Lakewood Masonic Temple at Detroit and Andrews Avenues- The home of Lakewood DeMolay Photo by Gary Rice

About seven hundred years ago, in the Middle Ages, there was once a powerful group called the Knights Templar. That organization was responsible to no one except the Pope. The Templars, in a great many ways, were very much a law unto themselves. At the same time, they were an order of warriors, and an order of religious men bound by a solemn rule--and to the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Formed around 1119, they were reportedly founded to protect pilgrims on the way to the Holy Land. They were supported by St. Bernard of Clairvaux and were recognized by the Papacy around 1129, to whom they owed their allegiance. They soon expanded and started a vast operation of banking and interchange with traders and nobility in virtually every land.

On the morning of Friday, October 13, 1307, the Templars in France were arrested by agents of the French Crown and were thrown into dungeons. (This seems to be where the bad luck tradition of Friday the 13th started!) They were tortured in a variety of ways, and numerous confessions were produced for a number of accusations made against the Order.

On March 18th, 1314, in Paris, their former Grand Master Jacques DeMolay was brought from prison to publicly confess guilt for these "crimes" of the Order. Instead, DeMolay pronounced the Order blameless. He was then burned to death by French officials on a slow charcoal fire on an island in the Seine River, along with a fellow Templar knight. The Pope officially dissolved the Knights Templar, reportedly without a determination as to the Order's collective guilt or innocence regarding any charges made against it.

Since that time, legends of Templar knowledge and treasures have been the subject of books, television shows, and movies. In the present day, in this country, there is a fraternal Masonic Order of Knights Templar; a local group of which regularly meets at our Lakewood Masonic Temple. These present-day Templars have not been able to establish a lineage going back to the original group, although some speculators have hinted at possible historical connections.

Ever since their dissolution, the original Templars have either been remembered as faithful tragic heroes or men of questionable activities, depending on which historian or author was doing the writing. There seems to exist a general feeling these days that those first Templars were indeed set up for failure, and that while they might not have always been a perfect group, they nonetheless were men of faith and honor.

DeMolay is an international young men's fraternal organization dedicated to the memory of Jacques DeMolay and his loyalty to his Templar brothers. The Order of DeMolay is centered around virtues akin to traditional knighthood. Young men petition a chapter of DeMolay for membership and, when approved, experience solemn ceremonies in their admission to the Order. Prospective members must believe in the existence of a supreme being, but need not be of a particular religious faith.

Founded in Kansas City in 1919 by "Dad" Frank Land, the Order of DeMolay was concerned with developing good citizenship, leadership, family and personal responsibility, a sense of brotherhood among its members, and a responsibility to the greater world beyond. Adult leadership is provided by volunteers serving as "Dads" and "Moms." The tradition of calling the male adult leaders "Dads" seems to have come in the aftermath of World War One, when a number of young men were left without fathers. In addition to inculcating respect for timeless values, DeMolays learn about public speaking and memorization skills as they participate in community, social, fund raising, and service projects while having fun in the process.

Famous DeMolays have included actors John Wayne and Buddy Ebsen, writer John Steinbeck, announcer Paul Harvey, astronaut Frank Borman, cartoon voice specialist Mel Blanc, folksinger Burl Ives, and America's master of children's entertainment, Walt Disney.

Lakewood Chapter of DeMolay meets at the Lakewood Masonic Temple (15300 Detroit Ave.) twice monthly. Young men have been a part of Lakewood DeMolay since 1926. Membership ages for active DeMolays range from 12-21. In addition to their twice-monthly regular meetings, they pursue a variety of interesting activities, ranging from basketball to bowling and dances.

Lakewood's DeMolay group has provided many opportunities for our young men to excel and achieve as an enduring part of the pulse of this city. For more information regarding Lakewood DeMolay, please contact Mr. James Pace at jpace@goimagepro.com, or at 1-216-269-2127.