Registration info:
Early registration is now until May 31
Fee is $310 plus $50 for a spouse/guest

Regular registration begins June 1
Fee is $360 plus $75 for a spouse/guest

Click here for the 2013 Biennial Session Program

Hotel Information:

The headquarters hotel for the 2013 Biennial Session is the Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009, telephone number 202-483-3000. The special room rates for the 2013 Session as follows: (the deadline for hotel reservations (if rooms are still available) is July 31, 2013.

Regular Rooms
Single $147
Double $172
Triple $197
Quad $222

Executive Level
Single $187
Double $212
Triple $237
Quad $262

2013 Biennial Session Preview

Saturday, August 24
12:00 Noon – 5:00 p.m.
Registration (Concourse, Washington Hilton)*

Sunday, August 25
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Registration (Concourse, Washington Hilton)

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Welcome Reception** (St. Regis Hotel, 923 16th Street (16th & K Streets), NW, Washington, DC) Scottish Rite Masons attending Biennial and their guests.

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Vespers Service** (St. John’s Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square) Scottish Rite Masons attending Biennial and their guests; dark suit, no cap or regalia.

Monday, August 26
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Registration (Concourse, Washington Hilton)

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Formal Opening and Business Session of the Supreme Council, A.&A.S.R., S.J., U.S.A. (International Ballroom, Washington Hilton) All Scottish Rite Masons and their guests; dark suit, cap, and regalia.

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Luncheon (Washington Hilton) All Scottish Rite Masons and their guests with admission by ticket only.

Tuesday, August 27
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Registration (Concourse, Washington Hilton)

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Scottish Rite Research Society Luncheon and Panel Discussion (Washington Hilton) All Scottish Rite Masons and their guests; dark suit, no cap or regalia. ($40 per person)

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
33° Conferral Ceremony** (Valley of Washington, Orient of the District of Columbia Scottish Rite Temple, 2800 16th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009) 33° Scottish Rite Masons and 33° Elects only. Admission by dues card. Elects, black tie; observers, dark suit, cap, and regalia.

7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Gala Banquet (International Ballroom, Washington Hilton) Admission by ticket only; black tie preferred, no cap or regalia.

*The 2013 Biennial Session host hotel is the Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009.

** Complimentary bus service provided from the Washington Hilton to and from the event.

Click here to register for the 2013 Biennial Session.

The competition for the scholarships sponsored by the Supreme Council, 33°, Southern Jurisdiction, for this year concluded on April 1, 2013. We are pleased to announce the recipients of these scholarships, in alphabetical order, for the 2013-2014 school year as follows:

Sam and Millie Hilburn Scholarships
Allison A. Mann
Jennifer M. Schult
Danielle R. Schulz
Angela A. Wuelling

Public School Administration Scholarships
Elsa G. Villarreal
Jerry L. Whitaker

Shepherd Scholarships
Melissa J. Baxter
Amy L. Bennett
Alexandra L. Dodd
Aaron A. Gustufson
Andrew J. Groneman
Nicholas S. Mather

Sovereign Grand Commander Scholarship
Ryan N. Gail

Pictured is Ill. Bro. Theo D. “Red” Mullens, 33° (left) and his son Bro. Therell R. Mullens, 32° (right). Ill. Bro. Theo Mullens attended day two of the Valley of Little Rock reunion on April 27, 2013. It was a special day as he celebrated his 92nd birthday with the brethren.  Bro. Mullens has been a Master Mason for 71 years!

For those unfamiliar, a podcast is like a radio show, but over the internet.  Last year, the Supreme Council introduced The Life Masonic.  And since then, we have released 14 episodes and been downloaded over 40,000 times!

Each month on The Life Masonic, we take a theme and then explore that theme through interviews or stories from Masons around the country.  Some of these Masons you may have heard of, some you’ll meet for the first time.  But on each episode, you will be exposed to some Masonic education, hopefully enlightening an area of the Craft.

Our first episode was “Research with S. Brent Morris,” where Ill. Bro. Morris talked about what scholarly Masonic research was and how anyone can do it.  Some episodes are stories from other Masons, Like in Episode 9, where we heard essays from the Master Craftsman Masonic Education Program read by their authors.

How to Tune In

If you want to download The Life Masonic, you can do so by going to the iTunes store and searching in the podcast section and then clicking the link to “subscribe.”  You can also subscribe to the show on Stitcher Internet Radio, if you like to listen on your iPhone, Windows, or Android phone, by downloading the free Stitcher app in the App Store.  If you have a good internet connection and just want to stream it (just click on the link and listen), you can visit the podcast page on the Supreme Council website. You can download episodes and listen to them offline later, or listen to them as a “stream” when you are online.

Do you have an idea for a future podcast?  Do you have a comment about a past show?  Join the conversation on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheLifeMasonic, and on Twitter @TheLifeMasonic.

Finally, if you would like to listen to the show and just can’t figure all this stuff out, simply give us a call at 202-777-3123, and we’ll help you get the show up and running.

