FOURTH SECTION
Triumphal Song
See the conquering hero comes,
Sound the trumpets, beat the drums;
Sports prepare, the laurel bring,
Songs of triumph to him sing.
Sports prepare, the laurel bring,
Songs of triumph to him sing.
See the god-like youth advance,
Breath the flutes and lead the dance;
Myrtle wreaths and roses twine,
To deck the hero's brow divine
Myrtle wreaths and roses twine,
To deck the hero's brow divine
See the conquering hero comes,
Sound the trumpets, beat the drums;
Sports prepare, the laurel bring,
Songs of triumph to him sing.
See the conquering hero comes,
Sound the trumpets, beat the drums.
COMMANDER, rising: Welcome, Judas Maccabeus! Thrice welcome art thou! What tidings from the front?
LT. COMMANDER: Sir Knight Commander, I have just returned from Jerusalem. The power of the blasphemous King is ended; the widows, orphans, and the disabled are provided for; the light of liberty has broken over our beloved land, and Judea is free.
COMMANDER: To the patriotism of thy father, Mattathias, is due the credit of having begun this revolution, but to thee, JUDAS MACCABEUS, belongs the honor of having achieved its victories. Ask what thou wilt of us, and it shall be granted unto thee.
LT. COMMANDER: Sir Knight Commander, now that victory has graced our banner, let us the more strongly bind ourselves together in the bonds of fraternal love, in order to better aid and assist one another and protect the widows and orphans of our departed brothers. For myself I ask nothing, but permit me to recommend for membership in the family of Maccabees the friend at my side who has so nobly complied with all our requirements.
COMMANDER: This last act of thine is as great as any of thy magnificent victories. To thus defer to a friend is nobler than to wear a crown. Turning to candidate: Friend of Judas Maccabeus, if thou wilt accept this generous offer, thou must first be bound with us in a fraternal covenant. Art thou willing?
Candidate answers.
CHAPLAIN, advancing to head of the Altar, by way of the Commander's station: You will now repeat after me:
I do most solemnly vow, in the presence of these witnesses, that
henceforth, in all matters pertaining to the Order of the Maccabees;
I will be bound by the laws of the Order in force from time to time;
I will not make known to any one not a member of the Order, any of
its private work, or secret business;
I will never fail this Order, my country, my friends, nor those of my
own flesh and blood in time of danger, need or sorrow;
I will comfort with my sympathy, and assist with my substance
all worthy members of the Order, their families and dependents
who may be in sorrow or need;
That of them I will speak no evil, and should I see, hear, or know
of anything that threatens harm to them, I will give them timely
notice or warning;
I will bear with modesty and administer with strict integrity, each
and every trust, official or otherwise, committed to my care or
keeping;
I will be temperate in my habits and honorable in my conduct, so
as to command the respect of all.
CHAPLAIN: Sir Knight Lt. Commander, you will now conduct our kinsman to the Commander's station for further instruction.
COMMANDER: I will now instruct you in the private work of the Order. When giving signs, outside of a tent, always make them in a careless, easy manner, so as not to attract the uninitiated.
COMMANDER: The Step is given thus ...
The Salutation sign is given thus ... This is also the voting sign.
The Recognition Sign is given thus ... The answer thus: ...
The Token of Sincerity is given thus: ... It must always be given in a standing position when being addressed by. or addressing an officer.
The permanent password is URLLRLTXRF adopted in honor of LTM QRLTMD of Judas Maccabeus, and is only used when visiting a Tent, if required.
The Test Word is given thus: ...
Ask the Lieutenant Commander to give the Test Word.
When you wish to make or support a motion, or address the Tent, you will rise, give the "token of sincerity," and say, "Sir Knight Commander." You should not proceed with any remarks until recognized by that officer.
Having obtained permission to cross the hall, or to retire from the Tent, during review, you will always do so by right lines, by way of the Sergeant's station, giving the "token of sincerity" to that officer in passing him. The walks around the foot and the sides of Tent must be followed at all times; care being taken never to pass between the altar and the Commander's station after the altar is arranged.
The gavel, the emblem of authority in the hand of the presiding officer, is used as follows: Three raps, thus ..., call all the members to their feet; one rap, thus ..., seats them; two raps, thus ..., calls to order.
Grand honors to the Supreme or Great officers are made by giving the ordinary military salute with right hand, at the same time giving the "token of sincerity."
COMMANDER: Sir Knight Lt. Commander, you will now conduct the candidate to the Past Commander's station.
Candidate is then conducted to Past Commander's station by way of the Chaplain's and Sergeant's stations, and seated a few feet in front of that officer.
PAST COMMANDER, to candidate, seated: [See CHARGE left]
Sir Knight Lt. Commander, conduct our kinsman to the Commander‘s station there to receive Knighthood.
LT. COMMANDER: Sir Knight Commander, our kinsman awaits your pleasure.
COMMANDER: In commemoration of the Valor, Friendship and Obedience of Judas Maccabeus, one of the first fruits of genuine chivalry, and by the authority in me vested as Commander of this Tent, I now dub, create and proclaim you a Knight of the Maccabees. ARISE, SIR KNIGHT, and stand erect among your fellows.
Sir Knight Lt. Commander, you will now conduct the Sir Knight to the Record Keeper's station, there to receive a copy of the Laws of the Order and By-Laws of this Tent, which he should read carefully and consult frequently, after which you will retire with him to the ante-room and instruct him further in the manner of working his way into a Tent while at work.
