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Symbolic Freemasonry, and by extension to some degree the Scottish Rite, frequently confronts the question of in what way, and even whether to engage in benevolent activities outside of the Freemasonry itself. What action would make our efforts unique and be integral with our Masonic teaching? With so many established non-Masonic charitable organizations directly accessible to each of us, what distinct value is being added by a Lodge action in this arena? These questions are best decided within each of our Lodges, of course, and cannot be answered here. However, the following quote may provide some direction:

“… the promotion of wisdom, strength, and beauty, in the form of patronage for the very arts and humanities about which we have always taught, is the best philanthropic hand that Masonry can extend to the world. A Lodge seeking to do good works will choose this course over all other options, because it speaks directly to the principles laid down in our several lectures, as well as to who we are and what we should become as Masons.”[1]

The work of our Oregon Scottish Rite Educational Foundation exemplifies the use of our philanthropic hand. It encourages the study of the arts and humanities among our Oregon youth. Our members, and our predecessors, who have supported the Foundation have enabled us to extend that hand to many hard working students over the years. This year the Foundation has selected once again a number of excellent students to receive our help toward their goal of being well-educated and contributing members of our society. In 2017, we were able to assist six impressive students from the Portland Valley.

The prestigious Stan and Jayne Schmidt Scholarship was awarded this year to a Portland Valley student, Ms. Willow Rakoncay. Ms. Rakoncay graduated from Beaverton High School. She plans a career in theater, with a goal of being a technical director of theaters. In fact, she has been accepted into the very selective theater arts program at DePaul University. Since the sixth grade, Ms. Rakoncay has been in 40 theater productions, three internships, and has written a short play presented at a local Renaissance faire.

Ms. Lauren Kang presented many accomplishments to recommend her to us. She earned a nearly perfect GPA at Jesuit High School. A driven intellectual interest in Chemistry led to perfection in the classroom, motivated her to create a new Chemistry club at Jesuit to help her classmates succeed in this challenging subject, and qualified her for a paid biochemistry research internship at Lewis and Clark College. Her demonstrated accomplishments outside of school include ten years of classical violin study, and 200h of community service in hospitals, shelters, and churches. Ms. Kang aspires to become a pediatrician. As a first step, she will earn a biochemistry degree at Washington University.

Mr. Jeremy Shahan was the runner up for the Walt and Shirlee Peters Scholarship this year, which is awarded annually to one outstanding applicant planning a career in natural science, mathematics, or related fields. Mr. Shahan plans to attend Oregon State University, where he will decide on a career in electrical or computer engineering, or in mathematics. Mr. Shahan graduated from Aloha High School. His recommenders stated, “Jeremy is a pure mathematician and a possible visionary,” and “shockingly analytical and brings a profound wisdom to the study of (English) literature.” These comments provide evidence of Mr. Shahan’s breadth of ability and interest, particularly in the Arts and Sciences that Masons revere.

Mr. Dang Duong was the Peters Scholarship award winner in 2017. In an unusual move, the committee again selected him for an award this year due to his continued, exceptional progress at Oregon State and financial need. Last year’s blog entry summarizes this man very well: “His academic record and extensive volunteer and work history are clear evidence of a purpose-driven life. He aspires to be a primary family care physician serving a rural community.” Since then Mr. Duong completed his junior year in pre-med at OSU and completed a competitive internship delivering medical services in rural India. Mr. Duong’s family home is in Clackamas, Oregon.

Portland resident, Mr. Jeff Cui is a clever communicator with excellent written communication skills. He graduated from Sunset High School with an exceptional GPA, earned an IB Diploma (International Bachelorette) at Sunset, and was a leader of Sunset’s National Honor Society. His recommenders describe a person of strong character, rounded interests, and an accomplished academic talent. Mr. Cui is also a musical talent, studying the violin for twelve years. He will be studying electrical engineering at USC (University of Southern California).

