Early Scottish Rite Notebook on ritual rediscovered

[senior deacon]

A notebook was recently rediscovered in the rare book vault of the Iowa Masonic Library. It is known as " The Creigh Notebook ". It is notes on the Francken Manuscript which is the earliest ritual for the Scottish Rite and the one Pike worked from. This notebook is a hand written copy and contains the notes on the 4 th thru the 25 th degrees of the Scottish Rite. What is interesting to me is that it contained the ritual for the 30th. to the 32nd. degrees. It was termed as the degrees for the lodge of perfection. The charter for the lodge of perfection was granted to Stephen Morin by the Grand Lodge( Orient ) of France in 1762. The ritual was not done until 1783. Pike would revise them completely a century later taking him almost as long to rewrite them as it took to write them. He reorganized them into 32 degrees and one higher or 33 degrees in total. Then sub dividing them in to four groups actually five with the blue and or Red lodge being the first. The ritual for the southern jurisdiction was updated about ten years ago. Not the form of the degrees but the wordings. They were modernised to be more revelent for today's language.

This notebook was received in Iowa about the year 1866. More than likely T.S. Parvin commissioned it so he could start the or should I say introduce the Scottish Rite into Iowa. He was one of very few men who have served the Grand Lodge, the York Rite, and the Scottish Rite in the state of Iowa all at the same time. Pike and Parvin were Masonic contemporaries both scholars and at the time Parvin had the largest Masonic Library west of the Mississippi river. It was bigger than Pike's what Pike didn't have Parvin did.

The full story is in the current Grand Lodge of Iowa Bulletin. Volume 117 number 1. They have even include two of the hand drawn diagrams in the Bulletin. What excites me is that the Franchen manuscript was the one that Pike would have worked off of. He would have had to have had access to the Creigh Notebook also.

I am sorry for the long post but feel that if we can find the author of the rituals ( both the Scottish Rite and the K.G.C. ) we can come closer to the treasure. Hints would have been hidden in them.

S.D.

 

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[Rebel - KGC]

A notebook was recently rediscovered in the rare book vault of the Iowa Masonic Library. It is known as " The Creigh Notebook ". It is notes on the Francken Manuscript which is the earliest ritual for the Scottish Rite and the one Pike worked from. This notebook is a hand written copy and contains the notes on the 4 th thru the 25 th degrees of the Scottish Rite. What is interesting to me is that it contained the ritual for the 30th. to the 32nd. degrees. It was termed as the degrees for the lodge of perfection. The charter for the lodge of perfection was granted to Stephen Morin by the Grand Lodge( Orient ) of France in 1762. The ritual was not done until 1783. Pike would revise them completely a century later taking him almost as long to rewrite them as it took to write them. He reorganized them into 32 degrees and one higher or 33 degrees in total. Then sub dividing them in to four groups actually five with the blue and or Red lodge being the first. The ritual for the southern jurisdiction was updated about ten years ago. Not the form of the degrees but the wordings. They were modernised to be more revelent for today's language.

This notebook was received in Iowa about the year 1866. More than likely T.S. Parvin commissioned it so he could start the or should I say introduce the Scottish Rite into Iowa. He was one of very few men who have served the Grand Lodge, the York Rite, and the Scottish Rite in the state of Iowa all at the same time. Pike and Parvin were Masonic contemporaries both scholars and at the time Parvin had the largest Masonic Library west of the Mississippi river. It was bigger than Pike's what Pike didn't have Parvin did.

The full story is in the current Grand Lodge of Iowa Bulletin. Volume 117 number 1. They have even include two of the hand drawn diagrams in the Bulletin. What excites me is that the Franchen manuscript was the one that Pike would have worked off of. He would have had to have had access to the Creigh Notebook also.

I am sorry for the long post but feel that if we can find the author of the rituals ( both the Scottish Rite and the K.G.C. ) we can come closer to the treasure. Hints would have been hidden in them.

S.D.

It's OK, Bro. It was the ORDER of the ROYAL SECRET; I did a presentation to my Allied Masonic Degrees brethren on it. Francken Manuscript IS good; I have a copy of it; it MAY be "on-line". Scottish Rite RED Lodge is still practiced in Louisiana; another Bro (FBI agent) did a presentation on the SR RED LODGE (Master Mason degree o0f Blue Lodge 1-3... ALL in FRENCH!

