Parents FAQ
Who can become a member of DeMolay? To join DeMolay, you must:
What does DeMolay do? A little bit of everything! We plan and run our own activities which include sports, social activities, community service, fundraising, trips, dances and much more!
How much does it cost? Colorado Springs DeMolay charges a one-time initiation fee of $50 to join, but there are no annual dues for the rest of your life! Some of our activies cost money, but we do fundraising to help out with that.
Can I attend a meeting and see what it’s like? Sure! There is nothing in or about DeMolay that you as a parent shouldn’t know. In fact, there isn’t a DeMolay activity that you as parents or guardians are not welcome to attend. Many parents have become advisors for Colorado Springs Chapter.
Can girl’s join? DeMolay is an organization for young men, but there are girls at many of our activities. There are other organizations for young ladies similar to DeMolay, which are also sponsored by the Masonic Family such as the International Order of Rainbow for Girls & Job’s Daughters.
What are the ceremonies my son would go through? Ever since DeMolay began in 1919, all of its members have gone through the same initiation ceremonies, including John Wayne, Walk Disney, Walter Cronkite, and Dan Rather. To be a DeMolay you must go through two ceremonies, which we call ‘degrees’. The first is the Initiatory Degree where the Seven Cardinal Virtues or ‘precepts’ of DeMolay are explained to you by the members of the chapter. The second degree is the DeMolay Degree where we dress up in costumes and put on a short play for the initiates to watch. The play is about the trials of Jacques DeMolay (the person DeMolay is named after), and teaches us about the bond of friendship and loyalty we share as DeMolay members.
Seven Cardinal Virtues? They are the basic principles that we feel help us to be better people. They are:
Members must believe in God, is DeMolay a religion then? No, DeMolay is not a religion, and we’re not here to replace your church youth group! DeMolay doesn’t teach or require any specific religion, but expects each member to hold a belief in a Supreme Being and to be tolerant in their opinion of others.
How is DeMolay a fraternity and what exactly does that mean? A fraternity is an organization whose members have a special bond with one another regardless of age or position. It is a brotherhood built on common interest and experiences. DeMolay is not a secret fraternity, and we have no secrets from non-members as to our type of organization, our purpose, activities and beliefs. The only things that someone might consider secret about DeMolay are our passwords, signs, and handshakes. This is our way, like all fraternities, of recognizing our members and helps to make sure being a member is really special.
What’s with the ‘Dad so-and-so’ thing? Dad is a title given to the advisors of a Chapter. This practice actually began in the earliest days of DeMolay when Frank S. Land created a group to provide activities for boys, several of whom had lost their fathers during World War I. Recognizing that this very significant title would be a reminder to the adults of the great responsibility they had undertaken, the practice was continued, and today advisor are called “Dad”. It also reminds DeMolays of their ability to talk freely and openly to an Advisor should they so choose, and reminds the advisors of his responsibility of leadership. It is not intended in any way to replace a true “Dad” in a family environment.
How are adult advisors selected? Advisors must be 21 years of age or older and can be a parent or grandparent of a DeMolay, a Mason, a Senior DeMolay, a Community Leader, or an adult sibling of a DeMolay. Those wishing to be an advisor must complete the required paperwork and submit to thorough background verification. DeMolay International randomly rechecks advisors annually, and every advisor is rechecked every five years.
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