Fonds PR3626 - Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star fonds

Zone du titre et de la mention de responsabilité

Titre propre

Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star fonds

Dénomination générale des documents

  • Document textuel

Titre parallèle

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Notes du titre

  • Source du titre propre: The title is based on content of the fonds.

Niveau de description

Fonds

Cote

PAA PR3626

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Juridiction responsable et dénomination (philatélique)

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Description matérielle

18.31m textual records.

Zone de la collection

Titre propre de la collection

Titres parallèles de la collection

Compléments du titre de la collection

Mention de responsabilité relative à la collection

Numérotation à l'intérieur de la collection

Note sur la collection

Zone de la description archivistique

Nom du producteur

(1912-)

Histoire administrative

The Grand Chapter of Alberta, Order of the Eastern Star is a masonic order that oversees 29 Chapters across Alberta. The Order of the Eastern Star is a social order comprised of persons with shared spiritual values, but does not identify as a religion. The Order is distinct in its membership, being composed of both men and women, and is currently the largest fraternal organization in the world. The Grand Chapter of Alberta is considered a Grand Jurisdiction, belonging to the General Grand Chapter based out of Washington, D.C. The Order has approximately 10,000 Chapters, and approximately 500,000 members across the world.

The Order was established in 1850 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Dr. Robert Morris, a lawyer and former Freemason official. Unsatisfied with the exclusion of women from traditional masonry, Morris sought some method by which women could share in the work of Masonic Brothers without changing the Ancient Landmarks of Masonry. In 1850, while confined to his home after an accident, Morris fully developed the Eastern Star Degrees, and set down the principles of the Order in his Rosary of the Eastern Star. He conferred the Degrees upon his wife and daughters, and select neighbours. Morris based the Order’s teachings on the Bible, but determined membership to be open to people of all religious beliefs. In 1866, Morris passed the order’s control onto Robert Macoy, who organized the system of Chapters still in place today: Local Chapters operate under charter from state-level Grand Chapters, who are responsible to the General Grand Chapter at the International Eastern Star temple in Washington, D.C.

Prior to forming the Grand Chapter of Alberta, Order of the Eastern Star members in the province were organized in 12 Subordinate Chapters working directly under the General Grand Chapter in D.C. In October 1912, these Subordinate Chapters met in Red Deer to form a Grand Chapter for the province of Alberta. The first aim of the new Grand Chapter of Alberta was to provide for the care and comfort of the poor, including the establishment of a fund to assist the Masonic Brothers in developing a Masonic Home and School Fund.

Membership to the Order is restricted to those aged 18 and older, who must be either Master Masons in good standing or related to a Master Mason in good standing. The latter category includes wives, widows, sisters, daughters, mothers, granddaughters, step-mothers, step daughters, step-sisters, and half-sisters. In 1994, this was expanded to include nieces, daughters-in-law, and grandmothers. All members within the General Grand Chapter follow the same rituals and laws. While its rites contain only one ceremony, that of the initiation, the ritual incorporates five degrees which teach the lessons of fidelity, constancy, purity, hope and charity. In this initiation ritual, members must profess a belief in a Supreme Being.

Local Chapters are directed by a set of officers whose titles and functions mirror those of the officers directing the Grand Chapters. Local Chapter officers include the following positions: Worthy Matron (Presiding officer), Worthy Patron (a Master Mason providing general supervision), Associate Matron (assumes duties of the Worthy Matron in her absence), Associate Patron (assumes duties of Worthy Patron in his absence), Secretary (oversees correspondence and minutes), Treasurer (oversees Chapter monies and finances), Conductress (leads visitors and initiations), Associate Conductress (assists with introductions and handles ballot box), Chaplain (leads the Chapter in prayer), Marshal (presents the flag and leads in all ceremonies), Organist, Warder and Sentinel (guard the door inside and outside the Chapter room to ensure only members enter), and the Five Star Points positions of Adah, Ruth, Esther, Martha and Electa (each star point shares a specific lesson upheld by the Order). Chapters meet on a monthly basis.

Chapters determine their own membership and activities, though most Chapters pursue similar charitable and community-based activities. Chapters in Alberta donate funds to a wide variety of local charities, including health research projects, the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Shriners' Charities, and orphanages. Chapters also provide bursaries to students of theology and religious music, as well as other scholarships that support the ideals of the Order. Members of the Grand Chapter of Alberta meet once a year during the Grand Chapter Annual Session.

Historique de la conservation

Portée et contenu

Fonds consists of the records created and maintained by the Grand Chapter of Alberta, Order of the Eastern Star and the Local Chapters it oversees.

    The fonds has been arranged into the following series based upon the activities of the Local Chapters and the Grand Chapter: 1. Local Chapter Administrative records series; 2. Local Chapter Membership series; 3. Local Chapter Petitions series; 4. Grand Chapter records series.

