Job's Daughters International is a Masonic-sponsored youth organization for girls and young women aged 10 to 20. The organization is commonly referred to as simply Job's Daughters, and sometimes abbreviated as JDI (or IOJD, referring to its longtime former name). Job's Daughters welcomes many religions and cultures.

The individual chapter is called Bethel, and each is numbered sequentially, according to when they were instituted in their jurisdiction. They usually meet at a Masonic Lodge

Masonic Lodge

This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...

 building and when they are in session they refer to the meeting place as the Bethel room.

History

The organization was founded as The Order of Job's Daughters by Ethel T. Wead Mick

Ethel T. Wead Mick

Ethel Theresa Wead Mick is the founder of the Masonic girls' organization The International Order of Job's Daughters and served as its first Supreme Guardian....

 in Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

, on October 20, 1920.
The original age for membership was 13-18, but has been changed several times over the years, most recently to age 10-20 in 2004. The purpose of the organization is to band together young girls who are related to a Master Mason, and strives to build character through moral and spiritual development. Goals include a greater reverence for God

God

God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....

 and the Holy Scriptures

Bible

The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...

, as stated in the Job's Daughters Constitution, loyalty to one's country and that country's flag; and respect for parents, guardians, and elders. Job's Daughters is not a religion or a creed, and its members are not required to practice a particular religion. Members are required, however, to believe in a supreme being. Job's Daughters is not a secret society.

Mother Mick was fond of the Book of Job

Book of Job

The Book of Job , commonly referred to simply as Job, is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It relates the story of Job, his trials at the hands of Satan, his discussions with friends on the origins and nature of his suffering, his challenge to God, and finally a response from God. The book is a...

, and took the name of the organization as a reference to the three daughters of Job. The Book of Job, 42nd chapter, 15th verse says, "In all the land were no women found so fair as the Daughters of Job, and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren". She founded the Order with the assistance of her husband, Dr. William H. Mick, and several Freemasons and members of Eastern Star of Nebraska. She dedicated the organization to the memory of her mother, Elizabeth D. Wead.

In 1931 the name was changed to the International Order of Job's Daughters after a Bethel was instituted in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Overview

The presiding officer of the Bethel is the Honored Queen, elected by the members of her Bethel. This position is roughly analogous to Worshipful Master in a Masonic Lodge, and to the President of an association of any kind. The Honored Queen is assisted in her duties by a Senior Princess and a Junior Princess. The Senior Princess is usually considered to be next in line as Honored Queen. Girls who finish a term as Honored Queen use the title Past Honored Queen (abbreviated PHQ) within Job's Daughters, and usually receive a pin commemorating their service. The elected officers are referred to as the "line officers", or in some Bethels the "Elect Five" or "Top Five", of the Bethel, meaning that in general, a Daughter is elected sequentially from the lowest position (Marshal) to the highest position (Honored Queen).

Stations (Officers) of the Bethel and their respective duties

Elected:

• Honored Queen - leads meetings
• Senior Princess
• Junior Princess
• Guide
• Marshal

Appointed:

• Senior Custodian
• Junior Custodian
• Recorder
• Librarian
• Chaplain
• Treasurer
• First Messenger
• Second Messenger
• Third Messenger
• Fourth Messenger
• Fifth Messenger
• Inner Guard - guards the inner door of the Bethel room
• Outer Guard - guards the outer door of the Bethel room
• Musician - leads songs and music, usually plays organ or piano
• Bethel Choir

Bethel Guardian Council

• Bethel Guardian
• Associate Bethel Guardian
• Guardian Secretary
• Guardian Treasurer
• Guardian Director of Epochs
• Director of Music
• Director of Promotion
• Promoter of Sociability
• Director of Epochs
• Director of Hospitality
• Promoter of Good Will
• Promoter of Production
• Promoter of Fraternal Relations
• Custodian of Paraphernalia

