The Scottish Rite is an appending body of Freemasonry. Each member of the Sioux City Scottish Rite Valley is a Master Mason, in good standing, belonging to a Blue Lodge that is recognized by the Grand Lodge of Iowa. Scottish Rite members continue their Masonic education by receiving the fourth through the thirty-second degrees of masonry. Each degree teaches an important lesson in life. The Scottish Rite is neither a secret organization nor a religion. Quite simply, it is a Masonic fraternity. Like the other bodies of Masonry, charity is our cornerstone. Love of God, patriotism, helping the less fortunate, and a desire to improve one's character are deeply embedded into the foundation of Masonry and into the Scottish Rite.

The Scottish Rite is often referred to as the University of Freemasonry .  This is with good cause. The teachings of the Scottish Rite predate the order by thousands of years. The origins of the signs, symbols and teachings of the various degrees come from around the world and from the beginnings of man’s existence. From   India to   Nubia ; from the Valley of the Nile and Chaldean, Assyrian, and Persian civilizations of the ancient Middle East. From Greece, Rome, Mexico and the   Yucatan . Gathering together the thoughts, teachings, writings and words of the best the human race has to offer in theology, philosophy, and politics.

Scottish Masonry teaches by degrees, using theatrical presentation to provide small amounts of information, like stepping stones, to the ultimate goal of higher ethics; of the wisest expositions of philosophy and religion; leading to a code of living that draws on the precepts of chivalry, the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. It is the mission of the Rite to teach its members to seek out and cherish what is of worth in the world, to realize that each of us has dignity and that the human side of daily life is good. That there is joy to be had in service to others; to understand that it is up to each of us to find the good in the universe and to help to develop that good for future generations. Scottish Rite Masons know that by being better, wiser, happier men we each help to make this world a better, wiser, happier place.

The Rite, as we know it today, had its origins on the continent of Europe some 300 years ago. First established as The Order of the Royal Secret, it consisted of 25 degrees. The lodges of the Rite traveled from Bordeaux, France through the West Indies to the American mainland, establishing itself first in   New Orleans in 1763. In 1786 the Rite was expanded to its current thirty-three degrees and the Supreme Council, the governing body of the Rite, was first convened on May 31, 1801 in Charleston, SC.  The Supreme Council is now referred to as the “Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction of the  United States.” All other regular and recognized Supreme Councils and their subordinate bodies are descended directly from this Jurisdiction, which is also known as the Mother Supreme Council of the World.

The term “Scottish” has often lead to confusion as to the origins of the Rite. In fact, the term first appears in the old French records where “Ecossais," meaning “Scottish” is found in the names of several of the early degrees. During the latter part of the 17th Century turmoil and strife in the British Isles caused many Scots to flee to France. There they resumed their Masonic activities. It is believed that this lead to the creation of the Rite by combining Scottish degrees, with those of France, other parts of Europe, the Middle East and Egypt. The term “Scottish” was first applied to the Rite in the U.S. in 1804 and came into general use under the administration of Albert Pike in 1859.

The philanthropies of the Scottish Rite, although not as well known as the Shrine Hospitals comes close to matching it in the number of children helped. The greatest of the Scottish Rite philanthropies is the RiteCare Childhood Learning Disorder Clinics. Beginning with a single facility in Colorado in 1953, RiteCare has grown to over 170 clinics in the Southern Jurisdiction, providing therapy for various learning disorders to over 28,000 children annually. Additionally, the Scottish Rite supports two full service children’s hospitals which were the models for the Shrine hospitals. In the Orient of Iowa, the Scottish Rite provides low interest loans to college students, grants for PHD candidates in the area of School Administration and funding for research into the cause and cure of Alzheimer’s. RiteCare in Iowa includes a program at the Wendell Johnson Clinic for Hearing and Speech Disorders and local programs under development in Sioux City and Cedar Rapids.