
From the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry by Albert Mackey, "The grove of trees known as the Cedars of Lebanon consists of about four hundred trees, standing quite alone in a depression of the mountain with no trees near, about six thousand four hundred feet above the sea, and three thousand below the summit." The Cedar tree is very symbolic. It is seen as a symbol of eternity due to the longevity of the tree's life. From the Bible, we learn that the Ark of Covenant was made of Cedar. In Freemasonry, the Cedars of Lebanon make several appearances throughout the various degrees. The ritual of the Tall Cedars is said to be taken from I Kings, II Chronicles, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.
Members are known as "Cedars" and the basic organizational unit is known as "Forests" which is presided over by a Grand Tall Cedar. The members are distinguished by the pyramid-shaped hat they wear. Like the Shriners, Forests include a number of units and clubs such as Clowns, Band, Bowling Leagues, RV club, Golfers, Antique Car Units, Camping Club, etc. The international governing body is known as the "Supreme Forest" which is presided over by the "Supreme Tall Cedar" and is headquartered in Harrisburg, PA. In addition, there are two additional degrees conferred known as the "Royal Court" and the "Sidonian."

The Tall Cedars of Lebanon of the USA were founded on March 18th, 1902, in Trenton, NJ, by 15-members. The decision to formalize this group was due to the desire to stabilize and preserve what they saw as a worthwhile ceremony. In 1972, the name changed to the Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America when the organization spread to Canada.
Like most appendant bodies in Freemasonry, there is a designated charity for this organization. The Tall Cedars support research into Muscular Dystrophy and other neuromuscular diseases. It is estimated that the Tall Cedars have raised over $14-million for Muscular Dystrophy research. Each year, the Supreme Forest presents a check at the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.
References
1. Bullen, J. E. (n.d.). Whence Came We? Retrieved from Tall Cedars of Lebanon: http://www.tallcedars.org/information/history.htm
2. Hodapp, C. (2009, September 07). Tall Cedars of Lebanon. Retrieved from Freemasons for Dummies: http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2009/09/tall-cedars-of-lebanon.html
3. Tall Cedars of Lebanon. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_Cedars_of_Lebanon
4. Tall Cedars of Lebanon. (n.d.). Retrieved from Masonic Dictionary: http://www.masonicdictionary.com/tcol.html
5. Tall Cedars of Lebanon. (n.d.). Retrieved from Freemason Information: http://freemasoninformation.com/what-is-freemasonry/family-of-freemasonry/tall-cedars-of-lebanon/
6. Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America. (n.d.). Retrieved from Phoenix Masonry: http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/tall_cedars_of_lebanon.htm
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