Supreme Council, Scottish Rite, Northern Jurisdiction, USA
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The Supreme Council, Scottish Rite, Northern Jurisdiction oversees the
Scottish Rite The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in the United States often omits the ''and'', while the English Constitution in the United Kingdom omits the ''Scottish''), commonly known as simply the Sco ...
of Freemasonry in fifteen states:
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
,
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
,
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
,
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
,
New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
,
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
,
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
,
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
and
Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
. Formed in 1813, the Northern Jurisdiction is divided into "Valleys" (as opposed to the Southern Jurisdiction, which divides itself into "Orients"). Each Valley has up to four subordinate bodies, and each body confers a set of degrees.


History

Although most of the thirty-three degrees of the Scottish Rite existed in parts of previous degree systems, the Scottish Rite did not come into being until the formation of the Mother Supreme Council at Charleston,
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
, in May 1801. On May 1, 1813, an officer from the Supreme Council at Charleston initiated several New York Masons into the Thirty-third Degree and organized a Supreme Council for the "Northern Masonic District and Jurisdiction". On May 21, 1814 this Supreme Council reopened and proceeded to "nominate, elect, appoint, install and proclaim in due, legal and ample form" the elected officers "as forming the ''second'' Grand and Supreme Council...". Finally, the charter of this organization (written January 7, 1815) added, “We think the ''Ratification'' ought to be dated 21st day May 5815." Officially, the Supreme Council, 33°, N.M.J. dates itself from May 15, 1867. This was the date of the "Union of 1867", when it merged with the competing Cerneau "Supreme Council" in New York. The current Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States, was thus formed. The headquarters of the NMJ was located in downtown
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
for much of the 19th and 20th century moving to
Lexington, Massachusetts Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Boston. The population was 34,454 as of the 2020 census. The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans, and was firs ...
in 1968. In 2013, the headquarters building was sold to the town of Lexington, with the offices of the Sovereign Grand Commander moving into the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library located next door.


Organization

In the Northern Jurisdiction, the Supreme Council consists of no more than 66 members. All members of the Supreme Council are designated Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, but the head of the Rite in each Valley of the Northern Jurisdiction is called a "Deputy of the Supreme Council." The Northern Council meets yearly. The current Sovereign Grand Commander is Ill. Peter J. Samiec, 33° who was installed as the 22nd Sovereign Grand Commander in August 2021. In the Northern Jurisdiction, there is a 46-month requirement for eligibility to receive the 33rd degree, and while there is a Meritorious Service Award (as well as a Distinguished Service Award), they are not required intermediate steps towards the 33°. A recipient of the 33rd Degree is an honorary member of the Supreme Council and is therefore called an "Inspector General Honorary." However, those who are appointed Deputies of the Supreme Council that are later elected to membership on the Supreme Council are then designated "Sovereign Grand Inspectors General." In the Northern Jurisdiction a recipient of the 33rd Degree is an honorary member of the Supreme Council, and all members are referred to as a "Sovereign Grand Inspectors General."


Leadership

The head of the NMJ is the Sovereign Grand Commander. A total of 22 men have held this office since 1813. The list of Sovereign Grand Commanders is as follows: # Daniel Decius Tompkins (1813–1825) # Sampson Simson (1825–1832) # John James Joseph Gourgas (1832–1851) # Giles Fonda Yates (1851) # Edward Asa Raymond (1851–1860) # Killian Henry Van Rensselaer (1860–1867) #
Josiah Hayden Drummond Josiah Hayden Drummond (August 20, 1827 – October 25, 1902) was an American attorney and politician. He served as Maine Attorney General from 1860 to 1863. Personal J.H. Drummond was born to Clark and Cynthia (Blackwell) Drummond in Winslow, ...
(1867–1879) # Henry Lynde Palmer (1879–1909) # Samuel Crocker Lawrence (1909–1910) # Barton Smith (1910–1921) # Leon Martin Abbott (1921–1932) # Frederic Beckwith Stevens (1932–1933) # Melvin Maynard Johnson (1933–1953) # George Edward Bushnell (1953–1965) # George Adelbert Newbury (1965–1975) # Stanley Fielding Maxwell (1975–1985) # Francis George Paul (1985–1993) # Robert Odel Ralston (1993–2003) # Walter Ernest Webber (2003–2006) # John William McNaughton (2006–2017) # David Alan Glattly (2017–2021) # Peter John Samiec (2021–present)


Degree structure

Members of the Northern Jurisdiction are required to have achieved the third degree of Masonry (Master Mason) in their local lodges before they can apply to join the Scottish Rite. The Northern Jurisdiction offers 29 additional degrees, with a final 33rd degree conferred as an honor for service to the fraternity and society. However, taking these additional degrees does not give one higher "rank" in Masonry. While the higher numbering might imply a hierarchy, the additional degrees are considered "appendant degrees". They represent a lateral movement in Masonic education rather than an upward movement, and are degrees of instruction rather than rank. In 2004, the Northern Jurisdiction rewrote and reorganized its degrees. Further changes have occurred in 2006.''The Northern Light Magazine,'' November 2006; p. 6 "Ritual Changes." As of 2016 the degrees offered by the Northern Jurisdiction are:


References

{{Authority control Masonic organizations Masonic rites