SCOTTISH RITE CHARITIES

For over a decade, the Scottish Rite Masons of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, have been national leaders in the effort to help children and their families overcome the painful obstacles of dyslexia.

With more than 50 active Dyslexia Centers in he northern jurisdiction, and 5 centers in New Jersey alone, the Children's Dyslexia Centers tackle the challenge of dyslexia head-on, both by providing free tutoring for children with dyslexia and by training a growing cadre of highly skilled and dedicated tutors.
for more information: http://www.childrensdyslexiacenters.org/

In 1922, a college scholarship program was inaugurated with an initial appropriation from Supreme Council funds. In 1932, Leon M. Abbott bequeathed additional funds to establish an Education and Charity Fund. The first Abbott scholarship was awarded in 1955. For many years, the scholarships were presented to journalism students at selected universities throughout the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. In 1984, it was voted to expand the scholarship program by awarding grants to children and grandchildren of Scottish Rite members and to young people active in the youth groups affiliated with the Masonic fraternity. In 1985-86, the first academic year, funds were allocated for 68 scholarships.

The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library was founded by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Jurisdiction of the United States as a gift to the nation on our country’s bicentennial. Located in Lexington, Massachusetts, it boasts one of the country’s finest collections of material and artifacts related to the history of American Freemasonry and fraternalism. The Museum also collects decorative arts, documents, artifacts, photographs and fine art related to American history—with particular attention to material related to Lexington around the time of the American Revolution. A schedule of changing exhibitions and programs, and virtual experiences, serve a broad audience. The Van Gorden-Williams Library and Archives serves the Masonic community as a repository of the history of Freemasonry and as a research facility. It preserves Masonic and fraternal history in many formats, available to the public, to researchers, and to Masonic scholars. Its other major collecting area is American history. The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 AM - 4:30 PM, Sunday noon - 4:30 PM and and some selected Monday holidays. There is no admission charge, but donations are gratefully accepted. To learn more, please click here http://vimeo.com/102333957

In 1934, the Scottish Rite Supreme Council appropriated funds for research into the causes and potential cures for schizophrenia. At the time, the disease was known as demential praecox. The funds were directed through the National Committee for Mental Hygiene and later through the National Association for Mental Health. In 1970, administrative duties for the Scottish Rite Schizophrenia Research Program were handled by a Supreme Council committee. A professional advisory committee reviewed annually a substantial number of proposals and recommended the recipients of the research grants. By 1998, the emphasis shifted to fellowships presented to postgraduate students preparing dissertations in fields pertinent to discovering a cure for schizophrenia. A select group of universities throughout the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction selects the recipients. Each year, we award as many as 15 fellowships of up to $15,000 to exceptional medical students who are working in schizophrenia or related fields to pursue their research. Program-sponsored research has resulted in major discoveries, including the role of genetic factors in the disorder, and the chemical action of antipsychotic drugs.