About Us

   The  Order of the Eastern Star is the largest fraternal Order in the world  that admits both men and women to membership.  We hope that you will let  us know of your interest and join us in our work helping our  communities, enjoying fellowship in an atmosphere of mutual respect and  trust, and promoting Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.  While all our  members must have a belief in the existence of a positive Supreme Being,  we are accepting of all different religions that share this belief and  count persons of many different faiths among our members.

• Who may join: 
  • Men who are Master Masons in good standing of a regular Lodge of the Masonic Fraternity.
  • Women who  have reached the age of 18 and are:

  1.  Related to a Master Mason , or

2. Are a majority member of Job's  Daughters International or the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls , OR 

3. Are sponsored by two Masons.

To find out  more about joining our Order, please use our Contact Us feature to let us know of your  interest in joining us.

Thank you for your interest in our Order and we hope to soon greet you as a member.

Members of the Order of the Eastern Star strive to live our lives  by the enduring beliefs of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, along  with certain core values:

Friendship: We are the largest fraternal  organization in the world to which both women and men can belong. With  Chapters in almost all 50 states and in 27 countries around the world,  members can go anywhere and know that they can find friends and a  helpful hand when they’re in need.

Community Service: We encourage our members not only  to help one another, but also to reach out to their communities.   Members are active in many community-based projects for those requiring  assistance.

Diversity: The members of our Order reflect the  social, cultural, educational, ethnic, and religious diversity of the  community around them. We value each other’s strengths and opinions.

Charity: As an organization, we raise funds to aid  our members in need and to make a difference in our communities with  research funds and scholarships for students regardless of age or  membership status, as well as other charities. We fund and operate a  Senior Living Community for our older members who belong to California  Chapters.  And we were the first statewide non-profit sponsor of the  American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Patriotism:  We encourage our members to value their  citizenship and to honor the Flag of their country.  We support our  servicemen and women overseas through our We Care program, sending  packages to our troops overseas to lighten the burden of their  deployment.

The Order of the Eastern Star is a fraternal organization of men  and women committed to providing an environment of friendship and  fellowship, regardless of age, by implementing innovative ideas,  facilitating positive change and planning for the future, while working  cohesively with our Masonic Family.

Our Goals

Mutual Respect: To demonstrate mutual respect for each other, while recognizing the strengths and diversities of our members.

Service: To make the name of Eastern Star synonymous with service to our communities and service and assistance to our members.

Membership: To engage and revitalize our existing membership and  appeal to prospective members through creative programs and activities.sion of your organization.

The Order of the Eastern Star was founded by Dr. Rob Morris in  the late 1800’s.  As a Master Mason, Dr. Morris had the idea that it  would be nice to have a way for female relatives of Master Masons to  share the benefits of knowledge and self-improvement that Freemasonry  made available to men and to have a place in the Masonic Family that  would allow men and women to participate together.

Dr. Morris and his wife Charlotte worked on this idea of a Masonic  fraternal Order for Master Masons and their female relatives for many  years.  In 1850, Dr. Morris selected the Biblical heroines and the  lessons and values of the Order.  He established the signs and passes,  colors and emblems of the Order and defined the fundamental principles  which have remained unchanged throughout the years.  The first ceremony  book for the Order was compiled and published under the title of “The  Rosary of the Eastern Star.”

In 1866, Dr. Morris became associated with Mr. Robert Macoy, who took  over the planning and organization of the Order of the Eastern Star.   In 1867 and 1868, Mr. Macoy compiled and published a Ritual, using Dr.  Morris' Rosary as a guide.  This was the beginning of the organization  of Chapters of the Order of the Eastern Star in the United States as  well as internationally. He immediately attempted to make the work more  systematic and succeeded in adapting it to organized Chapters in such a  way as to assure their success.

The first Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star was  organized in Michigan in 1867. The Grand Chapter of California was  organized in 1868 and celebrated 125 years of the Order in California in  1993.  We will celebrate 150 years of the Order in California in 2018.

Our Grand Chapter began having annual sessions in 1873.  At the time  of the launching of this web site in 2013, the Order was preparing for  the 140th Session of the Grand Chapter of California.