The Family of
Freemasonry
Family
THE FAMILY OF FREEMASONRY
Beyond the symbolic lodge, there are a number of additional Masonic-affiliated organizations.
The three most well known appendant bodies are: Shriners International 32º Scottish Rite Freemasonry York RiteEach of these appendant bodies hold as its membership prerequisite that a man remain a Master Mason in good standing.
SHRINERS INTERNATIONAL
In a quest to make fraternity life more fun, a group of Masonic brothers created the Shriners organization in 1872. Shrine membership still requires a man to first become a Master Mason, fully committed to Masonry’s mission of brotherly love, truth and charity.
Shriners enjoy temple activities and family-friendly events, and they participate in sports and recreation groups, motor corps patrols, homebrew clubs … plus many other units focused on fun and fellowship. Every Shriner is also part owner of Shriners Hospitals for Children®, a philanthropic health system of 22 locations, outreach programs and community clinics that delivers life-changing specialty medical care to children.
Today, Shriners International boasts nearly 200 temples (local chapters) with more than 200,000 members. Though the majority of Shriners are in North America, Shriners can be found on six continents, and international development is on the rise, with Bolivia, Brazil, Germany, Panama, the Philippines all having established vibrant temples.
32º SCOTTISH RITE FREEMASONRY
32º Scottish Rite Freemasonry supplements and amplifies the teachings conferred in the symbolic lodge (also known as blue lodge). The Scottish Rite allows any Master Mason to journey deeper into the ethical teachings and philosophy taught in the symbolic lodge, which consists of the first three degrees of Freemasonry: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. Through 29 additional degrees, Scottish Rite Masons come together for fellowship, fraternity, and the opportunity to explore the core values of Masonry. 32º Scottish Rite Freemasons put these teachings into action through an unwavering commitment to charitable works, and an equal dedication to self-improvement.
32º Scottish Rite Freemasonry in the United States is divided into two jurisdictions: the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, and the Southern Jurisdiction.
Scottish Rite – Northern Masonic JurisdictionScottish Rite – Southern JurisdictionScottish Rite – Canada
YORK RITE FREEMASONRY
The York Rite, also known as the American Rite, is based on the early remnants of Craft Masonry and consists of the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, Council of Royal and Select Master, and Commandery of Knights Templar. While these three bodies are governed independently, they are all considered to be a part of the York Rite.
The York Rite provides the opportunity for Master Masons to continue the journey of self-improvement through degrees based on Biblical and medieval history and charitable activities.
York Rite FreemasonryGeneral Grand Chapter Royal Arch MasonsGeneral Grand Council Cryptic MasonsThe Grand Encampment Knights Templar
“The purposes of National Sojourners shall be to organize current and former members of the uniformed services of the United States and Honorary Members, who are Master Masons, into Chapters, for the promotion of good fellowship among its members, for assisting such as may be overtaken by adversity or affliction, for cultivating Masonic ideals, for supporting all patriotic aims and activities in Masonry, for developing true patriotism and Americanism throughout the nation, for bringing together representatives of the uniformed services of the United States (past and present) in a united effort to further the military needs of national defense, and for opposing any influence whatsoever calculated to weaken the national security.
Sojourners Club, originally composed of U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and Coast and Geodetic Survey Officers (1917), began chartering Chapters on or near Army posts and Naval bases (1918), became National Sojourners Club (1919), became National Sojourners (1927), became National Sojourners, Incorporated (1931), added Air Force (1948), and added Space Force (2021).
National Sojourners efforts focus on Americanism and Masonic activities. Patriotic activities include presentations, flag ceremonies, and other programs on national security and love of country, with focus on Youth. Our Bridge of Light Program directly supports Masonry by involving Sojourners in all Masonic activities, especially Blue Lodges.”
National
Sojourners, Inc
Masonic Youth Groups
DEMOLAY INTERNATIONAL
DeMolay, the premier international youth leadership organization, strives to shape young men into leaders of character.
By epitomizing timeless values, and accepting the challenge of leadership – both of character and of action – the young men of DeMolay transform themselves into citizens of the highest caliber.
Each young man takes ownership of his DeMolay experience. From generating ideas, planning events, coordinating logistics, and executing their plans, each DeMolay Chapter is responsible for defining their success. All of this is accomplished under the mentorship of trained Advisors, selected from the local community, enabling each Chapter to be uniquely tailored to support the interests of its members.
DeMolay is an inclusive organization that only asks of young men interested to believe in a higher being.
JOB'S DAUGHTERS
Job’s Daughters International (JDI) is a Masonic youth organization for girls between the ages of 10 and 20. JDI has chapters called “Bethels” in the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and the Philippines. Job’s Daughters is a premier organization for young women that teaches the values of leadership, public speaking, charity, respect for parents and elders, and teamwork. Members participate in a variety of activities such as: bimonthly meetings, fundraisers, service projects, leadership workshops, theme parties, dances and so much more. Members are girls and young women who are related to or are sponsored by a Master Mason and believe in a higher power.