Did you know that there is a popular belief that former US President Ronald Reagan was an honorary 33rd degree Mason even though he wasn’t an actual Mason to begin with? What really happened was that, in 1988, the Supreme Councils of both the SJ and the NMJ, jointly awarded him a Scottish Rite certificate, granting him “honorary membership” of both organizations in order to give merit to the consistency of his good works and efforts with those of the Scottish Rite. Though the certificate conferred upon him the title of “honorary Scottish Rite Mason,” there was no Masonic degree ceremony ever performed for him and upon his person.