Scottish Rite to conduct spring reunion

More than 100 Scottish Rite masons will come together later this month to welcome new masons and honor other members of the local organization during their spring reunion, Scottish Rite Temple Secretary Keith Jeffers said.

The reunion is scheduled to take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the Scottish Rite Temple, 110 S. Main St. Current masons will assemble to confer the five required degrees of a Scottish Rite Mason; the 4th, 14th, 18th, 30th, and 32nd degrees, as well as to honor a group of 50-year masons, in a ceremony in play form in the building's vast 520-seat auditorium.

This is the first of two reunions conducted each year by the organization.

The Knight Commander of the Court of Honor Ceremonial Class will also be honored at the event. These members have displayed outstanding service to the Scottish Rite Masons and to their country. The Scottish Rites are part of the Fraternity of Masons, an organization that originated in France more than 6,000 years ago. Jeffers, a Scottish Rite member since 1985, also holds the K.C.C.H rank.

During the reunion, the masons will also honor one of their own with the ranking of Knight Commander of the Court of Honor -- local resident and long-time mason Clarence Price. That ceremony, which is open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday in the temple auditorium, with a banquet scheduled to take place prior to the ceremony, Jeffers said.

Price had been ill the past two years, and therefore has been unable to attend previous conferral ceremonies, but he is well enough to attend the ceremony later this month, Jeffers said. The Valley of Fort Scott, one of seven Scottish Rite valleys in Kansas, has received authorization to recognize Price with this high honor.

Registration for the reunion will take place from 1 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 27, and from 7 to 7:45 a.m. Saturday, before the conferral of degrees begins at 8 a.m. that day. All current masons are invited to attend and bring guests. The evening banquet -- at a cost of $10 per person -- will feature KC strip steaks and chicken Cordon Bleu on the menu prepared by temple cooks.

For more information or to make reservations for the banquet, which are required, contact Jeffers at (620) 223-1330 no later than Wednesday, April 25. For more information on the Scottish Rite organization, visit http://fsscottishrite.tripod.com on the Internet.

The current 84-year-old Scottish Rite Temple, which was built in 1923 and dedicated in 1926, plays host to periodic tours and other events throughout the year. There are more than 1,600 Scottish Rite members in 15 Southeast Kansas counties, including 400 members in Bourbon County. The Fort Scott Consistory and Temple was established in 1881.