Membership Development Program

Membership Development and Retention should be the responsibility of every member. The Valley promotes membership recruitment through staff-directed marketing to eligible Master Masons as well as encouraging continual recruitment and retention efforts at the Lodge, County and District level.

To schedule a program for your Lodge or request general assistance for membership, convocation or dues, please contact the appropriate staff member or your District or County Scottish Rite Ambassador.

Membership Department Staff

Ill. Roger S. VanGorden, 33°, Chairman

Qualifications for Membership

An applicant for the degrees:

• Must be a Master Mason who is 18 years of age or older in good standing in a Symbolic Lodge, recognized by the Supreme Council for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the U.S.A.
• Must be a resident of the State for one year and within the jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite Bodies of Indianapolis, Indiana for six months. Applicant must be recommended by a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies of Indianapolis, Indiana, who is in good standing and personally acquainted with the applicant.
• Applicants elected to receive the degrees must present themselves for the degrees within two years from date of election, or the election is void, unless for satisfactory reasons the body to which application is made should otherwise order.

Initiation Fees

The Initiation Fee for the classes is $150. For 2023-2024 there are no dues charged to the new member until calendar year 2025. Thereafter, dues are payable annually in advance on or before January 1st of each year. 

Members of the Scottish Rite are invited to recommend worthy Master Masons for the degrees. Petitions for degrees, affiliations, and restorations may be secured from the office or any member of the Membership Development Committee. An online petition for the degrees is also available at https://scottishritenmj.org/join (external link to the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction website).

For more information call the Valley office at 317-262-3100, ext. 222.

Conferral of Degrees

There are several opportunities to initiate new members into the Scottish Rite including a traditional convocation and reunion, one day degree at the Cathedral, and Grand Master’s class with symbolic lodge and Scottish Rite degrees.

In addition, the Valley presents the 4th Degree Master Traveler video degree before all stated meetings (1st Wednesday of each month, excluding July and August) and any Master Mason in good standing may attend, fill out a petition and pay the required fees, and become a member of the Scottish Rite and attend the Stated Meeting that evening.  Please join us in the Cathedral Auditorium no later than 6:00 PM for the degree presentation.

Convocation and Reunion Schedule

Fall Convocation and Reunion

Spring Convocation and Reunion

Passport Program

Upon initiation, the new Scottish Rite Mason is presented a Scottish Rite Passport, which contains a page for each of the 29 degrees of the Rite.  When viewing a degree for the first time, the member should get the appropriate passport page stamped.  When all the degrees have been witnessed and the passport is filled, it should be turned in to the Valley Secretary, who will certify to the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction that the member has seen all of the degrees.  The NMJ sends back a certificate of completion — and a new Passport!  For the learning never stops in the Scottish Rite.

Life Annuity Membership

A Life Annuity Membership means that you will provide for the payment of the Valley portion of your dues for the remainder of your life, on condition that you remain in good standing in your Symbolic Lodge. In order to include your dues for 2024, the Life Annuity Membership must be purchased on or before December 31, 2023. If you wait until after that date it will be necessary to pay your 2024 dues.

The effective date for determining Attained Age is December 31.

The Life Annuity Membership is not transferable to another Valley. No refunds or adjustments can be permitted. Payment may be made in full at time of purchase or may be divided equally over three years. If the three year plan is selected a small administrative fee will be added for each of the three years.

Purchase of a Life Annuity Membership does not exempt the member from the payment of any assessment, which may be levied by the Supreme Council, Indiana Council of Deliberation or Valley. These assessments will be billed to the Life Member annually and are required to be paid to remain in good standing. The assessment fee is $30 each year.

If you have questions on the purchase of a Life Annuity Membership, please call the Scottish Rite Office at 317-262-3100, ext. 222.

Order of the Patron Knights of the Double Eagle

Any member signing a petition for a new member during the year belongs to the Patron Knights and is rewarded with a special jewel to be worn at Masonic functions. The various colored ribbons denotes the level of achievement beginning with the first new member and in increments of five new members thereafter. A banquet open only to Patron Knights is held each June. Contact the Membership Department for more information.

Color ribbon designations are as follows:

• Blue / 1–5 / Knight Aspirant
• White / 6–10 / Grand Elect Knight
• Gold / 11–15 / Knight of St. John
• Red / 16–20 / Knight of H.R.D.M.
• Black / 21–25 / Knight Kadosh
• Green / 26–32 / Knight of Kerry
• Purple / 33 & over / Circle of Perpetuity

Past Membership Development Chairmen

*Deceased