Scottish Rite Bodies and Degree Structure

The Supreme Council, 33°, for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction is the governing body for Scottish Rite Freemasonry. With its headquarters in Lexington, Massachusetts, the Supreme Council is governed by a board of directors comprised of some fifty 33° Masons, called "Active Members." The chief executive officer's title is Sovereign Grand Commander. Each of the 15 states within the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction has a "Deputy," who is the executive officer for the Rite within his state. He is supported by the remaining Active Members. There is at least one Active Member in addition to the Deputy in each state. Some states have as many as five Active Members. The purposes of the Supreme Council are clearly defined in its Declaration of Principles.

 The Supreme Council meets on an annual basis, at which time the business of the Rite is transacted and the 33° is conferred on those who have been elected to receive this honor. Within each state are local Valleys, where degrees from the 4° - 32° are conferred.

Symbolic Lodge

Membership in the Masonic Fraternity begins with the first three degrees conferred in a Symbolic Lodge or Blue Lodge. These degrees provide the foundation for all other Masonic organizations. The Entered Apprentice Degree, as the word apprentice would imply, is the beginning. The Fellow Craft Degree represents a better understanding of the Fraternity, which culminates in the Master Mason Degree. As a Master Mason, a member of our Fraternity can continue his Masonic experience by becoming a 32nd Degree Mason. There are four groups which confer the degrees along this leg of a Mason’s journey: The Lodge of Perfection, Council of Princes of Jerusalem, Chapter of Rose Croix, and the Consistory. Click any of the graphics to the left and you can read about each of the Bodies and the respective degrees within the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.