Historical
Sketch –
The
Order of the Eastern Star.
Excerpt
from
The Adoptive Rite Ritual, © Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Co.,
Inc.
All
rights reserved.
This material is protected under U.S. and international copyright law and may
not be reproduced, distributed, or quoted beyond brief references without
prior written permission from Macoy Publishing.
Early Adoptive Rite Lodges
THERE ARE, and always have been, societies of mixed members—male and
female. These mixed lodges were predominate in France but traveled into Holland
and later into Germany. Early lodges were not Masonic but although Masons
probably were members and were nautical in character or had other
characteristics. Some borrowed ceremonies from the Carbonari or Coalburners
which had been previously established in Italy. They may have imitated
Freemasonry, but did not follow the same themes in their ritual or officer names
and duties. Purposes were for fostering good will or other lofty virtues. One
lodge, however, granted relief to destitute females with Masonic connections.
Rivalry for public favor by the admission of female members caused the
Grand Orient of the Grand Lodge of France in l774 to establish a new rite
called the “Rite of Adoption” thereby recognizing their Masonic character and
ordered that every such mixed lodge should be under the sanction of a regular
Masonic lodge whose Master or Deputy should be the presiding officer, assisted
by a female President or Mistress.
Lodges arose among the nobility and upper classes. In 1775 Loge de
Antoine, in Paris, was headed by the Duc de Chartres, Grand Master of the Grand
Orient of France and by his wife, the Duchess de Bourbon..jpg)
To the organizations thus established for the initiation of females the
French gave the term “Adoptive Masonry.” (Maconnerie d’Adoption). The ladies were said to have been adopted into the
Masonic communion because the forms, ceremonies and lectures referred to
enabled them to express their wishes and give satisfactory evidence of their
claims, in a manner that no stranger to the Masonic family could.
By the term Adoptive Rite is implied that system of forms,
ceremonies and explanatory lectures which is communicated to certain classes of
ladies, who, from their relationships by blood or marriage to Master Masons in
good standing, are entitled to the respect and attention of the entire
Fraternity.
Such lodges operated in Europe and spread into other countries, but did
not take hold in England or the United States.
Introduction of the Adoptive Rite in the U.S
The Eastern Star Degrees of the Adoptive Rite were the brain-child of
one young enthusiastic Mason - ROB MORRIS
who wrote the ritual, ceremonies and
lectures drawing his inspiration from the Bible in choosing five women as
prototypes to promote his lectures. While Morris is the founder of the Rite, it
is to ROBERT MACOY that we are indebted for taking the material Morris turned
over to him and systematizing it into the Chapter System as we know it
today. And it is from the MACOY ritual that all Eastern Star rituals used today
are taken.
Morris was well educated; he was a writer as well as a lecturer, a
teacher, an author, a publisher, and a world traveler. He said he got the
“germ” for formulating his degrees for ladies from the French Grand Orient when
he was introduced to societies imitating
Freemasonry which flourished about 1870 and where men and women were members in
what were called “Adoptive Lodges.”
Morris of Kentucky, said he conceived and arranged his Degrees in 1850
and communicated them extensively for Freemasons and their female relatives,
often times in his own home.
Few “female” degrees had been printed or published until Morris
published his Mosaic Book
in 1855 which is the backbone of his
ritualistic work. Nine separate “key” or “Hue” books were also published which
covered the work of the nine stations named Helen, Philomath, Verger, Herald,
Luna, Hebe, Thetis and Areme. He called the governing body The Supreme
Constellation which was headed by Morris as the Most Enlightened Grand
Luminary. About 100 Constellations were set up in various states. Individual
subordinate groups were called “Families.” These ceremonies proved to be very
elaborate and expensive and required more talent than was available. He tried
to simplify the work and published a Manual in 1860 and a second in
1862
, as well as a book of instruction titled FATAL and The Rosary of the
Eastern Star in 1861. The Rosary was his last publication and the
end of the “Family” period. Shortly after this, he arranged to turn over his
Entire system to Robert Macoy as he (Morris) was returning to the Holy Land.
Based on The Rosary, Macoy published a new Manual in 1865
in which he has the title of “National Grand Secretary” on the title page.
Thus, Morris’ active participation in the further growth ceased and the Family system
faded out of the picture entirely.
Morris wrote, in 1868,“when I sailed for the Holy Land, I resigned to
Brother Robert Macoy the title and prerogatives of Grand Patron which I assumed
as the author of the system, he consenting to undergo the heavy cares incumbent
upon the office. . .I knew my successor to be a man of pure life, of singular
zeal in Masonry, and one who had exhibited for several years, a warm love for
this particular system.....His assiduity in extending the Eastern Star has been
a marvel to us all. . . . He had my full consent and endorsement and thus
became the instigator of a third and more successful [Chapter] system.
”
In order to conform to his plan reorganizing Morris’ work into the Chapter system, Macoy had no new plan of procedure and on paper he continued to use the title of National Grand Secretary of the “Supreme Grand Chapter.” This was the result of a letter from Morris dated La Grange, Kentucky, April 29, 1871, authorizing the Installation of “Very Illustrious Robert Macoy as my successor in the position of Supreme Patron of the World, Adoptive Rite.” The installation was supposed to have taken place on May 3, 1875, but the national organization was pronounced defunct in December, 1874. Therefore, no Supreme Grand Chapter of the Adoptive Rite took place and today the State Grand Chapters under the Adoptive Rite are supreme. If you would like to watch the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH6Xxm7Ogxk
