March is a special month for two of our Masonic youth orders. In the worldwide movement of DeMolay, March is DeMolay Month. This is not an officially recognized happening by local or national governments. You will not hear it mentioned on the radio or on the evening news. But it is a time of the year that is very important to DeMolays around the world. DeMolay Month is the time of year when every chapter and their members are keenly focused on two objectives- participation in activities that involve and/or serve the local community and the exemplification or practice of their vows as DeMolays. A common approach to fully participating in DeMolay month is holding an event or in some other way, exemplifying the seven cardinal virtues of the order- Filial Love (Love of Parents), Reverence for Sacred Things (respect for your faith as well as the faith of others), Courtesy, Comradeship, Fidelity, Cleanness and Patriotism. In both jurisdictions of California DeMolay, the second precept, Reverence for Sacred Things, is regularly celebrated through a jurisdiction-wide devotional service and event. The members will attend this event en mass, to satisfy and participate in this component of the month’s celebrations. For the other six virtues, chapters, leagues and/or divisions (read as “Districts) may execute their own activities or plans to represent each of the remaining virtues. In some cases, the members can also choose a personal form of acknowledgement for a particular virtue. DeMolay Week is the week which includes March 18th, which is the date DeMolay was founded, in 1919. During DeMolay Week, chapters put forth an even more focused effort and very often the majority of DeMolay Month events are scheduled during DeMolay Week. As DeMolay is a brotherhood like Freemasonry, chapters will often schedule a brotherhood event around this date in particular, to celebrate the Comradeship of the order. In the past, this has included a jurisdiction wide excursion to a local amusement park but can also be something more local to the chapter like a chapter trip to the movies or a barbecue. Through participation in community service projects, other components of this celebration can be exemplified. They may volunteer to clean up a local veterans’ cemetery or put on a free dinner for their parents where the parents are the guests and the boys cook for and serve them. They may volunteer to do maintenance work around the home of an elderly neighbor or hold a fundraising event and donate the proceeds to their favorite local charity. All in the name of DeMolay and their commitment to what it stands for. The young men of DeMolay look forward to this annual celebration and acknowledgement of their association with this fine organization and as Masons, we should do everything we can to support these young men in their efforts and recognize the good they and the Order of DeMolay are doing for our community and the young men who live here. Job’s Daughters also has a reason to celebrate in the month of March. March 9th is the annual celebration of the birth of Ethel T. Wead Mick or “Mother Mick”, the founder of Job’s Daughters International. At the bethel meeting closest to this date, bethels around the globe are asked to make a special announcement and take a moment to formally recognize this annual occurrence. This can take many forms and might be formal or somewhat informal, as the bethel prefers. For example, as Mother Mick was a poet, the girls might write poems about Job’s Daughters or their experiences in it. Some of Mother Mick’s poetry may even be read aloud during the meeting. During the course of business, a donation in her name may be authorized by the bethel daughters. The bethel can throw a birthday party, honoring their founder and express their thanks for Job’s Daughters and what it has done for them. There are also several ceremonies written to celebrate the founder and her dedication to young women around the world. Regardless of the form, the heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for Job’s Daughters and especially its founder is well-represented in the execution of this annual event.