What is DeMolay? DeMolay is fun. DeMolay is and can be most anything you would like it to be. We have sports, dances, all sorts of competitions in all sorts of areas and it's the largest fraternal (fraternity) organization for young men in the world. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What kind of things do you do? We do almost everything and anything. We have dances, parties, and bonfires. We play most sports from basketball to football to volleyball. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How big is DeMolay? DeMolay was started in 1919, and since that time over 4 million young men just like us have joined. Today there are about 1500 chapters, located in the United States, Canada and several other countries. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who belongs to DeMolay? Lots of guys just like us, who like to have fun at great activities and who like to learn about things that will prepare them (and us) for the future. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What are the membership requirements? To join DeMolay, you must be a young man between the ages of twelve and twenty-one, believe in a supreme being, be a person of good character and good reputation and petition into a DeMolay chapter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How much does it cost to join? There is a ONE time membership fee of $55.00. However, on occasion we do have to pay for some of the activities we do. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When and where do you meet? Most of the Chapters meet in Masonic Lodge Halls. We meet twice a month, once to conduct business and plan projects and activities, and once to initiate new members or work on some type of project, or perform another type of degree. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Can I attend a meeting? Well, you can't formally attend a meeting until you join, but you can come to our activities and meet some of the guys. If you really want to attend a meeting to see what it's like, you can come to a public event such as an installation or a public ceremonies night. Both of these events will give you a chance to meet the members of the chapter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are there any girls in DeMolay? DeMolay is an organization for young men, but there are girls at almost all of our activities. There are other organizations for young ladies similar to DeMolay, and sponsored by the Masonic Family. These two organizations are called Job's Daughters and Rainbow Girls. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What makes DeMolay different from other young men's organizations? What sets us apart from the other young men's groups is that we have a feeling of "brotherhood" that comes from belonging to our fraternity. DeMolay will provide you with many lasting friendships. Our chapters are also controlled by the members instead of the advisors. The advisors main purpose is to assist the members if they need help, and to make sure that the activities are appropriate. This allows the members to learn leadership skills first hand by giving them a chance to be in charge of the organization and to plan their own events. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What are the ceremonies I would go through? Ever since DeMolay began in 1919, all of its members have gone through the same initiation ceremonies. When you join you will go through the same one that all DeMolays went through including John Wayne, Walt Disney, Walter Cronkite, and Dan Rather. There will be two ceremonies that will be performed before you become a full member of DeMolay. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is the initiation like? To be a DeMolay you must go through two ceremonies, which we call "degrees". The first is the Initiatory Degree where the Seven Cardinal Virtues (Precepts) of a DeMolay are explained to you by the members of the chapter. The second degree is the DeMolay Degree. This degree is a favorite of the members. The degree is about the trials of Jacques DeMolay (the person DeMolay is named after), and teaches us about the bonds of friendship and loyalty we share as DeMolay MEMBERS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What are the seven cardinal virtues? They are the basic principles that we feel help us to be better men. They are: Filial Love (Love of Parents) Reverence for Sacred Things (Respect for things you feel are important, or for things others feel are important.) Courtesy Comradeship (Friendship) Fidelity (Being true to your friends and beliefs) Cleanness Patriotism -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is DeMolay a religious group? DeMolay is not a religious group. DeMolay teaches no religion but expects each member to profess a belief in a Supreme Being and be tolerant in your opinion of others beliefs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What are your secrets? The only thing that someone might consider secret about DeMolay are our passwords, signs, and handshakes. This is our way, like all fraternities, to make being a member really special and to tell who is a DeMolay and who is not. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Where does the name DeMolay come from? Jacques DeMolay lived around the 14th century in France, during the time of the great Crusades. He was the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, which was the fraternity of Crusaders in France. He was a Knight and a leader of men who stood up for the less fortunate and was true and faithful to his cause and his friends until death. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abbreviations PMC = Past Master Councilor, RD=Representative DeMolay, Chev=Degree of Chevalier, LOH=Legion of Honor, COH=Cross of Honor, AM=Active Member of ISC, DM=Deputy Member of CSC, PGM=Past Grand Master, ISC=International Supreme Council, PJMC=Past Jurisdictional Master Councilor, SD=Senior DeMolay Any one of the following implies Senior DeMolay or Advisor (LOH, COH, AM, DM, PGM)