With a little surprise in the Newly Elected SGIGs.

Congratulations to Illustrious Brother Richard Komraus on His Election to Sovereign Grand Inspector General and Active Member of the Scottish Rite Supreme Council at this Biennial!

We are proud to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Illustrious Brother Rick on his new election. This significant achievement is a testament to our Brother’s dedicated service, leadership, and unwavering commitment to our shared Masonic principles. It reflects the high regard in which he is held by his brethren and the confidence we have in his ability to uphold the values of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

We celebrate this well-deserved recognition and look forward to his continued contributions and leadership within the Scottish Rite in Oregon and around the world.

Well done Brother Rick—your dedication and accomplishments are truly an inspiration to us all!

In case you want to skip to the end here’s Ill. Brother Grand Commander Cole’s closing remarks.

Tuesday Sept. 9th the Portland Valley welcomes Most Worshipful Brother
Marc Strong

Orient of Washington State Honors Day Program

Date: Saturday, September 6th, 2025
Location: Wenatchee Masonic Center (811 No. Chelan Ave) and Hilton Garden Inn (25 N. Worthen St)
Schedule:
8:00 AM 33° Rehearsal
9:00 AM Pastries and coffee available
10:00 AM KCCH Conferral
12:00 PM Light Lunch
2:00 PM Conferral of 33°
6:00 PM Social
6:45 PM Banquet Meals

Contact the Valley of Wenatchee, Orient of Washington for details – www.scottishritewa.org/wenatchee

Honours Ceremonies in the Orient of Oregon for 2025 will be held at the Portland Valley Scottish Rite Temple & the Portland Yacht Club on November the 1st, 2025. Ticket information to follow at a later date.

November 1st Agenda:

• 1:00pm – 33° Coronation, Lodge Hall [For 33° and Elect]
• 3:30pm – KCCH Investiture, Main Auditorium [All Masons and their Guests]
• 6:30pm – Honors & Awards Banquet, Portland Yacht Club [Honourmen, Award Recipients, Orient & Valley Leadership, and their guests.]

Fraternal Greetings members of the Orient of Oregon,

It is my pleasure to congratulate the newest honor men for 2025-2026. Please join me in congratulating these honors recipients!

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The following Brethren have been elected by the Supreme Council to receive the 32°, Knight Commander of the Court of Honour, Red Cap, for the 2025 Biennium.

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The following Brethren have been elected by the Supreme Council to receive the 33°, Inspector General Honorary, White Cap, for the 2025 Biennium.

These men have shown qualities that make them leaders in their valleys and the Orient of Oregon.

It is obvious from my discussions with various valleys that some members have yet to be properly acknowledged for their contributions.  Unfortunately, our system is not without its flaws.  I would like to especially acknowledge Brother Billy Thompson and Brother Steve Larrance for their contributions to the Medford Valley.  Their dedication and integrity have been a key factor in the Valley’s success.

Sincerely & Fraternally,
Richard Komraus, 33°
Deputy of the Supreme Council
in the Orient of Oregon
Supreme Council, 33° | Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, SJ, USA

It is strongly encouraged for all Orient of Oregon 33° Elect to attend the 33° Conferral & Biennial  Session in D.C. Please note, the main hotel is full as of today but there are alternative hotels in the area. This is an international Masonic event, and a once in a lifetime opportunity to be coroneted, be sure to take advantage of it.

Brethren,

The roll of the workman has been called and one Master Mason, Illustrious Brother Norman Peterson, 33°, has not answered to his name. He has laid down the working tools of life and with them has left that mortal part for which he no longer has use. His labors here below have taught him to divest his heart and conscience of the vice and superfluity of life, thereby fitting his mind as a living stone for that spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Strengthened in his labors here by faith in God, and confident of expectation of immortality, he has been granted admission to the Celestial Lodge above. His Brethren mourn the passing of a great man and Mason.

Brother Norman D. Peterson, 33°, was born in Spokane, Washington, February 9^th, 1928, and passed to the Celestial Lodge in May of 2025 in Vancouver Washington.

At the age of 14, Brother Norm joined La Grange, a fraternal organization founded after the Civil War by four Freemasons and three Odd Fellows, utilizing the ancient Greek Eleusinian Mysteries as its basis, according to him. Both his mother and father were members of the Grange.

He received his Entered Apprentice degree on February 8, 1954; his Fellow Craft on April 26, 1954; and his Master Mason degree on May 28, 1954, within his father’s home in Washington state under Malden Lodge No. 188, F. & A.M. of Washington. He was also a member of the Walter F. Meier Lodge of Research No. 281, F. & A.M. of Washington.

While in college, Norm worked part-time as a library clerk, gaining access to many books and developing one of his passions—indexing. He earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in psychology, a Bachelor’s in education with minors in math and biology, and taught classes at the University of Portland.

His Masonic scholarly work began in 1957 when he authored two articles for the Scottish Rite magazine then called “NEW AGE.” Over the years, he published numerous articles in various Masonic publications such as Heredom, Philalethes, and Quatuor Coronati. His research papers for the Portland Valley Scottish Rite and the Research Lodge of Oregon are numerous and are now being collected and archived in the library for future study.

Brother Norm was a 33° member of the Vancouver Valley Scottish Rite. In 1966, he affiliated with the Research Lodge of Oregon No. 198, where he held a Life Membership. He was a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and a Fellow of the Philalethes Masonic Research Society. A recipient of the 60-year Masonic Service Award in 2018, he also received the 70-year service award in 2024 and was made an Honorary Past Master of the Research Lodge of Oregon No. 198.

He was a generous contributor to Masonic literature, donating hundreds of books to the Portland Valley Library, which was re-dedicated in his honor in May 2016 as the Simon-Fahrion-Peterson Scottish Rite Memorial Library.

At the remarkable age of 97, Brother Norm was still actively drafting Masonic articles and indexes, working on various projects both independently and with fellow Masonic scholars.

His contributions to Masonic education are profound, and he will be deeply missed. Memorial arrangements are underway and will be shared when available.

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, to improve its members and enhance the communities in which they live by teaching and emulating the principles of Brotherly Love, Tolerance, Charity, and Truth, while actively embracing high social, moral, and spiritual values, including fellowship, compassion, and dedication to God, family, and country.

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The Scottish Rite Creed

Human Progress is our cause
Liberty of Thought our supreme wish
Freedom of Conscience our mission,
and the Guarantee of Equal Rights To
All People Everywhere our ultimate goal.