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| DR189 visiting Sister Riley |
Dorothy Riley’s 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;
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1996 Tennessee |
1999 New York |
2002 Alabama |
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1997 New Jersey |
2000 California |
2003 New Jersey |
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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 |
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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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