Exploring The Eastern Star: Sisters-In-Law's Membership

The Order of the Eastern Star is a Masonic appendant body that is open to both men and women. It was established in 1850 by lawyer and educator Rob Morris, a noted Freemason, and adopted and approved as an appendant body of the Masonic Fraternity in 1873. The Order is based on some teachings from the Bible and is open to people of all religious beliefs. Women with a specific Masonic affiliation may become members. Men who are Master Masons are eligible. Women who are Majority members or age 18 and active in the NC Gleaners may join without a Masonic relationship. The Masonic affiliation required for a woman to become a member must be the wife, widow, sister, stepsister, daughter, half-sister, stepdaughter, sister-in-law, legally adopted daughter, niece, daughter-in-law, stepmother, grandmother, or mother-in-law of an affiliated Master Mason. Therefore, a sister-in-law can be an Eastern Star.

Women with a specific Masonic affiliation may become members

The Order of the Eastern Star (OES) is a Masonic appendant body that is open to both men and women. It was established in 1850 by lawyer and educator Rob Morris, a noted Freemason, and was adopted and approved as an appendant body of the Masonic Fraternity in 1873. The order is based on some teachings from the Bible and is open to people of all religious beliefs. It has approximately 10,000 chapters in 18 countries and approximately 500,000 members under its General Grand Chapter.

The Order of the Eastern Star provides an organization where women and men with high moral character, a desire to work for the betterment of others, and a drive to make the world a better place can contribute their time, energy, and wisdom to the Order for the good of all mankind throughout the world. Members of the Order are dedicated women and men who sincerely reflect the spirit of fraternal love and the desire to work together for good. It gives them the opportunity to give a part of their time to many projects that benefit mankind.

The Order of the Eastern Star has a charitable foundation and from 1986 to 2001 contributed $513,147 to Alzheimer's disease research, juvenile diabetes research, and juvenile asthma research. It also provides bursaries to students of theology and religious music, as well as other scholarships that differ by jurisdiction. In 2000 over $83,000 was donated. Many jurisdictions support a Masonic and/or Eastern Star retirement center or nursing home for older members; some homes are also open to the public.

Men must be Master Masons

The Order of the Eastern Star (OES) is a Masonic appendant body open to both men and women. It was established in 1850 by lawyer and educator Rob Morris, a noted Freemason, and was adopted and approved as an appendant body of the Masonic Fraternity in 1873. The order is based on some teachings from the Bible and is open to people of all religious beliefs. It has approximately 10,000 chapters in 18 countries and approximately 500,000 members under its General Grand Chapter. Members of the Order of the Eastern Star are aged 18 and older. Men must be Master Masons, and women must have specific Masonic affiliations.

Men wishing to join the order must be Master Masons. All members must be at least eighteen years old. The Order of the Eastern Star is one of the largest fraternal organizations in the world to which both women and men can belong. It is a member of the Masonic family, but joining does not make a member a Mason. It is more of an auxiliary group that supports Masonic lodges, Masonic youth organizations, as well as their own agenda. Like all Masonic organizations, they support membership when in need, both financially and emotionally. They also provide a framework for introspective thought and philosophical discussion on ethical and spiritual topics.

The Order of the Eastern Star is a Masonic-related fraternal organization of women and men dedicated to charity, truth, and loving-kindness. This order comprises people with deep religious convictions and spiritual values, and it is open to all faiths except no faith. Although not a part of the Masonic fraternity, membership is based on a Masonic affiliation or relationship, a belief in God, a desire to acquire additional knowledge, and self-improvement. The degrees of the Order of the Eastern Star teach lessons of fidelity, constancy, loyalty, faith, and love.

The Order has a charitable foundation and from 1986 to 2001 contributed $513,147 to Alzheimer's disease research, juvenile diabetes research, and juvenile asthma research. It also provides bursaries to students of theology and religious music, as well as other scholarships that differ by jurisdiction. In 2000 over $83,000 was donated. Many jurisdictions support a Masonic and/or Eastern Star retirement center or nursing home for older members; some homes are also open to the public.

The Order is not a religion

The Order of the Eastern Star is not a religion. It is a social organization that is open to people of all religious backgrounds. The only religious requirement for membership is a belief in a Supreme Being. This is a broad requirement that is inclusive of most faiths, and the Order itself does not promote or endorse any specific religion.

The Order's values are rooted in family, charity, and community, and its members are encouraged to lead moral and upright lives. However, it does not prescribe to any particular set of religious beliefs or practices. The rituals and ceremonies of the Order are symbolic and are not intended to be taken as literal or religious truth. They are designed to inspire members to live ethical lives and to promote the values of the organization.

