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A Primer on the Tall Cedars of Lebanon
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Massasoit Forest #91 is the local chapter of the fraternal organization known as Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America. Our purpose is to be the premiere fraternal organization in Massachusetts and Rhode Island by offering events and activities which provide fun, frolic, and fellowship for our members, their significant others, and their families.
Who are the Tall Cedars of Lebanon?
The Tall Cedars of Lebanon is an appendant Masonic order, and they are said to be one the best kept secrets of Masonry. Like all Masonic affiliated organizations, you must be a Master Mason in good standing before you can embark on your journey towards fun, frolic, and fellowship. Becoming a Tall Cedar means having a variety of fun and fulfilling experiences for you and your family through the various social events, outings, and experiences which only being a Tall Cedar can provide.
Tall Cedars are often recognized by their colorful pyramid shaped hats which contain several large cedar trees, which is the logo of the order. The symbolism that Tall Cedars use, originates from the Biblical legend of the building of the first temple King of Solomon in Jerusalem, wherein it was said that the finest and strongest trees of Mount Lebanon were chopped down and taken from to the ocean where they were fashioned into rafts and floated down the Joppa River to Jerusalem to be used in building of the temple.
What do Tall Cedars do?
The motto and philosophy of being a Tall Cedar is “Fun, Frolic, & Fellowship for a purpose,” which shows that they are quite unlike any other part of Masonry, perhaps because they contain the best characteristics of other Masonic bodies; the charitable aspects of the Shrine, the whimsicalness of Grotto, the fellowship and camaraderie of blue lodge, a dramatic initiation ceremony which resembles a Scottish Rite Degree, and most importantly, a place where Masons can gather in fun and fellowship all blended into one fantastic organization. Tall Cedars love to have fun together and incorporate their families into their events because they believe in caring for each other, and their families, and incorporating them in the activities and outings they plan.
How Do Tall Cedars Help Others?
The Masonic tenets of brotherly love, charity, relief, and philanthropy are in the heart of every Tall Cedar and Cedarette, as demonstrated by the wearing of the pink rose, (which many Forests sell to raise money for MDA) and serves as a constant reminder to all Cedars and Cedarettes, that in addition to all of the colorful fun and pageantry, Tall Cedars also has a very serious side, which is to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association in their quest for a cure for musculoskeletal diseases. The Tall Cedars of Lebanon support the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and they have made countless appearances on the MDA Labor Day Telethon (which they helped to start), and to date, the Tall Cedars have (collectively) donated over $19,000,000 towards their mission. On the local level, Massasoit Forest in addition to supporting MDA also conducts and participates in a number of community service projects benefitting the Greater Attleboro community throughout the year.
What is the History of Tall Cedars?
The Tall Cedars origins date back to 1843, when a group of Masons developed a fun and playful ceremony known as “The Ancient and Honorable Rite of Humility” which was based in frivolity and fellowship, and was meant to be lighthearted in purpose, standing in contrast from the more serious and solemn Masonic “Blue Lodge“ degrees which emphasizes upon new initiates the virtues of a Mason.
The purpose of this ceremony was to impress upon members that they should regularly engage in fun and frolic in addition to their devotions to their labors, families, and vocations; and most importantly that whatever rank, title, or acknowledgement they achieve, that they should maintain humility in their hearts and minds. Today, a modified form of this degree is presented as the 2nd degree in Tall Cedars and is known as the Sidonian Degree. The Tall Cedars of Lebanon have approximately 15,000 members in 102 Forests across North America.
When do the Tall Cedars Meet & How do I Become a Tall Cedar?
Massasoit Forest meetings are for members and invited guests only at the Masonic Temple in Downtown Attleboro and occur on the on the first Thursday of the month except July and August. To join the Tall Cedars, you must first become a Master Mason, and we are happy to help you find one, once you are a Mason and you are interested in finding out more, please visit http://www.massasoit91.com or email their secretary (massasoit91@gmail.com) to attend an upcoming Tall Cedars meeting or event as a guest to meet our members and complete an application.