AMSRB-NATO Club

Scottish Rite has traditions that are built on a solid foundation. Our traditions are built upon patriotism, Brotherly Love, benevolence, encouraging all that is good, kindness and charity, standing up against all that is cruel and oppressive. It encourages all of its members to do good to others, to forgive enemies, to love neighbors, and to return good for evil. The Scottish Rite embraces the highest moral laws that will withstand the test of any ethics or philosophy.

Human Progress is our cause. Our Supreme Wish is Liberty of Thought. Our Mission is Freedom of Conscience. Our ultimate Goal is the Guarantee of Equal Rights to All People.

After, joining the Fraternity, a Master Mason soon discovers a wealth of additional opportunities to learn about and to participate in Freemasonry. While there are no more important degrees in Freemasonry other than the first 3 Degrees, there is a long tradition almost as old as Freemasonry and these are called the “High Degrees”. These “High Degrees” expand upon and elaborate the teachings and lessons of the first 3 Degrees.

In an effort to fulfill our call to advance human progress, the Scottish Rite Foundation offers a number of scholarship opportunities for young men and women to attend College or Vocational School.

These Scholarships are not necessarily for students with the highest grade point average but, are for students who show potential due to their leadership abilities, volunteer experience, participation in social, civic, religious, and Fraternal activities or whoever have overcome hardships or disabilities.

We are concerned with “suffering humanity” and have provided assistance to people and communities affected by disasters such as hurricanes, fires, floods, and earthquakes. In recent years, the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite has also provided relief to those affected by COVID 19, and those impacted by the fire devastation in Australia.

In 2013, the Orient of the District of Columbia welcomed the integration of the Brethren of the American Military Scottish Rite Bodies (AMSRB) into the Valley of Washington. This group is primarily composed of active and retired U.S. military personnel, and has its origin in the Letters Temporary issued by Sovereign Grand Commander Henry C. Clausen, 33° in May 1968 to a group of enthusiastic Scottish Rite Brethren stationed in the UK and at the European NATO bases. Although originally attached to the Orient of California for administrative purposes, this group flourished and on 23 October 1969, was issued a Permanent Charter. In 1985, the AMSRB, ceased to be a Valley of that Orient, and was fully constituted as the Orient of NATO, with Ill. Robert “Woody” Woodward, 33° as Deputy of the Supreme Council.

With the passage of time the number of American Forces in Europe have drawn down significantly and in 2012, the Orient was directed that it was to be reconstituted as the AMSRB NATO Club, and became a part of the Valley of Washington, Orient of the District of Columbia.

We elect officers, hold regular meetings, participate in honoring outstanding JROTC students at the American high schools in England, Germany, and Italy.

RECOGNIZED MASTER MASONS that are serving in the military as well as US Passport holders either Military or Civilians within Europe can become a member of the AMSRB NATO Club.

The American Military Scottish Rite Bodies – North Atlantic Treaty Organization Club, generally abbreviated as AMSRB-NATO Club, is a club organization which gathers and selects Master Masons who are active or retired from the American armed forces with the NATO military alliance to join the Scottish Rite. The emblem of the AMSRB-NATO Club, devised in 2020, consists of several elements which may be described thusly:

A blue field charged with a classic white compass rose which also appears as a four-pointed star with the points pointing in the four cardinal directions. The compass rose or star is itself charged with a Scottish Rite eagle, using the official eagle emblem currently authorized by the Southern Jurisdiction, USA.

The field is blue because blue represents the Atlantic Ocean and is the official color of the NATO military alliance. Blue also alludes to the Craft and Blue Lodge Masonry specifically from whose ranks all Scottish Rite Masons are drawn.

The blue field is encircled by a series of rings. The single white ring which edges the blue field alludes to the First Degree and the innocent neophyte who is first initiated as an Entered Apprentice Mason. The white ring is also an emblem of NATO and symbolizes the unity of its member states.

There are two cable-tow ropes which allude to the Second Degree of the Fellowcraft Mason; one of which appears just outside the white ring and the other forms the outermost ring.

Finally, there appear three rings of chain which allude to the Third Degree and the Master Mason. Each chain represents a specific group of members within the Club and each link represents the individual members. The outermost chain represents the members currently on active duty. The middle chain represents the members who have retired from their military service. The innermost chain represents the members who came this way before and have since passed on to the Celestial Lodge.

The compass rose or four-pointed star has been a part of the official emblem of NATO since 1953. As a NATO emblem it symbolizes the direction towards the path to peace which is the goal of all member states.

The double-headed eagle which is superimposed upon the NATO compass rose is the official authorized version of Scottish Rite of Freemasonry’s Southern Jurisdiction, USA, to which the Club is beholden. The name of Club (AMSRB NATO Club) appears spanning the upper left and upper right quadrants of the blue field. Spanning the lower quadrants are the words: “Scottish Rite – Orient of DC” which indicates the Club’s attachment to the Scottish Rite’s Orient of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC.