Ancient Order of United Workmen
Juvenile Ritual


1923


Opening Ceremony

J.M.W., standing:
The Lodge will come to order. The officers will take their stations and the members will be seated. Junior Foreman, you will see that the doors of our lodge room are closed.
J.F., standing:
Junior Inside Watchman, you will see that the outer and inner doors are closed and that all members leave the ante-room and that the Junior Outside Watchman is at his station.
The Junior Inside Watchman will see that the instructions of the Junior Foreman have been carried out.
J.I.W.:
Junior Foreman, the duty has been performed. The ante-room has been vacated, the lodge room is secure and the Junior Outside Watchman is at his station.
J.M.W.:
Juvenile Supervisor, you will ascertain if all present are entitled to seats in the lodge.
The Juvenile Supervisor will conduct an investigation to determine if all present are entitled to be present at the session of the lodge.
J.S.:
Junior Master Workman, all present are entitled to seats in the lodge.
J.M.W.:
Junior Overseer, what great principle is taught at your station?
J.O.:
OBEDIENCE. Junior Overseer advances directly to the altar with banner.
J.M.W.:
Junior Foremen, what great principle is taught at your station?
J.F.:
HONESTY. Junior Foreman advances directly to altar with banner.
J.M.W.:
Junior Past Master Workman, what great principle is taught at your station?
J.P.M.W.:
PATRIOTISM. Junior Past Master Workman advances directly to altar with banner.
J.M.W.:
Junior Guide, you will place the flag of our country in its position at the altar. * * *.
The Junior Guide will unfurl the U.S. Flag, which should be placed near his station. He will then make one complete circuit of the lodge room and, when again at the Junior Master Workman’s station, he will advance directly to the altar, where he will take his position facing the Junior Foreman.
NOTE: The ceremony of placing the colors in position can be made very impressive by a little care to details. A patriotic march should he played for the guide when he makes the circuit of the lodge, the Junior Members all standing at attention. When the Guide arrives at the position where the flag is to be placed a strain or two of the "Star Spangled Banner" should he played, and upon the first note of the National Air, each Juvenile Member is to come to a salute and remain in that position until the music stops, at which time they drop their hands to the side.
J.M.W.:
Junior Workman Members, you will surround the altar with the circle of friendship.
The members file right and left to the Junior Foreman’s station and then in single file advance by the left until the altar is encircled, when they will clasp hands.
J.M.W.:
Junior Workman Members, if we are OBEDIENT to our laws, HONEST in our purposes, and PATRIOTIC in our duties the chain of friendship will ever remain unbroken. Let us sing "America."
J.M.W.:
Members, let us repeat the Lord’s Prayer.
J.M.W.:
Members will retire to their seats and remain standing.
The members will retire to their seats in the same manner as they formed the circle.
J.M.W.:
What are the three great principles of our Order?
ALL RESPOND:
Obedience, Honesty and Patriotism.
J.M.W.:
In their name I declare this lodge open. Members salute the flag. When done: *.
Officers will go directly to their stations.

 

