News

Tuesday the 17th of September, at 7:30 o’clock pm, the Portland Valley Scottish Rite will confer the 6th Degree of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America, “Intimate Secretary”.

All Scottish Rite Members of the 5th° 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.

This Degree takes place on a bad day for King Hiram having just heard of the death of the Master Architect and believing a town King Solomon had given him was in ruins he storms off to take the matter up with Solomon when a concerned interloper intervenes.

The Duties of the Degree are; “Be zealous, faithful, disinterested and benevolent. Act the peacemaker.”
The Lessons of the Degree are; “Zeal and fidelity to duty are always rewarded.”
To consider for reflection; “Why act the peacemaker?”

Schedule
6:30 pm Dinner [Pulled beef, Collard greens, Black eyed peas, Cornbread & Coleslaw all for just $15!]
7:15 pm Scottish Rite University Intro
7:30 pm Degree
After the degree there will be a cast party and Social in the Members Lounge. The Portland Chapter of the Knights of St. Andrew will be hosting an informal debriefing of the degree during the social.

Please RSVP by email to officemanager@portlandsr.com for dinner reservations by no later than 11:00 am on the Monday before the event. Any requests that come in after the cut off will go on the standby list.

Brethren,
I have received an update of information for Bother Kent Cox’s passing. His Masonic Funeral, Memorial and Reception will be on Saturday, September 14th, 2019 at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church at 17405 NE Glisan St., Portland, Oregon 97230. For directions click here.

The members of Sandy Lodge No. 158, A.F.& A.M. will open Lodge at 1:00 pm, the Memorial and Funeral will begin at 2:00 pm, there will be a reception following. Scottish Rite Brethren please attend to pay tribute and our last respects to a great man and beloved Brother of our Fraternity.

Fraternally,
Bro. Nathan R. Neff,
General Secretary
Portland Valley, Orient of Oregon,
A. & A. Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, S.J., U.S.A.

Brethren,

The roll of the workmen has been called, and one Master Mason, Venerable Master of the Oregon Lodge of Perfection, Brother Kent W. Cox, 32°, Knight Commander Court of Honour, 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 vices 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.

Venerable Brother Kent Wayne Cox (Civil Engineer), was born on March 4th, 1942 in Astoria Oregon, he passed to the Celestial Lodge on Monday August 19th, 2019 in Portland, he was a 16 year member of Portland Valley Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, serving as Venerable Master of the Oregon Lodge of Perfection No. 1 several times and also as Director of the Work for the Portland Valley, in 2009 he was invested as a Knight Commander of the Court of Honour by the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, S.J., U.S.A., he was a Past Master and Blue Lodge member of Sandy Lodge No. 158, A.F. & A.M. of Oregon. Our departed Brother whom we now remember has entered into the peace of life eternal. He still lives on Earth in the acts of goodness he performed and in the hearts of those who cherish the memory of a great friend and Brother.

Funerary and Memorial service information will be provided once available.  

Brethren,
The roll of the workmen has been called, and one Master Mason, Brother Orval “Keith” K. Jacques, 32°, 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 vices 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.

Excerpt from Oregonian Obituary:
Orval Keith Jacques
June 1, 1931 – June 5, 2019
Our beloved uncle, Orval Keith Jacques, 88, died June 5, 2019, at Hopewell House Hospice in Portland, Oregon. Keith was born June 1, 1931 to Joseph Andrew Jacques and Alta Mae Violet (Beers) Jacques in Portland. He graduated from Lewis & Clark College where he met his wife, Barbara J. Fryou. Keith worked for Boeing Aircraft in Seattle, Cascade Manufacturing in Portland and later retired from the U.S. Postal Service in 1991 after 28 years of service. Keith was a long standing member of Kiwanis and The Elks. He was active in Freemasonry and attained the status of Master Mason. As a Shriner, one of his most fulfilling experiences was visiting the children at Shriner’s Hospital. He loved these organizations and spent much of his life in service work.
Keith was preceded in death by his parents; his sister; and his wife, Barbara. He is survived by his nieces, Sandra McCollough-Jones (Barb), Catherine Merickel (Frank); his nephew, Kelly Fryou; his brother-in-law, Theodore Fryou (Dannie); as well as great-nieces and nephews. Keith was loved my many and his friends and family were the most important part of his life. We have been blessed to have him in our lives and will cherish him in our memories forever.

Brother Orval was a 41 year member of Portland Valley Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, a member of the Al Kader Shrine, and Blue Lodge member of Beaverton Lodge No. 100, A.F. & A.M. of Oregon.