APPENDANT MASONIC BODIES
A quick Overview.
Order of the Eastern Star
The Order of the Eastern Star is an adoptive rite of Freemasonry with
teachings based on the Bible and objectives that are charitable and benevolent.
The founder of OES was Dr. Robert Morris, a lawyer and educator from Boston,
Massachusetts, who was a Master Mason and Past Grand Master of Kentucky. Dr.
Morris intended his creation to become a female branch of Freemasonry, but he
failed to overcome the great opposition this idea engendered. After his first
published ritual in 1849-50, he became associated with Robert Macoy who wrote
and published a ritual based on Morris' in 1867. The first Grand Chapter was
organized in Michigan in the same year. (There is evidence for an organization
of the same name founded variously in 1788 or 1793, but this group was defunct
by 1867.) Subordinate (local) chapters operate under charter from state level
grand chapters which are responsible to the General Grand Chapter at the
International Eastern Star temple in Washington, D.C.
Members must be eighteen years or older and either Master Masons in good
standing or properly related to a Master Mason in good standing. The latter
category includes wives; widows; sisters; daughters; mothers; granddaughters;
step-mothers; step daughters; step-sisters; and half-sisters. In 1994 this was
expanded to include nieces, daughters-in- law, and grandmothers.
Each chapter has eighteen officers, some elected and others appointed. Two
offices are specifically male (Patron and Associate Patron) while nine offices
are specifically female (including Matron and Associate Matron). While the
Worthy Matron is considered to be the presiding officer of the chapter, the
degrees cannot be conferred without a presiding brother in good standing (hence
the Patron and Associate Patron).
Each chapter retains the right to decide who shall be a member of the
organization. Election to the degrees must be unanimous, without debate, and
secret. The successful candidate must profess a belief in a Supreme Being and
is
initiated in five degrees, which are conferred in one ceremony. (When Eastern
Star was created, it was intended to be the first of a three degree series. The
second and third degrees were Queen of the South and the Order of the Amaranth,
respectively.)
Interestingly enough, OES requires only the belief in a Supreme Being even
though the degrees are based in both the Old and New Testaments. While
non-Christians are not specifically barred from membership, it would seem to be
difficult to be other than Christian and belong to the Order.
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Order of the Rainbow
A girl will
learn many skills as a member of the Rainbow Girls. The International
Order of the Rainbow for Girls emphasizes the following:
(1) Effective
Leadership;
(2) Church Membership and active Participation in the church of your
choice;
(3) Patriotism;
(4) Cooperation with Equals;
(5) Love of Home;
(6)
Loyalty to Family and;
(7) Service to Humanity.
The
International Order of the Rainbow for Girls helps promote self-esteem and
leadership in its members. As a member, a girl will learn valuable public
speaking skills and will attend meetings presided over by girls her own
age. While there are always adult advisors to provide direction, all
meetings are conducted by the girls.
The International
Order of the Rainbow for Girls is an organization for girls BETWEEN the ages of
11 and 20. At the age of 20, or upon marriage, which ever occurs first,
girls who are members in good standing are eligible for Majority
Membership. To join, girl must be sponsored by two other girls who are
either active members in good standing or a majority member, and at least one
adult whom must be a member in good standing of either the Masonic Lodge, Order
of the Eastern Star, Order of the Amaranth or the White Shrine.
The International Order of the Rainbow for
Girls was established in McAlester, Oklahoma in 1922. The very inception
and writing of the first Ritual, and the laws governing the Order, was the work
of W. Mark Sexson, a 33rd degree Mason and pastor of the First Christian Church
in McAlester, Oklahoma.
Is Rainbow for Girls a religion?
NO! The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls is a service
organization. Rainbow for Girls does, however, encourage each member to
be
an active participant in the church of her choice.
Local and state organizations are all
around. The local organization is called a local assembly. The
state
organization is called a Grand Assembly. The international organization
is
called the Supreme Assembly..
