International Free & Accepted Modern Masons Inc., and Order of the Eastern Star.

Queen of the South

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DR189 visiting Sister Riley

Dorothy Rileys Story

THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH DEPARTMENT

“The Queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them: for she came from the utmost part of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here”…. Luke 11:31

The QUEEN OF THE SOUTH is a complimentary segment of the Order of the Eastern Star degree. The Queen of the South degree is designed to compliment the members who have previously received the five degrees of the Order of the Eastern Star, by giving them an intimate bond and a token of recognition whereby they may know Masons and be known to them.

Daughter Dorothy Riley complimented the Order of the Eastern Star as International’s Associate to Daughter Pernella Tubbs for many years. During the year 1967, Illustrious Dr. William V. Banks, 33 ˚ founder and Supreme President (deceased) separated the degrees and appointed Daughter Dorothy Riley to establish a Queen of the South Department.

Princess Dorothy Riley traveled from state to state appointing and electing Grand Queen Bathsheba’s and in 1972 the Supreme Queen of the South Department was chartered and the work began by-laws, rituals, guidelines, executive boards and committees were enacted.

Princess Riley needed time to promote plans and programs to the membership. She was allotted 6:00 am sessions at the Supreme Convention for this purpose. Some members complained~~~”too early”, but they kept coming, and come they did! This department grew, grew and flourished. Presently we have Palaces in twenty-eight states, governed by six National Districts.

From the early bird two-hour session Monday-Friday at the Supreme Convention, the request for a National Convention for the Queen of the South Department was granted by our Supreme President, Illustrious Dr. George Mathews, 33 ˚.
History making began January 5, 1995 at the Castlegate Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia and continued as follows;

1996 Tennessee

1999 New York

2002 Alabama

1997 New Jersey

2000 California

2003 New Jersey

1998 Illinois

2001 Florida

2004 New York (returned to Supreme)

Well over ten national conventions later, some members were still complaining: “to close to the holidays, weather to inclement to travel, hard to get flights/etc.,” but, we keep on going, going, gone! We are now back with the Supreme Convention on Thursday. We thank God for the faithful; however, if each of us will be the wind beneath the Queen of the South Department’s wings we all can soar to higher plains.

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QOS Palace 2015-2016

Sheba was known to be beautiful (despite her ankle and leg), intelligent, understanding, resourceful, and adventurous. A gracious queen, she had a melodious voice and was an eloquent speaker. Excelling in public relations and international diplomacy, she was a also competent ruler. The historian Josephus said of her, "she was inquisitive into philosophy and on that and on other accounts also was to be admired."(6)

Power and riches could not satisfy Sheba's soul, for she possessed an ardent hunger for truth and wisdom. Before her visit to Solomon, she says to her people:

"I desire wisdom and my heart seeketh to find understanding. I am smitten with the love of wisdom.... for wisdom is far better than treasure of gold and silver... It is sweeter than honey, and it maketh one to rejoice more than wine, and it illumineth more than the sun.... It is a source of joy for the heart, and a bright and shining light for the eyes, and a giver of speed to the feet, and a shield for the breast, and a helmet for the head... It makes the ears to hear and hearts to understand."

"...And as for a kingdom, it cannot stand without wisdom, and riches cannot be preserved without wisdom.... He who heapeth up gold and silver doeth so to no profit without wisdom, but he who heapeth up wisdom - no man can filch it from his heart... I will follow the footprints of wisdom and she shall protect me forever. I will seek asylum with her, and she shall be unto me power and strength."

"Let us seek her, and we shall find her; let us love her, and she will not withdraw herself from us, let us pursue her, and we shall overtake her; let us ask, and we shall receive; and let us turn our hearts to her so that we may never forget her."(7)

Excerpt from http://www.windweaver.com/sheba/Sheba2.htm 

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 Princess Delores Honor, Queen Bathsheba of
DR #189 Palace
Ameer King,Solomon of JOD
 

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