 

[Rebel - KGC]

A notebook was recently rediscovered in the rare book vault of the Iowa Masonic Library. It is known as " The Creigh Notebook ". It is notes on the Francken Manuscript which is the earliest ritual for the Scottish Rite and the one Pike worked from. This notebook is a hand written copy and contains the notes on the 4 th thru the 25 th degrees of the Scottish Rite. What is interesting to me is that it contained the ritual for the 30th. to the 32nd. degrees. It was termed as the degrees for the lodge of perfection. The charter for the lodge of perfection was granted to Stephen Morin by the Grand Lodge( Orient ) of France in 1762. The ritual was not done until 1783. Pike would revise them completely a century later taking him almost as long to rewrite them as it took to write them. He reorganized them into 32 degrees and one higher or 33 degrees in total. Then sub dividing them in to four groups actually five with the blue and or Red lodge being the first. The ritual for the southern jurisdiction was updated about ten years ago. Not the form of the degrees but the wordings. They were modernised to be more revelent for today's language.

This notebook was received in Iowa about the year 1866. More than likely T.S. Parvin commissioned it so he could start the or should I say introduce the Scottish Rite into Iowa. He was one of very few men who have served the Grand Lodge, the York Rite, and the Scottish Rite in the state of Iowa all at the same time. Pike and Parvin were Masonic contemporaries both scholars and at the time Parvin had the largest Masonic Library west of the Mississippi river. It was bigger than Pike's what Pike didn't have Parvin did.

The full story is in the current Grand Lodge of Iowa Bulletin. Volume 117 number 1. They have even include two of the hand drawn diagrams in the Bulletin. What excites me is that the Franchen manuscript was the one that Pike would have worked off of. He would have had to have had access to the Creigh Notebook also.

I am sorry for the long post but feel that if we can find the author of the rituals ( both the Scottish Rite and the K.G.C. ) we can come closer to the treasure. Hints would have been hidden in them.

S.D.

ANOTHER "Old" Order of interest is what became CRYPTIC RITES in the Royal Arch Degrees of YORK RITE... we don't have Cryptic Rite in Virginia (nor West Virginia). It IS interesting, in that the Rituals has to do with recovering KT Treasures under Solomon's Temple... check it OUT!

 

[Rebel - KGC]

ANOTHER "Old" Order of interest is what became CRYPTIC RITES in the Royal Arch Degrees of YORK RITE... we don't have Cryptic Rite in Virginia (nor West Virginia). It IS interesting, in that the Rituals has to do with recovering KT Treasures under Solomon's Temple... check it OUT!

It was simply called "The Council"; INDEPENDENT from Blue Lodge, YR, SR, back in late 1770's or so. ROYAL MASTERS... SELECT MASTERS.

 

[senior deacon]

Rebel sorry for the late reply as this morning was the first sunny day that we have had in a week. Needed to service my outboard and grease the lower unit. Motor working good hopefully we will be able to get out on the lake and get some fishing done. Just some trivia of how rainy it has been here in Texas. About 8 inches of rain in 10 days. This lets me sit at the computer and read for hours on end.

You are correct "The Council" was the redheaded step child as it were in Masonry. I am of the opinion that Pike used this as a basis of the K.G.C. ritual. There are three shapes and have seen them all in the K.G.C. material that I have had access to. Now the three shapes are center to the Super Excellent Masters Degree and the story would fit in with both organizations. We have all three Chapter,Council, and Commandry both in Texas and Iowa. I have been active in all three and have had the honor of conferring the Past Master degree and the Super Excellent Master degree and have had several major parts in other degrees in the Chapter and Commandry. One of the reasons that some of this information excites me as they are so similar.

As far as recovering the Treasure of Solomon been there and done that, I know you know what I mean. I had to pull both left and right. That is why there is a pattern to all this that fits the K.G.C. Coincidences I don't think so But that is just my opinion.

S.D.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Rebel sorry for the late reply as this morning was the first sunny day that we have had in a week. Needed to service my outboard and grease the lower unit. Motor working good hopefully we will be able to get out on the lake and get some fishing done. Just some trivia of how rainy it has been here in Texas. About 8 inches of rain in 10 days. This lets me sit at the computer and read for hours on end.

