Bezaleel Assembly

The Order of the Golden Circle was originally created by Most Puissant Sovereign Grand Commander Robert L. Pendleton 33° of the United Supreme Council, 33°, A.A.S.R. of the Southern Jurisdiction of the U.S.A. (now the United Supreme Council, 33°, Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, United States of America) in 1907.  It was originally named the “Ladies’ Auxiliary to Jonathan Davis Consistory” and was intended to function as an auxiliary to the Consistory in an Orient.  The name was later changed to “Order of the Golden Circle, Auxiliary to Scottish Rite Freemasonry.”

In the Northern Jurisdiction, Most Puissant Sovereign Grand Commander James F. Rickards 33° sought to introduce select ladies of our Jurisdiction (those with a Scottish Rite bloodline) to this new body. As the ritual for the Order of the Golden Circle was copyrighted by Commander Pendleton, Commander Rickards sought permission which he received.

In May 1914, our United Supreme Council authorized the formation of the Order of the Golden Circle for the Northern Jurisdiction.  Early the next year the first Assemblies were chartered—James H. Stevens Assembly No. 1, Providence, Rhode Island; Prince Hall Assembly No. 2, Boston, Massachusetts; and Manhattan Assembly No. 3, New York, New York.

Eventually, yielding to pressure from some members (who were the leaders in their respective Eastern Star Chapters), Commander Rickards allowed the organization of a Grand Assembly—a national organization—which was a perversion upon the original intent of the body.  Commander Pendleton vehemently protested this.  In 1920, after a conference between Commander Rickards and Commander Pendleton, the Order of the Golden Circle in the Northern Jurisdiction began the process of returning to its original incarnation including abolishment of the Grand Assembly.  However, it was not an immediate process.

The Committee on Constitution and Law reiterated that as the United Supreme Council created the Order of the Golden Circle in the Northern Jurisdiction, the United Supreme Council possessed the sole power to dictate the composition, direction, and existence of the Order of the Golden Circle.

Under Commander Rickards’ successor, Most Puissant Sovereign Grand Commander Sumner A. Furniss 33°, the administration of Order of the Golden Circle was clarified.  Over the years it had grown a bit unwieldy, in his estimation, and was thought of by its members, while under the Grand Assembly, as the female equivalent to the United Supreme Council.  Commander Furniss truly believed the Order of the Golden Circle could never be the equivalent of the United Supreme Council because it was not organized as such.  At best the subordinate Assemblies could be perceived as the female equivalent to the Consistory although, in reality, the Assembly was to function as an auxiliary.  He noticed that some Loyal Ladies thought and acted as if the Order of the Golden Circle was the crème de la crème or ELITE masonic house for women.  He thought the relation between the two bodies necessitated clear delineation.

In his allocution of 1922, Commander Furniss relayed his feelings that there should be no persons under the umbrella of the United Supreme Council who did not possess the degrees of the Scottish Rite.  He was in favor of eliminating the Order of the Golden Circle unless a thorough reorganization was performed.

Part of the reorganization included oversight of the Assemblies being provided directly by the Deputies for the Orient under the authority of the Most Puissant Sovereign Grand Commander (the Illustrious Commanders-in-Chief previously discharged these duties); all charters granted by the Grand Assembly be rendered null and void; all authority removed from any Grand officers; and all records surrendered to the United Supreme Council.

A few years later, during the Great Depression, members of the Order of the Golden Circle became disenchanted with the modified operational framework.  The Loyal Ladies felt as though they had no representation in the United Supreme Council due to the elimination of the Grand Assembly.  They willingly courted insubordination by refusing to remit their taxes—taxes they imposed on themselves.  In fact, the taxes paid were not sufficient to sustain their operation and the United Supreme Council subsidized their existence in those years.

In the mid-1930s, the Order of the Golden Circle again garnered the focused attention of Commander Furniss.  In the years following the Great Depression, interest in the organization decreased and resulted in a moribund state of affairs.  Many members longed for the return of the Grand Assembly and were uninterested in any other form of existence.  Commander Furniss, noting this and opting not to arrest the charter of every Assembly, desired to implement changes to revive the group and appease their concerns.  During every Triennial Session of the United Supreme Council, Assemblies would be allowed to send representatives to inform the United Supreme Council of any concerns.  Unsurprisingly this concession proved unsatisfactory to the Loyal Ladies.

It is for this, and other reasons outlined previously that, as it currently stands, the Order of Golden Circle is under the exclusive control of the Sovereign Grand Commander with primary management by the Most Illustrious Commander-in-Chief and Deputy for the Orient who is the only Frater allowed to attend a meeting other than the Assistant to the Deputy; members of the Grand Cabinet; and anyone else so designed by the Sovereign Grand Commander.

The Deputy is empowered with the same authority possessed by the Sovereign Grand Commander with respect to the admission, control, and direction of the Order of the Golden Circle in his Orient.

Since those tumultuous times in the young adulthood of the auxiliary the Order of the Golden Circle has grown steadily to encompass an Assembly accompanying almost every Consistory in the Northern Jurisdiction.

In 1969, Sovereign Grand Commander Leland D. French, 33° (a member of Bezaleel Consistory No. 15) sought and received permission from Sovereign Grand Commander John G. Lewis Jr. 33° to organize state Grand Assemblies in the Northern Jurisdiction.

On October 26, 1971, under the leadership of then-Most Illustrious Commander-in-Chief and Deputy for the Orient the Ohio S.G.I.G. Samuel Brogdon Jr. 33° (a member of Bezaleel Consistory No. 15), the Ohio Grand Assembly was the first to be organized in the Northern Jurisdiction.