Richmond initiated SRFDs in 2010 and while the first dinner was profitable, the Valley leadership quickly learned its members were contributing heavily to many other Masonic charities, and some found it impossible to increase their contributions by supporting the SRFD. After the third event, the valley’s SRFD committee recognized the importance of including “Friends,” so members began contacting local businesses that traditionally had not contributed to the Richmond Valley Childhood Language Center.

The response was very positive. SRFD attendance in 2012 averaged 123, and after reaching out to “friends,” the Valley of Richmond registered 228 guests for 2013!

This year celebrity guest Miss Jaime Hughes, reigning Miss Virginia United States, greeted SRFD patrons. For one fundraiser, the Valley sold 100 champagne glasses at $20 each. Ninety-nine of the glasses contained a cubic zirconium with the lucky glass containing a 1/4-carat diamond! They also held a silent auction preceding the dinner, which put on the block many unique items for all price ranges. After dinner, they held a live auction with donated items, including antiques, gifts from local merchants, an always-popular three-layer carrot cake, and an 8-foot replica of an East Coast lighthouse. Patrons who did not win items in the silent or live auctions still were given the opportunity to contribute via an appeal by the evening’s auctioneers.

Plans for the 2014 SRFD already are under way, and the committee plans to exceed its 2013 success.

Does your Valley need funding? Why not host your own Scottish Rite Friends Dinner? As the Richmond Valley and others have demonstrated, a successful SRFD can invigorate base supporters and build towards future goals. For more information about hosting a Scottish Rite Friends Dinner in your Orient or Valley, contact Bro. Robert Heffelfinger, 32°, in the Development Office at rheffelfinger@scottishrite.org or 202-777-3111.

Introducing Our 2013 Hosts

We are honored to welcome back as our 2013 CTC host Illustrious Brother and famous comedian Norm Crosby, 33°, G.C.! Known for his use of malapropisms, Bro. Norm has entertained audiences with his comedy since the 1950s.

We also are pleased to announce Don Wildman of the Travel Channel will be joining Bro. Norm as co-host. A familiar face in documentary television, Don is the host of two current shows on the Travel Channel: Mysteries at the Museum and Off Limits.

Congratulations to Our Scottish Rite Has Talent (SRHT) Winners

CTC 2013 will feature performances by winners of our first SRHT contest. Brothers from the following Orients will travel to Washington, D.C., and perform live throughout CTC 2013 webcast: California, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.

The musical styles of the winners run the gamut, so there will be something for everyone. You can read the full list of winners here.

Like last year’s webcast, CTC 2013 will be a night of laughter, entertainment, and learning that pays tribute to the Fraternity and its members. We will feature never before seen footage from the House of the Temple, content highlighting local Valleys and their members, masonic scholars, leaders, and celebrities, video submissions from our Scottish Rite Heroes program, and so much more.

CTC is a wonderful way to bring Brothers together, have some fun, and also support Freemasonry’s charitable endeavors. Viewers will be encouraged to make a donation via phone or online to be split 50/50 between the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc. and Scottish Rite philanthropies in the donor’s Orient as directed by his S.G.I.G. or Deputy.

How You Can Start Celebrating:

• Plan to join us and watch CTC 2013on May 18, from 6 pm to Midnight, EDT
• Visit www.scottishrite.org the day of the show on your home computer, laptop, iPhone, or iPad
• Click on the Celebrating the Craft Link that will be there the day of the show
• PC and Mac users will need to make sure that Flash is enabled to view the live stream

It’s not too late to plan an event! If your Valley has not planned yet, there is still time to pull together something great! In his video about the CTC, Ill. Joe Manning, 33°, SGIG in Oklahoma, discusses how Valleys in his Orient got involved last year and what they have planned for CTC 2013.

Wildman currently serves as host of the Travel channel’s “Mysteries at the Museum” and “Monumental Mysteries,” but has also worked on shows such as “Off Limits,” and the History channel’s “Cities of the Underworld.” Whether pulling back the curtain on a fascinating unseen view of America or bringing to light the puzzling and intriguing stories behind museum artifacts, Wildman takes viewers on adventures with the mission to expose the real truth lying beneath the surface.

To see Wildman join Norm Crosby and the Celebrating the Craft action, tune into our webcast on May 18, 2013 from 6pm to Midnight EDT.

For more information about Don Wildman, please visit his website where he shares his journeys or check him out on Facebook or Twitter.

We also encourage those interested to learn more about two of his most successful programs, “Mysteries at the Museum” and “Off Limits.”

This event actually consists of two (2) Tournaments. One of the golf tournaments is to support our Clinic and have fun. The second one, the Liberty Mutual Invitational Tournament, requires each player in a team to have a handicap. The combined USGA Handicap Index must be at least 43.0 and only one player per team may have a USGA Handicap Index of 8.0 or below. Both Tournaments will be played simultaneously using a Scramble format. There will be prizes for both Tournaments.

The qualifying, winning team may advance in the Liberty Mutual Invitational tournament and compete in the National Finals at Pinehurst in 2014.

For more information, see our Tournament website at: golf.dcsr.org or contact John Vergalla, General Secretary, Scottish Rite, Orient of the District of Columbia at 202.232.8155. secretary@dcsr.org

More information about the National Finals may be found here.