You are correct "The Council" was the redheaded step child as it were in Masonry. I am of the opinion that Pike used this as a basis of the K.G.C. ritual. There are three shapes and have seen them all in the K.G.C. material that I have had access to. Now the three shapes are center to the Super Excellent Masters Degree and the story would fit in with both organizations. We have all three Chapter,Council, and Commandry both in Texas and Iowa. I have been active in all three and have had the honor of conferring the Past Master degree and the Super Excellent Master degree and have had several major parts in other degrees in the Chapter and Commandry. One of the reasons that some of this information excites me as they are so similar.

As far as recovering the Treasure of Solomon been there and done that, I know you know what I mean. I had to pull both left and right. That is why there is a pattern to all this that fits the K.G.C. Coincidences I don't think so But that is just my opinion.

S.D.

Well "said", S.D.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

NOW! I think that the Grand Council of Royal & Select Masters "in the olden days" of TEXAS "had a hand" in writing KGC Rituals; I have read the Castroville, TX KGC Ritual for the 1st Degree... (and By-Laws). INTERESTING!
Order of the Lone Star is INTERESTING...
Sons of Liberty (Rev. War) is INTERESTING... LOTS of "influence"!

 

[senior deacon]

Rebel if memory serves me right the Order of the Lone Star was a States Rights Club and was taken into the K.G.C. fold some where in the 1850's. You are correct the Castroville, Houston,San Antonio, and Marshall areas were all hot beds of K.G.C. activity. you might say that there was a golden triangle from Alabama to Texas to Little Rock, Arkansas. Jeff Davis was in Mississippi along with Rob Morris. The first confederate capitol in Montgomery, Alabama and Pike in Little Rock,Arkansas. Memphis is not that far from Little Rock. Many of the leaders of the K.G.C. hung out in Marshall before the war. There was a early railroad from Caddo Lake to Marshall and a Riverboat landing eight miles from Marshall. Marshall was the third largest city in Texas at that time and Jefferson Texas 15 miles north was a bigger port than New Orleans before the war. This is one of the reasons for this connection Elkanah Greer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Here is a snippet from the Harrison Flag about Gen Greer attending the K.G.C. convention in Charleston, N.C in reality Raleigh, N.C.

HARRISON FLAG [MARSHALL, TX], May 18, 1860, p. 2, c. 1
Gen. E. Greer has returned from the Charleston Convention. We expected to have had an interview with him before going to press, but have not met him. This is not to be attributed to his want of social feelings, but to his being very unwell, we regret to learn. We should like very much to hear the General upon the details of the Charleston convention, in which we will, perhaps, be accommodated, as soon as he regains his health, as we learn he will be invited to address the people at the Court house. He has our thanks for a file of New Orleans papers of the 10th inst. and a copy of Wm. L. Yancey's speech delivered in the Charleston Convention.

What else happened in Charleston N.C. ? Well after some research the convention was held in Raleigh, N.C. Maybe a premonition of things to come from the Harrison Flag. Cause and effect chain of events all this Chaos makes perfect sense. Guess I will pour another cup of coffee and light up a pipe and think about this a while.

S.D.

 

[ivan salis]

my father was a past master of the Hillard ,Florida lodge (before it folded into the CALLAHAN , FLORIDA LODGE )-- my dad went both York rite as well as Scottish rite ... as well as being a SHRINER as well...

 

[Rebel - KGC]

my father was a past master of the Hillard ,Florida lodge (before it folded into the CALLAHAN , FLORIDA LODGE )-- my dad went both York rite as well as Scottish rite ... as well as being a SHRINER as well...

I did all of that. too.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

my father was a past master of the Hillard ,Florida lodge (before it folded into the CALLAHAN , FLORIDA LODGE )-- my dad went both York rite as well as Scottish rite ... as well as being a SHRINER as well...

And have you followed any of his foot steps?

L.C.

 

[senior deacon]

In doing some thinking about the item in the Harrison Flag stating that the K.G.C. convention was in Charleston rather than Raleigh. Do think that this was very telling. I bet dollars to donuts that there was a meeting in Charleston. Only for the big bugs. The general memberships meeting was in Raleigh.

