|
Currently, that is the status quo. Women may not become Masons, though there are branches of Freemasonry that are women-only or accept both men and women. However, these organizations are not recognized by mainstream Freemasonry in the United States.
The status quo has been there so long that most OES members don't even give a second thought to it. Back when OES was formed in the mid-1800s, cultural differences were quite different than they are today. Women rarely ventured outside the home, and if they were married, not without their husbands. When Rob Morris (the founder of Eastern Star) created the Order, he intended it as an organization for women that shared Masonic principles with that of the all-male lodges.
While the principal officer (the Worthy Matron) must be a woman, at least five members, one of whom must be a man, are required to open or close a chapter. The Worthy Patron is the officer who confers the degree and administers the obligation. Even so, not every Master Mason can attend an OES meeting; he must be initiated into OES and in good standing before he can be present at a chapter meeting or initiation.
__________________
ASF
Causa latet vis est notissima - the cause is hidden, the results are well known.
Alpha Alpha (University of Oklahoma) Chapter, #814, 1984
|
Threaded Mode