Welcome to the Academy of the Reflection
Integrating Scottish Rite Freemasonry and Contemplative Practice
About The Academy of Reflection
Important Notice: The Academy of Reflection (AOR) is no longer an organization and thus there is no administrative hierarchy. Much of the content in these pages is therefore provided only for historical reference. The AOR is now simply a collection of contemplative studies freely available to the public, courtesy of the Valley of Guthrie, Orient of Oklahoma, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite — Southern Jurisdiction. The Valley of Guthrie retains copyrights on all AOR materials and does not authorize their use for any commercial purposes without express written consent.
Anyone is welcome to make personal private use of AOR materials with or without the assistance of a qualified instructor. Persons wishing to work with an instructor may review instructor profiles and then directly contact the instructor of their choice.
The Academy of Reflection (AOR) provides a selection of courses designed to assist its members and associates in acquiring and developing a wide range of skills and techniques in reflective, contemplative, and meditative practice.
Rather than fitting into a strict progression like degrees or classes, our courses are offered with a great deal of flexibility concerning the order in which they may be taken. Every member or associate is encouraged to become familiar with our curriculum and choose his next steps for himself.
The Academy of Reflection (AOR) is about:
- Using contemplative practices to enhance our understandings of
- Ourselves
- Masonry
- Our relationships with others
- Our relationships with the Great Architect of the Universe
- Putting our contemplative insights into practice as Masons in the “real world”
- Meeting all Masons on the level and with transparency, embracing all as equals in fraternal love
- Providing meditation sessions open to all interested Scottish Rite Masons
- Performing an induction ceremony for brothers who have met the requirements for membership
- Welcoming non-members of at least the 14th degree to attend our inductions and business meetings
- Offering structured and supervised courses of instruction in contemplative practices to our members and associates
- Hosting an annual contemplative retreat and an annual summer social for our members and associates
The AOR not is about:
- Charging induction fees or annual dues
- Exerting influence on fraternal politics, policies, or procedures
- Adding anything to, or subtracting anything from, the degree rituals of the Rite
- Requiring any special regalia or manner of dress among its members
- Imposing any new penalties or means of recognition on our members (i.e. no grips, signs, or passwords)
- Inculcating any religious, spiritual, or moral views or values other than those already present in Scottish Rite rituals
There are four categories for Academies of Reflection:
- Academies in Formation, which have signed the AOR Memorandum of Agreement and are fulfilling the requirements for chartering, including hosting of meditation sessions in their Valleys.
- Chartered Academies, which are chartered by the Mother Academy and may induct their own members while operating under the Mother Academy’s oversight.
- Academies of Instruction, which have an authorized Instructor serving as Superintendent and no longer require direct oversight by the Mother Academy.
- The Mother Academy, which is the body providing guidance, oversight, and chartering for all other Academies.
The Mother Academy is located in the Valley of Guthrie, Orient of Oklahoma. Currently, there are Academies in Formation located in the following Valleys:
- Hattiesburg, Orient of MS
- Oakland, Orient of CA
- Orange County, Orient of CA
- Pasadena, Orient of CA
- Santa Barbara, Orient of CA
History
The Academy of Reflection was constituted in the See of the Valley of Guthrie, in the Orient of Oklahoma, by charter issued on Friday, September 28, 2012 and signed by:
- Joseph R. Manning, Jr., 33º, Sovereign Grand Inspector General for the Orient of Oklahoma and active member of the Supreme Council of Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
- John L. Logan, 33°, Chairman of the S.G.I.G. Advisory Conference and Personal Representative for the Sovereign Grand Inspector General in the Valley of Guthrie
- Robert G. Davis, 33°, Grand Cross, General Secretary for the Valley of Guthrie
The Charter officers were as follows:
- Superintendent – Charles (Chuck) R. Dunning Jr.
- Clerk – Kevin K. Main
- Custodian – S. Shane Pate II
The inaugural meeting of the Academy was convened on the afternoon of Sunday, January 27, 2013 in the Main Auditorium of the Valley of Guthrie. After opening remarks by the officers and dignitaries of the Orient of Oklahoma and of the Valley of Guthrie, and by the Charter Officers of the Academy of Reflection, twelve (12) of the nineteen (19) charter members were formally inducted. The first business meeting was officially called to order by the Charter Superintendent, and the bylaws of the Academy of Reflection were adopted as proposed.
For more than a decade, the Academy of Reflection offered instruction in meditation and contemplative practice to the members of the Valley of Guthrie and to visiting brethren during the Spring and Fall Reunions each year.
After 12 years of operation, [AOR Leadership has] determined that our most important goals are not best served by maintaining a membership organization with its own ritual of induction and administrative demands. Please be advised that on on Saturday, November 2nd, 2024 the Academy of Reflection (AOR) retired its charter and cease operating as an appendant body with the Rite.
Instead, the AOR curriculum will be available to anyone who wishes to work with it. It will be posted on a dedicated page in the [College of the Consistory] website, along with a list of recognized instructors who have the experience, training, and ethical commitment to assist others working through the contemplative courses.
A Proposal for Retirement of the Academy of Reflection’s Charter [PDF, 155kb]