Do the ages for DeMolay need revision?

[WarriorProphet]

Hey brothers,

In light of many changes both cultural and legally within masonry it strikes me that the ages for DeMolay membership may need revision.

My first point is simply that the age for entry into Texas Masonry has been lowered. At the onset you needed to be 21 years of age, hence allowing DeMolay membership until 20 supported an easy transition for the young man to blue lodge on his 21st birthday. The age for blue lodge entry has since been lowered to 18. While we still want to make sure there are good leaders available to DeMolay in senior aged boys it seems that so much overlap is still a waste. Based on this alone I would point to a similar adjustment, allowing young men to enter DeMolay at the age of 10 and stay until the day of their 19th birthday.

My second point may be even more extreme. In our society today the age of decision is being pushed much younger than it has been in centuries, and arguably even earlier than bible times. Children are making moral and life path decisions at ages of 10 and younger. Even sexual choice and orientation beginning to change as young as 8. I have worked closely with both youth groups and childrens ministry at church ever since I was in high school. In the beginning we knew that those who had not made a life choice towards a life committed to those beliefs was about 13-16. Now since I have grown and many of my peers already have multiple children the children's ministry experts point out that this age has migrated to as early as 6-8. Meaning if by age 8 a child is not already well committed and trained to a certain moral standard, then they will be bombarded by media, peers, and the like to engage in darker things.

I know not enough about DeMolay to suggest that a 6 year old should be initiated and trained up in it, but I think it is clear that age 12 is simply too late.

Anyhow, I mean this only to spark discussion, I myself am not an expert, just a concerned observer.

 

[owls84]

I don't know enough about it. I wonder with the decline in membership how this organization plans on dealing the issues they are faced. How stable are they? What are the doing to bring members in or is it like Masonry where they are not allowed to solicit for members?

 

[Dave in Waco]

Our youngest MM is also a DeMoley. I know they are usually hurting for Advisors, and sometimes members as well. I know here in Waco, the Chapter was in danger of going dark due to the absence of Advisors. They have Advisors now, but now they need DeMoleys.

While I am not a DeMoley, I have gotten to know some of the boys from the Midlothian Chapter, which is going strong. I do think they need to start a little younger, because by 12, boys have usually gotten the things they are into set. Maybe start at 10 like suggested and limit to 18. Right now, to be an Advisor, one has to be 21, but why not make a junior class of Advisor called Apprentice Advisors starting at 18 and going to 20 for former DeMoleys?

I know I wish I had more time so I could devote some of it to DeMoley, since they are our future in Masonry.

 

[WidowSon]

How do u go about startin it

 

[gnarledrose]

We're trying to get a Demolay started (back) up in my area; just not enough boys. [Correction, there's technically enough boys, just not enough commitment from the boys] Plenty of wanna-be-advisors, though, myself included. I definitely think that 12 is too old, for reasons stated above: They're already busy with stuff they want to do at 12, and don't see much reason to do anything new. Boy Scouts is big here in Utah, not to mention church-led activity groups. I think 10 or even 9 wouldn't be uncalled for.

 

[Beathard]

I have been skipper of a sea scout ship and a scout master for 7 years. Scouts come in at 10 1/2. Sea scouts come in at 14. Boys are easy to recruit at 10. At 14 the only thing that helps us get boys involved is the coed nature of sea scouts. By 16 the fumes have taken control of the boys. Fumes, you ask? Gas fumes and perfumes. We have to get them involved early.

 

[Benton]

Yeah, I have to say, I didn't join anything new basically from the time I was 13 to the time I was 18. Then I hit college and joined fraternities. But during that inbetween five years, all I was interested was being in the high school band, and girls. If I had been in something previously, I probably would have maintained it, but I didn't make the time for anything new. Ages ought to be dropped.

 

[WidowSon]

The little rascals were livin DeMolay

 

[kcs2010cca]

Hey brothers,

In light of many changes both cultural and legally within masonry it strikes me that the ages for DeMolay membership may need revision.

