DeMolay is an international organization dedicated to preparing young men to lead successful, happy, and productive lives. Basing its approach on timeless principles and practical, hands-on experience, DeMolay opens doors for young men aged 12 to 21 by developing the civic awareness, personal responsibility and leadership skills so vitally needed in society today.
DeMolay combines this serious mission with a fun approach that builds important bonds of friendship among members in more than 1,000 chapters worldwide. DeMolay alumni include Walt Disney, John Wayne, Walter Cronkite, football Hall-of-Famer Fran Tarkenton, legendary Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne, news anchor David Goodnow and many others. Each has spoken eloquently of the life-changing benefit gained from their involvement in DeMolay.
The Philippine DeMolay Youth Center
The Philippine DeMolay Youth Center shall serve as the central agency of records and the main operations hub of the Supreme Council, Order of DeMolay.
The First DeMolay – Louis Gordon Lower
Louis Gordon Lower was born February 2, 1902. At the age of seventeen, Lower was first introduced to Frank S. Land. At that time, Louis was merely looking for a job to help out with family finances, but his demeanor piqued Land’s interest. Land soon suggested that Lower could help him organize a young men’s club—an organization to encourage and give direction to young men like Louis Lower.
Our Founder – Frank Sherman Land
The main event that lead to the founding of the DeMolay movement was World War I. This was a time when the nation was caught up with a passion and desire to bring democracy to the world. When the United States joined in the fight against German power, every resource of men and materials was poured into the war effort. America suffered not only the loss of its men who had fallen in battle, but on the homefront as well.
Our Namesake – Jacques DeMolay
The namesake of the Order of DeMolay was born in Vitrey, Department of Haute Saone, France in the year 1244. At the age of 21, DeMolay joined the Order of Knights Templar. The Knights Templar was an organization sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church in 1128 to guard the road between Jerusalem and Acre, an important port city on the Mediterranean Sea. The Order of Knights Templar participated in the Crusades and earned a name for valor and heroism.
History of the Organization
It has been said that a day can be changed or a great moment launched by a single phone call. Such a call came in January of 1919. As Frank answered the telephone he recognized the voice of Sam Freet, newly installed Senior Warden of Ivanhoe Lodge. “Frank, I have a favor to ask. One of our members, Elmer E. Lower, who had been initiated as a Fellow Craft, died a year ago.
