Editing Scottish Rite (section)

=== Criticism of the American System ===
Traditionally, in most international jurisdictions, the Scottish Rite degrees are conferred gradually over many years, with candidates being individually invited to progress based on their demonstrated understanding and mastery of each degree's teachings.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Les 33 degrés du Rite Ecossais ancien et accepte | language=fr | trans-title=The 33 degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite | url=https://www.gilwro.fr/PDF/Cyvard%20Mariette%20-%20Les%2033%20degr%c3%a9s%20du%20rite%20%c3%a9cossais%20ancien%20et%20accept%c3%a9.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204182611/https://www.gilwro.fr/PDF/Cyvard%20Mariette%20-%20Les%2033%20degr%C3%A9s%20du%20rite%20%C3%A9cossais%20ancien%20et%20accept%C3%A9.pdf | archive-date=2024-12-04}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite journal |last=Revauger |first=Cécile |date=November 5, 2015 |title=Pour mieux comprendre la franc-maçonnerie américaine |url=https://shs.cairn.info/revue-la-chaine-d-union-2015-2-page-10?lang=fr |journal=[[La Chaîne d'Union]] |volume=72 |issue=2 |pages=10–11 |doi=10.3917/cdu.072.0010 |via=shs.cairn.info}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/8631202.pdf | title=The Pike Report: The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in Spain during the Six Revolutionary Years and the Bourbon Restoration (1868-1882) | website=dialnet.unirioja.es}}</ref>
The original constitutions of the Scottish Rite, which formed the basis for both the Northern and Southern Jurisdictions in the United States, prescribed a minimum interval between degrees and required approximately 81 months (seven years) to complete the original 25 degrees.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/constitutionsreg00free/page/16/mode/2up | title=The constitutions and regulations of 1762 | date=1872 }}</ref> However, many U.S. jurisdictions now confer degrees from the 4th to the 32nd in concentrated one or two-day sessions.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://scottishritenmj.org/faq/what-is-required-for-membership-in-32nd-degree-freemasonry#:~:text=To%20officially%20become%20a%2032nd,Rite%20degrees%20in%20the%20future | title=What is required for membership in 32nd Degree Freemasonry™? }}</ref><ref>[https://books.googleusercontent.com/books/content?req=AKW5QadpRhMfWGn0c8CD0TYQ76F5EcmWFmt5CtLQS14G6Pw_h2TdqtyjaxyKWialztEi1PgVNcQJFtJq32Wc6p35UG--yCeZOfGScKdMTzQzzlDGAHgWF19UbpFo73jNv8QqLGYeMk_X3Xv6AzZf_c_GR8FpI5DcEU19k1o_-5RcWrBu5UkMi3ONU-jbhEfOwbnRKk7s-qWLaPVGwNxX2xLliIFt6ykpgYqqw_wR4pJqxENjBErtqEWBbU35PnjiXEWemrKOp1-QGjUB9wODmYvhpEibmAao0OmPthLbA_cQH7qZP9H7VkE Unknown]{{Dead link | date=January 2025 | fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web| title=Ritual roots of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in the Novohispanic and Mexican Masonic traditions from the 19th to the 21st centuries | url=https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/8631201.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615013453/https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/8631201.pdf | archive-date=2024-06-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scottishritechicago.org/become-a-member/|title=Become a Member &#124; The Scottish Rite}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aasrdanville.org/frequently-asked-questions|title=Frequently Asked Questions - valley-of-danville|website=www.aasrdanville.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cepadues.com/livres/developpement-personnel-collectif/franc-maconnerie-esoterisme/1368-albert-pike-americain-sudiste-et-reformateur-du-reaa-9782364937932.html|title=Albert Pike. Américain sudiste et réformateur du REAA|website=Éditions Cépaduès}}</ref> Some international jurisdictions reportedly decline to recognize American Scottish Rite Masons in their upper bodies, citing concerns about adequate mastery of the degree material.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ledifice.net/3094-I.html|title=3094-I : Le Rite Ancien et Accepté|website=www.ledifice.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/le-regime-ecossais-rectifie-ce-rite-maconnique-herite-d-un-autre-siecle-20210817|title=Le régime écossais rectifié, ce rite maçonnique hérité d'un autre siècle|date=August 17, 2021|website=Le Figaro}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Keghel |first=Alain de |date=November 5, 2016 |title=L'expansion mondiale du R. E. A. A, fruit d'une plasticité singulière |url=https://shs.cairn.info/revue-la-chaine-d-union-2016-1-page-52?lang=fr |journal=[[La Chaîne d'Union]] |volume=75 |issue=1 |pages=52–65 |doi=10.3917/cdu.075.0052 |via=shs.cairn.info}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=Les Cahiers Villard de Honnecourt | language=fr | trans-title=The Villard de Honnecourt Notebooks | url=https://www.scribe.fr/medias/documents/Villard%20n%C2%B0%20105-REAA-Pr%C3%A9senttaion.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215121634/http://www.scribe.fr:80/medias/documents/Villard%20n%C2%B0%20105-REAA-Pr%C3%A9senttaion.pdf | archive-date=2017-12-15}}</ref>

In response to these criticisms and as an attempt to save the U.S. Scottish Rite from disappearing, some American Scottish Rite Masons have advocated for a return to more traditional, observant practices aligned with international standards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scottishrite.org/blog/about/media-publications/journal/article/qualityquantity/|title=Quality/Quantity &#124; Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, S.J., U.S.A.}}</ref>