scottish Rite by providing the very best experience for its members. VMAP requirements are broken into the following 11 specific subject areas which cover the full scope of the Scottish Rite experience:
1. Membership Retention / Engagement 2. Scottish Rite Education for Members 3. Membership Recruitment 4. New Member Engagement 5. Reunion Experience 6. Scottish Rite Education for Candidates 7. Philanthropy 8. Public Image 9. Degree Conferral Proficiency 10. Officer Responsibilities & Engagement 11. Valley Organizations
7.1. VMAP ENROLLMENT
VMAP was created by the Scottish Rite Brethren who attended the 2014 Scottish Rite Leadership Workshops. Valleys enroll yearly in the program which runs for 12 months at a time aligned with the calendar year. Enrollment in VMAP is voluntary, but we greatly urge all Valleys to take advantage of this program that works to actively engage every member in the life and work of their Valley.
Enrollment in VMAP begins each year on January 1. Valleys wishing to participate complete an enrollment form included in the VMAP Workbook which is available on the Supreme Council’s
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website at www.scottishrite.org. In fact, all the tools and information that your Valley will need are available on our site. Look for the following link on our main page:
Figure 7-7.A. VMAP Link to Subscribe at www.ScottishRite.org
7.2. VMAP 2018 INSTRUCTIONS AND SCHEDULE
The VMAP achievement period covers one calendar year, from January 1st until December 31. All activities must take place during that time frame to count for achievement.
1. Download the 2018 VMAP Enrollment Form & Workbook in both fillable and static PDF formats at https://scottishrite.org/vmap/vmap-workbook-2018/
2. Submit the 2018 VMAP Enrollment Form to the Grand Executive Director by February 28,, 2018.
3. Complete all mandatory and the minimum required number of optional tasks in each
subject area.
4. Submit the completed 2018 VMAP Workbook to the Grand Executive Director by
December 31, 2018.
7.3. VMAP RECOGNITION AND AWARDS
Valleys that elect to participate in VMAP will receive a certificate of participation during the first year. Valleys that complete and turn in their VMAP Workbook at the end of the year will receive a congratulatory letter from the Sovereign Grand Commander. Valleys that reach specific thresholds in each of the 11 separate Subject Areas will receive a VMAP achievement plaque (for the first year of this achievement only) or a brass plate engraved with the year for subsequent achievements. These Valleys will also receive VMAP achievement lapel pins for
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each named participating member in the Valley. Near the end of the year, sign and mail or email the completed VMAP Workbook to the Grand Executive Director
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SECTION 8: BOOKS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS
8.1. SCOTTISH RITE RITUALS
It is not permissible to print, publish, or distribute any pictures or illustrations of any part of the Rituals, Rubrics, costumes, scenery, properties, forms, or ceremonies used in the conferring of the Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of the Southern Jurisdiction, or to print in a program or other publication issued by the Bodies any extract from, explanation or synopsis of any of the Degrees, or to present any part of the Degrees anywhere at any time except in a tiled meeting or for the purpose of communication or rehearsal, and then only before those who are entitled to be present. (Statutes of the Supreme Council, Article XII, Section 3.5)
The Secretary is the custodian of the Rituals loaned to the Bodies (copies on CD as well as any printed copies) and is responsible for their safekeeping at all time. When the Rituals need to be used by a properly authorized member of the Valley, the printed copies (not the CD) should be signed out by the recipient and returned as soon as possible so that the Secretary will know at all times where these important documents are. The Secretary must confirm to the Grand Archivist each January that they are in possession of the Ritual CD, and provide an inventory of any printed Rituals in their possession. The Ritual CD may not be loaned or copied, nor be removed from the Secretary’s office.
For information regarding Rituals, contact Arturo DeHoyos ([email protected]).
8.2. ALBERT PIKE’S MORALS AND DOGMA: ANNOTATED EDITION
It is strongly recommended that every candidate for the Scottish Rite degrees be provided with a copy of Albert Pike’s Morals & Dogma: Annotated Edition. The book is available only in multiples of 6, and will cost $25 per copy. Thus, a case of 6 will cost $150 plus shipping & handling. This price is a discount of $50 from the retail cost of $75, and each Valley will save $300 per case. Please note that this price is to be used only in placing Valley orders for our new Brethren, all orders for current members must go through our retail store.
If the Valley would like to pay with a credit card, they may place their order on the webstore. They should use their Valley account to access the discounted items. If there are any problems accessing the Valley account, please contact Stuart Pool to set up the account: [email protected] or 202-777-3198.
If the Valley would like to be invoiced for their purchase, they must contact Stuart Pool to place the order: [email protected] or 202-777-3198.
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8.3. A BRIDGE TO LIGHT
A Bridge to Light is required for each candidate. The Supreme Council supplies copies of A Bridge to Light book to each Valley for $5.00 per book (32 books per box) so that a copy may be presented to each new 14° initiate. Copies of the book may also be sold to other members from the Valley's inventory.
If the Valley would like to pay with a credit card, they may place their order on the webstore. They should use their Valley account to access the discounted items. If there are any problems accessing the Valley account, please contact Joshua Poole to set up the account: [email protected] or 202-777-3198.
If the Valley would like to be invoiced for their purchase, they must contact Joshua Poole to place the order: [email protected] or 202-777-3198.
8.4. THE SCOTTISH RITE JOURNAL
The Scottish Rite Journal, the official publication of the Supreme Council, is published every two months and mailed to all members with active membership status in Bodies of the Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A.
Members receive the Journal at no cost. Nonmembers or members wishing to purchase additional subscriptions may do so through the Scottish Rite store at www.ScottishRite.org.
8.4.A. Scottish Rite Journal Delivery Processes
The Scottish Rite Journal is mailed as Special Standard Mail and, as such, is not entitled to the forwarding privilege accorded First-class mail. If the member's address on the Journal is no longer valid, the Post Office provides the new addresses in an electronic file that is downloaded directly into the Sentinel System, and the Post Office charges the Supreme Council for each address-change notification. Therefore, to control costs and to ensure that Brothers continue to receive the Journal, Valleys should maintain up-to-date member addresses in Sentinel.
A member who is reported demitted, suspended, or deceased is deleted from the Journal mailing list and cannot be restored thereon unless the Supreme Council receives official notification that he has been affiliated or reinstated, or that the report of his death was in error.
8.4.B. Address Matching and the Scottish Rite Journal
The addresses on the Scottish Rite Journal and the annual dues renewal statements are certified using the USPS Intelligent Mail (IMBc/ACS) barcode. As a result, the addresses on these mailings are matched against the official U.S. Post Office national address file. Addresses that are changed as a result of this matching are reported to the Supreme Council electronically and are identified In Sentinel on a Brother’s Profile screen as Change Type, “USPS ACS.”
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8.5. Presenting the Scottish Rite
Presenting the Scottish Rite is an 82-page quick-reference booklet that includes information such as Scottish Rite history, structure, membership features, philanthropy, and education.
Presenting the Scottish Rite may be ordered in units of 25 at $1.10 per booklet plus shipping. To order, contact Judy Fletcher at [email protected] or call 202-777-3114.
8.6. Pamphlets
The pamphlets listed below are available at no cost other than the shipping charge to Secretaries of the Valleys in the Southern Jurisdiction for membership expansion and educational activities. To order, call the Office of the Executive Director at 202-232-3579.
A Circle from Childhood to Childhood (Scottish Rite Foundation Guidelines to Planned Giving)
Freemasonry and Religion
Freemasonry – What is it?
H.E.L.P. – Help Eliminate Language & Learning Problems in Children
Masonry Beyond the Third Degree
Only Through Masonic Unity Do the Best Get Better
Rite Care: Scottish Rite Masons Helping Children Communicate
Supreme Council Guidelines for Dynamic and Successful Membership Maintenance and Expansion
Thoughts about America
To a Non-Mason: You Must Seek Masonic Membership (Clausen)
Your Decision to Leave – or Not to Leave—the Scottish Rite
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SECTION 9: GENERAL COUNSEL
The Supreme Council has a full time General Counsel, Barbara Golden, on its staff. Ms. Golden can be reached by telephone at [email protected] or by calling (202) 777-3163.
In the following sections, Ms. Golden provides information about legal issues that commonly arise in Valleys and Orients or in non-profit organizations generally. Officers should review this information as it will help them to recognize potential current and future legal problems in their Orients and Valleys.
9.1. HIRING GUIDELINES
Employees can be hired “at will” or “by contract.” The term, “at will” means that the employer can terminate the employee’s employment at any time and for any reason (other than an illegal reason), and the employee can quit his/her employment at any time and for any reason. State laws define “at will” and any exceptions to the “at will” rule in that state, such as firings for racial or sexual discrimination, firing due to actions of whistleblowers, or firings that are against public policy, etc.
Employment “by contract” means that there is a written document that sets forth the terms and conditions of the employment arrangement between the employer and employee. In some states and localities, courts have held that oral statements, verbal promises and/or written email communications constituted a valid and enforceable contract under state or local law. As a result, if an employer does not intend to change the employee’s status from “at will,” the employer (and any agent of the employer) must be careful not to say anything or send an email communication that could change the employee’s status, i.e. they should not say something like, “Fred, don’t worry; we’ll keep you on until the day you die.”
Some employers have been held liable for damages sustained by an applicant for employment because they made a candidate an offer of employment that he/she accepted and then they withdrew the offer. If the candidate has changed his or her position based on the accepted offer, i.e., they quit their current job based on the offer, then a court may award that person damages caused by the job loss.
If an employer wants an employee to be “at will,” the employer should say so in any written offers of employment, in any employment manual, and in all job descriptions the employer provides to employees or prospective employees. If the employee is not going to be “at will,” then then the employer should have a written employment contract that sets forth all the terms of employment, including whether the position is full-time or part-time, exempt or not exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), if the employee will be paid on a salaried or hourly basis, if there is any vacation, sick leave and other benefits that will be offered, and when and how the employer can terminate the employee’s employment. An employment law
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attorney licensed in the state in which the position is located should be used to write any employment contracts or hiring letters.
Remember that oral statements or verbal promises and written email communications can sometimes constitute a contract under state law, so be careful not to say anything or send an email that would change an employee from “at will” to not at will. (i.e. don’t say “Fred, don’t worry; we’ll keep you on until the day you die.”)
9.2. PERSONNEL RECORDS AND INTERVIEW NO-NOS
Employees must complete certain required IRS and INS forms to prove citizenship/right to work and for tax withholding. Any such completed paperwork must be kept in the employee’s personnel file and access strictly limited. Under certain federal, state and local laws, an employer cannot ask a candidate for employment about arrests and convictions, or conduct a criminal background check or credit check before making an offer of employment; and after giving the offer of employment, these investigations are allowed only in certain narrow circumstances. In addition, in interviews, an employer should not ask about marital status, children, or disabilities, but can ask candidates if there is anything that may prevent the candidate from working the required hours or performing any of the required duties. Check with a local employment law attorney for more information.
Employers must keep all personnel forms separate and locked up with extremely limited access to the files. Any health and financial information should be encrypted and access limited if stored on the computer; if kept as hard copy, the files should be under lock and key.
9.3. EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION-OVERTIME OR EXEMPT UNDER FLSA.
The Department of Labor (DOL) says all employees are to be paid minimum wage and overtime unless the employer can prove the employee falls into one of the categories that are exempt from overtime. The exemptions are: Administrative (which requires exercise of discretion on important matters, not secretarial duties); Professionals (including attorneys, doctors, CPAs, and some creative professionals); Executive (highly compensated employees who are regularly making important business decisions); certain Computer Professionals; and Outside Sales Professionals. Job titles are not determinative of exempt status - the DOL will look at the employees’ actual duties and their rates of pay. If an employer is not sure about how to classify an employee, the employer should here a licensed employment attorney to help. An employee who is classified as non-exempt may not get compensatory time in place of overtime pay, and any employer who violates this rule may incur large penalties and be subject to a DOL audit of all its employees. Employers often misclassify an employee as an independent contractor and issue a 1099 form to the employee. However, if an employer has control over the person’s duties and time, and the work the individual is doing is typically done by an employee, then the
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person is probably not an independent contractor. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) currently is focusing on this independent contractor vs. employee issue. Classification of employees is complex, and there are strong penalties if an employer classifies an employee improperly, so if in doubt, ask a lawyer.
9.4. EMPLOYEE PAY, POSTERS, AND FMLA
State and local laws dictate when an employer must pay its employees, whether the employees need to fill out time cards, and whether an employer must provide certain benefits to employees for sickness, vacation, funeral attendance, or jury duty (for example, DC law requires employers to give all employees an unpaid day of leave so they can attend their child’s school activity or parent-child conference. DC law also mandates a certain number of hours of sick and safe leave).
The federal government and state governments require an employer to post certain Employment Law Posters in areas where employees can easily see them – examples are Minimum Wage, Sick and Safe Leave, OSHA, FMLA/ADA/EEOC/Military leave posters. Some of these posters must be used by all employers; others, by only large employers. Employers should check their state and local laws to find the applicable rules.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)—under FMLA, if an employer has more than 50 employees, the employer must provide 12 weeks of unpaid leave to an employee with a serious medical condition or whose family member has such a medical condition or for caregivers of military veterans with serious health issues. Some states may have different requirements (DC mandates 16 weeks of leave for employers with 20 or more employees). There is also intermittent leave available. An employer should make sure to check state and local laws to determine if FMLA or similar state law applies to the employer’s workforce and follow the law if it does.
9.5. DISCRIMINATION AND WHISTLEBLOWERS
Employers must ensure that neither they nor their managers discriminate against candidates for employment or employees based on sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, etc. Some states include other categories (e.g., appearance and sexual orientation). Check local law and remember to enforce policies consistently and in a neutral manner. Employers should have policies prohibiting sexual harassment and a process for the employee to go to an independent third party if the alleged harasser happens to be the employee’s supervisor.
