Oregon Scottish Rite
Valley of Coos Bay
Southern Jurisdiction of the
Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
2002 Union Avenue
North Bend, OR
P.O. Box 1797
Coos Bay, OR 97420
Fritz Thomas 33°, Personal Representative 541-404-8449
Secretary: Tom Shine 32° KCCH; 541-297-0086
Stated Meetings for all four bodies are held the second Monday of each month, except July and August, at 7:30 p.m. Pot luck dinner starts at 6:30 p.m.
A car pool leaves Sidney Croft Lodge, Brookings, OR at 3:30 p.m.
Call for ride or information about car pool:
Stephen Shannon, 32° KCCH @ 541-813-1211
Join in the good work our members are doing in the Coos Bay Area and all along the Southern Oregon coast. To find out how you can get involved, contact Fritz Thomas, 33° at 541-404-8449 or email him at : CoosBay@OregonScottishRite.org
Officers 2023
Lodge of Perfection
Venerable Master………….……..Chuck Cornell, 33°
Senior Warden….…..….Ernest C. Turner, 32° KCCH
Junior Warden………….….Fritz H. Thomas, 32°KCCH
Almoner…………………….…..…..Courtland B. Brooks, 33°
Treasurer/Secretary.….........…Tom Shine, 33°
Orator………………………………..…....James W. Aday, 33°
Prelate………………………………..……Charles O. Cornell, 32°
Master of Ceremonies……..Joseph P. Holbrook, 32°
Expert……………………………..……...…..Joel H. Reich, 32°
Asst. Expert………………..………….Keith L. Stevens, 32°
Capt. Of Host…………..………….…William G. Scott, 32°
Tiler………………………….….….…… ,
Chapter Knights Rose Croix
Wise Master……..….Stephen N. Shannon, 32° KCCH
Senior Warden……….…..………….Duane H. Hickson, 33°
Junior Warden……….….Ernest C. Turner, 32° KCCH
Almoner……………..………….….…Courtland B. Brooks, 33°
Treasurer/Secretary…....Courtland B. Brooks, 33°
Orator…………………………….……...….James W. Aday, 33°
Prelate……………………………..……..Charles O. Cornell, 32°
Expert…………………….….….Fritz H. Thomas, 32° KCCH
Master of Ceremonies…....
Asst. Expert…………………....…Joseph P. Holbrook, 32°
Standard Bearer………………..……..…Daniel C. Ross, 32°
Guardian of the Temple…......William G. Scott, 32°
Tiler………………………………………..….…Keith L. Stevens, 32°
Council of Kadosh
Commander……………………………..…..Arlie M. Thomason, 33°
First Lt. Commander……………..…….Duane H. Hickson, 33°
Second Lt. Commander………..…….Charles O. Cornell, 32°
Orator………………………………….……………….James W. Aday, 33°
Chancellor……………….……..…….Fritz H. Thomas, 32° KCCH
Draper…………………………..………….……Joseph P. Holbrook, 32°
1st Deacon………………………………….………….Daniel C. Ross, 32°
Bearer of the Beauseant………..…
Bearer of the Wht. Std. ……………..Keith L. Stevens, 32°
Bearer of the BLK. Std. …………..
Lt. of the Guard………………………………..William G. Scott, 32°
Sentinel…………………………………………….…Joel H. Reich, 32°
Consistory
Master of the Kadosh………………………Fritz H. Thomas, 32°
Prior……………………………………………………Arlie M. Thomason, 33°
Preceptor………………………….Stephen N. Shannon, 32° KCCH
Prelate………………………………………………..Charles O. Cornell, 32°
Chancellor……………………………………………….James W. Aday, 33°
Minister of State……………………….…Joseph P. Holbrook, 32°
Marshal of Ceremonies………………………….Daniel C. Ross, 32°
Expert……………………………………………….
Asst. Expert……………………………………….Keith L. Stevens, 32°
Sentinel…………………………………………………William E. Scott, 32°
Opening Schedule
January……………………………………………………………………………Lodge of Perfection
February………………………………………………………………………….Chapter Rose Croix
March……………………………………………………………………………………Council of Kadosh
April…………………………………………………………………………………………………..Consistory
May………………………………………………………………………………….Lodge of Perfection
June………………………………………………………………………………....Council Rose Croix
July…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….(Dark)
August……………………………………………………………………………………………………….(Dark)
September…………………………………………………………………………Council Rose Croix
October…………………………………………………………………………………………….Consistory
November……………………………………………………………………….Lodge of Perfection
December……………………………………………………………………Chapter of Rose Croix
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The History of the Knights Commander
of the Court of the Honour
In June 2015 the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Supreme Council 33° in Washington, DC, Southern Jurisdiction, conferred upon two members of the Valley of Coos Bay, Orient of Oregon, the honor of the Knights Commander of the Court of Honour. They are Right Worshipful Brother Ernest Turner PM, HA and Worshipful Brother Stephen Shannon PM. These honors were physically conferred upon them in Portland on November 7th, 2015.