Ms. Lena Grover is an enthusiastic learner, advocate, and leader. While maintaining an excellent GPA at Grant High School, she was an outdoor school student leader for three years; president of the Environment club; and was on the yearbook staff for three years, one as the editor. Her recommenders described her as insightful, practiced at thoughtful discourse, a careful detailed researcher, and a compassionate classmate and advocate. During the year after graduation, Ms. Grover paused to travel and develop several employment and life experiences. Next year she has decided to attend Central Wyoming College. It has an exceptional and unique program in environmental science. Ms. Grover ultimately aspires to teach environmental science at the high school level.

Thus, once again our philanthropic hand has been extended. We are confident that the individuals it has touched will continue to develop into outstanding members of our society. Brethren, remember that it is through your contributions and bequeaths that we can maintain and strengthen the Foundation’s success.

Submitted for the Portland Valley Board of the Oregon Scottish Rite Educational Foundation,

Wayne K. Ford, 32º KSA

[1] A. Hammer, Observing the Craft, p.221 (2015)

2017 Honourmen – 33°, Inspectors General Honorary

Baker – Joseph John Fontana
Baker – Fredrick Joseph Licurse
Coos Bay – Fritz Hugh Thomas III
Portland – Steve Wayne McCathern
Roseburg – David Spencer Jackson
Salem – Don Lee Broxson

2017 Honourmen – 32°, Knights Commander of the Court of Honour

Baker – Donald M. Burrows
Baker – Joseph Kent Maier
Eugene – Zachary Adam Blalack
Medford – Bruce A. Kundert
Portland – Wayne Keith Ford
Portland – Bruce A. Kent
Portland – Nathan Robert Neff
Portland – Richard Sean Nowacki
Portland – Michael David Robinson
Portland – John William Tucker
Portland – Matthew Ryan Turcotte
Roseburg – Randy Jay Haugen

“Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguishes one man from another.”

-Ernest Hemingway

In this degree the lodge is no longer in mourning but is still in deep sorrow which is symbolized by the black altar cloth with silver tears and takes place on the anniversary of the passing of Master Hiram.

This degree again reminds us that our time here is short even for the wise and the just man and that we should not cling to worldly things but rather to measure our age not by years but by our deeds.

“While we think a thought we die…Death is the portion of every man.”

-Albert Pike

Many of us are so worried about collecting and keeping what we have that we forget, in reality, we really own nothing. Everything is simply borrowed…even our own bodies are borrowed from the earth and will be return there soon enough.

We tend to slave away at jobs we hate and buy cars we can’t afford in an effort to look good at a stoplight to a stranger we’ve never met and will likely never see again. In short, the things we own and covet, if not careful, tend to own us.

I once was told a story that explained this coveting perfectly. It is called The Monkey’s Fist:

Hunters in third-world countries will take a coconut and cut a small hole just big enough for the monkey to fit their hand through. Inside the coconut they will put a peanut or something the monkey craves.

Sooner or later a monkey will come along and smell the treat, put their hand in the hole, grab the peanut, and won’t be able to pull their hand out. The hole is small enough to put their empty hand in, but not big enough for a hand clutching a fistful of peanut to be removed.

At this point you would think the monkey should realize, “Hey, I’m stuck” and drop the peanut. But they don’t. They want the treat and are unwilling to surrender it. So they pull and pull, refusing to drop the peanut, and the hunter walks up on them with a club… and now the monkey is dinner.

If the monkey would just have surrendered that single peanut they would have been free. But because they coveted the peanut so much they lost their ultimate freedom.

I wonder how many of us would be caught by the hunter if we found our cell phones in a coconut that only our open hand would fit in, but when we grasp our cellphone we were unable to remove it.

The moral of the Monkey’s Fist is that we must constantly be looking at those things in our lives that we are unprepared to let go of and ensure that those precious things are worthy of our love and devotion. Because if they are not, then they are a vice and can cause us harm mentally, physically or spiritually.

Finally, Freemasonry… like all great philosophies, teaches us to remember and contemplate our own mortality.  We don’t beat the grim reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well with the time God has given us.  Death comes for us all….what matters is the love that we’ve shared, the compassion we’ve shown and the suffering we’ve eased during our time on this earth.