If an employee has a reasonable suspicion of criminal or financial wrongdoing and complains to a regulatory agency or to an internal person with authority to correct or stop the alleged wrongdoing (i.e., the employee is deemed a whistleblower), an employer should not fire that employee for filing the complaint. Only if the employee has been a problem employee for a
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while, the employer has written documentation to show that the firing is the result of those issues rather than the whistleblowing complaint, and the documentation precedes the whistleblower’s complaint can the employer fire the complainant. But, the employer should talk to an employment lawyer first about how to proceed in such cases as there are serious federal and state law penalties for taking adverse actions against whistleblowers for their whistleblowing, including in some states, criminal prosecution and personal liability.
9.6. DISCIPLINARY ACTION PRACTICES
Any employee manual should provide that employees can be subject to discipline if they violate workplace rules, should describe the violations that can result in discipline, and should outline what the discipline might be. Employers must follow the stated policies and apply them in a consistent manner across the workforce to avoid any liability for disciplining an employee.
If an employee violates a work place rule, there are sufficient facts to show a violation, and the employee is to be disciplined, then the employer and a third party (e.g. such as a human resources staff member) should meet with the employee in private to provide discipline. An employer should not meet with the employee to be disciplined alone as that can result in a “he said/she said” situation. Explain to the employee why the employee is being disciplined (an employer cannot be vague in this case; if the employer cannot point to any specific issues, why is the employer disciplining the employee?). At the meeting, the employer should provide the employee with a written plan that the employee should follow in the future to avoid further problems (i.e., an employee improvement plan).
In the disciplinary meeting, the employer should give the employee a written warning sheet, presenting the known facts that constitute the violation and presenting the improvement plan. Ask the employee to sign it to show receipt and not to show agreement with it (the statement should say “I am only signing this form to show I received it”). The employee should have the opportunity to explain their side of the story as well. The written documentation should be placed in the employee’s personnel file. Later, if the employee is terminated and alleges an improper firing, the documentation will be part of the employer’s evidence in any hearing.
9.7. FIRING PRACTICES (At Will Employees)
If the employee is an “at will” employee, and the applicable state law doesn’t have specific requirements for termination of “at will” employees, an employer who is ready to terminate an employee should meet with the employee privately with a third-party witness in the room. The employer should simply thank the employee for his/her past work on behalf of the organization and tell the employee that their employment is terminated. The employer should then give the employee a written letter telling the employee when he/she can expect his/her last paycheck, and providing any required notices, such as COBRA coverage, Affordable Care Act Information, etc. The employer should not indicate to this “at will” employee that the termination is “for
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cause” even if the employee presses the employer for a reason for the termination. Simply reiterate that the employee is an “at will” employee who can be terminated at any time for any reason or no reason.
Employer’s should double check federal and state law requirements about when the last paycheck has to be paid, whether unused but accrued vacation and/or sick leave must be paid, and what notices are required to be provided to the employee under the law.
9.8. FIRING PRACTICES (NOT AT WILL EMPLOYEES)
If the employee is not “at will,” then the employment contract between the employer and the employee should be followed in terminating the employee’s employment. Consult an attorney with any questions about what the contract says the employer can do to terminate the employee and have the attorney draft the termination notice. The employer must be sure to follow the contract and any state and local laws regarding notices that have to be provided to the employee, such as COBRA, and concerning any payments that need to be made to the employee for accrued vacation/sick leave.
Employee references--Caution: the best practice is to give title, dates of employment and pay rate so that the employee cannot sue the employer for giving him/her a bad reference to be protected from a lawsuit by the employee’s next employer alleging that they based their hiring on false information given by the prior employer.
9.9. OPERATIONS PRACTICES
The following three sections describe computer policies, HIPAA, and related entities such as Language Clinics.
9.9.A. Computers:
Any employment manual should have a policy on employee’s use of computers and social media that provides that no employee has any expectation of privacy if they use the employer’s computers (other than communications regarding conditions of employment or wages that are allowed under the federal labor laws and communications with their private attorneys and doctors). As for website/social media accounts set up in the organization’s name, the employer should state they own any such accounts and the employee must provide the passwords, etc. if the employee is terminated. Employees who use their personal social media accounts at work should be warned to comply with trademark and copyright laws and to be sure to state that their opinions are their own and not the employer’s.
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9.9.B. HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996):
The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically. If a Valley or Foundation has any health records on employees or on clients at a child language clinic (records on child language disorders are “health records”), those health records must be kept separate from other records, must be kept under lock and key if hard copy, or encrypted if on the computer; the access to such records absolutely must be limited in accordance with HIPAA rules; and the Hi-tech rules under HIPAA have to be followed when there is any electronic transmission of health information to anyone including insurance carriers. The Valley or Foundation must provide disclosure statements and privacy policies to clinic clients. HIPAA is very complicated, and the Active or Deputy needs to consult an attorney with expertise in HIPAA to help the Valley and Foundations comply with the law.
9.9.C. Related Entities (e.g., Scottish Rite Childhood Language Centers, Corporations Owning Masonic Buildings, Corporations Jointly Owned by Masonic Groups, Foundations):
Upon becoming a Deputy or SGIG, an individual should find out all of the related corporations that have been established in their Orient. Are they charitable foundations, title-holding companies or some other type of entity? The Active and Deputy should review the entities’ Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and determine whether those documents are in compliance with the statutes of the Supreme Council and the relevant state’s laws If not, they must be amended to comply. The Active and Deputy must ensure that the corporations follow the procedures set forth in the Articles and Bylaws for amending corporate documents, for nominations, for elections, for meeting notices etc. If the Articles and Bylaws were written years ago, have an attorney with experience in non-profits update them, but make sure to provide the attorney with the relevant Supreme Council statutes so they can incorporate the proper provisions into their updated documents.
The Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of any foundation or corporation need to state that the corporation/foundation is subject to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction (See Article XV, Section 23 [6]); their Articles and Bylaws must provide for the governing boards to be elected or appointed by a Body of the Scottish Rite (See Article XV Section 23 [5]; and the articles and bylaws should state that upon dissolution of the corporation or foundation, the entity’s assets must go to another 501(c)3 organization under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Council ( See Article XV, Section 23 [7]).
Actives and Deputies should be careful about the long term consequences of having self-perpetuating boards; be sure to have term limits as the same people should not be in control of a board for too long. Also, be very careful about having non-Masons on a board. The Active and Deputy may want to ensure that the Scottish Rite maintains control by mandating that they hold a significant number (i.e. 60% or 66%) of the board seats at any one time (i.e., if the board is 51% Scottish Rite, and one member votes with the other 49%, the Scottish Rite has lost control).
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If a local Foundation or Valley is engaged in any type of fundraising, the Active and Deputy must make sure it is in compliance with federal, state and local law, including filing any required registration to solicit donations in the state or in other states, any rules regarding holding contests or raffles, direct mail rules, advertising and endorsement rules, rules related to marketing to minors and regulations about sending solicitations or advertisements by text or telephone.
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SECTION 10: STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
S. Brent Morris, 33°, GC Managing Editor, The Scottish Rite Journal 202-777-3152 [email protected]
We produce nearly all of the media for our members and the public, including The Scottish Rite Journal, our website, social media, Supreme Council books, Amicus, The Plumbline, The Colonnade, and so on. We will do anything we can to promote Orient and Valley activities, though not all events are appropriate for all of our media.
Supreme Council publications do not do a good job of promoting Valley events or increasing attendance; this is more appropriate for the local level. Such events are better reported afterwards to inspire other Valleys to duplicate the success.
The Supreme Council web site and social media work well for Valleys when an immediate response is needed, such as with disasters.
We are always looking for short “current interest” stories for all media (picnics, scholarships, community activities, longevity awards, etc.). These nearly always need a good photograph (at least 4"×5" and 300dpi).
The Journal Office can provide graphic support for Valleys and Orients, including photographs of the House of the Temple, symbols of the degrees, and other images. Just let us know your specific needs including medium, size, and format.
10.1. Scottish Rite Journal: Deadlines for Submissions
Table 4 gives the schedule for submitting articles and other content for The Scottish Rite Journal.
Table 4. Scottish Rite Journal Schedule of Deadlines
Issue Deadline Uploaded Delivered Jan-Feb 15 Nov 1 Dec 1 Jan Mar-Apr 15 Jan 1 Feb 1 Mar May-Jun 15 Mar 1 Apr 1 May Jul-Aug 15 May 1 Jun 1 Jul Sep-Oct 15 Jul 1 Aug 1 Sep Nov-Dec 15 Sep 1 Oct 1 Nov
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SECTION 11: ROTC and JROTC Programs
The following sections will explain our Scottish Rite Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) programs.
11.1. JROTC Program for High Schools
Commencing in 1998 and approved by the Assistant Secretary of Defense, the Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction, initiated a program of recognition for outstanding Junior ROTC students (JROTC Memo, Appendix E.4.). This initiative recognizes high school youth enrolled in the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) unit for their scholastic excellence and patriotic Americanism efforts.
The award consists of a medal and ribbon (Figure 11.A) to be worn on the JROTC uniform, and a certificate suitable for framing (see Appendix E.2). The medal depicts the heraldic logo of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, and by the words "JROTC Education and Americanism" calls attention to the two major focal points of the Scottish Rite. The medal, ribbon, and certificate are available from the Grand Executive Director's office as a package for $7.00 each, plus shipping cost. Unless notified otherwise, the packages are shipped FedEx Ground. Information and Guidelines may be found on in the following sections and on our website: www.scottishrite.org (click on “Brothers In The Community,” Scottish Rite ROTC & JROTC Programs). You are encouraged to adopt this opportunity for recognition of special youth in the JROTC high schools located in your Valley.
Figure 11.A. JROTC Medal and Ribbon
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11.1.A. GUIDELINES FOR SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY JROTC
AWARD (For High Schools)
General: Through scholarship grants, Rite Care® Childhood Language Disorders Clinics, and patriotic programs, the Scottish Rite has sustained a positive presence throughout our country for over two centuries. Its 500,000 membership captures a very broad set of cultural and economic backgrounds.
Description: Approved by the Assistant Secretary of Defense, the award consists of a medal, ribbon, and certificate. The medal depicts the heraldic logo of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, and by the words “JROTC Education and Americanism” calls attention to two of the major focal points of the Scottish Rite.
Purpose: This award recognizes one outstanding cadet in the second year or second to last year of their commitment to a unit. The award cannot be bestowed on a cadet in his/her first or last year of the program. To assist in preparation, a sample copy of the completed certificate is included in the award package.
Eligibility – The Cadet must:
Have contributed the most among cadets on campus to encourage and demonstrate Americanism by deeds or conduct during participation in extracurricular activities or community projects
Have demonstrated academic excellence by being in the top 25% of his/her academic class
Have demonstrated outstanding leadership by exhibiting qualities of dependability, good character, self-discipline, good citizenship and patriotism
Have not previously received this award
Selection: The DAI/SAI or other senior service official or the head of the school (or both) will make the selection.
Administration:
The Supreme Council is divided between two Jurisdictions, the Southern Jurisdiction and Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Southern Jurisdiction: Requests for the award should be sent to the nearest Scottish Rite Valley of the Southern Jurisdiction. For locations, visit our Website at www.scottishrite.org and click on About the Scottish Rite. Next, click on Find a Scottish
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Rite Valley and then click on the desired state or contact the National Headquarters, Grand Executive Director, telephone: 202-232-3579, or email: [email protected].
Northern Masonic Jurisdiction: Refer to the “Programs” page on the NMJ’s web site: https://scottishritenmj.org/about/programs. Inquiries should be directed to William Holland, Director of Operations, telephone 800–814–1432, Ext. 3133, or email at [email protected].
Presentation and Publicity: With 30 days prior notice of the presentation ceremony, whenever possible the Scottish Rite Valley which provided the award will select and provide a presenter.
11.2. Scottish Rite ROTC Program for Colleges and Universities
Commencing in 2002, and approved by the Assistant Secretary of Defense, the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, instituted a similar award for ROTC cadets (ROTC Memo, Appendix E.6). Like the JROTC, this Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, Youth Program recognizes college students enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), with an award for their scholastic excellence and demonstrated ideals of Americanism. Information and Guidelines may be found on in the following sections and on our website: www.scottishrite.org (click on “Brothers In The Community,” Scottish Rite ROTC & JROTC Programs).
The award consists of a medal) and ribbon (Figure 11.B) to be worn on the ROTC uniform, and a certificate suitable for framing (see Appendix E.1). The medal depicts the heraldic logo of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, and by the words "ROTC Education and Americanism" calls attention to the two major focal points of the Scottish Rite. The medal, ribbon, and certificate are available from the Grand Executive Director's office as a package, for $7.00 each, plus shipping cost. Unless notified otherwise, the packages are shipped FedEx Ground. You are encouraged to adopt this opportunity for recognition of special youth in the ROTC schools located in your Valley.
Figure 11.B. ROTC Medal and Ribbon
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11.2.A. GUIDELINES FOR SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY ROTC AWARD
(For Colleges/Universities)
General: The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is a fraternal organization first established in
children communicate, and patriotic programs, the Scottish Rite benefits communities across the nation in direct and dynamic ways every day of the year. Its 500,000 membership reflects the many professions of America.
Description: Approved by the Assistant Secretary of Defense, the award consists of a medal, ribbon, and certificate. The medal depicts the heraldic double-headed eagle logo of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, and by the words “ROTC Education and Americanism” calls attention to two of the major focal points of the Scottish Rite.
Purpose: This award recognizes one outstanding cadet in the second year or third year of a 4-year program.
