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Ft. Leavenworth Valley

Valley of Fort Leavenworth Scottish Rite

Where Scottish Rite Meets the Military Tradition of America

The Valley of Fort Leavenworth has a story unlike any other Scottish Rite Valley in Kansas. Born from the Armed Forces Scottish Rite Bodies, the Valley has been serving Scottish Rite Masons in one of America’s most historic military communities for more than a century.

The Armed Forces Scottish Rite Bodies were chartered on June 22, 1908, and consist of the four Scottish Rite bodies conferring the degrees from the 4° through the 32°. Today, they are collectively known as the Fort Leavenworth Valley.

That history is especially fitting given Fort Leavenworth itself. Established in 1827, the post is one of the oldest continuously active military installations west of the Mississippi River and has played an important role in the history and development of the United States Army. The Valley’s home is therefore more than a convenient meeting place—it is part of an extraordinary American military landscape.

A Scottish Rite Valley Unlike Any Other

The Fort Leavenworth Valley has always had a distinctive character because of its close relationship with the military.

For generations, soldiers, officers, veterans, military families, and civilian Masons connected to Fort Leavenworth have found a home in the Valley. Members have included men whose careers have taken them around the world and whose Masonic journeys have continued long after their military assignments ended.

That gives the Valley a remarkable quality: Scottish Rite Masonry here has always been both deeply rooted and constantly renewed.

A Mason may arrive at Fort Leavenworth for a short assignment, become part of the Valley, and carry those friendships and Scottish Rite lessons with him to his next duty station. In that way, the Fort Leavenworth Valley has helped create a network of Scottish Rite brotherhood that reaches far beyond Northeast Kansas.

The Historic Boughton Memorial Hall

The Valley’s home is Daniel H. Boughton Memorial Hall, a historic building with a remarkable connection to Masonry and the military community of Fort Leavenworth.

Boughton Memorial Hall is home to several Masonic organizations, including Hancock Lodge No. 311, the Armed Forces Scottish Rite Bodies, and the Fort Leavenworth Chapter of the National Sojourners.

The building itself is part of the historic character of Fort Leavenworth. Visitors who enter are stepping into a place where Masonic and military history have been intertwined for generations.

Service to Military Families

Perhaps one of the most meaningful chapters in the Valley’s modern history is its commitment to military families.

Because Fort Leavenworth hosts the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, military families frequently spend only a relatively short period at the installation. Recognizing that children with developmental or learning challenges cannot always afford to wait months for assistance, the Armed Forces Scottish Rite Bodies supported a University of Kansas Medical Center diagnostic outreach clinic at Fort Leavenworth.

The Valley donated $1,500 toward the program, which helped provide diagnostic services for children of military families, including assessments for autism and learning difficulties. The program was particularly valuable for Command and General Staff College families whose assignments at Fort Leavenworth could last only ten months.

This is an excellent example of the Scottish Rite ideal of turning Brotherhood into Service.

RiteCare: Helping the Children of Those Who Serve

The Valley’s support for children is part of the larger Kansas Scottish Rite commitment to RiteCare, which provides assistance for children facing speech, language, learning, and communication challenges.

For the Fort Leavenworth Valley, that mission has special meaning. Supporting children in a military community means recognizing that service members and their families often move frequently—and that children should not have to wait for the right help simply because their family is temporarily stationed somewhere.

The Valley’s work demonstrates that Scottish Rite philanthropy is not limited by geography. Wherever there is a need, Scottish Rite Masons can find a way to serve.

A Meeting Place for Masons From Around the World

There is another fascinating aspect to the Fort Leavenworth Valley: its membership reflects the international reach of the United States military.

Fort Leavenworth has long been a gathering place for military leaders from across the United States and around the world. The Valley naturally benefits from that environment, bringing together Masons whose careers and life experiences may have taken them to places far beyond Kansas.

That makes a reunion or meeting at Fort Leavenworth something special. A Mason can walk through the doors of the Valley and find brothers whose stories include service in different branches, different eras, and different corners of the world—all brought together by the same Scottish Rite journey.

More Than a Military Connection

Although the Valley’s military heritage is central to its identity, its purpose is the same as that of every Scottish Rite Valley: to provide an opportunity for Masons to continue their journey of education, reflection, fellowship, and service.

The degrees encourage members to examine timeless questions about character, responsibility, justice, faith, mortality, and what it means to live a meaningful life.

The military setting adds another dimension to those lessons.

Duty.
Honor.
Service.
Sacrifice.
Brotherhood.

These are not merely words associated with military life. They are also ideals that resonate deeply within Scottish Rite Masonry.

A Legacy Still in Motion

The story of the Valley of Fort Leavenworth is ultimately a story about people in motion.

Soldiers arrive.
Families relocate.
Careers change.
Generations pass.

But the Valley remains—a place where Masons can find friendship, explore the deeper lessons of the Craft, and serve others.

Since its charter in 1908, the Armed Forces Scottish Rite has carried Scottish Rite Masonry into one of America’s most distinguished military communities. Today, as the Valley of Fort Leavenworth, it continues that tradition as a unique part of the Orient of Kansas.

A century-old Valley. A military tradition. A worldwide brotherhood. And a commitment to serve.

That is the story of Scottish Rite Masonry at Fort Leavenworth.

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