The Order of the Eastern Star is an order that's closely associated with the Freemasons. Thus, many of the membership requirements for the OES are identical to those for joining a Masonic chapter. For instance, as with Freemasonry, OES members must be adults — that is, 18 years or older — to join. Note that some Masonic chapters can have minimum ages of entry of up to 25 — these local rules don't affect the minimum age of entry to the OES, which is always 18. While Masonic organizations are not religions or cults in themselves, they do have spiritual components. For this reason, the OES, like other Masonic organizations, requires its members to believe in a supreme being. This belief does not necessarily have to be well-defined; however, people who explicitly have no religious or spiritual beliefs are not permitted. Note that, like all Masonic organizations, the OES is open to peoples of all faiths. All that's necessary is belief in a supreme being — the form and name(s) of that being are left up to the individual member. Men who join the OES must already be fully-recognized Master Masons (not Apprentice or Fellowcraft). The process of becoming a Mason requires learning and demonstrating Masonic values, memorizing Masonic catechisms, and much more. For a detailed guide on joining the Freemasons, see our guide on the subject. Note that, to become a Mason, you must:  Be a man Be over 18-25 years old, depending on your chapter, (21 is a common minimum age) Have a good reputation Believe in a supreme being (see above) Be able to support yourself and your family (if you have one) Live a moral, ethical life Have a profound desire to better yourself, your community, and the world Generally, women are not allowed to be Freemasons. However, they are still allowed to join the OES if they have a qualifying relationship to a man who is an affiliated Master Mason. These relationships include most, if not all, family bonds (either by blood or by marriage). A woman with any of the following relationships to a Master Mason may join the OES:  Wives, daughters (including legally adopted daughters), mothers, widows, sisters, half sisters, granddaughters, stepmothers, stepdaughters, stepsisters, daughters-in-law, grandmothers, great granddaughters, nieces, great nieces, mothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, and first and second cousins. Note also that female applicants to the OES are held to the same moral and ethical standards as male ones. Women who don't have one of the relationships to a Freemason listed above but are, or were, active members of the International Order of the Rainbow of Girls (IORG) or Job’s Daughters International (JDI) may still join the OES. Both of these organizations are Freemason-affiliated youth organizations that allow girls as young as 10 (for JDI) and 11 (for IORG) to join. Note also that membership in the Organization of Triangles or the Constellation of Junior Stars, two organizations unique to New York State, can also qualify women to join.

Summary: Be 18 years or older. Believe in a supreme being. If male, be a Master Mason. If female, be a Mason's relative. Alternatively, be an active member (or majority member who left in good standing) of IORG or JDI.


” This is the French equivalent of the English “yeah.” This French slang term should be roughly pronounced as oo-way. This is the French equivalent of the English “yep.” Roughly pronounce this French slang term as oo-wayp.

Summary: Casually respond with “ouais. Use “ouaip” instead.


Be specific about what you need and when in your message to her, rather than simply saying, "Give me a call." This way, your coworker can leave the information on your voicemail, if they don’t have the time to talk when you’re available. If you’ve done everything you can to call and talk to the person on the phone with no luck, it’s time to change your contact method. Some people simply don’t return phone calls. Change your contact method to accommodate the person you need to talk to.  Millennials only listen to their voicemails 39% of the time, and respond to them 9% of the time. Know your audience and change to text or email. If you truly need to talk to someone who you’re unable to get on the phone, switch gears to email, text, or instant message, and ask them to call you back. Just because you prefer talking on the phone, that doesn’t mean that the person you need to contact has the same preferences. Rather than asking for phone time, ask how she would prefer you to contact her, and respect her wishes.

Summary: Invite the other person to leave the information on your voicemail. Contact the person via email or instant message instead. Ask for the person’s preferred contact method.


For solid vinyl tiles (VCT, or vinyl composition tiles), place each one flat, perfectly aligned with the row, and snugly abutting the previous tile. Do not slide the tiles when laying them, as this will "drag" the adhesive.
Summary: Lay the vinyl.