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Pride of Leah's "SHINING STARS"
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PRIDE OF LEAH #50
FORT WORTH, TX
PO BOX 15411
Fort Worth, Tx. 76119
2008/2009
Elected Officers
Worthy Matron: Tammie Hemlee
Worthy Patron: James England
Associate Matron: JaVonnya Audrey
Associate Patron: Frank Harris Secretary: Lisa Milton-Calton
Treasurer: PM Debra Edmons
Conductress: Celeste Giles
Associate Conductress: Donna Minter
Past Matrons: Debra Edmond, Bianca Smith
Past Patrons: Rev Alfred Sandford,
Byrce Hardin, Philp Hill, Frank Harris
Leave your footprints: Sign our Guestbook
History of the
Order of the Eastern Star
 
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.) 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.
Who is Prince Hall?
c.1735 - December 4, 1807 Abolitionist, civic leader, caterer, leather-dresser, and founder of what would become the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, little is known of the life of Prince Hall. He is claimed by Grimshaw to have been born in Barbados, B. W. I. on September 12, 1748, although no record of this has ever been found. He is also claimed to have arrived in Boston from Africa in 1765 and sold to one William Hall who freed him in 1770. There were a number of Prince Halls in Boston at this period and the Certificate of Manumission deposited in the Boston Athenaeum Library, dated 9 April I770, cannot be positively identified as referring to Prince Hall. In 1787, as a property owner and registered voter, he campaigned for the establishment of schools for Negro children in Boston, opened a school in his own home, and successfully petitioned the Massachusetts legislature to protect free Negroes from kidnapping and being sold into slavery. During the Revolutionary War he served in the Continental Army and is believed to have fought at Bunker Hill. In his last published speech, his charge to African Lodge in June 1797, Hall spoke of mob violence against blacks, councelling patience. Although Grimshaw claims that Hall was a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church there is no record of this, while a deposition, which is recorded in the Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Register of Deeds, made by Prince Hall in August 1807, states that he was a leather-dresser by trade; that he was 'about seventy'; and that in November 1762 he had been received into the full communion of the Congregational Church. The alleged patent appointing Prince Hall as Provincial Grand Master for North America appears to have been another of Grimshaw’s inventions. Initiated into Lodge No 441 with fourteen others, the lodge granted Prince Hall and his brethren the authority to meet as African Lodge No. 1 (Under Dispensation). Hall petitioned the Premier Grand Lodge of England for a warrant which was granted on September 20, 1784 and delivered in Boston on April 29, 1787. African Lodge No. 459 was organized one week later, May 6, 1787. Out of this lodge the African Grand Lodge of North America was formed on June 24, 1791 in Boston. The year following Prince Hall’s death, as a memorial to him, and by an act of the General Assembly of the Craft, the name was changed to the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The original Charter No. 459 has long since been made secure between heavy plate glass and is kept in a fire-proof vault in a downtown Boston bank. His obituary in the Boston Gazette for Monday, 7 December 1807 notes his age as 72 which would infer a birth date of about the year 1735. His gravestone mistakenly notes the date of the published notice rather than his actual death the previous Friday. Initiated, Passed and Raised: March 6, 1775Lodge No. 441, Irish Constitution, attached to the 38th Regiment of Foot, British Army Garrisoned at Castle William (now Fort Independence) Boston HarborFounder: African Lodge No. 459, Massachusetts: 1787Grand Master: 1791-1807
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Source: Prince Hall Freemasonry,George Draffen of Newington. Scotland : The Phylaxis Society, 13 May 1976; Prince Hall Lodges History - Legitimacy - Quest for recognition, Joseph E. Moniot. Proceedings, Walter F. Meir Lodge of Research. No. 281. vol. vi, no. 5; Prince Hall, the Pioneer of Negro Masonry. Proofs of the Legitimacy of Prince Hall Masonry, Bruce John Edward (1856-1924), 12 p. New York, June 5, 1921; Black Square and Compass - 200 years of Prince Hall Freemasonry. Page 8. Joseph A. Walkes, Jr.. Richmond, Virginia : Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply Co., 1979; Official History of Free Masonry Among the Coloured People in North America, William H. Grimshaw, (Past Grand Master, 1907 of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington, District of Columbia), 1903; Prince Hall: Life and Legacy, Dr. Charles H. Wesley. 1977; Prince Hall Masonic Directory, 4th Edition 1992. Conference of Grand Masters, Prince Hall Masons (reprint of Wesley)
Origin and History of the Adoptive Rite Among Black Women
On August 10, 1874, Thornton Andrew Jackson received the several degrees of the Rite of Adoption of the Order of the Eastern Star from Brother C.B. Case, a Deputy and agent of Illustrious Robert Macoy 33, Supreme Patron of the Rite of Adoption of the World. In addition, Thornton Jackson also received a letter from Bro. C. B. Case granting him the authority to establish chapters of the Eastern Star among eligible black women. In obedience to the authority granted by William H. Myers, Grand Master, Union Grand Lodge, Jurisdiction of the District of Columbia, Bro. Jackson established the first Eastern Star Chapter among black women in the United States.
