Scottish Rite NMJ Announces Hauts Grades Academy

As was promised, the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction is rolling out new programs as part of 'A Path Forward.' Given all the changes occurring, it is indeed a VERY new path, and the newly redesigned website announcing it was rolled out yesterday. You can see it HERE. 

The new Sovereign Grand Commander, David A. Glattly, 33° is making some substantial alterations and welcome improvements that a great many of the NMJ's members have wanted for a very long time. 

The most exciting centerpiece of this new path is an educational program called the Hauts Grades Academy. It is designed to promote the education, knowledge, and engagement of members, and is specifically designed around the 29 degrees worked in the NMJ. It is a course available to all 32° Scottish Rite NMJ Masons in good standing, free of charge, with both offline and online offerings.

The HGA program is divided into three levels. At Level One, the candidate delves into the rituals of the 29 AASR-NMJ degrees with an open book, 100 question, multiple choice exam. Trial questions will be provided before Level One participants get started, in order to see the nature of the actual test. Additionally, the test may be taken and retaken (with different, randomly generated questions) until it is successfully passed.

Once that level is passed, at Level Two the candidate picks any nine degrees and writes a substantial essay on each of them, reflecting on the lessons and teachings embedded in their rituals. The Academy Advisory Board will mentor the candidate throughout the process. 

Finally, at Level Three the candidate creates a professional research paper—a Master Work— not less than 2,500 words in length, focussing on any topic of his choosing, from history and ritual, to philosophy of the Scottish Rite. Papers created by HGA participants will be published annually by the Supreme Council, or as articles in the Northern Light magazine. Graduates of the HGA will receive a certificate at each level, and upon successful completion of the program, presented with a special Hauts Grade Academic jewel.

The HGA program is envisioned to always be a work in progress, and the goal is to foster, support, and encourage Masonic scholarship throughout the Scottish Rite NMJ.There will be online reading materials provided for the course, as well as a list of other outside recommended reading material. There will be student follow up and feedback throughout, and the program will be constantly evaluated, with improvements and adjustments made as it progresses. Further, the Advisory Board (on which I've been currently asked to participate) is envisioned to eventually be comprised of graduates of the program, and not just the same old names and faces you're probably used to seeing.

Aside from myself, the current Advisory Board includes: Yasser Alkhatib, 32°, MSA, Valley of Philadelphia; Mohamad A. Yatim, 32°, MSA, Valley of Northern New Jersey; E. Oscar Alleyne, 32°, Valley of the Hudson, New York; and James O. Dill, 33°, Valley of Boston. That group will undoubtedly expand in the coming months.

The Hauts Grades Academy is set to officially launch in Spring 2018. For more information and to sign on to the mailing list for updates, visit the Hauts Grades Academy website.

I freely admit to being a guilty bellyacher for many years, but all of this is outstanding news. There are many other changes in the works coming out of Lexington, and they are all quite positive developments. You can read more about 'A Path Forward' HERE.

In the meantime, have a look at a new commercial for the fraternity courtesy the NMJ: