The 33° is an actual Masonic degree conferred upon 32° Masons and can never be honorary, if by “honorary” we mean not being a full-fledged 33° Mason. The confusion lies in the title “33° Inspector General Honorary (IGH)”, where the word “honorary” refers to one’s honorary membership in the Supreme Council, not to his degree. In the Scottish Rite system of the Southern Jurisdiction (SJ), USA, a 33° Mason can either be a 33° Sovereign Grand Inspector General (SGIG), who is considered an Active Member of the Supreme Council; or a 33° Inspector General Honorary (IGH), who is only an honorary member and has no voting rights in the Supreme Council. Make no mistake, however, that both are full-fledged and legitimately-conferred 33° Masons, and not one is a mere honorary 33°. The bestowing of the degree may be given as an honor, and the membership in the Supreme Council may be honorary, but there is no such thing as an honorary 33° Mason. A 33° is a 33°, so be careful not to use the term “honorary 33°” if what you mean perhaps is 33° IGH. (There are claims however that Ronald Reagan was made a 33° Mason without being an actual Mason, when he was meritoriously presented a certificate by both the SJ and NMJ, giving him the title of “honorary Scottish Rite Mason,” though no actual Masonic degree had been conferred.)