On December 1, 1874, Queen Esther Chapter No. 1, Order of the Eastern Star, was established at 708 - O Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. in the home of Mrs. Georgiana Thomas. The first Worthy Matron was Sister Martha Welch and the first Worthy Patron was Bro. Thornton A. Jackson.
In December 1874, Grand Master William H. Myers and Deputy Grand Master William A. Tallaferro, Union Grand Lodge, Jurisdiction of the District of Columbia, were invited to receive the androgynous degrees. They both accepted, thus further cementing the ties that bind the Masonic Family together. Upon the occasion of Grand Master Myers' initiation into the Adoptive Rite, he made the following statement to the sisters of Queen Esther Chapter No. 1 - extolling them to greatness:
"May the dove of peace hover over you. May the All Seeing Eye, whom the Sun, Moon and Stars obey ever watch over you. May he keep and protect you in your every effort to promote interest in the general good of this chapter".
On April 28, 1890, Queen of Sheba Chapter No. 3 and on October 20, 1890, Gethsemane Chapter No. 4, Order of the Eastern Star, were established by Thornton A. Jackson within the Jurisdiction of the District of Columbia. He was also
instrumental and helped to establish one (1) chapter in Alexandria, Virginia, three (3) chapters in Maryland and three chapters in Pennsylvania. In each instance when a chapter was organized and established, it was adopted by a regularly constituted masonic Lodge. Thus, Brother Jackson was able to bring about more unity within the Masonic Family.
During the year 1875, Pythagoras Lodge No. 9 presented the officers of Queen Esther Chapter No. 1 with their first badges which were known as Rosettes. This presentation was made by Worthy Patron Thornton A. Jackson who wished the chapter success and prosperity in the work upon which they were entering. He admonished the officers to wear the Rosettes with dignity keeping ever before them the memory of the five (5) Heronines: Adah, Ruth, Esther, Martha and Electa. In closing, Brother Jackson stated "To you Queen Esther and Associates, the representatives of the rays of the Beautiful Star and from whom comes the most charming, the most prophetic and the most instructive lessons of the Old and New Testaments. May you always throw an air of beauty and solemnity around all that you bring thousands to worship Him." This has been our charge as bona fide members of the Order of Eastern Stars from 1875 to this present moment in time.
And so it was one hundred years after the founding of the first Black Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, Queen Esther Chapter No. 1, Order of the Eastern Star, was officially instituted in the City of Washington in the District of Columbia. 
CUNEY, NORRIS WRIGHT (1846-1898). Norris Wright Cuney, politician, the fourth of eight children born to a white planter, Philip Minor Cuney, and a slave mother, Adeline Stuart, was born on May 12, 1846, near Hempstead, Texas. He attended George B. Vashon's Wylie Street School for blacks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1859 to the beginning of the Civil War. Afterward he wandered on riverboats and worked at odd jobs before he returned to Texas and settled in Galveston. There he met George T. Ruby, president of the Union League. Cuney studied law and by July 18, 1871, was appointed president of the Galveston Union League. He married Adelina Dowdie on July 5, 1871, and to their union were born a son and a daughter, Maud Cuney-Hare.
