A Short History
Of The Craft
Variations On A Theme
The objects and
purposes of said Order are to nurse, care for and to provide for its
sick, afflicted and needy members and their families, bury the dead,
care for the widows of its deceased members, and care for and educate
their orphan children, and to inculcate in its members the principles
of morality, temperance, benevolence and charity and teach them their
duty and true fraternal relationship to mankind.
Denser v. State of Missouri (1947)
357 Mo. 10, 206 S.W.2d 340
The westward expansion of our country was accompanied by the growth
and maturation of its institutions. The social organizations that served
the first colonists were not well-suited for towns, and those appropriate
for small farming villages did not meet the needs of industrial cities.
The Masonic Fraternity was subject to the same social pressures for
change, but it followed a unique evolutionary path. Rather than change
its basic organizational unit, the local lodge, Freemasonry spun off
a constellation of collateral organizations, each meeting different
needs that arose at different times.
The local organization and simple symbolism of Masonic lodges were
supplemented by larger groups with more elaborate ceremonies and a national
structure. The York Rite, essentially of British inspiration, evolved
from Royal Arch Masons and Knights Templar with the later addition of
the continental Royal and Select Masters. In 1798 Royal Arch Masons
established a national organization, followed by the Knights Templar
in 1814 and the Royal and Select Masters in 1871.
An entirely different stream of Masonic legends and traditions evolved
in France and elsewhere in Europe and eventually solidified into the
Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. Bodies of these continental degrees
were established as early as 1764 at New Orleans, Louisiana and 1767
at Albany, New York, and were formalized by the establishment of the
first Supreme Council, Mother Council of the World, on May 31, 1801
at Charleston, South Carolina.
After expanding in organizational and symbolic complexity, American
Masons sought to bring women within their sphere. This was accomplished
by the establishment of the Eastern Star in 1855, the Amaranth in 1873,
and the White Shrine of Jerusalem in 1894. These three groups, the largest
of many, essentially function as independent organizations to which
both men and women belong. They are associated with the Masonic Order
by fraternal and family ties.
By the late 1800s American Masonry had local, state, and national
units, divisions with simple and ornate symbolism, and organizations
for women. The next growth was away from the seriousness and rather
solemn morality of the lodge and towards more lively enjoyment of social
pleasures. The Shrine became the "Playground of Masonry" when it was
created in 1872, and it was followed in short order by the Grotto in
1889, the Tall Cedars of Lebanon in 1902. Fellowship and fun are high
on the agendas of these organizations, but each also has a very strong
philanthropic drive to serve others, for example disabled children,
burn victims, the handicapped with dental problems, and victims of muscular
dystrophy. In addition, other groups developed such as, in 1919, National
Sojourners, Inc., for Master Masons serving in the military.
The last significant direction of growth of the Family of Masonry
came with the establishment of Masonically sponsored youth groups, some
for relatives of Masons and others open in their membership. DeMolay
for Boys started in Kansas City in 1919, and soon after came girls'
groups, Job's Daughters, founded in Omaha in 1920, and the Order of
Rainbow for Girls, founded in McAlester, Oklahoma, in 1922.
This brief history and the few groups mentioned do not begin to reflect
the breadth, depth, and complexity of American Masonry today. However,
it should give a good sense of the organizational adaptations Masonry
has made to continue to meet the needs of its members. In a similar
way, adaptations of Masonic philanthropy reflect the changing needs
of American society.
