The Supreme Council
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in each country is governed by a Supreme Council. There is no international governing body—each Supreme Council in each country is sovereign unto its self.
In the U.S. there are two Supreme Councils. The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction (NMJ) is located in Lexington, Massachusetts, and the Southern Jurisdiction (SJ) is located in Washington, D.C..
In the Southern Jurisdiction, individual states are referred to as Orients and local bodies are organized into Valleys; the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction refers to State organizations as Councils of Deliberation and the local bodies are also organized into Valleys.
The Supreme Council now meets on an bi-annual basis, at which time the business of the Rite is transacted and the 33° conferred on those who have been elected to receive this honor.
The Scottish Rite is loyal to the essential purpose and principles of Freemasonry. Its ultimate quest for all its members is simple: "to be made better than ourselves." The Scottish Rite seeks to strengthen the community and believes that each man should act in civil life according to his individual judgment and the dictates of his conscience.