Eastern Star question

[AGDAlum]

I searched the archive for previous OES threads and think my question is something new. I'm somewhat more comfortable asking this thru GreekChat, since I've been part of this community, than if I hunted for an OES site and asked complete strangers....

Anyway: I grew up in an inactive Masonic family (my dad kept his Blue Lodge/Shrine membership in Pennsylvania though he lived in Illinois from 1947 until his death). My mother was not in OES though my grandmothers and other relatives were. I was in Job's Daughters (served as Honored Queen, even!).

What I've wondered about: OES is a women's organization. Yet men's membership and participation is inextricably tied up in chapter operations--along with the Worthy Matron there must be a Worthy Patron. OTOH, the men's Masonic orgs don't allow women. Is this the status quo, so deeply ingrained that OES members don't consider it to be problematic/patriarachal/unequal?

My conjecture is that OES began as an auxiliary, at a time when many social organizations were strictly gender-specific, and the husband's approval/participation was critical for the women to be able to be involved. ("The wives can't know our secret work and what we're doing at our lodge, but we have to know what they're doing at theirs.")

Thanks for the enlightenment!

AGDAlum