CE Hendricks DeMolay

 Frequently Asked Questions about DeMolay

What is DeMolay?  DeMolay is FUN. DeMolay is and can be almost anything you would like it to be. We have sports, dances, leadership opportunities, all sorts of competitions in all sorts of areas, and most importantly we have comradeship.. We are the largest and greatest fraternity for young men in the world.
  
    
What do we do?  We do almost everything and anything. We have dances, parties, campouts, and picnics. We play most sports from basketball to tennis and a few you haven't heard of. We would love to invite you to join.
  
    
How big is DeMolay? DeMolay was started in 1919, and since that time, over one million young men have joined. Today there are about 1,000 chapters located in all 50 states. DeMolay is also in the countries of Germany, Japan, Panama, Canada, Australia, The Philippines, and Brazil.  
    
Who belongs to DeMolay? Lots of guys like us, who have lots of fun at great activities, and learn things that will prepare them for the future. By the way, do you know Brett Favre or Walt Disney? They are Senior DeMolays.  
    
What are the membership requirements? To join DeMolay, you must be a young man between the ages of 12 and 21, believe in a Supreme Being, and be a person of good character and reputation.  
    
Where are you located? For a list of chapters in Tennessee go to our local chapters page. For chapters in other states go to DeMolay International's home page to find them.  
    
Can I attend a meeting? Well, you can't attend a formal chapter meeting until after you have joined, but you can come to some of our activities and meet some of our young men. IF you really want to attend a meeting and see what its like, contact your local chapter and the members will introduce themselves to you.  
    
Are there girls in DeMolay? DeMolay is a organization for young men, but there are girls at almost all of our activities. We hold activities with the local Rainbow organization for young ladies several times a year. In addition most chapters have Chapter Sweethearts, elected by the members of the chapter.
  
    
What makes DeMolay different from other organizations?  What sets us apart is that we have a feeling of "Brotherhood" that comes from belonging to our fraternity. When young men join, they go thru a ceremony of initiation and become LIFELONG members of our group.  
    
What are the ceremonies I would go through?   That's a good question to ask. Ever since DeMolay began in 1919, all of its members have gone thru the same initiation ceremonies. When you join you will go thru the same ceremonies that people like John Wayne, Dan Rather, Fran Tarkenton, Walt Disney, and Bret Favre went thru. When you join, you will get your own copy of the ceremonies in a book we call the ritual.  
    
What is the initiation like?   To be a DeMolay you must go thru two ceremonies, which we call "degrees". The first is the Initatory Degree where the members in the chapter explain the Seven Cardinal Virtues (Precepts) of a DeMolay to you. The second degree is the DeMolay Degree. This one is great. It's where we all dress up in costume and put on a play for you to watch. The play is about the trials of Jacques DeMolay ( the person the group is named after) and teaches us about the bonds of friendship and loyalty, which we as brothers share.  
    
What are the Seven Cardinal Virtues?   They are the basic life principals that will help us to be better people. They are:

1. Filial Love - love of parents
2. Reverence for Sacred Things - respect for things you feel are important to you, or for things others feel are important
3. Courtesy - to family, friends, and the public
4. Comradeship - friendship
5. Fidelity - being true to your friends and beliefs
6. Cleanness - in thoughts, words, and deeds
7. Patriotism
  
    
Is DeMolay a religious group? No, DeMolay is not a religious group. DeMolay teaches no religion but expects each member to have a belief in a Supreme Being in order to join. Your religious beliefs are your own.  
    
What is a fraternity? A fraternity is an organization whose members have a special bond with each other regardless of age or position. It is a brotherhood built on common interest that supports and provides activities for its members.  
    
Is DeMolay a secret fraternity?   We are not a secret fraternity, and hold no secrets from non-members as to our type of group, its purpose, or its activities for its members.  
    
What are your secrets?   The only things that someone might consider secret about our fraternity are its passwords, signs, and handshakes. This is our way, like fraternities, to make our members really special.  
    
Where does the name DeMolay come from?  Jacques DeMolay lived around the 14th century in France, during the time of the great crusades. He was the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, which was a fraternity of Crusading Knights in France. He was a Knight and leader of men who stood up for the less fortunate, and was true and faithful to his cause and friends to his death.  
    
Interested in joining DeMolay?
 
Contact your local chapter.