Jacob Bean, 2004 Grand Prize Winner, 10th Grade and Below Category, Scottish Rite Paul R. Kach, 33°, DeMolay Americanism Essay Competition

The seven basic principles of DeMolay are filial love, reverence for sacred things, courtesy, comradeship, fidelity, cleanliness, and patriotism. These are virtues that each of us as a DeMolay has pledged to incorporate into our lives. I have been able not only to succeed as a DeMolay but also as a young citizen of my nation by striving to live by these ideals.
Filial love, the bond between parents and their children, is ranked first since this virtue has taught millions of DeMolays to strive to repay the care, so often under appreciated, our parents give to us.
DeMolay’s second principle, reverence for sacred things, teaches every member to honor his promises and to respect the religious beliefs of others, while keeping his own.
Society today often lacks common courtesy, DeMolay’s third principle. A courteous person is admired, serves as an example for others, and elicits respect from adults and peers. This allows more opportunities since courteous persons gain the attention of others.
The fourth principle, comradeship, is central to DeMolay. Jacques DeMolay and his companions held true to each other until death, and each of us should never forget this great example of true comradeship. Our common goals, pledges, and vows bond all DeMolays into a fellowship that cannot be broken.
Fidelity is the essence of every DeMolay’s promise to remain loyal to every other DeMolay. Many of us will never be confronted with a situation such as Jacques DeMolay faced, yet each of us should be ready to take the necessary measures to live up to the vows we take as DeMolays.
The sixth principle of DeMolay is cleanliness, not the bodily cleanliness that we all practice, but cleanliness in every thought, word, and deed. This principle encourages us to maintain a civil tongue and polite manner while avoiding vulgarity and hurtful pranks.
Patriotism, the final principle of the Order of DeMolay, hits close to home with the horrible national tragedy of 9/11 which awoke a new sense of nationhood. Many died on that fateful day, and many more are facing danger today as they continue to make sacrifices for their country. Their examples inspire patriotism in the hearts and minds of every young man in DeMolay.
In the end, these seven DeMolay principles are not measured in an essay or even a book but in the way they change the lives of young men who have had the privilege of being members of our Order. As a DeMolay, I pledge to value and live up to these principles to the best of my abilities with the help of God, my family, and the brotherhood of DeMolay.
Jacob Bean, as both Master Councilor of Bonneville Chapter, Idaho Falls, and as a state officer in Idaho, has earned his Representative DeMolay and PMC-MSA as well as top state awards for ritual. His essay “My Pledge to America” was the VFW state winner, and his design team won a Mars Rover competition sponsored by NASA. A member of the National Jr. Honor Society who is active in basketball, lacrosse, and trap shooting, he is now a student at the prestigious Phillips Academy Andover, Massachusetts. Contact: 214 Martinsburg Lane, Idaho Falls, ID 83404

Note: The 2004 DeMolay Grand Prize essays published here are edited for length and Journal presentation. The 2004 North American Scottish Rite Paul R. Kach, 33°, DeMolay Americanism Essay Competition is divided into eight regional competitions at two grade levels: 10th grade and below and 11th grade and above. Regional winners receive $300 each; grand prize winners receive an additional $1,200. See listing of all 2004 winners on the facing page. Contact your local DeMolay “Dad” or Chapter Officer for more information about this program and how to enter next year’s contest.

Alex Aanderud, 2004 Grand Prize Winner, 11th Grade and Above Category, Scottish Rite Paul R. Kach, 33°, DeMolay Americanism Essay Competition

V irtue illuminates our world and inspires us to strive for the best things in life. Ill. Dad Frank Sherman Land, 33°, Grand Cross, established DeMolay’s seven basic virtues: filial love, reverence for sacred things, courtesy, comradeship, fidelity, cleanness, and patriotism. These virtues were apparent not only in his life but also in the lives he touched and still touches today through DeMolay.
In 1919, the First World War had ended. Jobs once necessary for the defense industry disappeared, and unemployment soared. In the need to find whatever jobs they could, some fathers were drawn away from their homes. Others never returned from the war. Fatherless and adrift, many young men sought what DeMolay offers—a well-balanced life based on family, faith, and friends.
While DeMolay’s seven principles are still influential, their importance can be lost without a true understanding of what they meant then and still mean today. Their influences on our lives are countless, immeasurable, and extend well beyond the DeMolay Chapter Room.
Filial love is the tear of pride in a mother’s eye and the firm pat by a father on his son’s back, helping him through both triumphs and failures.
Reverence for sacred things is more than just a belief in a Supreme Being; it is a feeling of pride in one’s own faith and a respect for the faith of others.
Courtesy is being kind and polite in all we do. It teaches us that everyone, from our closest friends and family to the strangers we meet each day, deserves our respect and consideration.
Comradeship is to be valued as a friend, trusted as a Brother, and looked up to as a leader. This vow, is more than a simple tie. It is a bond that lasts a lifetime.
Fidelity is a lifestyle, a choice to be true and honest. Our Order is named after a man who exemplified this virtue to its fullest, and we could hold no higher honor than to be compared to the ideals of our hero, Jacques DeMolay.
Cleanness is not just a physical state. In DeMolay we translate cleanness into all parts of our lives—the words we speak, the thoughts that cross our minds, the deeds we perform, and the goals we seek.
Patriotism is devotion to our country’s ideals, especially liberty and justice.
DeMolay’s seven virtues—each a candle guiding us through the darkness—have shaped countless lives and created many of America’s leaders. As the young men of America, the best way we can spread the teachings we have learned through DeMolay is to translate them into our daily lives and everything we do. Quite simply, we must be the change we want to see in the world.
Alex Aanderud joined Eugene Chapter, Eugene, Oregon, at the age of 13 and served as Master Councilor four terms. He earned the prestigious Past Master Councilor-Meritorious Service Award and is a three-time Blue Honor Key recipient, having signed more than 30 DeMolay petitions. Alex was elected as Oregon’s State Master Councilor in April 2004, and in June he received his EA Degree in Eugene Lodge #11. A graduate of Sheldon High School in Eugene, he continues his studies in math and computer sciences at the University of Oregon. Contact: 1464 Happy Lane, Eugene, OR 97401

2004 Regional Prize Winners are listed here by Region number, name, city of DeMolay Chapter, and in order of 10th grade and below first and 11th grade and above second in each Region: #1, Brendan Chase, Fredericton, NB, Canada; Reid Allen, Riverview, NB, Canada; #2, Wes Munns, Woodbury, NJ; Justin C. Dunmire, Scranton, PA; #3 Austin W. Whitaker, Murfreesboro, TN; Thomas Cook, Birmingham, AL; #4, Erick M. Feldpausch, Louisville, KY; Daniel Myers, Howell, MI; #5, Ben Krall, Minneapolis, MN; Russell Coley, Brookfield, WI; #6, Mike Almond, Kirkwood, MO; James Glasgow, Kirkwood, MO; #7, William Coberly, Broomfield, CO; Scott C. Cook, Laramie, WY; #8, Jacob Bean, Idaho Falls, ID; Alex Aanderud, Eugene, OR.