[D-fendr]

I think you have a fundamental misunderstanding with the structure of the lodges and appendant bodies of freemasonry.

I am no doubt ignorant of the great deal of it. I'm trying to be quite transparent about my ignorance.

But the Scottish Rite in the article is part of Freemasonry, right? They share some structure, some organization, part of one something, yes? The something that was capable of distributing material to "candidates for the Degrees of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite."

[Smelly_Fed]

The Scottish Rite is an appendant body of masonry. Scottish Rite members have to be a mason to be a member but they are not under the authority of a Grand Lodge and they usually have their own building, their own meetings, their own rules and regulations... all completely independent of blue lodge masonry.

I've obtained the highest degree in masonry - that of a Master Mason and I'm not a member of the Scottish Rite.