Some of the brethern said they wanted the "DeMolay opinion" on this subject. I hope I can help. I'm a Past State Master Councilor of Texas DeMolay, which is like Grand Master of the Grand Lodge for those who aren't familiar with DeMolay. I'm also a Master Mason, York Rite Mason, and Scottish Rite Mason. 3 out of 5 of my other State Officers were also Master Masons during my term (2007-2008). the last 9 State Master Councilors of Texas have also become Master Masons, and many more before them have too. I'm only 19 years old. I'm still an "Active DeMolay".
Just an update to some info, the age was changed from 13 to 12 almost a decade ago. I joined 3 days after I turned 12.
I'm strongly opposed to opening the Lodge doors to a non-masonic youth group. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with Boy Scouts. I think its a great organization. A good friend of mine served as SMC of OK the same year as me, and he was an Eagle Scout. Its a GREAT organization. But, DeMolay and Masonry are tied together in ways that Boy Scouts could never be. It prepares the youth to become Masons. If you can, go to a DeMolay Chapter and watch the degrees. If there isn't one close to you, you can always attend the State Conclave in July every year and see the best of the best. There is also Competition in Arlington every year where Chapters and boys all of the US come to compete in. If you witness the degrees, you can see why DeMolay is such a great organization for the Lodges to support. Also, a Chapter might also be willing to travel to your lodge and do the degrees for you.
For those of who say tat there aren't enough guys in your area to have a Chapter, that's fine. The boys can still get in, and they can start a "DeMolay Club" and still enjoy the benefits. This also helps with the "problem" that some Lodges don't have enough help from its members to support a Chapter. It only takes about 2 or 3 dedicated men to serve as Advisors. If your Lodge has 70 members, and only 5 are active, maybe two of the 65 inactive ones would serve as Advisors and perhaps get back into being active in the Lodge. Just a thought.
DeMolay and Scouts would compete. They already do. Its just like how York Rite, Scottish Rite, Grotto, Shrine, OES, and all the other bodies compete. That's just the nature of the two organizations.
As for having kids "too young", DeMolay has a younger version called Squires of the Round Table. It is for 10 to 12 year olds.
There is also a group of DeMolay called Priory. IT is for 16-21 year old DeMolays, and it is closely related to the Commandery of the York Rite. There are always plenty of options for DeMolays. If you have a small group of 3 guys or a large group of 30 guys, DeMolay can exist in your area if you choose to let it and help it.
I'm not putting down Boy Scouts or saying its a bad organization. I couldn't disagree with that line of thought more. I just firmly believe that DeMolay is the answer in bringing in a younger generation. If you want ANY information, please feel free to message me or visit
www.demolay.org and
www.texasdemolay.org. I hope this sheads some light on to the subject.