Cuney was a supporter of Edmund J. Davis, and his career in the 1870s and 1880s was a mixture of success and failure. In 1873 he was appointed secretary of the Republican State Executive Committee. He was defeated in the race for mayor of Galveston in 1875 and for the state House and Senate in 1876 and 1882 respectively. But in appointed offices and as a dispenser of patronage, Cuney was powerful. From his appointment as the first assistant to the sergeant-at-arms of the Twelfth Legislature in 1870, he went on to serve as a delegate to every national Republican convention from 1872 to 1892. In 1873 he presided at the state convention of black leaders at Brenham. He became inspector of customs of the port of Galveston and revenue inspector at Sabine Pass in 1872, special inspector of customs at Galveston in 1882, and finally collector of customs of the port of Galveston in 1889.
In 1883 Cuney was elected alderman on the Galveston City Council from the Twelfth District, a post that left him time to work simultaneously as a leader of the Republican party and a contracting stevedore. In 1886 he became Texas national committeeman of the Republican party, the most important political position given to a black man of the South in the nineteenth century. One historian of the Republican party in Texas characterizes the period between 1884 and 1896 as the "Cuney Era."
In order to lead Texas blacks to increased prosperity, in 1883 Cuney bought $2,500 worth of tools and called together a group of black dockworkers, which he eventually organized into the Screwmen's Benevolent Association. He carried this fledgling organization into open competition. He was also strongly committed to education. He was appointed a school director of Galveston County in 1871 and supported the black state college at Prairie View (now Prairie View A&M University).
Cuney was first grand master of the Prince Hall Masons in Texas from 1875 to 1877. He also belonged to the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows. He died on March 3, 1898, in San Antonio and was buried in Lake View Cemetery, Galveston.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Maud Cuney Hare, Norris Wright Cuney: A Tribune of the Black People (New York: Crisis, 1913). Virginia Neal Hinze, Norris Wright Cuney (M.A. thesis, Rice University, 1965).
Q&A's
Q. What is the Order of the Eastern Star?
A. The Order of The Eastern Star is the largest Fraternal Organization in the world to which both women and men can belong.
Q. Can any woman belong?
A. Yes. In Texas, dispensation has been opened to any woman of good moral character, believe in a Supreme Being, have attained the age of 18, believe in the laws of the United States of America, be willing to assume the obligation of the Order, be able to participate in the Ceremony of Initiation, be free from disqualifying mental illness, be a resident of the State for the last 12 months (exceptions), and not be convicted of a felony (or adjudged an habitual criminal) under the law of any State, or of the United States. Men that are Master Masons may petition as well.
Q. May a woman use, as her affiliation, a Master Mason, living or deceased?
A. Yes. Provided the Master Mason was a member in good standing at the time of his death. A letter of verification from the man's Lodge can be presented before the Degrees of the Order of The Eastern Star are given, but are no longer required.
Q. When was the Order of the Eastern Star formed?
A. Dr. Rob Morris, the poet laureate of Masonry, conceived the Order of the Eastern Star in 1850.
Q. What is the basis of the Order of Eastern Star?
A. Dr. Morris created the Degrees of the Eastern Star around the lives of five Biblical women. The reason was that each of these Biblical examples stands for are Fidelity, Constancy, Loyalty, Faith and Love.
Q. Is the Order of the Eastern Star a religion?
A. No. The Order of the Eastern Star is not a religion, even though we are religious in character. It does not pretend to take the place of a religion, or serve as a substitute for the religious beliefs of its members. Our members do come from all denominations.
Purposes And Goals
Q. What are the purposes and goals of the Order of the Eastern Star?
A. To provide an organization where women and men with high moral and social character, can contribute much time, energy and wisdom to our Order with Charity, Truth and Loving-kindness for the good of all mankind throughout the world.
How Does One Belong?