While the Order of the Eastern Star may share some similarities with religious organizations, such as a belief in a higher power and a focus on moral conduct, it does not espouse a specific religious doctrine or require its members to adhere to a particular faith. The Order is open to individuals from diverse religious backgrounds, including those who may not be affiliated with any particular religion but who believe in a Supreme Being.

The Order of the Eastern Star is a fraternal organization that is closely associated with Freemasonry, sharing similar values and principles. However, Freemasonry itself is also not a religion, and neither Freemasonry nor the Order of the Eastern Star requires members to subscribe to specific religious beliefs or practices beyond a belief in a Supreme Being.

The Order is open to people of all religions

The Order of the Eastern Star (OES) is a Masonic appendant body open to both men and women. It was established in 1850 by lawyer and educator Rob Morris, a noted Freemason, and was adopted and approved as an appendant body of the Masonic Fraternity in 1873. The order is based on some teachings from the Bible but is open to people of all religions. It has approximately 10,000 chapters in 18 countries and approximately 500,000 members under its General Grand Chapter.

Members of the Order of the Eastern Star are aged 18 and older. Men must be Master Masons, and women used to need to have specific relationships with Masons, but this was changed at the General Grand Chapter in 2024. Originally, a woman would have to be the daughter, widow, wife, sister, or mother of a Master Mason. The Order now allows other relatives, as well as allowing Job's Daughters, Rainbow Girls, and Members of the Organization of Triangles (NY only) to become members when of age. Women who are Majority members or age 18 and active in the NC Gleaners may join without a Masonic relationship. The Masonic affiliation required for a woman to become a member must be one of the following: the wife, widow, sister, stepsister, daughter, half-sister, stepdaughter, sister-in-law, legally adopted daughter, niece, daughter-in-law, stepmother, grandmother, or mother-in-law of an affiliated Master Mason.

The Order has a charitable foundation and from 1986 to 2001 contributed $513,147 to Alzheimer's disease research, juvenile diabetes research, and juvenile asthma research. It also provides bursaries to students of theology and religious music, as well as other scholarships that differ by jurisdiction. In 2000 over $83,000 was donated. Many jurisdictions support a Masonic and/or Eastern Star retirement center or nursing home for older members; some homes are also open to the public.

The Order of the Eastern Star is not a religion and does not pretend to take the place of religion or serve as a substitute for the religious beliefs of its members. It does, however, have a sizeable library of prayers, and prayer is included in the extensive ceremonies held by the Order. When a man becomes a Mason, he is asked to place his hand upon the holy book he considers binding. Copies are kept of the Bible, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Old Testament, the Zend-Avesta, the Sutras, and the Quran. Writings by Dr. Robert Morris, the founder of the Order of the Eastern Star, indicate that he considered the gods of all religions the same God under different names.

The Order is one of the largest fraternal organisations in the world

The Order of the Eastern Star (OES) is one of the largest fraternal organisations in the world, with over one million members belonging to over 7,500 chapters worldwide. The Order was conceived in 1850 by Rob Morris, a lawyer, educator, and noted Freemason, who was known as the "Poet Laureate of Masonry". The Order was established to offer support and affiliation to the wives, mothers, daughters, and granddaughters of Freemasons. It was adopted and approved as an appendant body of the Masonic Fraternity in 1873.

The Order of the Eastern Star is a Masonic-related organisation of women and men dedicated to charity, truth, and loving-kindness. It is based on teachings from the Bible and is open to people of all faiths, except those with no faith. Membership is based on a Masonic affiliation or relationship, a belief in God, and a desire for self-improvement. The degrees of the Order teach lessons of fidelity, constancy, loyalty, faith, and love, through a beautiful ritualistic ceremony. The Order has a charitable foundation and has contributed to various research initiatives and scholarships.

The Order of the Eastern Star provides an organisation where women and men with high moral character can contribute their time and energy for the betterment of others and the world. Both women and men join the Fraternal Order to make friends and enjoy the fellowship. Members can also enjoy interacting with others who share their beliefs. The Order takes good citizens and makes them better, by providing an avenue of compassion and concern for its members, their families, their country, and their faith.

The Order of the Eastern Star has specific requirements for membership. Men must be Master Masons, while women used to need specific relationships with Masons, such as being a daughter, widow, wife, sister, or mother of a Master Mason. However, this was changed in 2024, and now the Order allows other relatives, including Job's Daughters, Rainbow Girls, and Members of the Organisation of Triangles (in New York only) to become members when they turn 18. Women who are Majority members or active in the NC Gleaners may join without a Masonic relationship. The Master Mason that a woman uses for her affiliation does not need to be a member of the Order himself.

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