Eligibility-The cadet must:
Have contributed the most among cadets on campus to encourage and demonstrate patriotism by deeds or conduct during participation in extracurricular activities or community projects
Have demonstrated academic excellence by being in the top 25% of his/her academic class
Have demonstrated a potential for outstanding leadership by exhibiting qualities of dependability, good character, self-discipline, good citizenship and patriotism
Have not previously received this award
Selection: The Professor of Military/Naval Science will make the selection.
Administration:
The Supreme Council is divided between two Jurisdictions, the Southern Jurisdiction and Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Southern Jurisdiction: Requests for the award should be sent to the nearest Scottish Rite Valley of the Southern Jurisdiction. For locations, visit our Website at www.scottishrite.org and click on About the Scottish Rite. Next, click on Find a Scottish Rite Valley and then click on the desired state or contact the National Headquarters, Grand Executive Director, telephone: 202-232-3579, or email: [email protected].
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Northern Masonic Jurisdiction: Refer to the “Programs” page on the NMJ’s web site: https://scottishritenmj.org/about/programs. Inquiries should be directed to William Holland, Director of Operations, telephone 800–814–1432, Ext. 3133, or email at [email protected].
Presentation and Publicity: With 30 days prior notice of the presentation ceremony, whenever possible the Scottish Rite Valley which provided the award will select and provide a presenter.
For more information on ROTC and JROTC programs contact: Admiral Bill Sizemore, 33° Grand Executive Director 202-232-3579 [email protected] Linda Johnson 202-777-3110 [email protected]
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SECTION 12: DEVELOPMENT OFFICE FOUNDATIONS AND PROGRAMS (PHILANTHROPY)
The following sections will explain these Foundations and Programs:
1. House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc. 2. Scottish Rite Foundation, SJ, USA, Inc. 3. Adopt-a-Book Program 4. Celebrating the Craft 5. Rebuilding the Temple Campaign 6. Pledge Gifts 7. Planned Gifts 8. Scottish Rite Friends 9. Donor Recognition
12.1. HOUSE OF THE TEMPLE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOUNDATION, INC.
The Supreme Council, 33°, created The House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc., to maintain, support, and enhance the House of the Temple as an architectural landmark and as the national headquarters of the Southern Jurisdiction of Freemasonry.
The Temple itself is truly architecturally striking, but what is more important is that it stands as a testament to our ideals of human progress, liberty of thought, freedom of conscience, and equal rights. The Temple’s libraries and museums house extensive antique book and artifact collections, many of which need specialized attention in order to ensure preservation.
It is the duty and goal of the House of the Temple Preservation Foundation to ensure that these treasures last for generations to come, and that through them and our magnificent headquarters, our history is preserved, values communicated, and legacy remains eternal.
To help us continue forward with our necessary multi-million dollar renovation and rehabilitation plan, please support the Rebuilding the Temple Campaign which benefits the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation.
The House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit Virginia corporation recognized as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Its tax identification number is 52-1664576. Contributions to the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc. are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law.
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12.2. SCOTTISH RITE FOUNDATION, S.J., U.S.A., INC.
The Supreme Council, 33°, created the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., Inc. (Scottish Rite Foundation), to support philanthropic endeavors. Each year, through the Development Office (link to new Development Office page), the Supreme Council seeks donations for the Scottish Rite Foundation’s three major programs: RiteCare Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program (SRCLP), scholarships, and national disaster relief.
The Foundation provides start-up funding for new SRCLP facilities and lends support to operations of existing facilities. We have SRCLP facilities in each state in the Southern Jurisdiction and more are in the planning stages. For a list of the SRCLP facilities nationwide, visit the SRCLP Directory.
The Scottish Rite Foundation offers several scholarships for higher education for students seeking a college degree or vocational license. Our scholarship programs encourage the pursuit of higher learning in all categories, including the study of speech pathology and education. Click here to learn more about the scholarships we support.
The Foundation is also dedicated to helping victims of natural disasters such as fires, floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes. Through the Foundation, the Supreme Council provides direct relief to disaster victims and works with other Masonic groups to provide additional assistance.
The Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., Inc. is a non-profit Maryland corporation recognized as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Its tax identification number is 52-6054737. Contributions to the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., Inc., are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law.
12.3. ADOPT-A-BOOK PROGRAM
You may adopt a book in the library for $250 (not including rare books). Upon receipt of your donation, the Librarian will select the book you will sponsor, and your name as the book sponsor will be listed in the online Library catalog. In addition, we will honor you by displaying your name in a Donor Kiosk to be created in the House of the Temple upon completion of the Rebuilding the Temple Campaign. Finally, you will receive a special thank you letter from the Supreme Council Librarian with name of the book or collection you are sponsoring, a certificate honoring you as an “Architect of the Library,” and you will be sent a commemorative brass House of the Temple bookmark.
You also can make a gift in honor of someone else, such as a newly raised Brother or a newly coroneted 33° member, and we will send a notification of the gift, with the Architect of the Library certificate and the commemorative bookmark, to your honoree or their family. The name of the person you are honoring will be added to the Donor Kiosk.
These gifts help to preserve and maintain the books in our collection.
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For more information about the Adopt-A-Book program or to adopt a rare book, contact Caitlyn Kent of the Development Office at 202–777–3111 or [email protected].
12.4. CELEBRATING THE CRAFT (CTC)
The CTC is an evening of entertainment and fellowship that is webcast live from the House of the Temple in Washington, DC, to raise money for RiteCare and the Rebuilding the Temple Campaign.
Music, comedy, celebrities, never-before-seen video content from the House of the Temple and Valleys across the country, and so much more are included in the webcast.
Each year, the George Washington Banquet Hall at the House of the Temple is converted into a television studio and becomes the stage for this Masonic extravaganza. During the evening, viewers learn more about the Scottish Rite and the importance of RiteCare and the House of the Temple, its artifacts, museum, and library. We build upon our previous successes to make each subsequent CTC the most exciting yet.
Donations are made via phone or online. The donation may be split between the Rebuilding the Temple Campaign and RiteCare in the specified Orient.
For more information about Celebrating the Craft, please contact Jess Blossfeld at [email protected] or 202–777–3187
12.5. REBUILDING THE TEMPLE CAMPAIGN
The Rebuilding the Temple Campaign (RTC) is a multi-million dollar fundraising effort that supports the necessary rehabilitation goals for the House of the Temple and the 21st-century renovation plans that have been put into place for the future of the headquarters building. Our goal is to raise $97 million.
While still a site to behold, the House of the Temple has had few structural improvements since its completion and is now in need of repair and attention. In addition to the preservation of the building and all that it contains, we also would like to see it transformed into a national Masonic center for both members and the general public.
Our Essential Projects Include:
•Structural Modernization •Accessibility & Life Safety •Museum Expansion •Conservation & Restoration •Maintenance Endowment
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Once completed, the RTC will improve the House of the Temple’s overall structure and appearance, make it safer and more accessible to the public, preserve its artifacts, create a more modern museum, and develop educational programs and web-based initiatives. It will be in this building where our future members develop their commitment to Freemasonry and our fraternity finds its face for the 21st century.
For more information on these giving opportunities, contact Matt Szramoski, Director of Development, at 202–777–3143 or [email protected].
12.6. PLEDGE GIFTS
An individual may pledge to donate to the Supreme Council’s charities or to their local Scottish Rite foundation a certain sum per year for a period of up to five years or may make a pledge that will be satisfied through a specific bequest in the donor’s will or living trust. If you make a pledge, the Supreme Council will recognize you according to the Scottish Rite Donor Recognition Program for the full amount of that pledge at the time you make the commitment rather than when it is fully paid.
For more information on these giving opportunities, contact Matt Szramoski, Director of Development, at 202–777–3143 or [email protected].
12.7. PLANNED GIFTS
Planned gifts, also known as legacy gifts, are the result of financial planning often involving a future estate. These legacy gifts include bequests in wills, trusts, life insurance, personal property, and annuities. Planned gifts allow you to manage your estate more efficiently while offering you the opportunity to provide for a beneficiary and give to a charitable cause.
A planned gift can benefit both you and Scottish Rite charities. Our philanthropic endeavors include the RiteCare Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program (SRCLP), disaster relief, scholarship programs, and the historic preservation and enhancement of the House of the Temple, including its museums and libraries.
By making a planned gift to the Scottish Rite Foundation, SJ, USA, Inc., the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc., or your local Scottish Rite foundation we will honor you as a member of the Scottish Rite’s Intendant of the Building Society. As a member you will receive a certificate, a lapel pin, a necktie for brothers and a scarf for their spouse, and all the special privileges provided to Society members.
For more information on these giving opportunities, contact Matthew Szramoski, Director of Development, at [email protected] or 202–777–3143.
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12.8. SCOTTISH RITE FRIENDS
Scottish Rite Friends Dinners are an exciting grassroots fund-raising program that encourages Valley involvement, raises money and gives 100% of the net proceeds to qualified Valley, Orient and Supreme Council charities. Thanks to dedicated brethren across the Southern Jurisdiction, Scottish Rite Friends Dinners are making a difference.
Volunteers from local Valleys help by organizing a committee and planning a dinner in their Orient or Valley. The dinner is accompanied by a live and/or silent auction where two-thirds of the net proceeds stay with the local Valley for charitable uses and one-third is contributed to the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc., to benefit the Rebuilding the Temple Campaign. The Development Office assists in supplying items for the auction which are supplemented by items donated by members of the hosting Valley or Orient.
For more information on this program, contact Caitlyn Kent at [email protected] or 202-777-3111.
12.9. DONOR RECOGNITION
The Scottish Rite Donor Recognition Program honors the brethren and friends who have made donations to one of the Scottish Rite’s charities. Donors are recognized at various levels based on the amount of their donation. Gifts may be made to the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc., the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., Inc., or your local Scottish Rite foundation. Gifts may be in the form of cash donations, pledges, or planned gifts. Planned gifts include leaving a bequest in your will, life insurance policy, pension plan or by establishing a charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, or pooled income fund.
A donor who divides his gift between a local foundation and either the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., Inc., or the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc., giving at least $500,000 to one of the national Foundations, will qualify for the Pillars of Charity recognition level.
Please note: tokens of appreciation are sent from the Supreme Council only in recognition of contributions where at least 50% of the gift is designated for the House of the Temple Preservation Foundation, Inc., or the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., Inc., not for contributions solely to local Foundations.
For more information on this program, contact Caitlyn Kent at [email protected] or 202-777-3111.
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SECTION 13: SCOTTISH RITE SCHOLARSHIPS
The following sections will describe these Scholarship Programs:
1. Scottish Rite Scholarships at George Washington University a. Undergraduate Program b. Graduate Program
2. Supreme Council Scholarship Programs
a. Public School Administration b. Shepherd Scholarship c. Sam and Millie Hilburn Scholarship d. Sovereign Grand Commander’s Scholarship e. Scottish Rite Youth Program for JROTC Enrollees f. Scottish Rite Youth Program for ROTC Enrollees
13.1. SCOTTISH RITE SCHOLARSHIPS AT GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
The following programs are handled by the George Washington University (GWU) for Study exclusively at GWU:
13.1.A. UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
The Southern Jurisdiction is engaged in an active scholarship agreement with The George Washington University (GWU). Twenty Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Scholarships for 50% of tuition for up to four years of study are available for full-time undergraduates entering the university. The scholarships apply to any school or department at GWU. To qualify, either the applicant or applicant's father, brother, grandfather, or uncle must be or have been a member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Also, the applicant must be a U. S. citizen and have achieved academic excellence in high school grades and on national standardized tests. GWU handles the selection of awardees. Thus when a student applies for admission he should include a letter expressing interest in this scholarship. Another means is to list it on the GWU financial aid form. The contact person for this program is the Assistant Director, Office of Admissions, Telephone Number (202) 994-6040. An overview may be found on our website http://scottishrite.org. Please visit GWU’s site for complete information including full eligibility requirements, necessary documentation, and application deadlines.
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13.1.B. GRADUATE PROGRAM
For graduate study, ten fellowships of up to $15,000 each are available for full-time students accepted in the GWU School of Business and Public Management, the Elliott School of International Affairs, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, or the Columbian School of Arts and Sciences. Students in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences are eligible to apply only if they are in the Public Health programs. To qualify, students must be U.S. citizens and should have an affiliation with the Scottish Rite through their father, brother, grandfather, or uncle, and demonstrate academic excellence by undergraduate (and graduate, if applicable) transcripts and G.R.E. and G.M.A.T. scores. GWU handles the selection of awardees, and preference is given to students interested in public or foreign service. The person to contact for this program is Ms. Geri Rypkema, Coordinator, Graduate and Faculty Fellowships, Telephone Number (202) 994-6829. An overview may be found on our website http://scottishrite.org. Please visit GWU’s site for complete information including full eligibility requirements, necessary documentation, and application deadlines.
13.2. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS HANDLED BY THE SUPREME COUNCIL, 33°
Qualifications for Scholarship Programs offered by the Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction, require an applicant to have a Masonic background. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship and a verified affiliation with a Masonic organization. Application forms are available for online completion and completed forms will be accepted between January 1 and March 31. Paper applications will not be accepted. Please see our website http://scottishrite.org.
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13.2.A. PUBLIC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
The purpose of the Public School Administration Scholarship is to assist individuals, who have completed master’s degrees in some phase of education, to attain a doctoral degree in Public School Administration. This scholarship is intended for mid-career persons in public school administration who are burdened with financial obligations of growing families and thus would be unlikely to pursue further graduate studies without financial assistance. To qualify, either the applicant or applicant's father, brother, grandfather, or uncle must be or have been a member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Also, the applicant must be a U. S. citizen and have achieved academic excellence in high school grades and on national standardized tests. Two scholarships are offered, each in the amount of $15,000 to be paid over a period of two years, i.e., $7,500 for each of two years, to study in an accredited university of the individual's choice. Please visit our website http://scottishrite.org for complete information including full eligibility requirements, necessary documentation, application forms and deadlines.
