About the Order of Eastern Star

The Order of the Eastern Star is one of the largest fraternal organizations in the world that allow both men and women to join. The Order of Eastern Star was established in 1850 by Mr. Rob Morris, a lawyer, educator and Freemason. Eastern Star is based on teachings from the Old and New Testaments but is open to anyone who believes in a Supreme Being. Eastern Star has approximately 10,000 chapters in over twenty countries and approximately one million members worldwide. Members of the Order of Eastern Star range in age the youngest being 18 years. Men wishing to join Eastern Star must be a Master Mason. Women wishing to join the Order of Eastern Star must be a relative of a Master Mason. When the Order of Eastern Star was founded, a woman wishing to join Eastern Star had to be a daughter, widow, wife, sister, or mother of a Master Mason, but the Order of Eastern Star now invites Majority Rainbow Girls to become members once they have received the Majority.

The Order was created by Rob Morris in 1850 when, while confined by illness, he set down the principles of the order in his /Rosary of the Eastern Star/. By 1855, he had organized a "Supreme Constellation" in New York, which chartered chapters throughout the United States. In 1866, Dr. Morris started working with Robert Macoy, and handed the Order over to him while Morris was travelling in the Holy Land. Macoy organized the current system of Chapters, and modified Dr. Morris' /Rosary/ into a /Ritual/.
On december 1, 1874, Queen Esther Chapter No. 1 became the first Prince Hall Affiliate Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star when it was established in washington D.C. by Thornton Andrew Jackson.
General Grand Chapter was formed in 1876. Committees formed at that time created the /Ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star/ in more or less its current form. The emblem of the Order is a five-pointed star representing the Star of Bethlehem with the white ray of the star pointing downwards towards the manger In the Chapter room, the downward-pointing white ray points to the West. The character-building lessons taught in the Order are stories inspired by Biblical figures:

• Adah Jepthtah's daughter

• Ruth the widow

• Queen Esther, the wife

• Adah Jepthtah's daughter

• Electa, the mother

A Chapter has 18 officers and they are as follows:

• Worthy Matron presiding officer

• Worthy Patron a Master Mason who provides general supervision

• Associate Matron assumes the duties of the Worthy Matron in the absence of that office

• Associate Patron assumes the duties of the Worthy Patron in the absence of that office

• Secretary

• Treasurer

• Conductress

• Associate Conductress Assists with introductions and handles ballot box.

• Chaplain leads the Chapter in prayer

• Marshal

• Organist

• Adah

• Ruth

• Esther

• Martha

• Electa

• Warder Sits next to the door inside the meeting room, to make sure those that enter the chapter room are members of the Order.

• Sentinel Sits next to the door outside the chapter room, to make sure those that wish to enter are members of the Order.

Traditionally, a woman who is elected Associate Conductress will the following year be elected to Conductress, then the next year Associate Matron, and the next year Worthy Matron. A man elected Associate Patron will usually the next year be elected Worthy Patron. Usually the woman who is elected to become Associate Matron will let it be known who she wishes to be her Associate Patron, so the next year they will both go to the East together as Worthy Matron and Worthy Patron. There is no male counterpart to the Conductress and Associate Conductress. Only women are allowed to be Matrons, Conductresses, and the Star Points (Adah, Ruth, etc.) and only men can be Patrons. The General Grand Chapter headquarters is located within the embassy section of Washington D.C., in the former Perry Belmont Mansion. The mansion was built in 1909 for the purpose of entertaining the guests of Perry Belmont. This included Britain's Prince of Wales in 1919. General Grand Chapter purchased the building in 1935. The secretary of General Grand Chapter lives there while serving their term of office. The mansion features works of art from around the world, most of which were given as gifts from various international Eastern Star chapters.

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