Job's Daughters International is a Masonic sponsored youth organization for girls aged 10 to 20. The organization is commonly referred to as simply Job's Daughters, and sometimes abbreviated as JDI (or IOJD, referring to its longtime former name). Job's Daughters focuses on the Holy Bible but celebrates and welcomes many religions and cultures.
The individual chapter is called a Bethel, and each is numbered sequentially, according to when they were instituted in their jurisdiction. They usually meet at a Masonic Lodge building and when they are in session they refer to the meeting place as the Bethel room.
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History
The organization was founded as The Order of Job's Daughters by Ethel T. Wead Mick in Omaha, Nebraska, on October 20, 1920.[1] [2] The original age for membership was 13-20,[1] but has been changed several times over the years, most recently to age 10 in 2004. The purpose of the organization is to band together young girls who are related to a Master Mason, and strives to build character through moral and spiritual development. Goals include a greater reverence for God and the Holy Scriptures, as stated in the Job's Daughters Constitution, loyalty to one's country and that country's flag; and respect for parents, guardians, and elders. Job's Daughters is not a religion itself, and its members are not required to practice a particular religion. Members are required, however, to believe in a supreme being.
Mother Mick was fond of the Book of Job, and took the name of the organization as a reference to the three daughters of Job.[3] The Book of Job, 42nd chapter, 15th verse says, "In all the land were no women found so fair as the Daughters of Job, and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren". She founded the Order with the assistance of her husband, Dr. William H. Mick, and several Freemasons and members of Eastern Star of Nebraska.[4] She dedicated the organization to the memory of her mother, Elizabeth D. Wead.
In 1931 the name was changed to the International Order of Job's Daughters after a Bethel was instituted in Vancouver, British Columbia.[5]
Overview
The presiding officer of the Bethel is the Honored Queen, elected by the members of her Bethel. This position is roughly analogous to Worshipful Master in a Masonic Lodge, and to the President of an association of any kind. The Honored Queen is assisted in her duties by a Senior Princess and a Junior Princess. The Senior Princess is usually considered to be next in line as Honored Queen. Girls who finish a term as Honored Queen use the title Past Honored Queen (abbreviated PHQ) designation within Job's Daughters, they usually get a pin to prove it at the end. The elected officers are referred to as the "line officers", or in some Bethels the "Elect Five" or "Top Five", of the Bethel, meaning that in general, a Daughter is elected sequentially from the lowest position (Marshal) to the highest position (Honored Queen). These officers sit on opposite ends of the Bethel room. The Queen and Princesses at one end and the Guide and Marshal at the other, with the altar in the middle. In a semicircle like figure around the altar would be the five messengers, chaplain and treasurer. Each station with their own duty.
Stations (Officers) of the Bethel
Elected:
- Honored Queen
- Senior Princess
- Junior Princess
- Guide
- Marshal
Appointed:
- Senior Custodian
- Junior Custodian
- Recorder
- Librarian
- Chaplain
- Treasurer
- First Messenger
- Second Messenger
- Third Messenger
- Fourth Messenger
- Fifth Messenger
- Inner Guard
- Outer Guard
- Musician
- Bethel Choir
Bethel Guardian Council
- Bethel Guardian
- Associate Bethel Guardian
- Guardian Secretary
- Guardian Treasurer
- Guardian Director of Epochs
- Director of Music
- Director of Promotion
- Promoter of Sociability
- Director of Epochs
- Director of Hospitality
- Promoter of Good Will
- Promoter of Production
- Promoter of Fraternal Relations
- Custodian of Paraphernalia
Other details
- A Grand Bethel Honored Queen or Jurisdictional Bethel Honored Queen is the head of the Grand or Jurisdictional Bethel for each jurisdiction. To serve as either Grand Bethel Honored Queen or Jurisdictional Bethel Honored Queen, a girl must be a Past Honored Queen, or in some jurisdictions, a PHQ or a Majority Member. A Grand Bethel is unique in each jurisdiction, so rules may vary vastly. The Supreme Bethel Honored Queen is the head of the Supreme Bethel, which is at the international level of the organization. To be selected as Supreme Bethel Honored Queen, a girl must be a Past Honored Queen of a Bethel and at least 16 years of age.
- A Jurisdictional Miss Job's Daughter serves as the head and voice of the youth organization on the Grand or Jurisdictional level. She speaks on behalf of Job's Daughters to other Masonic Bodies to promote the organization. The selection of the Jurisdictional Miss Job's Daughter is by a Pageant held once a year that has competitions for ritual, interviews by a panel of judges, and a written test. The International Miss Job's Daughter serves on the international level and travels all over the world to speak on behalf of the organization. To be selected as International Miss Job's Daughter, a girl must be at least 16 years of age and compete at a pageant held during the Supreme Session. She is only eligible to compete once.
- The Bethel Guardian and Council is the group of adults that helps advise and supervise the girls of the Bethel.[1] It is led by the Bethel Guardian, an adult female with a proper Masonic relationship, and the Associate Bethel Guardian, a Mason. They are joined by other adults filling the offices of Guardian Secretary, Guardian Treasurer, and either Guardian Director of Epochs or Guardian Director of Music. At the jurisdictional level a group of adults called the Grand Guardian Council or Jurisdictional Guardian Council oversees all of the Bethels in their state.
- Members who reach the age of 20 or marry while members in good standing become Majority Members. Majority Members may still be active in the organization but are no longer allowed to hold an office or vote on business matters in the Bethel. Some jurisdictions allow Majority Members up to age 25 to hold an office in the Grand Bethel or Jurisdictional Bethel, which is composed of members from all over the jurisdiction. Young women who wish to remain active in Masonic activities may join Order of the Eastern Star or Order of the Amaranth upon reaching the age of 18.
- The "Job's Daughter to Bee" or "JD2B" program gives Bethels a way to involve eight- and nine-year-old girls in the Bethels' public and social activities before the girls become full members at 10.
- Current and former members of Job's Daughters sometimes refer to each other as "Jobies," and it is not uncommon to see communications between two members of the organization closed with the statement "Jobie Love" in place of a statement as "Sincerely."
- Today, Bethels and Grand Bethels are active in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Philippines and the United States. Within the United States, there are currently Bethels in 31 states.[6] Most states and provinces have a Grand Guardian Council but a few are under the direct supervision of the Supreme Guardian Council.
References
- ^ a b c "Youth Order Trains Girls". Los Angeles Times. April 24, 1938.
- ^ S. Brent Morris (2006). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry. Alpha Books. p. 146. ISBN 9781592574902. http://books.google.com/books?id=Jt5xHnMUCtcC.
- ^ Alvin J. Schmidt; Nicholas Babchuk (1980). Fraternal organizations. Greenwood Press. p. 170. ISBN 9780313214363.
- ^ Mark A. Tabbert (2005). American Freemasons: Three Centuries of Building Communities. National Heritage Museum. p. 186. ISBN 9780814782927. http://books.google.com/books?id=NNO3AAAAIAAJ.
- ^ "Tour the Mick Memorial Room". Papillion, Nebraska: International Center for Job's Daughters. http://www.jdicenter.org/jdicurator/mickmemtour.html. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ "United States Bethel Locator". Job's Daughters International. http://iojd.org/Bethels/USA/index.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
External links
- Job's Daughters International Home Page
- The HIKE Fund Hearing Impaired Kids Endowment, created and supported by Job's Daughters
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