My first point is simply that the age for entry into Texas Masonry has been lowered. At the onset you needed to be 21 years of age, hence allowing DeMolay membership until 20 supported an easy transition for the young man to blue lodge on his 21st birthday. The age for blue lodge entry has since been lowered to 18. While we still want to make sure there are good leaders available to DeMolay in senior aged boys it seems that so much overlap is still a waste. Based on this alone I would point to a similar adjustment, allowing young men to enter DeMolay at the age of 10 and stay until the day of their 19th birthday.

My second point may be even more extreme. In our society today the age of decision is being pushed much younger than it has been in centuries, and arguably even earlier than bible times. Children are making moral and life path decisions at ages of 10 and younger. Even sexual choice and orientation beginning to change as young as 8. I have worked closely with both youth groups and childrens ministry at church ever since I was in high school. In the beginning we knew that those who had not made a life choice towards a life committed to those beliefs was about 13-16. Now since I have grown and many of my peers already have multiple children the children's ministry experts point out that this age has migrated to as early as 6-8. Meaning if by age 8 a child is not already well committed and trained to a certain moral standard, then they will be bombarded by media, peers, and the like to engage in darker things.

I know not enough about DeMolay to suggest that a 6 year old should be initiated and trained up in it, but I think it is clear that age 12 is simply too late.

Anyhow, I mean this only to spark discussion, I myself am not an expert, just a concerned observer.

I am a State Officer for DeMolay in Texas, I am also a Master Mason. Unlike in Masonry in DeMolay we can openly recruit our members and in concerns to our membership we have had literally an explosion in our membership over the last few years with several new chapters being opened across Texas. I disagree with you saying the overlap is a waste. I have not only stayed very active in DeMolay but have also become very active in Blue Lodge. Also it should be noted that the entire state line for Texas DeMolay right now are also Master Masons. I believe that having Master Mason DeMolays is beneficial to the Lodge because we are able to set and example for the younger members and spark their interest in joining the Lodge. I have a friend from DeMolay who has already asked if I will give him a petition for Blue Lodge when he turns 18 in November. Also with us being able to be join Blue Lodge at 18 it gives us the opportunity to spark masonic interest in DeMolay.

 

[Dave in Waco]

I am a State Officer for DeMolay in Texas, I am also a Master Mason. Unlike in Masonry in DeMolay we can openly recruit our members and in concerns to our membership we have had literally an explosion in our membership over the last few years with several new chapters being opened across Texas. I disagree with you saying the overlap is a waste. I have not only stayed very active in DeMolay but have also become very active in Blue Lodge. Also it should be noted that the entire state line for Texas DeMolay right now are also Master Masons. I believe that having Master Mason DeMolays is beneficial to the Lodge because we are able to set and example for the younger members and spark their interest in joining the Lodge. I have a friend from DeMolay who has already asked if I will give him a petition for Blue Lodge when he turns 18 in November. Also with us being able to be join Blue Lodge at 18 it gives us the opportunity to spark masonic interest in DeMolay.

Although I have never been a DeMoley, I agree with you that the overlap in age is not a waste. I know this is the age in which many of the DeMoleys are taking leadership positions in State Offices. Plus as you pointing out, that overlap provides an excellent opportunity for them to keep the connection alive between DeMoley and Blue Lodge. I know that younger Masons tend to look up to the older more experienced Masons. I feel the same is true in DeMoley with the younger DeMoley looking up to the older DeMoley. The hear of their experiences getting involved in Blue Lodge and are more likely to follow their path into becoming Master Masons one day themselves.

 

[BryanMaloney]

Scouters long ago realized the issue of the "younger ones". While the principles of Scouting would certainly benefit young boys, they were still not youths and young men. Thus, Scouters formed Cub Scouts. That way, the emphasis could be on things most appropriate for those ages without having to greatly modify the programs of Scouting. An initial age of 12 for a Scout still works very well for Boy Scouts, specifically because we have Cub Scouts.

Having worked with the Cub Scouts, I see the value of this division, it also helps the boys understand progression, Cubs progress to Scouts, Scouts progress to men (hopefully Scouters), and as men, we are presumed to need to constantly progress.