Furthermore, Steve Mathis was conferred on November 4,2023.
This is a very special recognition, as only a handful of Scottish Rite Members ever receive it. Therefore, it is quite special that two members of our small town and Lodge were honored.
The following is a summary of what K:.C:.C:.H:. is and some of the history.
The first of the honors of the Court of Honour is the Knight Commander. It was a designation conceived by Grand Commander Albert Pike to honor men of outstanding ability and commitment. A Brother must have been a 32° Mason (a Master of the Royal Secret) for at least 46 months before the Supreme Council can vote on his nomination for the honor. In order to nominate a Brother, the Sovereign Grand Inspector General or the Deputy of the Supreme Council in whose Orient the Brother has his primary membership fills out a form, giving the Brother's name, Masonic and other history, and the reasons for his nomination. He then submits the form in advance of the Biennial Session to the Supreme Council. The vote of the Supreme Council must be unanimous.
It should be noted again that the designation Knight Commander of the Court of Honour (almost always abbreviated as K .:. C .:. C .:. H .:.) is not a Degree. The K.C.C.H. is not conferred upon a Brother; he is invested with it. The best known piece of the regalia of the K.C.C.H., is the cap. This description of the cap is adapted from the Statutes of the Supreme Council.
The cap is circular, 3-1/8 inches high, and made of heavy red grosgrain silk. There is a band of red grosgrain silk, 1-1/4 inches wide finished, with a cord welt above and below the band. There is gilt wire lace at the top and bottom of the band, leaving an interval of 9/16 inch showing on the band between the lace. On the center, in front, is a representation of the Knight Commander jewel. A regulation gilt bullion double over cord is fastened at the lower edge of the cap with a gold-plated metal button, embossed with a double-headed eagle emblem.
The Jewel of the K.C.C.H. is a Passion Cross, Fitched. It is a Passion Cross because the arms are not of equal length, and it, therefore, resembles the cross on which Jesus of Nazareth suffered the Passion. The term "Fitched" refers to the treatment of the ends of the bars. See "Cross Patee Fitched" in Appendix IV, "The Rite Crosses." The cross rests on a circle of laurel leaves. On the cross is a raised gold circular plate, with gold beads around the circumference. The plate is enameled in white. On the white plate is a green trefoil (a shape like a shamrock). Around the trefoil, in letters of gold, is KT.-.COMM.-.COURT OF HONOUR. The jewel is worn on the left breast, suspended by a white ribbon.
The trefoil is a very old symbol of spirituality. Essentially, it illustrates the reconciliation of opposites and,thus,represents unity or balance. It reminds us of such triads as body-mind-spirit, active-passive-interactive, Father-Son-Holy Ghost, Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva, and many others. In the most simple terms, the trefoil reminds us that there is a connection between the human and the divine and that it is our task to be aware of that connection.
There is another emblem of the K.:.C.:.C.:.H.:. called the "Synthetic Badge." That word seems strange to our ears, accustomed as we are to synthetic fabrics and other materials. It conjures up for us thoughts of something a little inferior or artificial. But when this badge was designed, more than 150 years ago, there were no synthetic fabrics or foods. The jewel is called the "Synthetic Badge" because it synthesizes, brings together, the teachings of Masonry. Or, in the words of the ritual, "so called because like the points of the compasses, the tenets of Masonry are contained within its bounds. It is a rectangle of gold, one inch long and one-half an inch wide, in the form of a double square. In it are imbedded three sparkling diamonds, in the form of a triangle with three equal sides, the apex pointing upward. Its form will remind you of the first steps in Masonry: the oblong square of the step of the Entered Apprentice. Its gold base, the metal of the sun, itself a symbol of intellectual light and knowledge, as its genial warmth is of loving-kindness and sympathy, may suggest to you your continuing duty to spread the blessings of education and abound in charitable deeds; while the triangle of reflected light will impress you and each of us that the highest teachings of the fraternity of Freemasons is symbolized by the triangle. The badge sums up all Masonry, and we should wear it as a constant reminder of our duty to be a true Mason.
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