13.2.B. SHEPHERD SCHOLARSHIP
The Shepherd Scholarship is awarded to aid worthy candidates in obtaining baccalaureate or graduate degrees in fields associated with service to country and generally perceived as benefiting the human race. The scholarships in the amount of $2,000 per year, for a maximum of four years, are offered by the Supreme Council each year. Applications must be received each year by the Director of Education on or before April 1. Please visit our website http://scottishrite.org for complete information including full eligibility requirements, necessary documentation, application forms and deadlines.
13.2.C. SAM AND MILLIE HILBURN SCHOLARSHIP
The Sam and Millie Hilburn scholarships for graduate students studying to become specialists in the field of Childhood Language Disorders are $5,000 per year towards tuition costs for a maximum of two years. Up to four scholarships are awarded each year. Applications must be received each year by the Director of Education on or before April 1. Please visit our website http://scottishrite.org for complete information including full eligibility requirements, necessary documentation, application forms and deadlines.
13.2.D. SOVEREIGN GRAND COMMANDER’S SCHOLARSHIP
The Sovereign Grand Commander’s Scholarship Program was created to help individuals who want to go to college or to learn a trade but need financial assistance. Unlike other scholarships, however, this program is not designed to help people with the highest grade point average or test scores. Instead, the scholarships are for individuals who have the potential to accomplish great things due to attributes like demonstrated leadership ability, volunteer experience, participation in social, civic, religious and fraternal activities, or hardships or disabilities they are overcoming. Please visit our website http://scottishrite.org for complete
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information including full eligibility requirements, necessary documentation, application forms and deadlines.
13.2.E. SCOTTISH RITE YOUTH PROGRAM FOR JROTC ENROLLEES
The Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, Youth Program recognizes high-school youth enrolled in the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC), with an award for their scholastic excellence and demonstrated ideals of Americanism.
For additional information regarding ROTC and JROTC programs , see Section 11 in this manual and also our website at www.scottishrite.org (click on “Brothers In The Community,” Scottish Rite ROTC & JROTC Programs).
13.2.F. SCOTTISH RITE YOUTH PROGRAM FOR ROTC ENROLLEES
This Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, Youth Program recognizes college students enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), with an award for their scholastic excellence and demonstrated ideals of Americanism
For additional information regarding ROTC and JROTC programs , see Section 11 in this manual and also our website at www.scottishrite.org (click on “Brothers In The Community,” Scottish Rite ROTC & JROTC Programs).
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SECTION 14: SCOTTISH RITE SPONSORED MEMBER BENEFIT PROGRAMS
The Scottish Rite partners with various companies to provide insurance plans and other services to its members. These Member Benefits are explained in the following sections.
The following Scottish Rite Sponsored Member Benefit Programs are explained in the following sections:
1. Partnership with Nationwide Insurance 2. Credit Card Program 3. Group Cancer Expense Plan 4. Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan 5. Long-term Care Insurance Plan 6. Group Term-life Insurance Plan 7. Auto Insurance Plan 8. Lifeline Screening of America
14.1. PARTNERSHIP WITH NATIONWIDE INSURANCE
The Scottish Rite has partnered with Nationwide Insurance to offer our members discounted insurance plans. For more information, see our Website at www.ScottishRite.org or call 1-866-633-5747.
14.2. CREDIT CARD PROGRAM
The Scottish Rite VISA credit card program not only provides a service to our members but also generates substantial ongoing revenues for the support of our RiteCare Childhood Language Clinics, Centers, and Programs. Funds received from the credit card program, without a cent of administrative overhead, are channeled to those Orient Foundations that participate in our Rite Care Childhood Language Program. For more information, call 1-888-327-2265, ext. 70097. Be certain to state that you are with the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.
14.3. GROUP CANCER EXPENSE PLAN
This plan is available to you and your spouse regardless of age. It is designed as a supplemental plan to pay benefits directly to you, not the doctor or a hospital. With cancer there can be many expenses not covered by regular health insurance or Medicare. The extra benefits can be used
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for anything… for meals, travel expenses, and hotel bills away from home while attending a cancer clinic, for living expenses while being away from the job and other “non-medical” type expenses having a cancer can generate. You spend your extra benefits as you see fit. For information call 1-800-336-3316. Be certain to state that you are with the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.
14.4. MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE PLAN
If you are age 65 or over and covered by Parts A and B of Medicare, you are eligible to apply for the Scottish Rite Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan. Medicare does not pay all doctors and hospital bills. This coverage dovetails with your Medicare coverage and complies with the new Federal requirements for Medigap policies. For information call 1-800-247-1771. Be certain to state that you are with the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.
14.5. LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE PLAN
Confinement in a nursing home could deplete a person’s lifetime savings. Best of all, the Scottish Rite sponsored plan also pays for at home long term care when appropriate. You choose the daily benefit that best fits your needs based upon the local cost of this care. It is best to find out if you qualify for a long term care policy medically while you are younger and can meet the health history requirements for this type of coverage. For information, call 1-800-616-8759. Be certain to state that you are with the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.
14.6. GROUP TERM LIFE INSURANCE PLAN
Term life insurance is pure life insurance that gives the greatest amount of coverage for the premium dollar. Scottish Rite members are guaranteed up to $25,000 coverage without a medical exam or single health question. And the coverage is portable. It doesn’t lapse when you leave the job and lose your regular company group life insurance coverage. Members age 45 through 75 are eligible for this coverage. Unlike most other term insurance plans, you can keep your coverage for your lifetime. Benefits are frequently used to help pay for final expenses. For information call 1-800-247-1771. Be certain to state that you are with the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.
14.7. AUTO INSURANCE PLAN
Call the Scottish Rite sponsored Auto Insurance Plan toll free number to see if you can save on your auto insurance premiums. The toll free number is 1-866-556-7283. Be certain to state that you are with the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.
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14.8. LIFE LINE SCREENING OF AMERICA
When mobile screening units come to your neighborhood, you can be screened for potential health problems as a preventative measure. Screenings are for Stroke/Carotid Artery, Peripheral Arterial Disease, Abdominal Artery Aneurysm, Atrial Fibrillation and Osteoporosis for only $149.00 for Scottish Rite members. For information call toll free 1-800-643-5507. Be certain to state that you are with the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.
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SECTION 15: SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is a way people create, share, and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks on websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more!
This handy guide will help you find the Scottish Rite online.
15.1. FACEBOOK
Name Type of Information How to Use
Scottish Rite Freemasonry
Main account for all Scottish Rite, SJ-related news
Location:https://www.facebook.com/ ScottishRiteFreemasonry.To follow it, create an account or log in with your existing one, then visit this page and click the “like” button.
House of the Temple
House of the Temple account for all news related to the museum, library, archives, & history
Location:https://www.facebook.com/ houseofthetemple.To follow it, create an account or log in with your existing one, then visit this page and click the “like” button.
Sovereign Grand Commander
Mr. Seale’s page for news relating to his travels and activities at the House of the Temple
Location:https://www.facebook.com/ SovereignGrandCommander. To follow it, create an account or log in with your existing one, then visit this page and click the “like” button.
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15.2. TWITTER
Name Type of Information How to Use
@TheScottish Rite
Main account for all things Scottish Rite, including meetings, events, workshops and cool historic facts
Go to Twitter.com, create an account or log in with your existing one, and search for @TheScottishRite. Once there, click “Follow.”
@Masonic Museum
House of the Temple account for all news related to the museum, library, archives, & history
Go to Twitter.com, log on and search for @MasonicMuseum. Once there, click “Follow.”
15.3. INSTAGRAM
Name Type of Information How to Use
scottishritesj Main photo- and video-sharing page for all things Scottish Rite
Go to instagram.com, create an account or log in with your existing one, type in the address http://instagram.com/ scottishritesj and click “Follow.”
masonicmuseum Our House of the Temple photo- and video-sharing page for all things related to the museum, library, archives, & history
Go to instagram.com, create an account or log in with your existing one, type in the address http://instagram.com/ masonicmuseum and click “Follow.”
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SECTION 16: THE SCOTTISH RITE WEBSITE
(WWW.SCOTTISHRITE.ORG)
The Scottish Rite website is a source of information for events, publications, news, social media, philanthropy and so much more. Here is a list of all of the resources available to you along with direct links to the information and services.
16.1. DIRECT LINKS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES
16.1.A. Store
http://www.scottishritestore.org/
16.1.B. Donate
http://www.scottishritestore.org/cgi-
php/store.php?category=1&subcat=23&sort_by=user10&search=++Search++
16.1.C. Pay Your Dues
https://my.scottishrite.org/Account/PortalLogin.aspx
16.1.D. The Scottish Rite Journal
https://scottishrite.org/about/media-publications/journals/
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16.1.E. Videos
https://scottishrite.org/about/media-publications/videos/
16.1.F. Podcasts
https://scottishrite.org/about/media-publications/tylers-place/ 16.1.G. Manuals and Brochures
https://scottishrite.org/about/media-publications/manuals-brochures/ Available for download:
1. VMAP Workbook 2. Valley Secretary’s Manual, 2016 3. There’s More to Masonry than Three Degrees 4. Statues of the Supreme Council, 33°, SJ, USA 5. Publications List, 2014 6. Masonry, A Family Tradition
16.1.H. Social Media
https://scottishrite.org/about/follow/
1. Facebook a. Scottish Rite – https://www.facebook.com/ScottishRiteFreemasonry b. House of the Temple – https://www.facebook.com/houseofthetemple
c. Sovereign Grand Commander –
https://www.facebook.com/SovereignGrandCommander
2. Twitter a. @TheScottishRite - Go to Twitter.com, create an account or log in with your
existing one, and search for @TheScottishRite. Once there, click “Follow.”
b. @MasonicMuseum - Go to Twitter.com, log on and search for @MasonicMuseum. Once there, click “Follow.”
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3. Instagram
a. Scottishritesj - Go to instagram.com, create an account or log in with your existing one, type in the address http://instagram.com/ scottishritesj and click “Follow.”
b. Masonicmuseum - Go to instagram.com, create an account or log in with your
existing one, type in the address http://instagram.com/ masonicmuseum and click “Follow.”
16.1.I. Supreme Council Strategic Plan
https://scottishrite.org/about/supreme-council-strategic-plan/ Find a Scottish Rite Valley https://scottishrite.org/about/find-a-scottish-rite-valley/
16.1.J. Philanthropy
https://scottishrite.org/philanthropy/
1. Rite Care Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program - https://scottishrite.org/brothers-in-the-community/ritecare-srclp/
2. Scholarship Programs - https://scottishrite.org/brothers-in-the-
community/scholarships/
3. Scottish Rite ROTC and JROTC Programs - https://scottishrite.org/brothers-in-the-community/jrotc-rotc/
4. House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation Inc. -
https://scottishrite.org/development/foundations/house-of-the-temple-foundation/
5. Scottish Rite Foundation, SJ, USA, Inc. -
https://scottishrite.org/development/foundations/scottish-rite-foundation/
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16.1.K. Member Programs
https://scottishrite.org/members/members-programs/
1. Freemason Network - http://www.freemasonnetwork.org/home
2. WSB Club - https://scottishrite.org/members/wsb/
3. Scottish Rite Chirp - https://scottishrite.org/members/sr-chirp/
4. Scottish Rite Tough Mudder - https://scottishrite.org/brothers-in-the- community/toughmudder/
5. Masonic Geocaching Society - https://scottishrite.org/brothers-in-the-
community/masonic-geocaching-society/
6. Masonic Education - https://scottishrite.org/members/masonic-education/
7. Meeting and Workshops - https://scottishrite.org/members/meetings-workshops/
8. Member Benefits - https://scottishrite.org/members/members-benefits/
a. Partnership with Nationwide Insurance -
https://scottishrite.org/members/members-benefits/
b. Other Insurance Programs - https://scottishrite.org/members/insurance/
i. Medicare Supplement Insurance ii. Long-term Care Insurance
iii. Group Cancer Expense Plan iv. Group Term Life Insurance Plan Lifeline Screening of America
How to Join - https://scottishrite.org/about/how-to-join/
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APPENDIX A: ANNUAL SCHEDULE OF OUTPUTS TO AND INPUTS FROM VALLEY
YEAR 2018 ANNUAL SCHEDULE OF OUTPUTS TO AND INPUTS FROM VALLEY
January: Form for reporting 2018 Valley officers due from Valleys by January 31, 2018, or the Valley may enter
the officers directly into Sentinel. Valleys must process year-end suspensions in the Sentinel system by January 15, 2018. Form for Ordering Blank Reporting Forms emailed to Valleys. Questionnaire for Profile of Fees, Dues, and Reunions emailed to Valleys.
Questionnaire for 2018 Meetings & Reunions Schedule emailed to Valleys Follow-up Dues Reminder Form Emailed to Valleys using Membership Billing Services.
February: Annual Reports processed and distributed to Actives, Deputies, and Valley Secretaries. 2018 Senior Exempt status cleared from Sentinel. Form 80s for the 2018 Senior Exempt members emailed to Valleys. Invoices for Balance Due on 2017 Per Capita Assessment sent to Valleys. Questionnaire for Profile of Fees, Dues, and Reunions due from Valleys by February 27, 2018. Questionnaire for 2018 Meetings & Reunions Schedule due from Valleys by February 27, 2018. March: 2018 Follow-up Dues Notices mailed to members of Valleys using Membership Billing Services 2019 ID Card Information Form and 2019 ID Card Authorization Form (Membership Billing Services) emailed to Valleys. April: Report of Spring Initiates to the Supreme Council due from Valley following Reunion. May: Report of Spring Initiates to the Supreme Council due from Valley following Reunion. Dues Documentation Form emailed to Valleys using Membership Billing Services. June: Report of Spring Initiates to the Supreme Council due from Valley following Reunion. Request for Copies of Valley’s IRS Form 990 and Audits for Supreme Council’s Files 2019 plastic membership cards printed and mailed to Valleys. 2019 blank paper membership cards mailed to Valleys (for temporary use)
July: Open
August (tentative) 2019 Dues Notices mailed to members of Valleys using Membership Billing Services. September Report of Fall Initiates to the Supreme Council due from Valley following Reunion. Ritual Inventory Form Emailed to Valley.
