O.E.S STUDY & INFORMATION GUIDE - waphgc.com

1 & INFORMATION GUIDEW ashington and JurisdictionMission StatementOur mission is to provide Sisters and Brothers Washington Jurisdiction, a voice that speaks to the goals of our beautiful Order of Eastern Star has a spiritual appeal that will always continue. It is more than a sisterhood or brotherhood, more than a system of ritualism, or a field for social lessons are based on Biblical history and are for the betterment and enlightenment of our five pointed star we derive fidelity, constancy, loyalty, faith, and love bound together with patience, hope and want to provide INFORMATION assisting all members in meeting the challenges in making our chapters effective, efficient, and successful while keeping members informed of the activities in our subordinate chapters and Prince Hall Grand , provide a means by which fraternal and community relationships can be enriched, encouraged, improved, and successfully unify.

2 GoalsTo encourage the wives, widows, mothers, daughters and sisters of Master Masons to join our Order; To teach the Ideals and Standards of Masonry to our female members; To reiterate the basic Landmarks of the Order of the Eastern Star to our members; To work for the benefit of the community, extending generous support for charitable purposes; Enjoy the social activities of the Order and interact with each other in fraternal and cheerful companionship; Extend fraternal regard, charity and friendship to and be honest and truthful in our dealings with each other; Respond to the needs of others, members and non members Reclaim and Retain SYMBOLS OF THE EASTERN STARThe three officers, Worthy Matron, Worthy Patron and Associate Matron make up a trinity that combines wisdom, strength and love.

3 The Associate Patron adds strength to all. Briefly I will relate the symbols of this great order to lessons which can be carried with us each Secretary, with her CROSSED PINS, would indicate that two pens are used. One a pen of COMMENDATION, the other one CONDEMNATION, representing that our deeds may be recorded as either being good or Treasurer, with her KEYS, emblems of security, needed to conserve the funds necessary to conduct the business of the CONDUCTRESS, with her SCRO|LL and BATON, teaches that there must be plans if there is to be ASSOCIATE CONDUCTRESS, with her BATON, represents discipline. We must all move in harmony if we mean to accomplish much. It is everlasting teamwork that has enabled the word to MARSHALL, with her CROSSED BATONS, is the one who teaches us that he who loves best, serves SENTINEL, with the CROSSED SWORDS, represents protection and justice, that no one enters the chapter room with unclean thoughts and that when we leave, all transactions are secret and shall forever be locked WARDER, wears the Dove of peace, a symbol of harmony.

4 While we have opinions and can express them, let us not forget that others have the same OF THE ORDERThe Five (5) degrees of the OES are founded on the Holt Scriptures. Five worthy and potable female characters, illustrating many moral daughter degree, illustrating integrity filial devotion and respect to the binding force of a widow degree, illustrating industry, loyalty and devotion to religious wife degree, illustrating justice, courage and fidelity to kindred and sister degree, illustrating undeviating faith in the hour of trail and the immorality of the real mother degree, illustrating feverency, love, generosity, patience and submission under TO LIVE BY!People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centeredFORGIVE them you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motivesBe you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true you are honest and frank, people may cheat youBe you spend years building, someone could destroy you find serenity and happiness, they may be good you do today, people will often forget tomorrowDo the world the best you have and it may never be enoughGive the world the BESTyou got see, in the final analysis, it is between you and GODIt was NEVER between you and them Eastern Star, A Woman!

5 Masonry means much more than wearing of a pin or carrying a paid dues so a chapter will let you can wear an emblem on your coat, from your finger flash a ring, but if you re not sincere at heart doesn t mean a is merely an outward sign to show the where that you belong, to that great fraternal sisterhood that teaches right from really counts lies buried deep within the human breast, till Masonic teachings bring it out and puts it to the you practice out of the chapter what you learn within, be just to yourself and to your a sister when sick and assist her when in need, without a thought of personal reward for any act or and act in such a way the world without will see, that only the best can meet the test laid down by always faithful to your trust and do the best you can, then you can proudly tell the world, you re an Eastern Star, a Woman!

