The
Order of DeMolay was founded in 1919 in Kansas City, Missouri by Frank
S. Land. His intention was to create a club for young men to learn life
and leadership skills. With World War I raging in Europe, many of these
young men had no father at home, and Frank Land became a kind of guide
and father figure for them. He was awarded the honorary title of "Dad"
by the first group of DeMolays, a title which has since been passed on
to every Advisor of a DeMolay Chapter.
The
boys struggled to come up with a name for their new organization until
someone suggested it be named after Jacques DeMolay, the last Grand Master
of the medieval Knights Templar (more info at
www.templarhistory.com
).
After listening to the story of Jacques DeMolay's torture and ultimate
death for steadfastly refusing to reveal the location of his hidden brother
Knights and their vast wealth to the evil king of France, the boys decided
to name their club the "Order of DeMolay." Each new member takes
an oath to live up to Jacques DeMolay's ideals of honesty, loyalty and
brotherhood.
Since
1919, the Order of DeMolay has seen millions of members take this pledge
in Chapters that have spread to all fifty states and several countries.
Young men from all walks of life have benefited from membership in DeMolay.
Our ranks have been honored by such notable names as: John Wayne, Walt
Disney, Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, John Steinbeck, Bill Bradley, President
Bill Clinton and many more (see
www.demolay.org
for a complete Hall of Fame).
Being a member of DeMolay
means living by seven cardinal virtues:
-
filial love (love of parents)
-
reverence for sacred things
-
courtesy
-
comradeship
-
fidelity
-
cleanness
-
patriotism
If you have any further questions
about the purposes of DeMolay and how it can help you become a better
person, see the
Chapter
Locator
for personal help in your area or visit
www.demolay.org
.
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