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October: Report of Fall Initiates to the Supreme Council due from Valley following Reunion. November: Report of Fall Initiates to the Supreme Council due from Valley following Reunion. Invoice for 90% of Year 2018 Per Capita Assessment mailed to Valleys. December: Form for reporting officers for 2018 emailed to Valleys that have not entered its officers in Sentinel. Labels, Rosters, and Downloads Order Form for 2018 sent to Valleys currently ordering items.
.
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APPENDIX B: LETTERS AND MEMOS (References)
References included in Appendix B:
B.1 - Restriction on Affiliation/Initiation of Brother under the Jurisdiction of the Supreme Council of Scotland (Memo of July 8, 1986; C. Fred Kleinknecht) B.2 - Restriction on Affiliation/Initiation of Brothers under the Jurisdiction of the Supreme Council of England & Wales (Memo of July 8, 1996; C. Fred Kleinknecht) B.3 - Affiliation Requirements (Memo of February 13, 1995; William G. Sizemore)
B.4 - Restriction on Affiliation/Initiation of Brother under the Jurisdiction of the Supreme Council of Canada (A Caution to Craft Masons Considering Membership in Royal Arch Masonry or in the Scottish Rite South of the Border, September 12-14, 1996) B.5 - Waiver of Jurisdiction (Statutes of the Supreme Council, Article XVII, Regulations Affecting Candidates and Members) B.6 - Waiver of Per Capita for Senior Members (Memo of April 9, 2012; William G. Sizemore)
B.7 - Electronic Petitions (Memo of June 26, 2002; C. Fred Kleinknecht)
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B.1. AFFILIATION REQUIREMENTS: ENGLAND and WALES (Memo, 1986, C. Fred Kleinknecht)
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B.2. Restriction on Affiliation/Initiation of Brothers under the Jurisdiction of the Supreme Council of Scotland (Memo; June 21, 1988; C. Fred Kleinknecht)
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B.3 AFFILIATION PROCEDURE (Memo of February 13, 1995; William G. Sizemore)
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B.4. Restriction on Affiliation/Initiation of a Brother under the Jurisdiction of the Supreme Council of Canada (Sept. 1996)
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B.5 WAIVER OF JURISDICTION (Statutes of the Supreme Council, Article XVII, Regulations Affecting Candidates and Members)
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B.6. WAIVER OF PER CAPITA FOR SENIOR MEMBERS (Memo of April 9, 2012; William G. Sizemore)
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B.7. ELECTRONIC PETITIONS (Memo of June 26, 2002; C. Fred Kleinknecht)
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APPENDIX C: FINANCIAL GUIDELINES
References included in Appendix C:
C.1 - Disposition of Valley Property (Memo of April 4, 2006; Ronald A. Seale)
C. 2 - Financial Accounting and Scottish Rite Programs and Activities (Memo of November 14, 2005; Ronald A. Seale) C.3 - Investment Policies and Guidelines
C. 4 - Guidelines for Almoners of Scottish Rite Bodies
C.5 - Records Retention Schedule (Suggested)
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C.1. DISPOSITION OF VALLEY PROPERTY
(Memo of April 4, 2006; Ronald A. Seale)
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C.2 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING OF SCOTTISH RITE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES (Memo of November 14, 2005; Ronald A. Seale)
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C.3. INVESTMENT POLICIES AND GUIDELINES
Investment Policies and Guidelines
January, 2009
Monies and investments owned by Orients, Valleys and related entities, such as foundations,
temple corporations, holding companies, etc. should be safeguarded and managed in a prudent
manner. As part of the Strategic Plan of the Supreme Council, information is provided to Orients
and Valleys in order to provide a framework for financial success. The purpose of this document
is to outline general strategies for prudent financial management. It is neither the desire nor the
intent of the Supreme Council to provide “investment advice” to the Orients and Valleys, but
rather to provide a framework of ideas and concepts that can be utilized.
General Strategies
The following general strategies are suggested as a minimum guideline, to be applied to all funds
held under the auspices of Scottish Rite in the Southern Jurisdiction:
1. Investment and/or Finance Committee - Appoint a committee of three (3) or more to
provide advice and monitoring of the financial process. Larger Valleys or entities may
segregate financial management oversight into two committees, so that a Finance
Committee can oversee financial reporting, budgeting and normal fiscal operations,
while a separate Investment Committee can focus strictly on investments.
a. The Committee charged with investment oversight should NOT have among its
voting members any person who serves as an active investment manager for the
funds being monitored. This will avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.
While an investment manager (broker, bank trust officer, etc. who is
responsible for investment of ANY of the funds of the entity) may and should
meet regularly with the Committee, he must not be a voting member of the
Committee.
2. Audit - Utilize an audit or review by an outside Certified Public Accountant (CPA). In
general, a review performed by a CPA is acceptable for entities with assets and annual
revenues of less than $100,000. The report of the CPA should be made available to the
Scottish Rite membership for inspection.
3. Budget – An annual budget should be established for each entity and should be
publicized to the membership.
4. Reporting – Regular financial reporting of the financial activity of each entity should
be made to the membership at large. The level of detail may vary depending on the
circumstances, but regular reporting is crucial. The reporting should be done at least
quarterly. It is especially important to report, in a timely manner, results of any special
fundraising efforts.
5. IRS Compliance – Every entity should establish safeguards to ensure that all IRS
reporting and disclosure guidelines are followed. Every entity that has a taxpayer
identification number is required to submit some form of annual report to the IRS.
6. Internal Controls – Every entity should regularly monitor their financial safeguards to
ensure that adequate internal controls are in place. At a minimum, this means:
a. Segregation of duties- Avoid any situation where one person has control of all
financial information or activities. Involve more than one person in all
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b. financial processes. For instance, the same person should not open the mail,
deposit checks and manage dues records.
c. Reconcile statements – Every bank statement and investment activity report
should be reconciled to the accounting records. This reconciliation should be
performed by a person who is not involved with the underlying financial
transactions.
d. Training of back-up personnel - Make sure that every person involved in a
financial transaction has at least one person trained to step into his place, should
the need arise.
7. Investment Policy- Each entity should establish and monitor an investment policy,
which should be tailored to the needs of the particular entity (Orient, Valley,
Foundation, etc.) Attachment A is an example policy, which can be adopted for use by
any Scottish Rite entity. Investment policies should not simply be copied from this
example. It is important to realize that the investment needs, risks and expertise
available will differ from Orient to Orient and from Valley to Valley. Each Valley is
encouraged to make use of the expertise of their membership. Many members have
strong financial backgrounds and utilizing their expertise may well generate a stronger
motivation in these men to support our Rite.
In general, an adequate investment policy should include the following four major
points:
a. OBJECTIVES - The entity should establish its overall investment objective,
which could be to generate income, preserve capital, support operations,
provide scholarships, etc.
b. ALLOCATION – This section discusses how the monies can be invested and
how they are to be allocated among various types of investments. For example,
the Statutes of the Supreme Council (Article VI, Section 10) limit the
investment in common stocks to no more than 75% of the value of the funds
owned by the Council. Obviously, other Scottish Rite entities should comply
with this standard as a maximum exposure to equity investments, but any entity
can certainly adopt a LOWER maximum investment in equities in their own
policies.
c. SPENDING POLICY – It is very important to document how monies are to be
spend from the investment fund. Should the entity spend all income earned? If
so, how will the fund grow? Some typical spending policies are to spend only
75% of the annual income and reinvest the remainder; or, spend a stated
percentage of the fund’s value, such as 4% or 5% per year.
d. MONITORING – Regular reporting of investment activity should be made to
the Investment/Finance Committee on at least a quarterly basis. Annually, the
allocation of investments should be reviewed to insure that the actual amounts
invested are in accordance with the allocation guidelines included in the policy.
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ATTACHMENT A
SAMPLE INVESTMENT POLICY GUIDELINE
NOTE: The following is intended for illustrative purposes only and does NOT represent
investment advice. This is merely a sample of how a policy COULD appear. Each entity must
determine its own investment needs and acceptable risk levels prior to establishing a policy. This
policy should NOT simply be copied and adopted without careful consideration of the investment
goals and needs of the organization. It is STRONGLY recommended that multiple members with
investment training and or experience be utilized to develop and monitor the policy.
I. PURPOSE
This Investment Policy is adopted by the Board (or membership, etc.) of XX (the “Board”) to
direct the prudent investment of its investment portfolio (the “Portfolio”) in a manner consistent
with the investment objectives stated herein. The Board has authorized its Investment Committee
(the “Committee”) to provide oversight of the Portfolio.
This Investment Policy shall be used by the Committee in its duty to oversee (in managing,
monitoring and reporting on the investment portfolio) the investment portfolio and by the
Portfolio’s Custodians, Investment Managers and other advisors. This document will be reviewed
annually by the Committee. Any revisions will be recommended to the Board in writing.
SCOPE
This Policy applies to all assets that are included in the Portfolio for which the Committee has
been given discretionary investment authority.
FIDUCIARY DUTY
In seeking to attain the investment objectives set forth in the policy, the Committee and its
members must exercise due care.
II. OBJECTIVES
Note: The Policy should include a performance objective, or goal, such as “inflation plus X%
return, on average, per year. Obviously, with no goal, effective performance cannot be achieved.
STRATEGY
Note: In this section, the entity must determine what types of investing is allowed. For example, if
the fund will be needed to grow to build a new facility, then long term growth is desired, which
might suggest investment in mutual funds or stocks. If the entity will possibly need to cash out
investments on short notice, this must also be understood.
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ASSET ALLOCATION
Asset allocation is simply the amount of money invested or at least targeted, to major classes of
investments, such as stocks or bond; or certificates of deposit and treasury bills.
The target expected rate of return is based upon the expected growth rate net of inflation, fees and
spending expectations.
The Committee will allocate assets in such a way to achieve the expected long-term target rate of
return. A combination of benchmarks corresponding to each asset class will combine to form the
Entity’s Policy Benchmark. The Committee will fully understand the potential risk and reward
expectations associated with each asset class.
Deliberate management of the asset mix among classes of investments is both a necessary and
desirable responsibility. In the allocation of assets, diversification of investments among asset
classes that are not similarly affected by economic, political, or social developments is a highly
desirable objective. The Committee’s general policy shall be to diversify investments within both
equity and fixed income securities so as to provide a balance that will enhance total return, while
avoiding undue risk concentrations in any single asset class or investment category. The
diversification does not necessarily depend upon the number of industries or companies in a
portfolio or their particular location, but rather upon the broad nature of such investments and of
the factors that may influence them.
To ensure broad diversification in the long-term investment portfolios among the major categories
of investments, asset allocation, as a percent of the total market value of the total long-term
portfolio, will be set with the following target percentage and within the following ranges (Cash
will be minimized, but allowed, from time to time up to 5%):
ASSET CLASS TARGET MINIMUM MAXIMUM
Large/Mid Cap Equity 35.0% 30.0% 40.0%
Small Cap Equity 15.0% 10.0% 20.0%
International Equity 20.0% 15.0% 25.0%
TOTAL EQUITY 70.0% 65.0% 75.0%
FIXED INCOME 30.0% 25.0% 35.0%
Note: The above percentages are not intended to “add up.” The table above represents a multi-
stage series of targets and parameters. For instance, it suggests, merely as an example, that the
maximum equity investment, is 75%, but within that classification, there are maximum levels on
each of the sub-categories of equity. In this manner, the investment portfolio is not overly exposed
to risks in any sub-category. Again, the selection of the asset allocation is one of the most critical
decisions facing any organization and must be done based on facts relevant to the organization.
The above table is MERELY and EXAMPLE.
REBALANCING
In maintaining these asset allocation targets, the Committee will strive to remain within the
allocation ranges with the intent of rebalancing to targets as necessary. The appropriateness of this
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allocation will be reviewed annually by the Committee as part of its review of the Investment
Policy Statement.
III. IMPLEMENTATION
TIME HORIZON
The Finance Committee seeks to achieve or outperform the targeted expected returns, as defined
by the asset allocation decision, over a full market cycle. The Finance Committee does not expect
that all investment objectives will be attained in each year and recognizes that over various time
periods, investment managers may produce significant over or under performance relative to the
broad markets. For this reason, long-term investment returns will be measured over a 5-year
moving period. The Finance Committee reserves the right to evaluate and make any necessary
changes regarding investment managers over a shorter-term using the criteria established under
"Manager Evaluation" below.
MANAGER EVALUATION
All investment returns shall be measured net of fees. Each investment manager will be reviewed
by the Finance Committee on an ongoing basis and evaluated upon the following criteria:
a) Avoidance of regulatory actions against the firm, its principals or employees;
b) Adherence to the guidelines and objectives of this Investment Policy;
c) Avoidance of significant deviation from the style and capitalization characteristics defined
as “normal” for the manager;
d) Ability to exceed the return of the appropriate benchmark index set no more frequently
than annually by the Committee; and
e) Ability to meet or exceed the median performance of a peer group of managers with
similar styles of investing.
Managers failing to meet these criteria over a full market cycle will undergo extensive qualitative
and quantitative analysis. This analysis will focus on the manager’s personnel, philosophy,
portfolio characteristics, and peer group performance to determine whether the manager is capable
of implementing their defined portion of the overall portfolio structure.
IV. SPENDING POLICY
As part of the Entity’s long-term strategy to increase the values of its assets to enable it to carry
out its purposes, the intent is to add back to principal a portion of the total investment return.