Q. How may I express a desire to join the Order of the Eastern Star?
A. If you are not familiar with anyone in a Chapter in your area, you may contact the Grand Secretary, seeking the name, address, and phone number of a Chapter in your area to express your desire for additional information. (permitting you are in the Texas Jurisdiction).
Q. What procedure should I follow when I have decided that I would like to join a chapter?
A. The Chapter you intend to join will provide you with a Petition, which you must fill out completely. It should be returned to the Chapter Secretary, as soon as possible, with the appropriate fees.
Q. What happens after I submit my petition?
A. Your petition will be submitted to an Investigation Committee composed of members of the Chapter that you wish to join. Shortly thereafter the members of the Investigation Committee will contact you individually to set up a time and place for a meeting. The information that the Investigation Committee receives will be reported to the Worthy Matron.
Q. What will be the next step?
A. If all of the information is in order, the report of the Investigation Committee will be submitted to the Chapter members at a stated meeting and a vote will be taken. If favorable, you will have been elected to receive the Degrees of the Order of the Eastern Star. The Secretary will notify you of the results of the election and arrange for you to be initiated into the Order.
Q. How long after the election will that be?
A. Each Chapter attempts to plan the events of each meeting for the entire year. That usually includes some flexibility to accommodate Degree meetings for new members; however, in some instances very special plans cannot be interrupted, so the Degrees will be given at the first possible date.
OES - A Way Of Life
Q. Just what is Fraternal Life?
A. The Order of the Eastern Star provides us with a means of compassion and concern, not only for our fellow Sisters and Brothers in the Order of the Eastern Star, but to ourselves, our Country, and our faith. In addition, it enters us into a way of life that all of us inwardly want for ourselves and our families.
Why Should I Want To Join
The Order Of The Eastern Star?
Q. What does the Eastern Star have to offer that other organizations do not?
A. Each of us has an inner need to do something for others and sometimes it is difficult to determine just how to begin. The Order of the Eastern Star offers that guidance and provides an outlet, as well as serving as a resource center and support group.
Q. Is there any social involvement?
A. Yes. The Chapter has numerous fun activities for all members and their family and friends.
Q. Is there any Fraternal friendship?
A. Both women and men join a Fraternal Order to make friends and enjoy the fellowship that is displayed. Members and their families can enjoy interacting with others who share their beliefs.
Q. Will I become a better person?
A. Yes. The Order of the Eastern Star takes good citizens and makes them even better. We continue to be central in the development of the American promise of human opportunity and personal fulfillment.
Youth Groups
Q. Does the Order of the Eastern Star give support to any affiliated youth groups?
A. Yes. The Order of the Eastern Star provides support to members of the OES Youth Fraternity (boys & girls, ages 6 through 18), and In some Lodges, Knights of Pythagoras ( for boys ages 9 through 20), is sponsored by Master Masons in the area. The purpose of these youth groups is to train these fine young citizens to be leaders in the community and to be future members and leaders in the Masonic Body.
Charity
Q. Does the Order of the Eastern Star have any special projects?
A. Yes. Our Order of the Eastern Star membership supports college, or university scholarship awards to students of any race, creed, or color; Additional charities are also supported.
Popular Misconceptions
Q. Is the Order of the Eastern Star a secret society?
A. No. Secret societies are underground and hard to find. We are a faith based organization and are easily found within the community; but, we do enjoy a distinctive means of identifying each other. Only members are allowed in a closed meeting.
Q. Can I afford membership in the Order of the Eastern Star?
A. Yes. Financial position is not considered in the Order. Members come from all economic stations of life.
Q. Is my religious faith allowed in the Order of the Eastern Star?
A. Yes. Members of all religions may belong to the Order of the Eastern Star.
Q. Is the Order of the Eastern Star time consuming?
A. After your Initiation into our Order during a regular meeting, you may attend as your time permits.
Q. Is there any memory work?
A. There is no mandatory memory work except the means of making yourself known if you visit a Chapter, or if you become an officer.
Q. Is the Order patriotic and democratic?
A. Yes. Members are taught an allegiance to preserve the good order of their country. We strongly support the government of the United States of America.
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