Other details

• A Grand Bethel Honored Queen or Jurisdictional Bethel Honored Queen is the head of the Grand or Jurisdictional Bethel for each jurisdiction. To serve as either Grand Bethel Honored Queen or Jurisdictional Bethel Honored Queen, a girl must be a Past Honored Queen, or in some jurisdictions, a PHQ or a Majority Member. A Grand Bethel is unique in each jurisdiction, so rules may vary vastly. The Supreme Bethel Honored Queen is the head of the Supreme Bethel, which is at the international level of the organization. To be selected as Supreme Bethel Honored Queen, a girl must be a Past Honored Queen of a Bethel and at least 16 years of age.
• A Jurisdictional Miss Job's Daughter serves as the head and voice of the youth organization on the Grand or Jurisdictional level. She speaks on behalf of Job's Daughters to other Masonic Bodies to promote the organization. The selection of the Jurisdictional Miss Job's Daughter is by a Pageant held once a year that has competitions for ritual, interviews by a panel of judges, and a written test. The International Miss Job's Daughter serves on the international level and travels all over the world to speak on behalf of the organization. To be selected as International Miss Job's Daughter, a girl must be at least 16 years of age and compete at a pageant held during the Supreme Session. She is only eligible to compete once.

• • The Grand/Jurisdictional Honored Queen and the Miss Jurisdictional Job's Daughter are considered to be co-leaders of the jurisdiction. They are equal in everything that they do.

• The Bethel Guardian and Council is the group of adults that helps advise and supervise the girls of the Bethel. It is led by the Bethel Guardian, an adult female with a proper Masonic relationship, and the Associate Bethel Guardian, a Mason. They are joined by other adults filling the offices of Guardian Secretary, Guardian Treasurer, and either Guardian Director of Epochs or Guardian Director of Music. At the jurisdictional level a group of adults called the Grand Guardian Council or Jurisdictional Guardian Council oversees all of the Bethels in their state.
• Members who reach the age of 20 or marry while members in good standing become Majority Members. Majority Members may still be active in the organization but are no longer allowed to hold an office or vote on business matters in the Bethel. Some jurisdictions allow Majority Members up to age 25 to hold an office in the Grand Bethel or Jurisdictional Bethel, which is composed of members from all over the jurisdiction. Young women who wish to remain active in Masonic activities may join Order of the Eastern Star
  Order of the Eastern Star
  The Order of the Eastern Star is a fraternal organization that both men and women can join. It was established in 1850 by Rob Morris, a lawyer and educator from Boston, Massachusetts, who had been an official with the Freemasons. It is based on teachings from the Bible, but is open to people of all...
  
   or Order of the Amaranth
  Order of the Amaranth
  Order of the Amaranth is a Masonic-affiliated women's organization founded in 1873. As in the Order of the Eastern Star, members of the Order must be age 18 and older; men must be Master Masons; and women must be related to Masons as wives, mothers, daughters, widows, sisters, nieces, aunts, et...
  
   upon reaching the age of 18.
• The "Job's Daughter to Bee" or "JD2B" program gives Bethels a way to involve eight- and nine-year-old girls in the Bethels' public and social activities before the girls become full members at 10.
• Current and former members of Job's Daughters sometimes refer to each other as "Jobies," and it is not uncommon to see communications between two members of the organization closed with the statement "Jobie Love" in place of a statement as "Sincerely."
• Today, Bethels and Grand Bethels are active in Australia
  Australia
  Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
  
  , Brazil
  Brazil
  Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
  
  , Canada
  Canada
  Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
  
  , the Philippines
  Philippines
  The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
  
   and the United States
  United States
  The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
  
  . Within the United States, there are currently Bethels in 31 states. Most states and provinces have a Grand Guardian Council but a few are under the direct supervision of the Supreme Guardian Council.

External links

• Job's Daughters International Home Page
• The HIKE Fund Hearing Impaired Kids Endowment, created and supported by Job's Daughters