Larry Roberts 32° KCCH, Portland Valley Personal Representative. Member of Modesto Lodge 206, Esoterika Lodge 227 and Research Lodge 198

The beginning of our Scottish Rite experience starts with the 4^th degree: Secret Master, and happens chronologically right after the death of Hiram and at a time when the temple was only partially rebuilt.

King Solomon, after this tragedy, selected seven of his most devoted and talented Master Masons and designated them the title of Secret Master. These seven men were the guardians of the Sanctum Sanctorum and all of the treasures within.

As many masons, and those who study the esoteric will recognize the number seven as a very important number within the mysteries, which reflects throughout the universe. Seven days of the week, seven planets, seven colors of the rainbow, seven days of creation, seven laws of Noah, seven cardinal virtues, etc.

The alchemical transformation within this degree begins as does all alchemical transmutations in negredo…the dark phase of alchemy, which is the longest and most painful of the three phases. It represents the breaking down of those things we’ve come to falsely believe or rely on. It forces us to surrender aspects of our life in order to reveal our true nature and to reduce ourselves to our bare essence…all the impure and unnecessary dross must be removed…burnt away leaving only the bones. The shell of the holy temple that remains represents this phase and the potential for the rebuilding of something new and grand upon the bones of the old.

The ancient alchemists call this process of going through negredo: Mortification or “Facing the dead part”

For the mason and spiritual alchemist alike this means we must face those things about ourselves, which make us the most uncomfortable…Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, shame, lust, addiction, etc. We must confront those things most repugnant to ourselves, those things we hide from the outer world which are held in the deepest recesses of our psyche.

This introspection symbolized in the 4^th degree is represented by the “Ivory Key to self knowledge”. The letter “Z” on the key is the first letter in the password of this degree and given its secrecy will not be discussed in this paper. The letters “CaM” on the cordon represent “Clavis ad Mysterium” meaning “the key to the mysteries.”

As you might recognize after seeing this degree there really is no distinct plot…this is purposefully done. The premise of the degree is not to illustrate any specific chivalry or virtue but rather to lay the cornerstone of the entire system of our Scottish Rite degrees.

We find that we must learn to work for the sake of work itself without the expectation of awards or praise and that real understanding is that knowledge which allows one to discern truth from falsehood, to attain wisdom rather than folly. Therefore, our duties in the Scottish Rite are not to be done in an effort or expectation of worldly distinction or Masonic honors but rather in the pursuit of coming into contact with that part of ourselves that is made in the image of God and thereby creating a relationship with that divine spark within us.

The 4^th degree bestows upon us three duties to begin this divine transformation: Silence, Obedience and Fidelity.

Silence: Is one of the main disciplines we must undertake in our pursuit of this symbolic reconstruction of God’s temple within ourselves.

“Be still and know that I am God…”

Palms 46:10

“But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him”

Habakkuk 2:20

“And He [Jesus] withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed”

Luke 5:16

One of the greatest lessons we can learn is how to get in touch with the spiritual center of ourselves. Deep within each of us is an abundance of knowledge and guidance. When we enter into silence we come into direct contact with the sacred and in that silence dwells our true and higher self. In this place there is no time, only the present moment. It is that part of us that is connected to the cosmic consciousness…to that divine spark of God that is within us all. It holds the answers to all questions…the solutions to all problems.

If we as Scottish Rite masons are to pursue and truly understand the “Royal Secret” we should take time out everyday in a quiet place and commune with the divine.

You may have noticed that the altar of this degree has no working tools upon it because, in silent contemplation and prayer, God has given us all the tools we require to begin are Masonic journey of self discovery. The ivory key of this degree tells us that all that is needed to opening the door to discovery is now in our possession. The wreaths of laurel and olive symbolize the hopeful expectation of success in this quest.

We are all reminded of the importance of silence in our Masonic progression by the obligation taken and by the placement of the candidate’s right hand on his lips in the sign of Greek deity Harpocrates the god of silence, secrets and confidentiality.

Obedience: The second duty Obedience does not mean that we blindly adhere to viciousness or tyranny but rather the submission of our individual wills to the necessary demands of a well-governed society or community.