Initiation

J.M.W.:
Junior Guide, you will go to the ante-room and see if there are any candidates in waiting and if so you will report to the lodge their names and ages, and if they are members of the Juvenile Beneficiary Department.
Junior guide retires to the ante-room, re-enters the lodge room, approaches the altar, salutes the Junior Master Workman, and reports.
J.G.:
Junior Master Workman, I find in waiting … giving names and ages who wish to be initiated as Junior Workmen Members of the A. O. U. W. of Oklahoma. They are in possession of receipts for assessments for the current month.
Junior Guide returns to his station.
J.M.W.:
Junior Guide, you will retire and present the candidates.
Junior Guide retires to the ante-room, If there should be more than one candidate, he forms the candidates in a column of twos, walking at the right of the candidates. He then raps on the lodge room door. The Junior Inside Watchman presents his ear to the wicket and says:
J.I.W.:
Who comes here?
J.G.:
The Junior Guide with friends who desire to be initiated as Junior Workman Members of the A. O. U. W. of Oklahoma.
J.I.W.:
Junior Master Workman, the Junior Guide is at the door with friends who desire to become Junior Workman Members.
J.M.W.:
Admit them.
Junior Inside Watchman salutes the Junior Master Workman, opens the door and returns to his station. Junior Guide enters with candidates and passes by the left around the lodge room to the Junior Overseer’s station.
J.M.W.: *.
J.O.:
Who are these strangers and what do they desire?
J.G.:
These are friends who desire to become useful and active members of this Juvenile Lodge of the A. O. U. W. of Oklahoma.
J.O.:
My friends, to become a useful and active member of this order it ,will be your duty to obey its laws and the laws of your country. The great victories achieved by our most famous generals were those where their men obeyed their command. The greatest rulers of all nations are those who rule by love and kindness, for it is a pleasure for us to obey those we love. Our prisons are filled with men and women who failed to obey the laws of our state and country. Obedience to the laws of God, nature and your country will bring you happiness and make you a useful and honored citizen.
J.O.:
Junior Guide, you will conduct our friends to the station of the Junior Foreman for instruction in Honesty.
J.G.:
Junior Foreman, by direction of the Junior Overseer, I present to you these friends that you may instruct them in the principle of Honesty.
J.F.:
To be a true Junior Workman Member you must be honest with your fellow members and above all be honest with yourself. Dishonesty and deceit go hand in hand and we cannot expect love and friendship in our lodge unless we are honest with each other. Do not forget the great principle of Honesty.
J.F.:
Junior Guide, you will present our friends at the station of the Junior Past Master Workman for instruction in Patriotism.
J.G.:
Junior Past Master Workman, by direction of the Junior Foreman I present to you these friends to receive instruction in Patriotism.
J.P.M.W.:
My friends, you have been instructed in the virtues of Obedience and Honesty. Without these there can be no Patriotism. Patriotism means love and devotion to your country. We are indeed fortunate to be citizens of a country represented by the "Star Spangled Banner." Our country is "the home of the free and the brave and the true." The most humble citizen of the land today may ascend to the highest position that the people can bestow upon him tomorrow. An humble boy who made his living by splitting rails arose to be the President of our country. There is no limit placed on what you may believe in this great Republic.
J.P.M.W.:
Junior Guide, you will conduct our friends to the altar.
Junior Guide conducts the candidates around the lodge room by the left to the Junior Foreman’s station and then directly to the altar. All members then rise and sing "America".
The officers assemble at the altar in the following manner: The Junior Overseer marches to the station of the Junior Foreman, who will precede him to the station of the Junior Past Master Workman. The Junior Master Workman marches direct from his station to that of the Junior Past Master Workman. The Junior Past Master Workman who has been provided with an American flag by the Junior Guide, takes the lead and the officers, in the order of their rank, march to the altar taking positions.
J.M.W.:
I will now administer to you the pledge of a Junior Workman Member. * * *. Say "I", pronounce your names, and repeat after me:
I, …, do solemnly pledge myself to obey the laws of this order and the laws of the A.O.U.W. of Oklahoma, so far as they may affect my membership as a Junior Workman Member. I pledge myself to be kind and considerate to my friends, faithful in my duties and honest and patriotic in all my actions. To all this I pledge my honor as a Junior Workman.
J.M.W.:
The members will gather at the altar and surround our friends with a living chain of friendship.
The members will march to the altar in the same manner as during the opening exercises.
J.M.W.:
You have now been admitted to the inner circle of our friendship and I now pronounce you Junior Workman Members. I trust that your future conduct may prove to us that we have made no mistake in admitting you to this sacred circle.
J.M.W. places pin or button on new member.
J.M.W.:
Wear this pin and let it remind you of your duty to God, your country and the members of this department of the A.O.U.W.
The members will dissolve the circle as they formed it and the officers will march back to their stations in the manner they approached the altar.
J.M.W.:
Junior Guide, you will present the candidates at the station of the Junior Master Workman for instruction by the Juvenile Supervisor. *.
 

Signs of the Order and Rules of Conduct

J.S.:
On entering or leaving a Juvenile Lodge of the A.O.U.W. the member will approach the altar and salute the Junior Master Workman with the salutation sign of the Order, which is made by raising the right hand smartly to the forehead, fingers extended and joined; edge to the front about on a line with the right eye. Stand in this position until recognized by the Junior Master Workman, who will answer by raising the right hand to the height of the right shoulder, palm to the front; then extend the hand about eight inches and drop hand to the side. The Junior Master Workman and the member saluting will drop their hands to the side at the same time.
Should a member wish to speak on any subject during the session of the lodge he will arise, address the Junior Master Workman, and give the salutation sign used at the altar when entering or leaving the lodge room.
The Junior Master Workman will then recognize the member.
Junior Members, you have been admitted to full membership and we have endeavored to impress upon you the importance of the principles of our Order, which are "Obedience, Honesty and Patriotism."
You will be aided and you can benefit others by your membership in this society. Try to attend the meetings of the lodge regularly, for those who secure the greatest benefit from their membership in the Order are those who take the most active part in the work. Show us by your actions that you are worthy to be a member of this lodge and we hope that later you may be admitted to full membership in the A.O.U.W. of Oklahoma. The Junior Guide will now escort you to seats.
 

Closing

J.M.W.:
I am about to close Junior Workman Lodge No. …. Do not forget the principles of Obedience, Honesty and Patriotism that are taught in this order and the circle of friendship that unites us in this great work.
J.M.W.:
Junior Guide, you will collect the odes, rituals and the emblems of the lodge and deposit them on the altar.
Junior Guide will obey the instructions of the Junior Master Workman and return to his station.
J.G.:
Junior Master Workman, your orders have been obeyed.
J.M.W.:
Members, let us repeat the Lord’s prayer.
J.M.W.:
I now declare Junior Workman Lodge No. … closed until its next regular meeting which will be ….


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