WASHINGTON, DC — The Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Mother Council of the World, has unanimously voted to confer the 33rd and last degree of Freemasonry to three local men, in recognition of dedicated and tremendous service to the community and to the fraternity. This is one of Freemasonry’s highest honors, bestowed upon less than 1% of all Scottish Rite Masons.
The newly elected 33° Masons (also known as an Inspector General Honorary) are:
- James Keith Gilbert, Joplin
- Kenneth Joseph O’Dell, Richland
- Christopher Michael Nickle, Carthage
These men will be Coronated Inspectors General Honorary 33° at a special ceremony on November 6th, 2021 at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center in Joplin MO.
Additionally, the Supreme Council unanimously elected five members of the Scottish Rite Valley of Joplin to Knight Commander Court of Honour, in recognition of loyalty and devotion to the fraternity. This is a very high honor bestowed upon roughly 5% of Scottish Rite Masons in the Southern Jurisdiction.
The newly elected Knights Commander of the Court of Honour from the Scottish Rite Valley of Joplin are:
- Chad Eric Wagoner, Carthage
- Ukiah McCord Camp, Joplin
- Kevin Michael Ritter, Springfield
- Barry Weldon Jenkins, Kimberling City
- James David Smith, Seymour
These men will receive the Rank and Decoration of Knight Commander Court of Honour in a special ceremony October 15th, 2021 at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center.
Freemasonry is the world’s oldest and largest fraternal organization, open to men of any creed, faith or ethnicity, and is dedicated to the ideals of making good men better through the practice of Brotherly Love and Truth. The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, generally known simply as the Scottish Rite, is branch of Freemasonry dedicated to providing its members with a deeper understanding of the principles of Freemasonry through a series of lessons known as ‘degrees’.
The Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, is the governing body of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, founded in 1801 in Charleston South Carolina. The full and official name of the organization is “The Supreme Council (Mother Council of the World) of the Inspectors General Knights Commander 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.” The Southern Jurisdiction is composed of 35 states, known as Orients, and each Orient is divided into branches known as Valleys.
Scottish Rite Masons support numerous charitable endeavors, most notably the RiteCare Speech & Language Clinics which provide treatment to children with speech, language and communication disorders. There are approximately 240,000 Scottish Rite Masons in the United States.
For more Information concerning the Valley of Joplin Scottish Rite Meeting times and Reunions Call: 417-623-3219