Wednesday, January 25, 2006 19:42:05
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Order of the Amaranth
The Order of the Amaranth is a social, fraternal, and charitable organization
whose membership is open to both men and women with a Masonic affiliation. The
teachings of our ritual impart lessons for daily living, character building,
morality, and ethics. Membership in the Order of the Amaranth is a privilege;
it provides opportunity not only for service but also for self-improvement and
brings a gift of a special fraternal friendship among its members. The welfare
and support of our members is of vital concern to their fellow members and it
is deemed a privilege to assist another member in need. Although belief in the
existence of a Supreme Being is requisite for membership, the Organization is
not a religious organization and many faiths are represented among our
membership. Since 1972 the funds raised for our charitable project, The
Amaranth Diabetes Foundation Trust are directed towards research grants that
will aid in finding a cure for diabetes. NO expenses are deducted from our
donations that are given to the American Diabetes Association.
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DeMolay
DeMolay International is the largest fraternity of young men in the world. The
fraternity is an association of young men, twelve to twenty-one years of age
who are seeking to better themselves by learning leadership skills and
practicing civic responsibility; all the while having a whole lot of fun.
DeMolay was started more than 70 years ago in Kansas City, Missouri. Today,
there are approximately 1000 chapters in the United States, as well as many
chapters located in 7 foreign countries.
There have been more than a million young men who have been members of DeMolay.
Alumni members (over 21 years of age) of DeMolay include John Wayne, Dan
Rather, Willard Scott, and countless others. DeMolay's alumni include United
States Senators, State Governors, U.S. Astronauts, Professional Athletes,
Chairman of major U.S. corporations and even U.S. President Bill Clinton. To
see more about famous DeMolays, and learn how DeMolay affected their lives,
visit the DeMolay Hall of Fame.
DeMolay is dedicated to providing a fraternal environment (one of brotherhood
and acceptance) in an organization for young men who govern and direct their
own activities under the advisorship of adults. DeMolay provides young men the
opportunity to practice leadership techniques and their real-world applications
through its chapter activities. The organization develops leadership skills,
civic responsibility and character-building in young men, providing them an
environment in which they can create their own successes, and comfortably learn
from their failures.
The organization assists young men in growing into responsible adults with good
moral character, and provides them with a place to go, have fun, companionship,
be accepted by peers, and develop social skills.
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Job's Daughters
Do you like meeting new friends?
Do you like doing fun things?
Do you like helping others?
Job's Daughters is a great place to do all that and more!
Job's Daughters is an organization for young women just like you. We can help
you learn important skills for life, such as leadership, organization, teamwork
and self reliance. We work to help our community.
We honor a rich tradition and heritage that has been a part of Job's Daughters
since 1920. But most importantly, we want you to have fun doing the things you
like to do.
Throughout the year, Job's Daughters plan and share a lot of fun activities.
Arts and crafts, photography, sewing, and creative writing are just a few of
the activities we enjoy. Also, girls participate in sports including soccer,
softball, volleyball, swimming and bowling, and we like to sing and dance, too!
Many of our local groups have ompetitions with awards and recognition for
outstanding achievement.
You and your new friends in Job's Daughters play an important role in serving
the community. Such as visiting hospitals and homes for the elderly to offer
friendship to people who might be lonely and sad. We have food drives and other
activities to provide for the less fortunate.
Our charity, the Hearing Impaired Kid's Endowment (The HIKE Fund), provides
hearing assistive devices for children in need. Our popular "hikes for HIKE,"
provide a special charitable service to our community. Our work with
hearing-impaired children has led many groups, called Bethels, to learn sign
language. We are proud to be "kids helping kids! "
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Scottish Rite Masonry
Introduction
Service to others—service to you. These are the twin goals of Scottish Rite
Freemasonry. In 135 Childhood Language Disorder Clinics, Centers, and Programs
in our 37 Orients (states), including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico,
children with communication disorders are taught to speak, read, and learn.
Each year in two great medical centers, the Atlanta and Dallas Scottish Rite
Hospitals, thousands of victims of accident or disability are restored to
active, happy lives.
In homes for the aged, centers for youth and, in cases of natural disaster,
support from the Scottish Rite Foundation relieves the worried and counsels the
troubled.
Through local scholarships grants and patriotic programs, the Scottish Rite
benefits your community in direct and dynamic ways every day of the year.
We are rightly proud of these achievements. They are the culmination of
generations of Scottish Rite Brethren working to strengthen and improve
America. Welcome to our ranks. Through your participation, even greater good
can be accomplished.
The Name
In announcing its establishment to the Masonic world in that Manifesto, dated
December 4, 1802, the name was given as the Supreme Council of the Thirty-third
Degree for the United States of America. The word Scotch appeared in connection
with one of the early Supreme Council Degrees, and Scotish (sic) was included
in the name of one of the detached Degrees conferred by the Supreme Council.