Income available for spending is determined by a total return system. Annually the Entity will
spend five percent (5%) of the beginning of the year value of the fund. Investment return in
excess of five percent (net of investment management fees) shall be added back to principal.
ADOPTION
This policy was adopted by vote of the (Board, Committee, Members) on XX DATE.
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C.4. GUIDELINES FOR ALMONERS OF SCOTTISH RITE BODIES
GUIDELINES FOR ALMONERS OF THE SCOTTISH RITE BODIES OF THE
SOUTHERN JURISDICTION, U.S.A. SELECTION OF AN ALMONER A new Almoner should be selected with much thought and care before he is recommended and nominated by the Brethren for election. The following questions should be given consideration: What kind of man is he? What is his background? Is he married, and are he and his wife known for their acts of charity? What is his personality and is he well suited to meet people? Is he cautious and successful in business? Has he a good mind, and is he capable of good judgment? Is he active in church and other civic affairs and other organizations? Is he going to be able to give the time that is required to make his duties a
success?
ASSISTANCE FOR THE ALMONER
The Almoner should not have to do the job all by himself. He should have an assistant who has been trained and is experienced in the Almoner’s duties and who is capable of acting in the Almoner’s absence or illness. This will allow for the continuity and orderly function of the Almoner’s office. Always, of course, it should be understood that the Almoner himself is primarily responsible, and that a qualified assistant, though he may be capable of acting individually, acts under the Almoner’s supervision. The Almoner should be bonded, just as those handling funds for the Bodies are, with adequate protection for his operations. The Almoner should have Brethren representatives in the various outlying area of the Valley. These Brethren should be trained to investigate cases that come to their attention and, after making the investigation, telephone the Almoner and report their findings. If the Almoner feels that the people in need are deserving of assistance, he should give the go-ahead to help, subject to certain maximums, of course.
HANDLING CALLS FOR HELP When the Almoner receives a call from a Master Mason in distress, he should contact the Master or Secretary of the Brother’s Blue Lodge and ask permission to give him temporary assistance. We sometimes forget that everything starts at the Blue Lodge level. The Almoner can assure the Blue Lodge that he is willing and ready to give further assistance, if necessary.
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When a call for assistance comes from a Master Mason who is temporarily traveling through the area, this call should first be referred to the Masonic Services Bureau, and the Almoner can let them know that he is ready to assist, if and when needed.
DISBURSEMENTS
It is fundamental that all properties of the Almoner may be disbursed or used only for charitable purpose. These properties consist of contributions to the Box of Fraternal Assistance. Contributions shall be verified by the signatures of any two officers at the times of collections and deposited in bank checking accounts. The Almoner may dispense these funds to the poor, the destitute, and the afflicted, without regard to race, religion, or color. There are two restrictions: the recipients must not know from where the assistance comes, and the membership must not know who receives it. Disbursements for all purposes shall be made by check signed by both the Almoner and either the Secretary or the Treasurer or similar officer, expect in emergency cases with small sums. See Transactions of the Supreme Council, 1931, page 89; 1949, pages 31-32; and Chapter 10, “Ceremony of Joint Installation,” Forms and Traditions of the Scottish Rite. It is important that the Almoner’s fund not be diverted to other than charitable purposes, not only in light of the above, but because such a diversion would imperil the tax-exempt status of the charitable fund.
LIMITATIONS ON ALMONER’S FUND Each Almoner should transfer annually to the Lodge of Perfection of his respective Valley, for charitable purposes, that portion of his properties which exceeds the approximate sum total of the immediate past year’s disbursements of the Almoner. The Lodge of Perfection should hold, earmark and invest these portions of the Almoner’s Fund, in accordance with our Statutes, so far as applicable, as a special charitable fund and for the Almoner’s charitable purposes, and should replenish to the Almoner therefrom such portion of said special charitable fund as may be needed from time to time for charitable purposes; provided, however, that if the total of said funds of the Almoner and of the Lodge of Perfection so held exceeds the sum total of $25,000, then the excess should be transferred to the Scottish Rite Foundation of the Orient in which his Valley is a part. Each January, Almoners should report to the Sovereign Grand Inspector General or Deputy of the Orient the yearly total receipts and disbursement, amounts on hand, and any investments. The Internal Revenue Service has confirmed that the Almoner’s Fund should be included on the Valley’s 990. The Secretary should make sure this is done.
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C.4. RECORDS’ RETENTION SCHEDULE (Suggested schedule, Auditors, 1997)
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APPENDIX D: A MEMBERSHIP PRIMER
December 15, 2011
TO: Active Members and Deputies of the Supreme Council, Personal Representatives, and Secretaries
FROM: Ronald A. Seale
RE: Statutory Interpretation re payment of dues and Suspensions
Gentlemen:
As we near year’s end, we continue to receive discussion and inquiries about suspensions for non-payment of dues and when and/or how long someone remains in good standing without paying dues to the Valley. Several other frequently occurring issues concern the status of a Scottish Rite member who is no longer in good standing in his Blue Lodge for a variety of reasons such as non-payment of dues or some type of disciplinary proceeding.
So that everyone remains on the same page, here are my responses to several of the more common questions that we hear from time to time. I hope this information proves helpful.
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Issue 1: What happens when someone demits or is suspended from his Symbolic (Blue) Lodge?
In order to become or remain a member of the Scottish Rite, an individual must remain a member in good standing of a regular Symbolic Lodge. If an individual is suspended or has demitted from their Symbolic Lodge, they are no longer a member of the Scottish Rite, effective as of the date of Symbolic Lodge demit or suspension. Restoration of membership in the Symbolic Lodge automatically restores membership in Scottish Rite if done within two years of the suspension or demit. If the individual is “out” of the Symbolic Lodge for more than two years, he restores his Scottish Rite membership simply through a written request (not necessarily a petition) and receives a majority vote of those present at a Stated Meeting.
Issue 2: What happens when a member has Masonic “charges” or other disciplinary action pending against him in the Symbolic (Blue) Lodge?
Even though a member has Masonic disciplinary action (“charges”) instituted against him in the Symbolic Lodge, he remains a member in Scottish Rite as long as he is in good standing in the Symbolic Lodge. The fact of pending disciplinary action against a member does not affect his Scottish Rite membership until the Symbolic Lodge disposes of the matter. The same result is true if an individual has been arrested, indicted, or otherwise charged with a crime in the civil courts. The action of the Symbolic Lodge (or Grand Lodge/Grand Master) is the key to trigger action in the Scottish Rite. Remember the primary test: Scottish Rite membership is dependent upon maintaining Symbolic Lodge membership in good standing. If he is not in good standing in the Symbolic Lodge, then he is not in good standing in the Scottish Rite. Obviously, if disciplinary action or charges are instituted in the Scottish Rite under our own Statutes, the individual’s membership is affected by the outcome of those proceedings. The most common question asked, though, relates to the Blue Lodge disciplinary actions.
Issue 3: When are dues for any given year due and when is an individual delinquent in the payment of dues? When is an individual subject to suspension for non-payment of dues?
This is the one that causes the most confusion and conflicting interpretations. With respect to dues for any given year, they are due on December 31st of the preceding year. For example, dues for the year 2011 are due on or before December 31, 2010. (Think of it this way: in order to get into a meeting, a member can be required to show a current dues card. In order to obtain that dues card, a member must pay his dues.) When December 31, 2011 rolls around with 2011 yet unpaid, an individual is now one year behind. When December 31, 2012 comes to pass and 2011 remains unpaid, that individual is now two years behind. Thus, on December 31, 2012, that individual is subject to suspension for non-payment of dues as he is now in arrears for two years.
There are two exceptions to the two year general rule above. Exception No. 1: An additional time period of not more than 12 months can be granted to an individual by a
97
majority vote of the members at a Stated Meeting. Under that scenario and considering the example above, the delinquent member would have up to 12 more months from December 31, 2012 or until December 31, 2013, to pay current before being subject to suspension. Exception No. 2: This is like the first exception but going the other way. The SGIG/Deputy in an Orient may fix the time for suspension at not less than one year. Under that scenario, the individual would then be subject to suspension on December 31, 2011.
To recap: Clock starts running on December 31 preceding the dues year in question. On December 31 of the applicable dues year the member is one year behind. After two years he is subject to suspension. Members by majority vote can extend the time for another year. Likewise, SGIG/Deputy has the final say and can reduce the time to just one year. Remember, December 31st of the preceding year is the key.
Issue 4: Someone has been suspended, how do they restore their membership?
Two scenarios here, the member who seeks to restore his membership within two years of his suspension and those who seek to come back after having been out for a longer period of time. First scenario: the individual pays the full amount due plus the current year’s due and is automatically restored. Let’s go back to our first example of the individual who is suspended on December 31, 2012, for failure to pay 2011 dues. Within two years of that suspension, on June 15, 2013, for example, he would pay the arrearages due at that time (2011 and 2012) plus the current year’s dues for 2013 and he is automatically restored. Thus, he would be paying up to three years’ dues in order to be restored.
The second scenario is somewhat more forgiving when considering the case of a member who has been out for longer than a two year period. Here, the individual pays current to the date of his suspension and the current year’s dues. To illustrate the point, let’s consider the member who last paid his dues in 2003 but was suspended effective December 31, 2005 for failure to pay 2004 and 2005. Now, in 2010, he has regained his interest and wishes to reactivate. He owes for 2004, 2005, and 2010. The interim years of non-payment are forgiven.
What is the procedure for reinstatement?
In the case of the individual who seeks reinstatement within two years, the process is automatic. Pay current and no additional action is required. If an individual has been suspended for longer than two years, he must pay current as noted above, make a written request for reinstatement, receive a favorable committee report and a majority vote of the members present at a Stated Meeting.
RAS:fj
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APPENDIX E: JROTC AND ROTC PROGRAMS
References included in Appendix E:
E.1 - ROTC Certificate
E.2 - JROTC Certificate
E.3 - JROTC Letter; June 17, 1997; Assistant Secretary of Defense; F. Pang
E.4 - JROTC MEMO; November 5, 1997; William G. Sizemore, Grand Executive Director
E.5 - ROTC Memorandum; August 30, 2002, Assistant Secretary of Defense; Charles S. Abell
E.6 - ROTC MEMO; December 2, 2002; William G. Sizemore, Grand Executive Director
E.7 – JROTC ROTC Memo; November 19, 2007; William G. Sizemore, Grand Executive Director
99
E.1 ROTC CERTIFICATE
100
E.2. JROTC CERTIFICATE
101
E.3 JROTC (Letter of June 17, 1997; Asst. Secretary of Defense, F. Pang)
102
E.4 JROTC (MEMO of November 5, 1997; William G. Sizemore)
103
E.5 ROTC (Memorandum of August 30, 2002; Assistant Secretary of Defense, Charles S. Abell)
104
E.6 ROTC (MEMO of December 2, 2002; William G. Sizemore)
105
E.7 JROTC and ROTC (MEMO, November 19, 2007; William G. Sizemore)
106
APPENDIX F: 25- AND 50-YEAR CERTIFICATES
References included in Appendix F:
F.1 - 25-Year Certificates (Memo of December 27, 1990; C. Fred Kleinknecht)
F.2 - Twenty-five Year Certificates (Memo of October 29, 1992; William G. Sizemore)
F.3 - 50-Year Membership Awards (Memo of October 20, 2004; Ronald A. Seale)
F.1. 25-YEAR CERTIFICATES (Memo of December 27, 1990; C. Fred Kleinknecht
107
F.2. 25-YEAR CERTIFICATE (Memo of October 29,1992, William G. Sizemore)
108
F.3 - 50-Year Membership Awards (Memo of October 20, 2004; Ronald A. Seale)
109
APPENDIX G: FORMS
The forms included in Appendix G represent all forms displayed or referenced in this manual.
Forms included in Appendix G:
G.1 – Form 330: Statement of Fees and Report of Investitures
G.2 – For 330 for Members Taking Additional Degrees
G.3 – Form 660: Reinstatement and Affiliation (Members with no existing Sentinel record)
G.4 – Form 440: Dual and Plural Members (Southern Jurisdiction Valleys)
G.5 – Form 331: Affiliation from Northern Jurisdiction/Other Jurisdictions
G.6 – Form 44D: Dual with the Northern Jurisdiction
G.7 – Form 44E: Dual with the Supreme Council of the Philippines
G.8 – Certificate of Good Standing (Transfer of Membership)
G.9 – Demit (Formal)
G.10 – Certificate of Membership for Initiates
G.11 – Dues Documentation Form
G.12 – Card Order Form: 50-Year Gold Card
G.13 – Card Order Form: Gold Card (Paid Life Member)
G.14 – Card Order Form: Lost Gold Card
G.15 – Card Order Form: Regular Dated Card (Dues Paying Member or Dues Remitted)
G.16 – Card Order Form: Lost Regular Dated Card (Dues Paying member or Dues Remitted)
G.17 – Ladies Certificate Order Form
G.18 – Label and Roster Order Form
G.19 – Sojourner Label and/or Roster Order Form
G.20 – Form 80(s): Senior Member Per-Capita Exemptions
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G.1. Form 330, Statement of Fees and Report of Investitures. The below sample displays a Form 330 that was completed using Sentinel. Create this form in Sentinel to report new Scottish Rite members (see Section 3.1. Initiations).
G.2. Form 330 for Members Taking Additional Degrees.
The sample below displays a completed Form 330 for Members Taking Additional Degrees. Create this form in Sentinel to report existing Scottish Rite Members taking the 18° or higher (See Section 3.1.B).
111
G.3. Form 660: Reinstatement and Affiliation
Use this form to report affiliations and reinstatements for members who do not have an existing member record in Sentinel (See Sections 3.2.A.4 and 3.4.A)
112
G.4. Form 440. Dual and Plural Members
Use this form to report Dual and Plural membership within the Southern Jurisdiction (See Section 3.9.H.) INSERT NEW FORM
113
G.5. Form 331. Affiliation from Northern Jurisdiction
Use this form to report affiliations from other jurisdictions (See Section 3.2.A.5)
114
G.6. Form 44D. Dual with the Northern Jurisdiction
Use this form to report Dual membership with the Northern Jurisdiction.
