"For a number of years many of our members have expressed a deep interest in the origin of the Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star in New Jersey.
It is in response to these inquiries that a complete search of the Grand Chapter Proceedings has been made, and the most interesting items compiled into this History of Facts.

"With the exception of a few items which were given to us by Past Grand Matrons in whose years they occurred, everything contained herein is a part of the written history of the Grand Chapter of New Jersey, and is authentic.

"What a pity it is that no one thought fifty years ago to write of the experiences which came to some of those who served as Most Worthy Grand Matron as they waited night after night on street corners, after meetings, for the trolley which ran once an hour and would take them on their long journey home; carrying a suit case, the inevitable bouquet of paper flowers, and umbrella stand, or perhaps a pair of portieres. Imagine what happened when it rained!

"What interesting tales could be told of the trials of the Grand Officers endured when the place of meeting had a roof which leaked, or of the long walks through ice and snow to reach a Chapter Room, to find upon their arrival the stove inadequate, and at times, the water frozen.

"They might have written of one Most Worthy Grand Matron and Most Worthy Grand Patron whose deep interest in securing funds to start an Eastern Star Home caused them to hire two trains for an excursion to Asbury Park, and how this Most Worthy Grand Matron and her husband went at dawn to the Railroad Terminal at Jersey City to cancel one of the trains because the weather was not very promising, and they realized that were the excursion unsuccessful, both they and the Most Worthy Grand Patron might have to mortgage their homes to clear the deficit. The affair however was a success, and the first funds for an Eastern Star Home were raised.

"Such was the wonderful spirit exhibited by our predecessors in their determination to overcome all obstacles, and make the Order of the Eastern Star the splendid Order that we as members, are privileged to enjoy today.

"Much has been written concerning which Grand Chapter was originated first. Since the New Jersey Grand Chapter was organized July 18, 1870, it was the first Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star.

"No precedent as to procedure having been established, it was formed according to a belief as to what was right and proper.

"New York Grand Chapter was organized on November third of the same year, and the Mississippi Grand Chapter on December fifteenth.

"Michigan had a Grand Lodge of Adoptive Masonry as early as 1866, but it was not a Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star until 1876.

"Secret Societies imitating Freemasonry, for the admission of female members were first organized in France in 1730, and still exist there, as well as in other parts of Europe.

"Various names were given to them such as "Freemasonry for the Ladies", "Adoptive Masonry" and several others. The ladies were adopted into Masonry, hence the name. Each Lodge of Females was obliged to be adopted by, and be under the guardianship of a regular Masonic Lodge.

"Brother Willis D. Engle, Past Grand Patron of Indiana, (and it appears that in no State of the Union was there evidenced a deeper interest in everything pertaining to the Order than in Indiana), in a report dated 1878, mentions various Rituals of Adoptive Masonry as being adaptations of a Ritual imported from Sweden, and know as:

"Star of Truth", Mosaic Work by J. W. Leonard, 1855,

Second edition of the same, J. B. Taylor, 1857,

"The Ladies Friend" by G. W. Brown, in 1867,

"The Manual" by J. W. Bailey, in 1868,

"Adoptive Rite" by the Masonic Publishing Co., in 1868,

as well as many others.

"The work in New Jersey is based on the Ritual by Robert Morris, who stated in 1880 that the idea of forming the Eastern Star Degrees came to him in 1850. There were several Degrees in existence, but none had proved satisfactory.

"He conferred the Degree upon his wife, a couple of neighbors, and some others, but felt more organization was needed to make it successful; so in 1855, at considerable expense, he organized Constellations, and this too proved a failure.

"In 1868, in collaboration with Brother Robert Macoy, the Ritual was revised and perfected, after which these two Brothers proceeded to charter Chapters all over the country. This was the real start of our Order.

"The principles and objects of the Order which were originally non sectarian, acceptable to all who believed in the existence of a Supreme Being who represented the embodiment of truth, now became purely Christian in character.

"Brother Morris has stated that he first conferred the Degrees in April, 1854, at Spring Street Hall in New York; and the next evening in Old St. John’s Lodge Room in Newark.

"All the conferring of degrees was without fee, and in the nature of a Ceremonial, so when Regular Chapters were organized, they found a number of persons had already received the degrees but were not members of a Chapter.

"The first Chapter of the Order was organized March 15, 1867, and was named Alpha No. 1, of NewYork City."

© New Jersey Order of the Eastern Star, 2019
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