"To become big, we must be big" -- Dad Frank S. Land
In commemoration of Frank S. Land Day, I would like to focus on this important quote of Dad Land. As a brief background, this important piece of advice from Dad Land came on the heels of a meeting conducted in Mother Chapter several months after the Order was founded in 1919 when membership began to grow from the initial nine boys to thirty one. Membership continued to grow and the boys feared that they were growing into "too large a Club", thus someone proposed that membership should be limited to only seventy five (75). During the official meeting, the motion was quickly received, moved, seconded, and adopted. It was only then that Dad Land stood up to speak and admonished the boys that they were being selfish and that if DeMolay was good for one boy, it must be good for all the eligible boys. It was then that he reminded all that "to become big, they must be big." The motion was automatically rescinded and DeMolay was permitted to grow and develop. Today, a century hence, the Order of DeMolay is present in at least 25 countries and territories worldwide, and counting.
Based on the current membership statistics from DeMolay International, there are (as of today) currently 15,362 active members in 552 active chapters under the jurisdiction of DeMolay International. This does not count the members and chapters in the four other independent jurisdictions of DeMolay: Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the Philippines. However, also based on the statistics coming from DeMolay International, there are also a total of 138 chapters that are recently inactive and a whopping 4,003 chapters who have forfeited their charters due to loss of membership! Yes, you saw that right: four thousand and three lost chapters! Furthermore, for 2019, there is an estimated negative growth due to the new members coming in are fewer than those that the Order will lose due to reaching the age of majority. A net loss in membership growth, at our centennial year at that!
This brings me now to briefly discuss the duty of every member of the Order. We are taught that our first duty is to get involved; to jump in with both feet and to share the DeMolay experience with other deserving young men. The importance of recruitment cannot be ignored since the Order of DeMolay's active membership is limited to young men who fall within the age range of 12-21 years old. Thus, we must keep recruiting new members to replace those who move on and who have exchanged the crown of youth with the crown of manhood. That is why it has always been a goal that every DeMolay should recruit at least two new members - one for replacement, and one for growth - within the first year of your membership. (emphasis mine)
We must not rest on our laurels but continue to heed Dad Land's important words: to introduce DeMolay to other worthy boys, and continue to become big. Despite all the challenges we currently face with our society, the Order will continue to thrive as long as we believe that we have something worthwhile to contribute to today's young men. And believe me, we do. Let us not only be proud to be members of this wonderful Order but we should strive to pass membership to our friends. Let’s go out and continue to recruit worthy young men!
I end this short essay paraphrasing the wise words from the Ceremony of Light: that each of us as a DeMolay, holds within our hearts a flame, a beacon to guide us through the darkness. We should not only make this light shine upon another, but we must endeavor to reach into the innermost depths of his soul and set his flame afire, for therein lies the purpose of the Order of DeMolay. and therein lies our purpose for living.
Best fraternal regards, "Dad" Ricarte Abejuela III
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