Think about what and who was in Charleston at that time. This bothered me since I discovered that the convention was in Raleigh. Newspapers reported news and Gen. Greer would have said that he was in Charleston. He was gone over a month for these meetings. Raleigh isn't that far from Charleston. Don't think that a local paper that had a scoop with one of the top leaders of the organization and had a strong following on the subject would make a mistake such as that. Leaves one to wonder doesn't it.

S.D.

 

[L.C. BAKER]

In doing some thinking about the item in the Harrison Flag stating that the K.G.C. convention was in Charleston rather than Raleigh. Do think that this was very telling. I bet dollars to donuts that there was a meeting in Charleston. Only for the big bugs. The general memberships meeting was in Raleigh.

Think about what and who was in Charleston at that time. This bothered me since I discovered that the convention was in Raleigh. Newspapers reported news and Gen. Greer would have said that he was in Charleston. He was gone over a month for these meetings. Raleigh isn't that far from Charleston. Don't think that a local paper that had a scoop with one of the top leaders of the organization and had a strong following on the subject would make a mistake such as that. Leaves one to wonder doesn't it.

S.D.

It would be interesting to see who attended it if there was a meeting there. The Dred Scott case was another venue of the upper crust of the K.G.C. who attended it. They were big fans of Mr. Tanny who I suspect was one of them placed into the judicial system.

L.C,

 

[L.C. BAKER]

"As far as recovering the Treasure of Solomon been there and done that, I know you know what I mean. I had to pull both left and right. That is why there is a pattern to all this that fits the K.G.C. Coincidences I don't think so But that is just my opinion."

It is my opinion too! They were very literal in their translation.

L.C,

 

[mdog]

A notebook was recently rediscovered in the rare book vault of the Iowa Masonic Library. It is known as " The Creigh Notebook ". It is notes on the Francken Manuscript which is the earliest ritual for the Scottish Rite and the one Pike worked from. This notebook is a hand written copy and contains the notes on the 4 th thru the 25 th degrees of the Scottish Rite. What is interesting to me is that it contained the ritual for the 30th. to the 32nd. degrees. It was termed as the degrees for the lodge of perfection. The charter for the lodge of perfection was granted to Stephen Morin by the Grand Lodge( Orient ) of France in 1762. The ritual was not done until 1783. Pike would revise them completely a century later taking him almost as long to rewrite them as it took to write them. He reorganized them into 32 degrees and one higher or 33 degrees in total. Then sub dividing them in to four groups actually five with the blue and or Red lodge being the first. The ritual for the southern jurisdiction was updated about ten years ago. Not the form of the degrees but the wordings. They were modernised to be more revelent for today's language.

This notebook was received in Iowa about the year 1866. More than likely T.S. Parvin commissioned it so he could start the or should I say introduce the Scottish Rite into Iowa. He was one of very few men who have served the Grand Lodge, the York Rite, and the Scottish Rite in the state of Iowa all at the same time. Pike and Parvin were Masonic contemporaries both scholars and at the time Parvin had the largest Masonic Library west of the Mississippi river. It was bigger than Pike's what Pike didn't have Parvin did.

The full story is in the current Grand Lodge of Iowa Bulletin. Volume 117 number 1. They have even include two of the hand drawn diagrams in the Bulletin. What excites me is that the Franchen manuscript was the one that Pike would have worked off of. He would have had to have had access to the Creigh Notebook also.

I am sorry for the long post but feel that if we can find the author of the rituals ( both the Scottish Rite and the K.G.C. ) we can come closer to the treasure. Hints would have been hidden in them.

S.D.

Do you know of any contact between Parvin and Pike?

 

[senior deacon]

Mdog there is correspondents between the two at the Iowa Masonic Grand Lodge and Library. There must be some at the The House of the Temple in Washington D.C. (the headquarters of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction). Parvin Back in the 1850's had the largest Masonic Library in the United States. It was at Parvin's personal residence and it was pushing the family out of it's living quarters. In the late 1860's it was decided to build a building to house it and the grand lodge offices. It was in this time frame after the war and after Pike had his library saved at Little Rock by the Grand Master of Iowa( see second link below ) that Parvin brought Scottish Rite masonry to Iowa. With him becoming Iowa's first sovereign grand inspector general. At this time Parvin was grand secretary of the grand lodge, SGIG of Iowa, and about the same time was Eminent Grand Commander of the Knights Templar of Iowa.

