Tall Cedars of Lebanon is About Fun, Frolic and Fellowship—Families Included
Massasoit Forest No. 91 is a 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.
Massasoit Forest No. 91 was instituted in July of 1969 following the merger of Blackstone No. 128 and Massasoit No. 112. For many years Massasoit Forest met in East Providence at the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island before moving to their current location at Ezekiel Bates Lodge, Attleboro, MA in 2017 because a large number of the active members were members there.
Who Are the Tall Cedars of Lebanon?
The Tall Cedars of Lebanon is an appendant Masonic order, and it is said that our order is one the best kept secrets of Freemasonry. Like all Masonic affiliated organizations, you must be a Master Mason in good standing before you start your journey to find more fun, frolic, and fellowship, and enjoy a variety of 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 head coverings, which contain three large cedar trees. This is the logo of the order. This tree is part of the symbolism that Tall Cedars use, and originates from the biblical legend of the building of the first temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem. It was said that the finest and strongest trees of Mt. Lebanon were chopped down and taken from the forest 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, and Fellowship for a Purpose,” Tall Cedars contains 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. 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 into 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 Muscular Dystrophy Association) 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 MDA in their quest for a cure for musculoskeletal diseases. The Tall Cedars of Lebanon support the MDA, and they have made countless appearances on the MDA Labor Day Telethon (which they helped to start). To this date, the Tall Cedars have (collectively) donated over $19 million towards their mission. On the local level, Massasoit Forest, in addition to supporting MDA, also plans and participates in several 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 Freemasons 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 emphasize the virtues of a Freemason.
The purpose of the Rite of Humility Ceremony was to impress upon new members that in addition to their devotions to their labors, families, and vocations they should regularly engage in fun and frolic, 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 second degree in Tall Cedars and is known as the Sidonian Degree. The Tall Cedars of Lebanon currently have approximately 15,000 members in 102 Forests across North America.
When Do the Tall Cedars Meet and How Do I Become a Tall Cedar?
Massasoit Forest meetings are for members and invited guests only at the Masonic Temple in Attleboro, MA 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 a local lodge. Once you are a Mason, you can learn how to find more fun, frolic, and fellowship, by visiting http://www.massasoit91.com, or by sending an email to (
