Allentown DeMolay will be celebrating DeMolay Month in March again this year to commemorate the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Order of DeMolay.

DeMolay is an international youth organization sponsored by the Masonic fraternity that builds character and leadership skills in young men between the ages of 12 and 21. It was founded in 1919 in Kansas City, Missouri, by a Kansas City area Mason, Frank S. Land, who selected the name to honor Jacques DeMolay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar in France. Allentown Chapter was formed in 1926 by local Masons, who also built the local Masonic Temple.

Allentown DeMolay is sponsored by Allen-Beauceant Commandery No. 20 of the Knights Templar. Both groups meet in the Commandery Asylum in the Allentown Masonic Temple, which is located at 1524 Linden Street in Allentown, directly across from Allentown’s beautiful West Park.

Allentown Chapter includes boys from not only the City of Allentown but also from many other neighboring municipalities and school districts throughout the Lehigh Valley, including the Parkland School District, East Penn School District, Salisbury Township School District, Whitehall-Coplay School District, Bethlehem Area School District, Northampton Area School District, Nazareth Area School District, Bangor Area School District, and Easton Area School District.

The current Master Councilor, Elijah Stark, is a junior at Emmaus High School.

To encourage all Pennsylvania DeMolay Chapters to organize, execute, and document successful DeMolay Month observances, Pennsylvania DeMolay is again sponsoring the DeMolay Month Award of Excellence. As a part of this contest, each Chapter can earn points by completing certain tasks, and the winner will be recognized with the Pennsylvania DeMolay “DeMolay Month 98th Anniversary Award of Excellence.”

In addition to one Chapter winning the Award of Excellence, the top three Chapters in Pennsylvania will be recognized with certificates and cash prizes at the state organization’s annual convention, which is being held this year at the Holiday Inn in Fogelsville from July 14-16. “Allentown Chapter is seeking to win the Award of Excellence and the top cash prize to help offset the cost of chapter activities,” according to Stark.

One of the ways each Chapter is encouraged to participate in DeMolay Month and for which it can obtain points toward the contest awards is to obtain proclamations or resolutions recognizing DeMolay Month from local, state, and national elected officials.

In addition to receiving proclamations and resolutions from several other local elected officials, the Chapter will be visiting a meeting of Allentown City Council on Wednesday, March 15, 2017, when Allentown City Council President Ray O’Connell will present the Chapter with a Proclamation signed by all members of Allentown City Council to honor DeMolay Month in Allentown.

Information Provided By:
Ed White
Chairman, Allentown DeMolay Advisory Council