Fonds includes records from the following Local Chapters, both active and closed: Acacia Chapter #56, Acme Chapter #83, Adah Branch, Barrhead Branch, Alberta Star Chapter #18, Alexandra Chapter #4, Allenby Chapter #38, Amity Chapter #66, Areme Chapter #11, Astrea Chapter #106, Athabasca Chapter #17, Aurora Chapter #46, Barrhead Chapter #82, Battle River Chapter #47, Bellcrest Chapter #74, Berry Creek Chapter #104, Bertha Chapter #103, Bessborough Chapter #60, Bethany Chapter #68, Bethel Chapter #39, Bow Island Chapter #123, Bow Valley Chapter #5, Carstairs Chapter #62, Cascade Chapter #13, Castleview Chapter #21, Castor Chapter #80, Centennial Chapter #136, Champion Chapter #36, Chief Mountain Chapter #115, Chinook Chapter #3, Claresholm Chapter #90, Coaldale Chapter #15, Connaught Chapter #8, Crescent Chapter #20, Dawn Chapter #112, Delburne Chapter #93, Douglas Chapter #73, Douglas Haig Chapter #73, Drayton Valley #132, Edith Cavell Chapter #25, Edmonton Chapter #19, Electra Chapter #10, Elizabeth Chapter #114, Elizabeth Norris Chapber #107, Eureka Chapter #59, Evangeline Chapter #87, Evening Star Chapter #48, Excelsior Chapter #60, Ferrodale Chapter #65, Fidelity Chapter #40, Foremost Chapter #89, Forestburg Chapter #54, Fort Macleod Chapter #53, Fort McMurray Chapter #137, Frantzen Chapter #134, Friendship Chapter #125, Golden Jubilee Chapter #120, Hardisty Chapter #116, Harmony Chapter #50, Heather Chapter #51, Helen Chapter #91, Highland Chapter #98, Hinton Chapter #139, Hussar Chapter #92, Innisfail Chapter #37, Ionic Chapter #72, Iris Chapter #77, Isis Chapter #28, Joan of Arc Chapter #57, Jubilee Chapter #67, Killam Chapter #9, Kingsmere Chapter #108, Laurel Chapter #43, Leta Chapter #117, Lochearn Chapter #129, Magdalene Chapter #79, Majestic Chapter #126, Maple Leaf Chapter #7, Margaret Rose Chapter #121, Martha Chapter #124, Mary Keohome Chapter #96, Master Chapter #105, Mayerthorpe Chapter #131, Memorial Chapter #97, Meridian Chapter #102, Minerva Chapter #41, Mizpah Chapter #6, Morning Light Chapter #44, Mount Aylmer Chapter #63, Mountain View Chapter #1, Murray Chapter #58, Naomi Chapter #23¸ Nina Chapter #118, North Star Chapter #34, Norwood Chapter #23, Occidental #12, Orion Chapter #81, Patience Chapter #122, Peace River Chapter #42¸ Peace Valley Chapter #111, Peace Valley Chapter #61, Perfection Chapter #31, Primrose Chapter #127, Queen Elizabeth Chapter #22, Rockyford Chapter #86, Rosalon Chapter #69¸ Rose Chapter #101¸ Rosebud Chapter #71, Ruth Chapter #55, Sam Blair Chapter #99, Saskatchewan Valley #73¸ Sedgewick Chapter #45, Serenity Chapter #113, Somme Chapter #35, Spray Valley Chapter #64, St. Hilda Chapter #27¸ Standard Chapter #76, Star of West Edmonton Chapter #29¸ Starlight Chapter #109¸ Stavely Chapter #16, Stony Plain Chapter #119, Sunrise Chapter #78, Temple Chapter #49, Tinity Chapter #30, Tweedsmuir Chapter #94, Unity Chapter #26, Venus Chapter #2, Victoria Chapter #14, Victory Chapter #32, Vimy Chapter #52, Whitecourt Chapter #130, Wimodausis Chapter #70, Windsor Chapter #110, and Zenith Chapter #85.

Zone des notes

État de conservation

Source immédiate d'acquisition

Records were donated by members of the Grand Chapter of Alberta, Order of the Eastern Star over a number of years, starting in 2009.

Classement

Records are arranged in alphabetical and chronological order according to each Local Chapter within each series of the fonds. Records are arranged according to the original order.

Langue des documents

  • anglais

Écriture des documents

Localisation des originaux

Disponibilité d'autres formats

Restrictions d'accès

None.

Délais d'utilisation, de reproduction et de publication

Permission for use required. Subject to the Copyright Act.

Instruments de recherche

Some file lists are available.

Éléments associés

The Robert and Gertrude English fonds (PR0747) at the Provincial Archives of Alberta includes membership cards for the Order of the Eastern Star.

Éléments associés

Accroissements

Further accruals are expected.

Note générale

Administrative sketch taken from the General Grand Chapter website (www.easternstar.org) and the content of the fonds.

Identifiant(s) alternatif(s)

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Numéro normalisé

Mots-clés

Mots-clés - Sujets

Mots-clés - Lieux

Mots-clés - Noms

Mots-clés - Genre

Zone du contrôle

Identifiant de la description du document

PR3626

Identifiant du service d'archives

Provincial Archives of Alberta

Règles ou conventions

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