Exhibit 44D.
ANCIENT & ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY
APPLICATION for DUAL JURISDICTION MEMBERSHIP
for
(Print Name in Full) (Degree) (Primary Valley Member ID #
on Dues Card)
I am a member in good standing of the A&A Scottish Rite, Valley of , Orient of
, in the _________ Jurisdiction.
This is my request for DUAL (secondary) MEMBERSHIP status in the Valley of , Orient of
, in the Jurisdiction.
I understand that in making this application for Dual Membership, the following rules will apply:
a) That the rules and regulations of my primary membership jurisdiction shall continue to apply;
b) That I am not eligible for Honors except in my primary Valley;
c) That in my secondary Valley I may serve on committees or hold an appointed office;
d) That in applying for Dual Membership, I must maintain good standing in both my Masonic
Lodge and primary Scottish Rite Bodies.
____________________________________
Signature of Applicant for Dual Membership
________________________________________________________________________________________
PLEASE ANSWER IN FULL
Mailing Date of Birth: ________________________
Address Place of Birth: __________________________
Present Blue Lodge: No. ___
Location: ______________________________
Residence Work Phone: _____________________________
Address: Home Phone: _____________________________
Date of Primary Valley Scottish Rite Degrees:__________ Lodge: Chapter: ____________
Council: Consistory: Occupation ________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
VALLEY CERTIFICATION
I CERTIFY that I have verified the paid-up dues status of this member’s primary Valley membership. On
this member was voted/accepted as a dual member of this Valley. I have notified the primary Valley Secretary of this action and
have forwarded a copy of this application to him and to the Sovereign Grand Commanders of each jurisdiction.
__________________________________ _____________ ______________________
(Signature of Secondary Valley Secretary) Date Date of Dual Affiliation
Primary Valley Name: Secondary Valley Name: ________________________
Street: Street: _______________________________________
City/State/Zip: City/State/Zip: ________________________________
Phone: Phone: _______________________________________
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G.7. Form 44E. Dual with the Supreme Council of the Philippines
Use this form to report Dual membership with the Supreme Council of the Philippines.
ANCIENT & ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY
APPLICATION for DUAL MEMBERSHIP with The Philippines
Date __
To the officers of the A.& A. Scottish Rite Valley of ______________________________________
I, , am a member in good standing of the A.& A.Scottish Rite
(Print or Type Full Name Above)
Valley of , Orient of Degree _____
Date of Election My dues card expires on _____________________
PLEASE GIVE FULL AND COMPLETE INFORMATION
Street
Address Date of Birth ______________________
Place of Birth _______________________
City State Zip Name, No. and Location of Present Blue Lodge
Permanent Residence Address: No. ____
Location _____________________________
Year You Joined the Scottish Rite _________
Occupation ___________________________
I understand that in making this application for Dual Membership, the following rules will apply:
a) That dues are the same as regular membership in the Bodies to which application is made;
b) That I am not eligible for Honors except in my primary Bodies;
c) That I may serve on committees or hold an appointed office;
d) That my two sponsors must be members of the Bodies to which I am applying;
e) That in applying for Dual Membership, I must provide continuing proof of good standing in my
Craft Lodge and in my primary Scottish Rite Bodies.
f) That the rules and regulations of the Supreme Council for the Philippines shall continue to apply.
___________________________________
Signature (Write Plainly)
I CERTIFY that, as a sponsor, I am personally acquainted with the applicant, and from a confidence in his
integrity and Masonic Worth, do cheerfully recommend that his petition for Dual Membership be granted.
(Signatures of Two Sponsors)
_____________________________________ ______________________________________
Date of Election as Dual Member in the A.&A.S.R., Southern Jurisdiction _____________________
Mail copy of completed form to the Sovereign Grand Commander of each Supreme Council at the address
following:
The Supreme Council, P.O. Box 555, Manila, The Philippines
The Supreme Council, 1733 - 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009-3103
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G.8. Certificate of Good Standing.
This form is issued by a demitting Valley to certify to the affiliating Valley that the member to be transferred is in good standing (See Section 7.3).
117
G.9. Demit (Formal).
Use this form to demit a member outright (See Section 3.2.A.1)
118
G.10. Certificate of Membership for Initiates.
This certificate may be given to a new members to use until he receives his patent (See Section 7.4).
ANCIENT & ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY
SOUTHERN JURISDICTION, U.S.A.
CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP (Valid only for twelve months from date of issue.)
The Statutes, Article XVII, Section 32, states:
*** a Body which has conferred Degrees may furnish to the member receiving the same a Certificate showing his investiture with the Degrees thus conferred. This Certificate will, for twelve months, entitle the member to be received and acknowledged as having received the Degrees stated on his Certificate.
This is to certify that Brother , who received the Scottish Rite Degrees as follows: 14° on , 18° on ,
30° on , 32° on , and whose present address is ________________________________________________________ is a member in good standing (and possesses all the Degrees of each unless otherwise specifically stated) of the following named Bodies of this Rite, sitting in the Valley of , Orient of _____________________ Viz.:
Lodge of Perfection
Chapter of Rose Croix
Council of Kadosh
Consistory
Dated , 20___ (SEAL) (signed) , Secretary
Address ____________________________________
119
G.11. Dues Documentation Form.
This form is to be submitted by only Valley Billing Valleys each year prior to the printing of the annual dues notices. Valleys do not submit this form until it is sent to them by the office of Supreme Council Computer Services in May of each year (See Section 4.4)
120
121
122
123
G.12. Order Form: 50-Year Gold Card
Order Form: 50-YEAR GOLD CARD
Valley: Orient:
Phone: Date:
Use this form to order Gold Cards for members who are considered
“Life Members” after 50 years of service and are exempt from paying
dues. Do not use this form for members who purchased a Life,
Endowed, or Perpetual Membership.
ID NUMBER
FULL NAME
HIGHEST DEGREE
14 ° DATE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
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G.13. Order Form: Gold Card (Paid Life Members)
Order Form: GOLD CARD
Valley: Orient:
Phone: Date:
Use this form to order Gold Cards for members who have purchased a
Life Membership, Perpetual Membership, or Endowed Membership.
ID NUMBER
FULL NAME
HIGHEST DEGREE
14 ° DATE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
125
G.14. Order Form: Lost Gold Card (50-Year and Paid Life Members)
Order Form: LOST GOLD CARD
Valley: Orient:
Phone: Date:
Use this form to order replacement Gold Cards for members who have
reported a “lost” Gold Card. There is a $5.00 replacement fee for each
card. Please enclose a check with your order.
ID NUMBER
FULL NAME
HIGHEST DEGREE
14 ° DATE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
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G.15. Order Form: Regular Dated Card (Dues Paying Members)
ORDER FORM: REGULAR DATED CARD (DUES PAYING MEMBER)
Valley Orient:
Phone: Date:
Use this form to order cards for Initiations, Affiliations, Reinstatements,
or new Dual or Plural members. (Note: If you had to issue a 2014 paper
card for a member, his name should be on this list to get a permanent
plastic card)
FULL NAME
HIGHEST DEGREE
14 ° DATE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
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G.16. Order Form: Lost Regular Dated Card (Dues Paying Members)
ORDER FORM: LOST REGULAR DATED CARD (DUES
PAYING MEMBER)
Valley: Orient:
Phone: Date:
Use this form to order replacement Silver Cards for members who have
reported a “lost” Silver Card. There is a $5.00 replacement fee for each
card. Please enclose a check with your order.
ID NUMBER
FULL NAME
HIGHEST DEGREE
14 ° DATE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
128
G.17. Ladies Certificate Order Forms
129
G.18. Label and Roster Order Form (Pages 1 and 2)
130
131
G.19. Sojourner Label and/or Roster Order Form
REQUEST FOR SOJOURNER LABELS OR ROSTERS (Complete Request form and return to the Supreme Council)
VALLEY: ORIENT:
Sojourners are Scottish Rite members who live in the zip-code ranges of the Valley's jurisdiction but belong to another Valley, or who live in the state but belong to Bodies in another Orient).
Living in the state but not members of this Valley (Can be done using Sentinel)
* Living in just the zip-code areas specified below, but not members of this Valley (Can be done in Sentinel)
The following two Sojourner orders require the approval of your Valley’s SGIG or Deputy:
Living in the state but not members of Valleys in this Orient (Cannot be done using
Sentinel. Must be ordered.) * Living in just the zip-code areas specified below, but not members of Valleys in this Orient. (Cannot be done using Sentinel. Must be ordered). * If the request is for Sojourners living in just certain zip-code areas, you must list the zip
codes or zip-code ranges (in numerical order) from which the Sojourners are to be
selected:
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(Continue on reverse side, if necessary)
Check one of the following:
Pressure sensitive labels (3 names and addresses across) = $0.03 per label
Roster (8½” x 11” paper, one line per record) = $0.0069 per name for a hard copy
Downloaded file = $25.00. Select one type of file format: ASCII, comma-delimited;
ASCII, tab-delimited (Suitable for MS WORD); ASCII, pipe-delimited; MS EXCEL;
(Supply E-mail address:
Name: Date:
Title:
133
G.20. Form 80(s): Senior Member Per-Capita Exemptions
2018 Senior Member Per-Capita Exemptions (Form 80s)
VALLEY: ORIENT:
The following members meet the criteria of the Supreme Council Statutes, Article XVll, SEC. 26. [3], which states:
(4) The Grand Commander may waive the Supreme Council’s per capita assessment on “Senior Members” (those who are either 80 years of age or have 50 years or more of total membership) who are in financial need in conjunction with their Valley’s waiving their annual dues. Such action will be based
upon receiving from their Valleys the names and ID numbers of “Senior Members” who meet the foregoing requirements, certifying that their dues have been waived.”
Waivers, when granted by the Grand Commander, will be for one per capita year only.
Membership Number Name in Full
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Signature of SGIG or Deputy: ________________________________________________ Date: __________________________
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APPENDIX H: LIFE MEMBERSHIP GUIDELINES
75. LIFE MEMBERSHIP GUIDELINES AS PRESCRIBED BY THE SUPREME COUNCIL
1. Any member in good standing in a Lodge of Perfection whose dues are paid to date may purchase a life membership and thereby be relieved from the further payment of dues, subject to the provisions hereby set forth.
2. Members aged 74 or younger may purchase a life membership for not less than $500.00. Members who have attained the age of 75 or older may purchase a life membership for not less than $200.00.
3. All Valley plans for life memberships shall be submitted to the Sovereign Grand Commander for approval prior to implementation, and an audited report of the status of the plan shall be submitted annually to the Sovereign Grand Commander on or before April 15 each year.
4. The total fee for a life membership shall be collected by the Lodge of Perfection and the Secretary shall immediately deposit all monies so received in a life membership fund.
5. The fund shall be invested and reinvested from time to time, under the supervision of the Inspector General's Personal Representative or his designate, according to the investment guidelines of the Supreme Council. The interest from such funds may be distributed annually to the General Fund of the Lodge of Perfection. In no event shall the corpus of the fund ever be removed, except as provided for in item 7 following.
6. The Secretary shall issue to the member paying the required fee a life membership certificate under the seal of the Lodge of Perfection, signed by the Venerable Master and attested to by the Secretary.
7. If the holder of a life membership transfers by a Certificate of Good Standing or Demit from one Lodge of Perfection to another in the same Orient, he may transfer his life membership with him. However, if he transfers to a Lodge of Perfection in another Orient, or in another Jurisdiction, the fee paid for his life membership shall remain in the life membership fund of the Lodge of Perfection from which it was purchased.
8. A Life Member who, for any reason, has ceased to be a member of his Symbolic Lodge with a consequent loss of membership in his Scottish Rite Bodies, shall, upon being restored to membership in his Scottish Rite Bodies, be restored as a Life Member in those Bodies.
9. Lodges of Perfection are prohibited from donating or selling life memberships in any manner other than hereby specified except that a Lodge may, by vote, purchase from its funds a life membership for a member thereof, paying the appropriate fee designated in item 2 above.
135
10. When two or more Lodges of Perfection consolidate, all money in the life membership fund to the credit of such Lodges shall be transferred to the credit of the life membership fund of the remaining Lodge.
11. Upon the dissolution or demise of any Lodge of Perfection, holders of life membership certificates affiliating with another Lodge of Perfection shall have the funds transferred to that Lodge.
12. The holder of a life membership certificate shall be subject to all the laws and regulations as provided in the Statutes of the Supreme Council, and loss of membership by suspension, expulsion, or death, or loss of membership in his Blue Lodge shall automatically abrogate his life membership and any claim by such member or family or survivor to any portion of any fees paid for such life membership. The Lodge of Perfection of which he was last a member shall continue to receive the income from such fund.
