IT was during my freshman year at Benson High School I joined a Group
called DeMolay . My father had been very involved with the local Masonic Lodge
( Orenomah 177 ) The Masons sponsored a Young mans Group and Young woman's
group . The boys group was the Demolay it was opened to young boys between the
ages of 12 and 21 . IN order to be a member of Demolay you had to be vouched for
by a Mason ( Not a relative ) then go through an initiation process and be voted
on by members of the chapter . I remained active in Demolay until my 21 st
Birthday and during that entire time I never saw a person who was not voted in
to be a member .
Demolay was along with the Dance lessons the single most important
character building factor in my life .
To be concise I thrived in the Demolay Culture .
DeMolay is open for membership to young men between the ages of 12 to 21 of
good character who acknowledge a higher power. The group model is of
mentoring; adult men and women called advisors, often past DeMolay members or
parents of DeMolays, mentor the active DeMolay members. An advisor is referred
to as "Dad Smith" instead of "Mr. Smith". Appropriate ways for the young men to
address their adult guides were discussed by the members and advisors early on,
and "Dad" was adopted as the best way to convey both friendliness and respect.
Advisor mentoring focuses on the development of civic awareness, leadership
skills, and personal responsibility.
DeMolay has seven Virtues , which constitute the basic ideals and essential teachings of the organization. They are: Filial love (love between a parent and child), Reverence for the sacred things , courtesy , , comradship , fidelity , cleanness , and Patriotism .
There was a dress code for our formal meetings and school casual for all others . We met once a week at Orenomah Masonic Lodge .
New Members went through two Initiation Meetings in the first Initiation meeting we were blindfolded and led into a room where all the Members were assembled , the officers of the organization were in robes and had assigned positions . We were led in prayer and promised ot not to divulge the " secrets " of the organization . Blind folds were removed and as a group we moved from officer to officer who then " Instructed " us on a part of the Demolay Culture . This was very formal and scripted , all Members who participated in the degree were required to have their individual portions memorized .
Before being fully accepted as Members we had one more Degree or Initiation to go through . This was more like a Drama . The New Members were seated so as to best view the pageant tht was to unfold . The Drama was the reenactment of the persecution and eventual death of Jaques Demolay the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar . The Knights Templar has always been a very mystical organization rising to power during the crusades they were pledged to give all their possessions ot the Organization and then they were trained and mustered to protect the Pilgrims in the Holy land from Bandits and organized warriors . In later years the Knights Templar became a target for King Phillip the Fair of France who moved secretly against the powerful Order and who decimated it almost overnight . His main purpose was to confiscate its wealth but He was unable to ever locate , neither has anyone else ..one of Histories Mysteries . IN this Process The Grand Master Jaques Demolay was tortured offered clemency if he would hand over the money and give up the names of those who had escaped the round up ..He refused as was burned at the stake .
His death served as a Lesson for all of the virtues that Demolay stood for . After watching this Degree ..there was one more it of business ...one fo the Members would give to us an Oration refereed to as the " flower talk " which was a eloquent and moving testimony in praise of women in general and our mothers in particular ...For this moment parents were allowed into the Assembly including the mothers ..after hearing this we were confirmed as members .
All of this had a tremendous impact on me ....
DeMolay has seven Virtues , which constitute the basic ideals and essential teachings of the organization. They are: Filial love (love between a parent and child), Reverence for the sacred things , courtesy , , comradship , fidelity , cleanness , and Patriotism .
There was a dress code for our formal meetings and school casual for all others . We met once a week at Orenomah Masonic Lodge .
New Members went through two Initiation Meetings in the first Initiation meeting we were blindfolded and led into a room where all the Members were assembled , the officers of the organization were in robes and had assigned positions . We were led in prayer and promised ot not to divulge the " secrets " of the organization . Blind folds were removed and as a group we moved from officer to officer who then " Instructed " us on a part of the Demolay Culture . This was very formal and scripted , all Members who participated in the degree were required to have their individual portions memorized .
Before being fully accepted as Members we had one more Degree or Initiation to go through . This was more like a Drama . The New Members were seated so as to best view the pageant tht was to unfold . The Drama was the reenactment of the persecution and eventual death of Jaques Demolay the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar . The Knights Templar has always been a very mystical organization rising to power during the crusades they were pledged to give all their possessions ot the Organization and then they were trained and mustered to protect the Pilgrims in the Holy land from Bandits and organized warriors . In later years the Knights Templar became a target for King Phillip the Fair of France who moved secretly against the powerful Order and who decimated it almost overnight . His main purpose was to confiscate its wealth but He was unable to ever locate , neither has anyone else ..one of Histories Mysteries . IN this Process The Grand Master Jaques Demolay was tortured offered clemency if he would hand over the money and give up the names of those who had escaped the round up ..He refused as was burned at the stake .
His death served as a Lesson for all of the virtues that Demolay stood for . After watching this Degree ..there was one more it of business ...one fo the Members would give to us an Oration refereed to as the " flower talk " which was a eloquent and moving testimony in praise of women in general and our mothers in particular ...For this moment parents were allowed into the Assembly including the mothers ..after hearing this we were confirmed as members .
All of this had a tremendous impact on me ....
Ken,
ReplyDeleteYou have done a great job.