Boerne Chapter No. 200, O.E.S.

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Boerne Chapter No. 200, Order of the Eastern Star. Now settle in, because this is a story about roots that run deep, and people who decided a community was worth building, one good deed at a time. The foundations of the Order of the Eastern Star began way back in the 1840s.

That's before the Civil War, before most of Texas had been properly mapped, before a lot of things. And by 1867, those foundations had grown into a full system of local chapters, spreading across the country and carrying with them three principles worth knowing: truth, charity, and loving kindness. Not a bad set of guiding stars to steer by.

Now, Boerne got its own chapter organized in June of 1910, and when it was formally chartered on October 11, 1911, it counted twenty women and men among its membership. Twenty people, many of them from pioneer families who had already put down roots in this corner of the Texas Hill Country. And leading that charter chapter as the first Worthy Matron was Virgil Taylor Calrow, the wife of a Rough Rider and a Texas Ranger.

That is a woman with some serious history standing behind her, and she was out front, setting the tone from the very start. The chapter has kept right on going, contributing to local charities, awarding scholarships to graduating seniors, and in 1952, they helped organize Assembly Number 229 of the Order of Rainbow for girls, supporting Masonic youth in the community. More than a hundred years on from that charter date, Chapter No. 200 is still here.

Some things, it turns out, are built to last.

What the marker says

The foundations of the Order of the Eastern Star began in the 1840s and, by 1867, developed into a system of local chapters. Eastern Star is dedicated to the principles of truth, charity, and loving kindness. Organized in June 1910, the Boerne chapter had membership of twenty women and men when chartered on October 11, 1911. Many members belonged to pioneer families of the area. Virgil (Taylor) Calrow, the wife of a Rough Rider and Texas Ranger, was the first Worthy Matron. The chapter contributes to local charities and awards scholarships to graduating seniors. Supporting Masonic youth, in 1952 the chapter helped organize Assembly #229, Order of Rainbow for girls. (2012)