Introduction to OES - NC OES | Grand Chapter North Carolina Order of the Eastern Star

What It Is:  The Order of the Eastern Star is the largest fraternal organization in the world to which both men and women may belong. Worldwide, there are approximately 1 million members under the General Grand Chapter.  The Eastern Star is a social order comprised of persons with spiritual values but it is not a religion.  The appeal rests in the true beauty of the refreshing and character-building lessons that are so sincerely portrayed in its ritualistic work.  A deep fraternal bond exists between the members.  It is the wholesome relationship of sisterly and brotherly love brought about through high principles exemplified in our lives which makes us near and dear to each other.  While this is an Order composed of people of deep spiritual convictions, it is open to all faiths, except no faith.  The personal welfare of our members is vital to all of those in the Eastern Star and it is considered a privilege to help another member whenever we can.

Purposes:  The stated purposes of the organization are: Charitable, Educational, Fraternal and Scientific;  but there is much more to it than that.  Dr. Rob Morris, the Poet Laureate of Masonry, founded the Order using beautiful and inspiring biblical examples of heroic conduct and moral values.  These portray the noble principles which should adorn the personal lives of Eastern Star members.  Eastern Star strives to take good people and through uplifting and elevating associations of love and service, and through precept and example, build an Order which is truly dedicated to charity, truth and loving kindness.

Projects:  Concrete evidence of the charitable nature of the organization as it affects others is the millions of dollars which have been raised within the membership to support national, jurisdictional and local charities.  Many Grand Jurisdictions have homes for their senior members.

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.  Each chapter has eighteen officers, some elected and others appointed.  Two officers are specifically male (Worthy Patron and Associate Patron) while nine officers are specifically female (including Worthy 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 Worthy 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.

Chapters in this Grand Jurisdiction may receive petitions from and confer degrees of the Order upon affiliated Master Masons in good standing, the wives, daughters, legally adopted daughters, mothers, widows, sisters, half-sisters, granddaughters, stepmothers, stepdaughters, stepsisters, daughters-in-laws, grandmothers, great-granddaughters, nieces, great-nieces, mothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts (Ritual 2009) and, daughters of sisters or brothers of affiliated Master Masons in good standing, or if deceased, were in good standing at the time of their death; as well its members either active for three (3) years or majority of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls or of the International Order of Job's Daughters, (Ritual, 2000), each of whom shall have attained to at least the age of eighteen (18) years.  In 1994 this was expanded to include nieces, daughters-in-law and grandmothers.