Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The history of the Order of the Eastern Star is divided into three distinct time periods: the first from 1850 to 1866, under the leadership of Dr. Rob Morris; the second from 1866 to 1876, under the leadership of Robert Macoy of New York; and the third from 1876, when the General Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, was established, to the present time. The origin of the Order of the Eastern Star, like Masonry, is shrouded in mystery. Many researchers believe it had origins in France as early as 1703. The origin of the Eastern Star as an organization with degrees in initiatory form may be credited to the leadership of Dr. Rob Morris. Never quite satisfied that full participation in Masonry should be confined to men, Dr. Morris felt that it should be for the whole family. However, according to Masonic laws women are not eligible for Masonic degrees. Knowing he could not change this, Morris sought another method whereby women could share fully in the Masonic experience. In 1850, while confined to his home after an accident, Dr. Morris developed the Eastern Star Degrees in their present initiatory form. The Grand Chapter of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island was established in 1947.