The name Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite first appeared in an 1804 agreement
between the Supreme Council of France and the Grand Orient of France. Beginning
with the administration of Grand Commander Albert Pike in 1859, it came into
general use in the Southern Jurisdiction and elsewhere. Many Scottish Masons
fled to France during political upheavals in the 17th and 18th centuries, at a
time when the Degrees of the Rite were evolving in French Freemasonry. This has
caused some to think mistakenly that the Rite originated in Scotland. Actually,
however, a Supreme Council for Scotland was not established until 1846.
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York Rite Masonry
On your journey through the three degrees of Symbolic Masonry and as you have
learned the proficiency lecture for each degree, no doubt many questions have
arisen concerning the meaning of the ritualistic ceremonies, the historical
implications and the ‘why’ of the legends of Freemasonry.
Although many erudite brethren have delved into the history and mysteries of
Freemasonry no one has as yet determined the exact time the fraternity
originated or where it first came into being.
Many believe the Sublime Degree of Master Mason to be the ultimate degree of
Freemasonry and that all others are added and explanatory. Most students of
Freemasonry agree that the story of the Craft as presented in the three degrees
is incomplete and that the degrees offered in the York Rite of Freemasonry
complete the story and answer many of the questions in the mind of the newly
made Master Mason.
In Royal Arch Masonry is found the essentials of symbolism and philosophy
necessary for a Master Mason to understand that which he has received only in
part. On the union of the Grand Lodges in 1813, a part of the compact of union
read, "Ancient Craft Masonry consists of three degrees and no more, namely,
those of the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason including the
Holy Royal Arch."
Introduction
The York Rite consists of the degrees of the Royal Arch, the Council of Royal
and Select Masters and the orders of the Commandery of Knights Templar. In none
of these is any memorization required to advance from one degree to another.
There are many easily learned parts that any interested Mason may acquire and
participate in the conferring of the work. In the York Rite, most of the work
is by a cast of characters made up to portray more vividly the message and the
cast is robed to add to the impressiveness of the lessons.
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The Shrine
The Shrine, or more properly the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the
Mystic Shrine (A.A.O.N.M.S.), was founded in New York City in 1872 by Billy
Florence, an actor, and Walter Fleming, a physician. The idea was to create a
society that would provide a fun outlet. As they were both 32nd degree masons,
they envisioned it as an extension to this body which elaborates on the basic
tenets of Freemasonry. As it stands today, a man must first be a Mason on order
to become a Shriner.
In setting up the new society, Fleming and Florence realized it needed a
colorful exciting backdrop. As the legend goes, Fleming attended a party in
Marseilles, France, hosted by an Arabian diplomat. At the end of the party, the
guests became members of a secret society. Florence realized this might be the
ideal vehicle for the new fraternity, and he made copious notes and drawings of
the ceremony. When Florence returned to the States, Fleming agreed and together
they created the elaborate rituals, designed the emblem and costumes, and
formalized the salutation. Though the Shrine is not itself a secret society, it
still retains much of the mysticism and secrecy of its origins.
As part of the requirements for membership, Florence and Fleming decided that
all members must be either a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason or a Knights
Templar York Rite Mason. These groups are concordant bodies of Freemasonry
which is the oldest and most widely known fraternity in the world. It dates
back hundreds of years to when stonemasons and other craftsmen on building
projects gathered in shelter houses or lodges.
The basic unit of Masonry is the Blue Lodge, where members earn the first three
Masonic degrees. There is no higher degree than that of Master Mason but for
those who wish to further explore the allegory and symbolism learned in the
Blue Lodge, the Scottish Rite and York Rite elaborate on the basic tenets of
Freemasonry.
Charity was a part of the Shrine almost from the beginning, but over the years
Shriners kept looking for something more as an even greater purpose. In 1920
the organization voted to adopt its own official philanthropy, dedicated to
providing free orthopaedic medical care to children in need, and the first
Shriners Hospital was built in Shreveport, La., in 1922. There is never a
charge to the patient, parent or any third party for any service or treatment
received at any of the hospitals. The Shrine's philanthropy now consists of 22
"Centers of Excellence" including three Shriners Burn Institutes.
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