Our local chapter of the North Dakota Order Of The Eastern Star is the Eastern Star Venus No. 14.
The Order of the Eastern Star is a Masonic appendant body open to both men and women. It was established in 1850 by lawyer and educator Rob Morris, a noted Freemason, but was only adopted and approved as an appendant body of the Masonic Fraternity in 1873.
The order is based on teachings from the Bible but is open to people of all religious beliefs. It has approximately 10,000 chapters in twenty countries and approximately 500,000 members under its General Grand Chapter.
Members of the Order of the Eastern Star are aged 18 and older; men must be Master Masons and women must have specific relationships with Masons. Originally, a woman would have to be the daughter, widow, wife, sister, or mother of a master Mason, but the Order now allows other relatives as well as allowing Job’s Daughters, Rainbow Girls, Members of the Organization of Triangles (NY only) and members of the Constellation of Junior Stars (NY only) to become members when of age.
The emblem of the Order is a five-pointed star with the white ray of the star pointing downwards towards the manger. In the Chapter room, the downward-pointing white ray points to the West. The character-building lessons taught in the Order are stories inspired by Biblical figures:
- Adah (Jephthah’s daughter, from the Book of Judges) In Eastern Star, Adah is the color blue.
- Ruth, the widow from the Book of Ruth In Eastern Star, Ruth is the color yellow.
- Esther, the wife from the Book of Esther In Eastern Star, Esther is the color white.
- Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus, from the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John In Eastern Star, Martha is the color green.
- Electa (the “elect lady” from II John), the mother. In Eastern Star, Electa is the color Red.