Bringing The OES to the Dominican Republic

[memphisrite]

Greetings,

My lodge has a goal to bring a youth organization and OES to the Dominican Republic, as Co-masonry is basically unknown in DR and could be really good and helpfull to our grand lodge in general.

We as a group are wondering the requirements needed in order to bring the OES to DR. Who do we need to speak to? basic requirements for the ladies to join? Etc. Etc.

Thanks for your help!

 

[dfreybur]

The starting point is your own Grand Lodge. Push through a vote to declare the Order of the Eastern Star as a recognized appendent body. Maybe start with having the MW Grand Master issue an edit that between now and the vote at the next Annual Communication that the OES is recognized appendent body. I suspect that if the MW GM issues an edict on the topic, that a vote the next year will pass without opposition.

Then contact the nearest OES Grand Chapter and ask for sponsorship. Gather enough Master Masons in a city to be able to start up a chapter running on warrant. If possible brothers who were OES members in other regions before they moved so there are also a number of wives who can start the first chapter.

Some of those two steps can be worked in parallel to prepare, but the vote or edict needs to come before the first formal meeting to found a chapter.

Depending on the rules in your jurisdiction you may be able to form a club that has the goal of becoming an OES chapter once the other parts of the process happen. Some jurisdictions allow clubs of Masons some do not. Many lodges started as a Masonic club in their town until they reached enough potential members to get a charter. I'm sure many appendent bodies started the same way.

 

[memphisrite]

Thanks Brother Doug, this general steps will be of great help for us. On the other side there's no Masons in DR that know the OES ritual, so it will be a couple of us traveling to the US in order to learn it.

 

[dfreybur]

Thanks Brother Doug, this general steps will be of great help for us. On the other side there's no Masons in DR that know the OES ritual, so it will be a couple of us traveling to the US in order to learn it.

Many OES jurisdictions use a written ritual not a cipher. I take it there will be a few points where important words are deleted and changed to stars or underscores as happens in craft lodge jurisdictions that use a written ritual not a cipher. It might not be a long trip.

A tail wind to your sails as you travel, my brother.

 

[Bloke]

The advice about your GL declaring support is good.

Get a copy of the ritual. I have copies of USA ritual which is not supposed to be written down.. You will find OES ritual... and it's not a youth organization but a mixed one... The youth one you might be thinking of is DeMolay ?

Oh, and before I got to post this I got distracted and found myself in another window of my computer. I googled and found the OES ritual is about 45 seconds, I am sure you could too. If that fails - go to the library, but I am sure if you have international contacts, they would send you a current copy.. but your GL is the first and best place to go.. esp if they are working it or have lodges there who's constitution work OES....