DeMolay International

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DeMolay International (originally known as the Order of DeMolay), founded in Kansas City, Missouri in 1919, is an international youth fraternity for young men. DeMolay derives its name from Jacques DeMolay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. It is a Masonic youth organization for boys ages 12-21, and no relation to a Mason is required in order to join. DeMolay was incorporated in the 1990s and is classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3).

DeMolay is open for membership to young men between the ages of 12 to 21, and currently has about 18,000 members in North America.^[1] It uses a model of mentoring; adult men and women, often fathers and mothers of DeMolay members, and past DeMolay members, referred to as Senior DeMolays, mentor active Demolay members. The mentoring focuses on the development of civic awareness, leadership skills and personal responsibility.

As a member of the Masonic family of service organizations, DeMolay is closely modeled after Freemasonry, and like Freemasonry, members are initiated into DeMolay through ritual and an allegorical program. Though not directly connected to Freemasonry, DeMolay is considered an appendant body to it; every DeMolay chapter is sponsored by a Masonic Lodge or other Masonic body. DeMolay is also considered to be part of the Masonic Family along with other youth groups like Job's Daughters, and the Rainbow Girls. Unlike in Job's Daughters, a young man does not need to have a family tie or sponsor in a Masonic organization to join DeMolay.

DeMolay has seven Cardinal Virtues, which are:

• Filial Love
• Reverence for Sacred Things
• Courtesy
• Comradeship
• Fidelity
• Cleanness
• Patriotism

The organization is named after Jacques DeMolay, a knight and crusader who was the 23rd and last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. Members are encouraged to model their conduct after his example of loyalty and fidelity.

DeMolay was founded in 1919 by Frank S. Land, a successful businessman in Kansas City, Missouri. During World War I, Land became concerned with the plight of boys who had lost their fathers to the war. He decided that there was a need for an organization where they could associate with other boys and learn responsibility and other important life skills. A fatherless boy named Louis Lower and eight of his friends became the first DeMolays.

The organization rapidly grew, and by the end of 1921, Land realized he had to devote full time to the new organization. As the organization continued to grow, interest developed in the Masonic fraternity, and official recognition and approval by Masonic groups began in many states. Today, many members of DeMolay go on to join the Masons.

DeMolay continued its growth, initiating new members and instituting new chapters in every state of the USA. DeMolay then went international, as the organization was developed in many foreign countries.

Since then the organization has spread to many other countries around the world, including Canada, the Philippines, Aruba, Australia, Brazil, Bolivia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Panama, Colombia, Mexico and Latin America .

A local DeMolay organization is known as a Chapter and is headed by a Master Councilor. The Master Councilor is elected by members of his Chapter and is usually among the older members of the group. The Master Councilor is assisted in his duties by a Senior Councilor and a Junior Councilor. The Senior Councilor is usually considered to be next in line as Master Councilor. All the officers of a Chapter are appointed by the Master Councilor, except for the Councilors and Treasurer, who are elected, and the Scribe, who is appointed by the chapter's Advisory Council.

Senior DeMolays, Masons, or other adult mentors supervise the Chapter and are usually referred to by the moniker "Dad," a term hearkening back to one of the first members, who thought of founder Frank S. Land as the father he never had, and took to calling him "Dad Land." In recent years, women have also served as advisors for the group, and are referred to as "Mom".

Above the individual Chapter, the DeMolay organization has an officer structure at the state level. A State Master Councilor or Jurisdictional Master Councilor is the head of a statewide DeMolay organization. There are also other state positions based off of the officers of a chapter, which vary for each jurisdiction. The lead advisor (usually a Master Mason) in a state is called an Executive Officer and the lead advisor (usually a Master Mason) nationally is known as a Grand Master. There are also officers at an international level as well; the International Master Councilor and International Congress Secretary are the heads of the International DeMolay Congress and serve on the Board of Directors. These officers are always past State Master Councilors.

DeMolay functions through a set of officers. Some are elected, and some are appointed. The Master, Senior, and Junior Councilors are always elected, but some appointed officers are elected in some jurisdictions. The officers of a DeMolay Chapter are as follows:

Elected:

• Master Councilor
• Senior Councilor
• Junior Councilor
• Treasurer (usually elected by the chapter members but not used in all chapters)

Appointed:

• Scribe (appointed by Advisory Council)
• Senior Deacon
• Junior Deacon
• Senior Steward
• Junior Steward
• Orator
• Sentinel
• Chaplain
• Marshal
• Standard Bearer
• Almoner
• Seven Preceptors (representing the seven Cardinal Virtues of a DeMolay)
• Organist

DeMolays participate in a wide range of activities including: Camping, Holding Dances with Rainbow Girls and Job's Daughters, Playing Basketball, Football, Baseball, Soccer, Tennis, Paint ball, Billiards, Going Canoing & Kayaking, Taking long distance trips and much more. The Chapter collectively decides what events they enjoy doing, then plan them accordingly, and in many case hold fund raisers to finance them.

Degree of Chevalier is the highest honor that an active DeMolay can receive. This honor may also be granted to a Senior DeMolay. The Degree is a citation for outstanding DeMolay service and activity. In order to receive the honor, a DeMolay must be at least 17 years old on January 15th of the year nominated and have been a member for at least two years as of that date.

The Legion of Honor is the highest Degree and Honor conferred by the International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay. Since amendment of the Statutes of the International Supreme Council in 1985, nominees for the DeMolay Legion of Honor must be at least twenty-five years of age before January 15. The International Supreme Council of the Order of DeMolay may confer the DeMolay Legion of Honor (LOH) upon a Senior DeMolay for outstanding leadership in some field of endeavor, service to humanity, or for success in fraternal life, including adult service to the Order of DeMolay. The International Supreme Council may confer upon a Freemason, who was not a DeMolay, who has performed unusual and meritorious service in behalf of the Order of DeMolay, or who has evidenced a spirit of cooperation and appreciation for the Order of DeMolay, the Honorary Legion of Honor (HLOH).

Some DeMolay chapters elect a "Chapter Sweetheart" to serve as the female representative of the chapter. Her duties include attending chapter functions and acting as the Master Councilor's escort. The "Sweetheart" must meet the age requirements of a particular jurisdiction or chapter, usually set at twelve to twenty-one. She may be member of a neighboring Job's Daughters Bethel, Rainbow Assembly, Triangle, or Constellation, but that is not a set requirement. Some chapters also elect a "Princess" or "Junior Sweetheart" in addition to the Chapter Sweetheart.

Over the years, DeMolay has had many alumni who have gone on to achieve wide recognition outside of the organization. Some of them have been elected to the DeMolay Hall of Fame.^[2] However, not all DeMolays who have received recognition have been inducted into the Hall of Fame; some of them can be found on other lists.^[3]

The following is a list of the members of the DeMolay Hall of Fame^[4]:

• DeMolay International's website