Office (215) 324-1319
Fax (215) 324-4163
October 24, 2007
To the Present and Past Grand Chapter Officers, Worthy Matrons, Worthy Patrons, Associate Matrons, Associate Patrons, Officers and Members of Subordinate Chapters of Deborah Grand Chapter, Order of Eastern Star, Prince Hall Affiliation, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
Greetings:
Be it known that copies of this Directive No. 2 will be provided to the following:
All Elected Grand Chapter Officers, Past Grand Worthy Matrons, Past Grand Worthy Patrons, Grand Chairpersons, District Deputy Grand Matrons, District Lecturers, Worthy Matrons, Chapter Secretaries, CC of FC, and to all members of Deborah Grand Chapter via Deborah Grand Chapter’s Web page. A copy will also be provided to the Most Worshipful Grand Master, The Honorable Samuel King.
This Directive is to be read in its entirety in each Chapter.
New Members Directive No. 2
Open Door Policy
Deborah Grand Chapter is implementing a plan to facilitate the investigation, initiation and orientation of new members. Details of these plans will be presented to the membership at Town Hall meetings planned for the East, Central and West. The date, time, and location of the Town Hall meetings are as follows:
| Central Area – Districts 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 |
||
| November 4, 2007 |
2:00 p.m. |
213 |
| Western Area – Districts 7 and 8 |
||
| November 18, 2007* |
2:00 p.m. |
|
| Eastern Area – Districts 1 and 2 |
||
| December 2, 1007 |
2:00 p.m. |
|
*The Town Hall Meeting will be held in lieu
of 7th O.E.S. District Meeting and
All members are invited and encouraged to attend the Town Hall meeting planned for your respective area. It is mandatory that all District Deputy Grand Matrons, District Lecturers, Worthy Matrons, Worthy Patrons, Associate Matrons and Associate Patrons attend their respective Town Hall Meeting. The meetings are designed to give everyone the opportunity to understand first-hand the processes to be followed during the Open Enrollment, plans to initiate and orientate new members, ask questions, and give us your feedback on the Open Door Policy and the plans to implement.
We have received a number of inquiries from members asking when they can begin soliciting potential members under the Open Door Policy. Effective immediately, members are permitted to solicit applications for membership under the Open Door Policy. Chapters are also permitted to process petitions for membership to enable candidates to be initiated at the Mass Initiation planned for January 2008.
As was communicated in Directive No. 1, it is our intent to recruit only women of good mental and moral character, who believe in a Supreme Being, who are willing to make a personal choice to join the Order of Eastern Star, and who will be an asset to the organization. Our goal during this open door period is to strengthen our fraternal family for future endeavors.
Processing Petitions for Membership
Under the Open Door Policy, petitions for membership must be signed by two Chapter members. The petition accompanied by the appropriate joining fee must be read and received into open Chapter during its stated meeting.
The Worthy Matron turns the petition, along with the recently developed Petitioner Checklist, over to the Chairperson of the Investigating Committee. Chairperson contacts the petitioner and schedules a date and time to conduct the investigation. Investigations are to take place at the home of the petitioner. Chairperson notifies the committee members of the date, time, and place of the investigation. The Investigating Committee meets with the petitioner, covers all questions on the petition and reviews with the petitioner all information on the checklist. The petitioner will sign the checklist and return to the Chairperson at the conclusion of the investigation. Following the investigation, the committee will meet and prepare a recommendation to present to the chapter at its next meeting. Every chapter is required to ballot on every female petitioner.
The petitioner is notified in writing by the Chapter Secretary whether she has been accepted as a candidate for membership into the Order. If accepted, she is to be notified of the date, time, and place of her initiation. She is also to be informed of the appropriate attire. If she is not accepted as a candidate for membership she is to be notified and a check refunding the petitioner’s initiation fee is to be included with the letter.
All candidates for membership whether through the Open Door Policy or through affiliation will be initiated at the planned Mass Initiations. Regional Mass Initiations will be held during the following months:
January 2008
March 2008
May 2008
The final initiation under the Open Door Policy is planned to be held at the 2008 Seminar in September 2008. Dates, times, and locations and other details related to the Mass Initiations will be announced to the members at the Town Hall meeting.
This Directive is to be disseminated by the Worthy Matrons and Chapter Secretaries to their respective Chapter officers and members immediately.
Thank you for your support and cooperation. Please direct all inquiries regarding this Directive to the office of the Grand Worthy Matron and Grand Worthy Patron.
Fraternally,
Charlene H. Duff, No. 36 James Q. Gray, No. 3
Grand Worthy Matron Grand Worthy Patron
F. A. T. A. L.
Fairness and Truth are Lasting
R. E. S. P. E. C. T.