Text Box: O Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord PSALM 117 SONOMAEastern Star #254

 

Sonoma Eastern Star #254 meets every second and fourth Tuesday

of every month at 7:30 P.M.

 

This has been petitioned before the Grand Chapter and is subject to change in the near future.

 
Welcome to Sonoma Chapter #254 We are located at 62 Birdsong Trail, Waynesville, N.C. (little town called Bethel)

Western North Carolina Mason’s Website can be found at

www.wncmasons.com

Take a peek and see all the new exciting things that are happening with our Mason’s!

 
Sonoma Chapter #254 To Contact Us/Directions

You can contact us by email at easternstar254@charter.net

 

Directions to the Chapter:

 

         From Asheville:

 

Interstate 40 West.  Take exit 31.  At the stop sign turn left onto Champion Drive.  Go 2 miles and turn right onto Blackwell Drive.  Follow this road until you go across the railroad tracks, at the red light turn left.  Go to the 3rd red light turn right onto Pisgah Drive (NC 215 South).  Go approximately 5.5—6 miles and turn right onto Sonoma Road.  Follow this road until you see the Bethel Methodist Church on your left, turn immediately to the right (across from the church), this road is gravel.  Follow this road, baring right onto Song Bird Trail.  You will see the Chapter building from the road.

 

There is a sign at the beginning of the gravel road across from the church.  The sign is past the road next to some trees!

 
MembershipText Box: Who may join: Only men who are Masons are eligible and only women with specific Masonic affiliation may be members. These affiliations include: Text Box: Affiliated Master Masons in good standing, The wives Daughters Legally adopted daughters Mothers Widows Sisters Half sisters Granddaughters Stepmothers Stepdaughters Stepsisters Daughter-in-law Grandmothers Great granddaughters Nieces Great nieces Mother-in-law Sister-in-law Text Box: and daughters of sisters or brothers of affiliated Master Masons in good standing, or if deceased were in good standing at the time of their death; as well as members - either active for three(3) years or majority - of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls or of the International Order of Job's daughters, each of whom having attained to at least the age of eighteen (18) years, are eligible to membership in the Order of the Eastern Star. About OESText Box: Mission Statement "The Order of the Eastern Star in North Carolina will be a viable, relevant, and dynamic Fraternity throughout the state, providing a source of service for both women and men of our communities to make a positive difference in the lives of our neighbors, and set an example for others to follow." This was the mission statement established by the Vision Team and line officers of the Grand Chapter.

About the Order
Of The Eastern Star
From the General Grand Chapter

What It Is: The Order of the Eastern Star is the largest fraternal organization in the world to which both men and women may belong. Worldwide, there are approximately 1 million members under the General Grand Chapter.

Eastern Star is a social order comprised of persons with spiritual values but it is not a religion. Its appeal rests in the true beauty of the refreshing and character-building lessons that are so sincerely portrayed in its ritualistic work. A deep fraternal bond exists between its members. It is the wholesome relationship of sisterly and brotherly love brought about through high principles exemplified in our lives which makes us near and dear to each other.

While this is an Order composed of people of deep spiritual convictions, it is open to all faiths, except no faith. The personal welfare of our members is vital to all of those in the Eastern Star and it is considered a privilege to help another member whenever we can.

Purposes. The stated purposes of the organization are: Charitable, Educational, Fraternal and Scientific; but there is much more to it than that. Dr. Rob Morris, the Poet Laureate of Masonry, founded the Order using beautiful and inspiring biblical examples of heroic conduct and moral values. These portray the noble principles which should adorn the personal lives of Eastern Star members. Eastern Star strives to take good people and through uplifting and elevating associations of love and service, and through precept and example, build an Order which is truly dedicated to charity, truth and loving kindness.

Projects. Concrete evidence of the charitable nature of the organization as it affects others is the millions of dollars which have been raised within the membership to support national, jurisdictional, and local charities. Many Grand Jurisdictions have homes for their senior members.

General History

The Order of the Eastern Star is an adoptive rite of Freemasonry with teachings based on the Bible and objectives that are charitable and benevolent. The founder of OES was Dr. Robert Morris, a lawyer and educator from Boston, Massachusetts, who was a Master Mason and Past Grand Master of Kentucky. Dr. Morris intended his creation to become a female branch of Freemasonry, but he failed to overcome the great opposition this idea engendered. After his first published ritual in 1849-50, he became associated with Robert Macoy who wrote and published a ritual based on Morris' in 1867. The first Grand Chapter was organized in Michigan in the same year. (There is evidence for an organization of the same name founded variously in 1788 or 1793, but this group was defunct by 1867.) Subordinate (local) chapters operate under charter from state level grand chapters which are responsible to the General Grand Chapter at the International Eastern Star temple in Washington, D.C.

Members must be eighteen years or older and either Master Masons in good standing or properly related to a Master Mason in good standing. The latter category includes wives; widows; sisters; daughters; mothers; granddaughters; step-mothers; step daughters; step-sisters; and half-sisters. In 1994 this was expanded to include nieces, daughters-in- law, and grandmothers.

Each chapter has eighteen officers, some elected and others appointed. Two offices are specifically male (Patron and Associate Patron) while nine offices are specifically female (including Matron and Associate Matron). While the Worthy Matron is considered to be the presiding officer of the chapter, the degrees cannot be conferred without a presiding brother in good standing (hence the Patron and Associate Patron).

Each chapter retains the right to decide who shall be a member of the organization. Election to the degrees must be unanimous, without debate, and secret. The successful candidate must profess a belief in a Supreme Being and is initiated in five degrees, which are conferred in one ceremony. (When Eastern Star was created, it was intended to be the first of a three degree series. The second and third degrees were Queen of the South and the Order of the Amaranth, respectively.)

Interestingly enough, OES requires only the belief in a Supreme Being even though the degrees are based in both the Old and New Testaments. While non-Christians are not specifically barred from membership, it would seem to be difficult to be other than Christian and belong to the Order.