6 BIBLE STUDYREFERENCESOESST MATTHEW 2:2 ADAHJUDGES 11:29-40 RUTHRUTH 2:4-8 ESTHERESTHER 5:3 MARTHAST JOHN 11:39-42 ELECTA2 NDJOHN 1:13 QOS1 STKINGS 10:1-13 AMARANTHMATTHEW 27:24-29 SPECIAL READINGST LUKE 11:31-36, EPHESIANS 6:8II CORINTHAINS 4:6 & 13:13 JOHN 13:34 EASTERN STAR DEGREESThe following verses are offered by the writer as an humble testimonial of gratitude to those who kindly instructed him in the mysteries of these beautiful Degrees:JEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER.** Judges, 11 name Adah means "adornment" and appears several times in theOld Testament, but we are interested in this connection with the daughter of Jephthah who bore this name. Jephthah, an important judge and military personage in the Old Testament, took an oath or vow before going out on an important military mission that he would sacrifice the first thing he would see coming from his house if he returned victorious.

7 He was the victor of the campaign and on his return Adah, his only child, was the first thing that came from his house to see him. The broken-hearted Jephthah was loyal to his vow, though he protested against this custom. This incident in Biblical history is used by the Eastern Star to symbolize the binding and serious nature of a ! father! the joyful minstrel sung -Lo, glad I come, with timbrel and with dance! Hail, father, hail! thine arm in God was strong! Hail, God of Israel, Israel's sure defense! Hosanna! hosanna! Thus the minstrel ! father! the astonished daughter cried What grief is this, what means that sign of wo? Dust on thy head? thy gray hairs floating wide? That look of horror on each soldier's brow? Bewailing, bewailing, Thus the daughter ! father! the maid devoted said -If thus I'm doomed, if thus thy vow has gone, Turn thou not back!

8 There's hope amidst the dead, None to the perjured -let thy will be done! Hosanna! hosanna! Thus the maiden said. Father! father! the doomed one meekly spoke -Be strong thy hand, be resolute thy heart! To heaven's re-union, I will joyful look and with a blessing on thy head, depart! Farewell! farewell! Thus the doomed one spokeEASTERN STAR DEGREESRUTH. ** Ruth, 2. name Ruth means "companion." The story of Ruth is the most beautiful story in the Holy Bible, Ruth was a native of Moab. She was married, but an epidemic killed the men of the community, including her husband. In accordance with custom, she returned to Bethlehem where she lived with her mother-in-law, Naomi. Times were hard and they secured employment from Boaz, a kinsmen of her dead husband. Boaz also was her protector.

9 He was attracted to her primarily because of her devotion and loyalty to Naomi. He married her and they had a child to whom they gave the name of Obed who became the grandfather of David. This story is used by the Eastern Star to symbolize constant faithfulness to one's Moab's hills, the stranger comes, By sorrow tried, widowed by death; She comes to Judah's goodly homes, Led by the trusting hand of faith: Ye friends of God, a welcome land. The fair and virtuous Ruth, today; A cheerful heart and hand extend, And wipe the widow's tears away. She leaves her childhood's home; and all that brothers, friends and parents gave; The flowery fields, the lordly hall, The green sod o'er her husband's grave Ye friends of God, a welcome land. She leaves the gods her people own: Soulless and weak they're hers no more; JEHOVAH, HE is God alone, And HIM her spirit will adore.

10 Ye friends of His, a welcome Bethlehem's gates, the stranger stands, All friendless, poor, and wanting rest; She waits the cheer of loving hands and kindred hearts that God has blest. Ye friends of His, a welcome land. The fair and virtuous Ruth, today; A cheerful heart and hand extend, And wipe the widow's tears STAR DEGREESESTHER ** Esther, 5. name Esther means "star." In the Holy Bible Esther is presented as a person of great strength and personal beauty who heard of a plot against her people and protected them from destruction. The plotter was hanged in their stead. This story is used by the Eastern Star to symbolize one's fidelity to kindred and friends. QUEEN of Persia's broad domain, Why this anguish and despair!Blinding tears like falling rain; Sighs and words of hopeless prayer!