Upon re-entering and after saluting at the altar the Sir Knight is conducted to Chaplain's station.
CHAPLAIN, taking Candidate by the hand: I welcome, and at the same time, congratulate you upon your admission to membership among us. We sincerely hope that the brotherly relationship established here, at this time, may be a continuing one; that you may be a regular attendant at our reviews, and that in the practice of the principles of Maccabeeism you may find both pleasure and profit.
The Motto of our Order is "Astra Castra—Numen Lumen," meaning "The Stars my Tent—The Deity my light."
Displaying the Maccabee flag: The Colors of the Order are Black, Red and White. These were the colors chosen by Judas Maccabeus, during his struggles for the liberation of his people. Black, symbolical of the dark prospects around him; Red, indicative of his fire, and zeal for the right; and White, emblematic of the purity of his motives. His wars were all defensive. No crime sullies his fair name.
The emblems of our Order are the Circle and the Globe. The Circle is universally regarded as symbolic of Eternity, it has no ending. So let it be with the vows you have taken and the noble duties you have assumed. Keep inviolate every promise you have made to us and then, wherever you may find yourself on the face of the Globe and meet another who has taken and kept the same vows, you will always find a brother.
Sir Knight Lt. Commander, conduct the Sir Knight to a seat.
Ancient initiation rite
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Charge
My kinsman, you are about to have conferred upon you the title of a Knight of The Maccabees, but before this is done, I desire to call your attention to the objects of our Order and to some of the requirements of a membership among us.
Its great object is to unite fraternally all those who are physically and morally qualified under its laws, in order to better aid and assist those who may become disabled, or who may reach the allotted age of man, and to provide for the widows, orphans, and dependents of its members.
This Order is a great co-partnership; all are equally interested in its welfare; all are equal under its laws. It is not a cold business corporation, organized for profit and gain. Its foundation is fraternity; its superstructure, protection, and in order to promote its healthy growth and enlarge its usefulness, we must all work zealously hand in hand. The ceremony through which you have just passed was not an imaginary creation, in which an attempt was made to entertain or surprise you. The tragedies you have seen enacted and the warfare in which you are supposed to have taken a part are facts, and part of both sacred and profane history.
While groping your way cautiously along a solitary and unfamiliar pathway, you were set upon in a rude manner, carried captive before an arbitrary despot, and subjected to a most harrowing and desperate experience, to test your loyalty to friends, as well as your regard for the assurances you made to Mattathias. How well you bore the ordeal and justified those assurances let your own thoughts now answer, and let that answer be a warning for the future and a solemn reminder of your fraternal covenant with us. While in this dilemma your Maccabee friend, after freeing himself from the chains of his oppressors, came to your relief, and rescued you from your perilous situation—and later, to more fully exemplify the beautiful lesson of friendship, bestowed upon you the favors which his valor had won for himself. Learn from this and forget not that "A friend in need is a friend indeed."
The lessons we would have you learn in your experience with us this evening have an important application to your personal relationship with the government that protects you, as well as your social relations with your fellow-men, and your duty to Order, home, and friends. As Maccabees, we strive to impress all members with a firm and determined resolution to always labor in the cause of justice, mercy, and charity; remember that justice begets justice, mercy begets mercy, and charity begets charity.
All these virtues were exemplified in the life and character of Judas Maccabeus, the liberator of his people; one of the first of a glorious army of martyrs who have since suffered in the cause of human freedom. His whole life was characterized by an undying devotion to country, home, and friends. He it was who demanded of his soldiers that, in dividing the fruits of their victories, they should reserve a part for the widows, orphans, and disabled; a practice observed (in effect) among all true Maccabees unto this day. May his name be honored as long as patriotism, love and friendship have a place in the hearts of men, and may you ever emulate his virtues, and prove yourself worthy of the new character you have assumed tonight.
You have given us your pledge of honor as a man, that you will always be true to country, order, home, and friends, and those of your own flesh and blood; and that you wilt comfort with your sympathy and assist with your substance the broken-hearted and the destitute. Should you ever knowingly or willing violate this solemn pledge, you need not longer expect our confidence and fellowship.
When you think of the solemnity and magnitude of your engagements here tonight, need I say that you cannot retire from this room exactly the same kind of man you were when you entered? No! After seeing and hearing what you have seen and heard, and making such promises as you have made, you will surely go hence a better man, filled with a higher ambition, and inspired with a nobler purpose in life.
Time will not permit me to indicate more of the valuable lessons contained in this degree, but, to the thoughtful mind, they are sufficiently obvious. If we have succeeded in awakening in your breast a manly determination to exercise these noble attributes in behalf of the widow, the fatherless, the unfortunate, and the stranger within thy gates, we have not labored in vain. In conclusion, let me remind you that in becoming a member of this great fraternal brotherhood, you have changed your relations with a vast number of persons.
While you remain true to your pledges, rest assured that in the Maccabees you will find friends who will comfort you in your sorrow, assist you in adversity and rejoice in your prosperity. When the battle of life is ended and you are about to commence your journey to that realm beyond the grave, you will have the consolation of knowing, that, among us, you have brothers who will give your remains a fraternal burial, keep green your memory, defend your character and provide for those who are nearest and dearest to you.