13. Anyone may purchase a life membership in honor of or in memory of a member of a Lodge of Perfection.
136
INDEX
#
#9 double-window envelope · 20
2
25-Year certificates · 32
3
33° IGH (see Honor Member)
5
50-Year Certificate · 33, 106
A
A Bridge to Light · 41 address change, member · 12 address matching (USPS) · 41 Adopt-a-Book Program · 57 affiliation England and Wales, restriction on · 77 from the Northern Jurisdiction/Other Juris · 8-9 from within the Southern Jurisdiction · 4-7, 79 re-affiliation · 7 required documents · 79 Scotland restriction · 78 transfer by Certificate of Good Standing · 5 transfer by formal demit · 5 Affordable Care Act · 46 Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma · 40 almoners, guidelines of Scottish Rite bodies · 92 Annual Report on Membership · 18 Annual Schedule of Outputs To and Inputs From Valley
(2018) · 74 at will employees · 46 auto insurance plan · 66
B
brochures available for download · 71. See also pamphlets
C
candidates (initiates) candidates defined · 2 courtesy candidate · 4 Form 330, Statement of Fees and· 3-4 reporting candidates using Sentinel (Form 330)· 2-4 waiver of jurisdiction and · 81 Celebrating the Craft (CTC) · 58
certificates Certificate of Good Standing · 5-6, 14, 35, 116 Certificate of Membership · 35 ladies' certificate · 36 fifty-year certificate · 33, 106 twenty-five year certificate · 32, 107-108 JROTC certificate · 51, 100 ROTC certificate · 53, 99 change of address (members) · 12 Chirp, Scottish Rite · 73 Circle from Childhood to Childhood (Pamphlet) · 42 COBRA insurance coverage · 46 computers, policy and · 47 contribution requests · 23 courtesy candidate · 4 credit card program · 65 CTC, Celebrating the Craft· 58
D
D. Turin & Co., Inc. (cap supplier) · 34 deaths death of a 33° Inspector General Honorary · 12 correcting a date of death · 12 death reported in error (restoring to membership) · 12 reporting a member's death · 12 demit demit form (formal) · 117 Honor member demission · 10 formal demit · 5 transfer of membership · 4-5 Department of Labor · 44 Development Office, Supreme Council · 56 disciplinary action practices · 46 discirmination · 45 disposition of Valley property · 84 donor recognition · 60 Dual membership - 13 demission of · 14
137
Dual membership continued… Dual member with NMJ – nomination for honors · 15 Form 44D - Dual with NMJ - 114 Form 44E - Dual with Phiippines - 115 retention of Honors · 15 Dues Documentation Form · 21- 23, 74, 119 dues notices (statements) documentation form 21-23 dues payments (reporting) · 23 dues processing schedule · 21 dues reports · 22 follow-up dues notices · 21 Paid/Unpaid Roster · 22 Valley Billing System description · 21
E
electronic petitions · 83 employee classification-overtime or exempt · 44 employee pay, posters and FMLA · 45 expulsion of a member · 11
F
Facebook · 68 Family and Medical Leave Act · 45 fees 25-Year certificate · 29 50-Year certificate · 29 affiliation certificate · 29 Bridge to Light, A · 27 Grand Constitutions (fee) · 27 initiation fees · 27 ladies certificate · 29 lapel pin · 29 Letters Temporary · 27 mailing labels · 30 member lost-card replacement · 19 Morals and Dogma · 27 patents · - 29 per-capita · 24 Permanent Charter - 27 remittance of fees · 28 rosters · 30 Revised Standard Pike Ritual · 27 sojourner labels/rosters · 30 tucks · 29 Fifty-year award. · 34 Fifty-year certificate · 33 financial guidelines · 84 - 92 disposition of Valley property · 85 financial accounting of SR programs and activities· 86 Guidelines for Almoners of Scottish Rite Bodies · 92 investment policies and guidelines · 87 firing practices · 46, 47 FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) · 45
follow-up dues notices · 21, 74 forms Certificate of Good Standing · (see certificates) demit form (formal demit) · 5, 117 Dues Documentation Form · 21- 23, 74, 119 Form 330 : Members Taking Additional Degrees · 3-4, 110 Form 330: Statement of Fees/Report of Investitures · 3, 110 Form 331 · affiliation from NMJ · 8, 113 Form 440 Dual/Plural, SJ · 14, 112 Form 44D · Dual with NMJ · 14, 114 Form 44E · Dual with Philippines · 14, 115 Form 660 · affiliation and reinstatement · 6, 7, 11, 14, 111 Form 990 ·ladies' certificate · 36, 74 label and roster order form· 129-130 ladies' certificate form · 128 member card order forms · 123-127
senior member per capita exemption form · formal demit · 5, 117 foundations House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc. · 56 Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A, Inc. · 57 Fraternal Supplies Inc. (cap supplier) · 34 Freemason Network · 73 Freemasonry - What is it? (Pamphlet) · 42 Freemasonry and Religion (Pamphlet) · 42
G
General Counsel discrimination · 45 disciplinary action practices · 46 firing practices (at will employees) · 46-47 firing practices (not at will employees · 47 hiring guidelines · 43-44 interviews · 44 employee classification · 44 operations practices · 47-49 whistleblowers · 45 Geocaching Society · 73 gold life membership cards · 19 Graduate Program (scholarship) · 62 Group Cancer Expense Plan · 65 Group Term Life Insurance · 66
H
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 · 48
H.E.L.P - Help Eliminate Language & Learning Problems in Children (Pamphlet) · 42 HIPAA · 47, 48 hiring guidelines · 43
138
Honor member demission and loss of Honor · 10 Dual member-nomination for Honors · 15 Dual member-retention of Honors · 15 suspension and loss of Honor · 10 House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc.
· 56
I
initiations · 2, see also candidates) Instagram · 69 insurance Auto Insurance Plan · 66 Group Cancer Expense Plan · 65 Group Term Life Plan · 66 Long Term Care Plan · 66 Medicare Supplement · 66 Nationwide Partnership · 65
J
JROTC, Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps 1997 letter, Asst. Secretary of Defense · 101 1997 memo to Actives and Deputies · 102 2007 memo to Valley secretaries · 105 JROTC award · 64 JROTC certificate · 51, 100 JROTC medal · 51 JROTC program for High Schools · 51
K
KCCH Honor (see Honor Member)
L
labels label and roster fees · 30 label and roster order form · 129 mailing labels · 30 sojourner mailing labels · 30 ladies' certificates · 36, 128 legal counsel · see General Counsel Lifeline Screening of America · 67 Life Membership contributions and · 23 Dual/Plural members and · 13 gold card order form (50-Year Life Member) · 123 gold card order form (paid Life Member) · 124 gold Life Member card · 19
Life Membership continued… Supreme Council guidelines for Life Members · 134-135 Long Term Care Insurance Plan · 66
M
mailing labels · 30. see also labels manuals (downloads) · 71 Masonry Beyond the Third Degree (Pamphlet) · 42 Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan · 66 member benefit programs · 65-67 Member Portal (online)· 18, 70 member rosters · 30-31 membership cards · 18-20 card in new member packet · 20 dues-paying and dues-remitted members · 19 Fifty-year cards · 19 initiate cards · 19 life member cards · 19 ordering membership cards · 19 order forms · 123-127 signature on card · 20 Membership Primer (Ronald Seale) · 95 membership statistics · 18 My.ScottishRite.org (Member Portal) · 18, 70
N
name changes (members) · 12 Nationwide Insurance · 65 New London Regalia Mfg. (cap supplier) · 34 new member packets · 20 Northern Masonic Jurisdiction Dual with NMJ reporting Form 44D · 16 Dual status · 14-15 JROTC, Northern Jurisdiction · 52 nomination for Honors · retention of Honors · 15 ROTC Northern Jurisdiction · 55 not at will employees · 47
O
one-line membership roster · 31 Only Through Masonic Unity Do the Best Get Better (Pamphlet) · 42 operations practices (legal) · 47, See General Counsel ordering membership cards · 19 OSHA · 45 other causes (suspension) · 9, 14
139
P
Paid/Unpaid Roster · 22 pamphlets · 42 patent · affiliations from other jurisdictions · 8 certificate of membership · 35 endorsing patents (affiliation) 8-9 patents continued… fees · 29 replacement · 29 signature on patent · 20 pay your dues online· 70 per-capita assessment invoices · 24 schedule of fees · 24 senior member per-capita exemptions · 24-26 personnel records · 44 philanthropy· see also scholarships, JROTC and ROTC RiteCare · 42, 65, 72 Scottish Rite Website · 72 VMAP and · 37 planned gifts · 59 pledge gifts · 59 plural membership · 13, 14, 112 demission of · 14 Plural membership defined · 13 primary and secondary Valley · 13 reporting plural Ssatus · 13-15, 112 retention of Honors · suspension of · 14 podcasts · 71 Presenting the Scottish Rite · 20, 42 primary Valley (Dual/Plural) · 13 Public School Administration Scholarship · 63
R
re-affiliations · 7 Rebuilding the Temple Campaign · 58 records retention schedule · 84, 94 reinstatement · 10-11, 111 remittance of fees · 28 Reserve Officers Training Corps · (see ROTC) restoring membership by affiliation · 6-7 by reinstatement · 10-11 restriction on affiliation Canada · 80 England and Wales · 77 Scotland · 78 CGS or formal demit required · 79 RiteCare credit card program · 65 Rite Care: Scottish Rite Masons Helping Children ScottishRite.org Website Link · 72
Rituals · 27, 40 rosters (membership) dues Paid/Unpaid Roster · 22 one-line membership roster · 31 ROTC 2002 memorandum, Asst. Secretary of Defense · 103 2002 memo to Actives and Deputies · 104 2007 memo to Valley Secretaries · 105 enrollees · 64 certificate · 53, 99 medal · 53 Program for Colleges and Universities · 53 ScottishRite.org ROTC (Website link) · 72
S
Sam and Millie Hilburn Scholarship · 63 scholarships George Washington Undergraduate · 61 George Washington Graduate · 62 JROTC Enrollees · 64 Public School Administration · 63 ROTC Enrollees · 64 Sam and Millie Hilburn Scholarship · 63 Shepherd Scholarship · 63 Sovereign Grand Commander's Scholarship · 63 Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., INC. · 57 Scottish Rite Friends · 60 Scottish Rite Journal, The address matching · 41-42 current interest stories · 50 delivery processes · 41 graphic support for Valleys/Orients · 50 new members (initiates) · 2 schedule for submissions · 50 ScottishRite.org Website Link · 70 secondary Valley (Dual/Plural) · 13 senior members deadlines for reporting per-capita exemptions · 25-26 Form 80s · 26, 133 per-capita exemption · 18, 24 reporting senior exemptions · 25-26, 133 waiver of per capita (memo, 2012, Sizemore) · 82 Sentinel Database Management System address changes (reporting) · 12 Annual Report on Membership · 18 deaths (reporting)· 12 Dual member demit/suspension (reporting) · 14 demit (reporting) · 6 dues payments in Sentinel · 23 dues reports · 22 Honor member, suspension of · 10 initiations (reporting) · 2-4 labels, mailing · 30 logging in to Sentinel · 1 member status changes in Sentinel · 2 name changes (reporting) · 12
140
Paid/Unpaid Roster · 22 Plural Member Plural member demit/suspension (reporting) · 14 Web address for Sentinel· 1 reinstatements (reporting) · 10 rosters (creating in Sentinel)· 30 senior exemptions (displayed in Sentinel) · 25 statistics, member · 18 Sentinel Database Management System continued… re-affiliations (reporting) · 7 Sentinel Training Manual · 50-Year members · 33 add new members (candidates) · 2 Annual Report · 18 download the Sentinel manual · 1 dues payments, entering · 23 Form 330: Report of Investitures · 19 initiations and Sentinel · 2 labels, mailing · 30 Sentinel reports · 22, 30 Shepherd Scholarship · 63 social media Facebook · 68, 71 Instagram · 69, 72 Scottish Rite Chirp ·73 Twitter · 69, 71 sojourners labels and rosters, ordering · 30-31, 131 mailing labels in Sentinel · 30 Sovereign Grand Commander's Scholarship · 63 split-Valley membership · 12 Statues of the Supreme Council articles of incorporation and bylaws · 48 affiliation from other jurisdictions · 8 Certificate of Good Standing · 5 Certificate of Membership · 35, 119 Dual member (retention of Honors and) · 15 disciplinary action · 96 fifty-year certificate · 33 good standing (membership and) · 12 initiation fees, reduction of) · 28 ladies certificates · 36 loss of Honors · 10 not in good standing (high Degrees and) · 4 per-capita · 24, 26 remittance of fees · 28 Rituals · 40 senior member per-capita exemption · 18, 134 waiver of jurisdiction (candidates and members) · 81 store, Scottish Rite · 70 Stategic Communications · 50 Strategic Plan ·72 Supreme Council Computer Services affiliation on Form 660 · 7 affiliations from other jurisdictions on Form 331 · 8 dues documentation form · 22, 119 member card order forms · 20 member mailing labels and rosters · 30-31 reinstatement on Form 660 · 11
Sentinel user account · 1 sojourner labels and rosters · 30-31 Valley Billing System, joining · 25 Supreme Council Guidelines for Dynamic and Successful Membership Maintenance and Expansion (Pamphlet) · 42 Supreme Council of the Philippines · 14, 115 Supreme Council Office of Finance · 23 suspension approval by SGIG or Deputy · 9 lower Degree suspension · 10 non-payment of Scottish Rite dues · 9 other causes · 9 reporting suspensions · 10
T
Thoughts about America (Pamphlet) · 42 To a Non-Mason: You Must Seek Masonic Membership (Pamphlet) · 42 Tough Mudder · 73 transferring membership · 4-8 tuck fees · 29 Twenty-five Year Certificate · 32 Twitter · 69
U
Undergraduate Program (Scholarship) · 61 un-masonic conduct suspension · 9 expulsion · 11 USPS ACS (Address Change Service · 41
V
Valley Billing System (VBS) · 21 Valley mailing labels · 30 VMAP, Valley Membership Achievement Program · 37-39 Valley property, disposition of · 84
W
waiver of Jurisdiction · 81 waiver of per capita. · 82, See also senior members Website, Scottish Rite · 70-73 whistlebloweers · 45 WSB Club · 73 www.scottishrite.org · 70-73
141
Y
Year 2018 Annual Schedule of Outputs To and Inputs From Valley · 74
Your Decision to Leave - or Not to Leave - the Scottish Rite (Pamphlet) · 42
142
FREEMASONRY BUILDS ITS TEMPLES
IN THE HEARTS OF MEN AND AMONG NATIONS