Pike's only equal after the Civil war was Parvin. Both were lawyers and both about the same age. Both had about the same experience as leaders of the craft. Parvin had written the most important Masonic code of law in the United States. Pike was in the process of rewriting the Scottish Rite Ritual. Both had great knowledge on Masonry and it's legend. Both I am sure feed off each other. At least once a year Parvin would have traveled to Washington D.C.or where ever to attend the Scottish Rite conclave. As a side note Parvin was president of the University of Iowa and was teaching law.

Have I seen any, no but was told that it is there in the rare book vault. Some day I plan on going back and spend a few days at the library to do some R&I. The K.G.C. is one of the things I will be concentrating on. Do think that if there is a full copy of the K.G.C. ritual anywhere it will be found there.

Here are a couple of links that you will have to delve into to see there connection.
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/history_of_the_supreme_council_1861-1891.htm

http://historys-mysteries.blogspot.com/2008/08/albert-pikes-masonic-library.html
there must have been a fond bond between the two as Parvin served Pike as his minster of state.

S.D.

 

[mdog]

Thanks for the information and the links, S.D.

 

[mdog]

I imagine that the library is not open to the public. Is that right?

 

[Rebel - KGC]

A notebook was recently rediscovered in the rare book vault of the Iowa Masonic Library. It is known as " The Creigh Notebook ". It is notes on the Francken Manuscript which is the earliest ritual for the Scottish Rite and the one Pike worked from. This notebook is a hand written copy and contains the notes on the 4 th thru the 25 th degrees of the Scottish Rite. What is interesting to me is that it contained the ritual for the 30th. to the 32nd. degrees. It was termed as the degrees for the lodge of perfection. The charter for the lodge of perfection was granted to Stephen Morin by the Grand Lodge( Orient ) of France in 1762. The ritual was not done until 1783. Pike would revise them completely a century later taking him almost as long to rewrite them as it took to write them. He reorganized them into 32 degrees and one higher or 33 degrees in total. Then sub dividing them in to four groups actually five with the blue and or Red lodge being the first. The ritual for the southern jurisdiction was updated about ten years ago. Not the form of the degrees but the wordings. They were modernised to be more revelent for today's language.

This notebook was received in Iowa about the year 1866. More than likely T.S. Parvin commissioned it so he could start the or should I say introduce the Scottish Rite into Iowa. He was one of very few men who have served the Grand Lodge, the York Rite, and the Scottish Rite in the state of Iowa all at the same time. Pike and Parvin were Masonic contemporaries both scholars and at the time Parvin had the largest Masonic Library west of the Mississippi river. It was bigger than Pike's what Pike didn't have Parvin did.

The full story is in the current Grand Lodge of Iowa Bulletin. Volume 117 number 1. They have even include two of the hand drawn diagrams in the Bulletin. What excites me is that the Franchen manuscript was the one that Pike would have worked off of. He would have had to have had access to the Creigh Notebook also.

I am sorry for the long post but feel that if we can find the author of the rituals ( both the Scottish Rite and the K.G.C. ) we can come closer to the treasure. Hints would have been hidden in them.

S.D.

Francken Manuscript became the Lodge of Perfection in the SR "system" of the 32 Degrees; Order of the ROYAL SECRET was incorporated within the SR "system"... 32nd Degree; ROYAL SECRET! YES, I am 32nd...

 

[senior deacon]

mdog the library is open to the public. There are parts of it that are closed to the general public. Mainly the rare book vault and some of the material on the 4th floor. You have to ask to see that and may or may not be granted access to it. First floor is all masonic books, second floor is books of general interest ones that you would find in any public library, third flood is the Iowa collection just about any book ever written about Iowa is in there. 4th floor is the religious and esoteric collection. The basement is filled with masonic publications and duplicate books. They will loan out material on a two week basis and have a online catalog. Books will be mailed out to you, you pay return postage which is at library rate and they supple a return label. Some time they will even make copies of material for you if they feel that it will not damage the original material. A good resource that I constantly under use.

Feel free to contact them via the Grand Lodge of Iowa's E-mail. Here is a link to their site Grand Lodge of Iowa A.F. & A.M. » Iowa Freemasonry enjoy and be respectful these are truly good people.

Senior Deacon