The Order of DeMolay was founded
in March 1919 in Kansas City, Missouri by Frank S. Land and nine young men. His intention was to create
a club for young men to learn life and leadership skills. With World War I just completed in Europe, many of these young men had no
father at home and they sought companionship, leadership, inspiration and competition. As Social Service Director
of the Kansas City Scottish Rite, 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). The Knights Templar was an organization
sanctioned by the Catholic Church in 1128 to guard the road between Jerusalem and Acre, an important port city on the Mediterranean
Sean. The Templars participated in the Crusades and earned a name for valor and heroism. 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 (a member of Houston Chapter), 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 list of Contacts for personal
help or visit www.demolay.org.
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