Fidelity: The final duty assigned in this degree was in ancient times one of the highest virtues one could attain. The mason that can always keep faith in God and his Masonic brother is a mason that is well on his way to discovering the royal secret and intimate knowledge of the lost word.

“The word of a Mason, like the word of a knight in the times of chivalry once given must be sacred…”   Albert Pike: Morals and Dogma (p. 112)

Our recent, newly made 32^nd degree Scottish Rite Masons and even our most adept brothers should contemplate heavily upon the three duties of the 4^th degree, for they are the compass that points to true north and will always lead us back on the right path if we find ourselves lost in our Masonic travels.

I wish you well in your Masonic journey my worthy brothers.

Larry Roberts 32° KCCH, Portland Valley Personal Representative. Member of Modesto Lodge 206, Esoterika Lodge 227 and Research Lodge 198.

Tuesday the 18th of April, the Portland Valley Scottish Rite will continue to confer the Reunion Degrees of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry with the 30th Degree.

All Scottish Rite Members are welcome to attend. Visiting Brethren will need current dues card showing membership in the Scottish Rite. Attendance is exclusively for new candidates and current members of the Scottish Rite, as with all of our events, this is not open to the public.

Tuesday Schedule
5:30 pm Body Head Meeting
6:30 pm Candidate check in
6:30 pm Dinner [Meatballs & Gravy]
7:30 pm 30th Degree
Class meets the Cast Backstage after Degree
8:30 pm Communication of Degree
After the Degree there will be a cast party and social in the Members Lounge.

Confirmations on Facebook of attendance will not be counted for dinner. Please RSVP by email to officemanager@portlandsr.com for dinner reservations by no later than 11:00 am on Monday the 17th. Any requests that come in after the cut off will go on the standby list.

Greetings Brethren,

Tuesday the 4th of April, the Portland Valley Scottish Rite will continue to confer the Reunion Degrees of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry with the 9th and 10th Degrees.

All Scottish Rite Members are welcome to attend. Visiting Brethren will need current dues card showing membership in the Scottish Rite. Attendance is exclusively for new candidates and current members of the Scottish Rite, as with all of our events, this is not open to the public.

Knights and Brethren of the Holy House of the Temple, poor fellow soldiers of the Temple of Solomon,

For almost five years it has been my privilege to serve you and the Portland Valley as General Secretary. During this time I’ve been humbled to share fellowship with some truly remarkable men.

In March I will no longer serve as General Secretary of the Portland Valley. I will continue my Masonic journey in a slightly different direction. I have been appointed Assistant General Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Oregon. I’m looking forward to new challenges and continuing my Masonic Education. Although I will be working for the Grand Lodge, I will continue to support the Scottish Rite.

In a few weeks we will be faced with a formidable challenge. We will be implementing a new schedule for the 2017 Spring Reunion. Our Reunions are successful because of a joint effort from many members of our Valley. It is important that we all realize the crucial role we all play in our reunions. Please support the Portland Valley by attending your rehearsals; participating in our Tuesday events and mentoring our new members.

Remember that Tuesday is the Rite Night.

Fraternally,

Rick Komraus, 33° 

Tuesday the 14th of February, at 7:00 pm, the Portland Valley Scottish Rite will communicate the 11th & 12th Degree of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, “Elu of the Twelve or Prince Ameth” & “Master Architect”.

All Scottish Rite Members of the 10th° or higher are welcome to attend. Visiting Brethren will need current dues card showing membership in the Scottish Rite. Attendance is exclusively for members of the Scottish Rite, as with all of our events, this is not open to the public.

Schedule
5:30 pm Clarke Trust
6:00 pm Body Head meeting
6:30 pm Dinner (Taco Tuesday!!!)
7:00 pm Communication of Degrees
After the Communication of the Degrees there will be a social in the Members Lounge.

Confirmations on Facebook of attendance will not be counted for dinner. Please RSVP by email to officemanager@portlandsr.com for dinner reservations by no later than 11:00 am on Monday the 13th. Any requests that come in after the cut off will go on the standby list.