05/31/2026
Today, May 31, 2026, marks the 225th anniversary of the opening of the first Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 31, 1801.
That moment is often remembered as the birth of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite as we know it today. Charleston became known as the home of the “Mother Supreme Council of the World,” because regular Supreme Councils throughout the world trace their lineage, directly or indirectly, back to that first Council.
The early Scottish Rite did not replace the Blue Lodge. It built upon it. A man first becomes a Mason in his symbolic lodge, but the Scottish Rite gives the Master Mason a broader field of study: morality, philosophy, history, symbolism, duty, faith, justice, and the lifelong search for further Light.
The 33rd Degree has also been the subject of many conspiracy theories over the years. In reality, the 33rd Degree is not a secret position of power or hidden control. It is an honorary degree conferred upon Scottish Rite Masons who have given notable service to the fraternity, their communities, and humanity. Most Scottish Rite Masons are 32nd Degree Masons, and the highest degree any Mason truly “earns” in the foundational sense is still the Third Degree, the degree of Master Mason.
So today, we remember not just the founding of another Masonic body, but the beginning of a system of Masonic education that has shaped generations of Brothers around the world.
The Blue Lodge makes Masons. The Scottish Rite gives Masons more tools with which to build.