Ben Hur Junior Order of the Ben Hur Life Association
Junior Ritual

n.d.

Opening Ceremony

CHIEF, *: The meeting of this Junior Court will now begin. The officers will go to their stations.
If any officer is absent, the Chief will fill that office by naming some one present.
CHIEF: Keeper of the Inner Gate, close the door and admit no one but those who have a right within our Junior Court.
KEEPER OF INNER GATE: Most Worthy Chief, your order will be obeyed.
CHIEF: Scribe, are all here entitled to stay?
Junior members not in good standing, all who are not members, and adults not known to be entitled to remain by invitation of the Junior Mentor, should be asked to leave the Court room.
SCRIBE: Most Worthy Chief, I find that all now here may sit in this Junior Court.
CHIEF: We will now sing our greeting song and then join with our Teacher in saying the Lord's
Prayer. * * *.
All sing to the tune of "America":
Good evening everyone!
How glad we are you've come
With us to meet.
Oh may we ever be
Known over land and sea
For Kindness, Thrift, and Loyalty
None can defeat.
 

Prayer

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory, forever. Amen.
 

Initiation

CHIEF: Keeper of the Inner Gate, are there any candidates who wish to join our junior Court?
KEEPER OF INNER GATE: Most Worthy Chief, the following candidates are in the Outer Court waiting to do as you say. Reads names from slip of paper which he then hands to the Scribe.
CHIEF: Junior Mentor, have the applications of these candidates been approved?
JUNIOR MENTOR: They have, Most Worthy Chief.
CHIEF: Guide, go to the Outer Court and make the candidates ready for initiation. Captain, meet them at the door.
Guide puts candidates in line and knocks at door.
KEEPER OF INNER GATE: Who is it?
GUIDE: The Guide of this Junior Court with candidates who wish to come into our Order.
KEEPER OF INNER GATE: Judge, the Guide of this Junior Court is outside with candidates who wish to become members of our Order.
JUDGE: Let them come in.
Keeper of Inner Gate opens door wide.
CAPTAIN: Candidates, welcome to our Junior Court!
Chief calls all present to their feet (* * *). Guide leads the candidates in single file to the left around the Court room followed by the Captain. They halt in front of the altar facing the Chief at the Guide's command. Chief seats the members (*).
CHIEF: We want to teach all of you three things that we should do every day while we are boys and girls so we will grow to be better men and women. We have learned these things from the story of a boy named Ben Hur. Scribe, will you tell us how this can be so?
SCRIBE: Flowers are made by sun and rain,
And music from songs of birds.
Life is made by the stones told
Of brave men's acts and words.
So children come together
All over our happy land
To hear the story of brave Ben Hur
And make our friendly band.
CHIEF: Guide, lead the candidates to our Teacher who will begin the story.
Guide commands candidates to left face and forward march, leading them around the room to the Teacher's station. Guide commands: Halt!
GUIDE: Worthy Teacher, will you tell these boys and girls the first word of our motto and teach them the first of the three lessons we learn from Ben Hur?
TEACHER: The first word of our motto is Kindness. Long, long ago, when Jesus was growing up in a little village called Nazareth, Ben Hur, a boy about as old as Jesus, lived at Jerusalem with his mother and his gentle sister, Tirzah. The house of Hur was large and beautiful, and there was a place on the roof where Ben-Hur and his sister could look into the street below.
One day an army of Roman soldiers was marching through Jerusalem. The soldiers were guarding their governor who was riding with them.
Ben Hur and Tirzah leaned over the roof to watch them go by. A tile fell from under Ben Hur's hand and struck the governor. Ben Hur was very sorry but the cruel soldiers said he tried to kill their leader so they took Ben Hur's mother and sister and threw them into prison and Ben Hur was to be a galley slave for the rest of his life. The soldiers tied him with thongs and dragged him along in the dust. The day was hot and the way was hard and finally Ben Hur fell for he could walk no further. This happened at Nazareth and from the crowd watching the soldiers came Jesus with a pitcher of water which he placed to Ben Hur's lips. Ben Hur did not know that it was Jesus but he never forgot His kindness.
Now you see where we find the first word of our motto, Kindness. We try to be kind to each other and to everyone.
GUIDE: Candidates, what is the first word of our Ben Hur Junior motto?
CANDIDATES: Kindness.
TEACHER: Guide, you may now take the candidates to our Judge who will go on with the story.
Guide commands candidates to right face and forward to the Judge's station.
GUIDE: Worthy Judge, our friends have learned that the first word of our motto is Kindness. They would like to know what the second word is.
JUDGE: The second word of our motto is Thrift.
Ben Hur was taken to the galley where he was to be a slave for the rest of his life. Everything he owned had been taken from him but he still had courage which made him different from the rest of the slaves. Arrius, commander of the galley, began to notice Ben Hur because he was so different. He said that Ben Hur was not to be chained as the other slaves were. So when the ship was sinking during a battle one day, Ben Hur was free and he saved Arrius from drowning. For this Arrius, who was very rich, adopted Ben Hur as his son.
Ben Hur was just a boy when he went to the galley but the hard work he did made him a strong man. That is why he was able to win the chariot ride when Arrius took him back to land. Ben Hur suffered much but that helped him to build fine character.
I hope you will always be happy and not have to suffer but you can have strong bodies and build fine characters anyway. You may not be rich but you will have some of the good things of life and be able to help others if you will learn the lesson of Thrift, the second word of our motto. You should always save a part of your money no matter how little you may receive. There is no better way to save than to have life insurance such as The Ben Hur Life Association gives us. If you will always stay with us it will some day be a help to you or those you love.
GUIDE: Candidates, tell the members of this Junior Court what the second word of our motto is.
CANDIDATES: Thrift.
JUDGE: Guide, take the candidates to our Worthy Past Chief who will tell them the rest of the story.
Guide leads candidates to the Past Chief's station.
GUIDE: Worthy Past Chief, our friends have learned the lesson of Kindness from our Teacher and the lesson of Thrift from our Judge. They wish to know the third word of our motto.
PAST CHIEF: The third word of our motto is Loyalty.
Although Ben Hur was no longer a slave and lived as a rich man's son, he did not forget his mother and Tirzah, his sister. He went from place to place looking for them but always came back feeling sad because he could not find them. Tirzah and her mother had been thrown into a dark, terrible dungeon and had become lepers. Then word came to them that Jesus could heal them if they could find Him. They were released from prison, found Jesus and asked Him to heal them. He did so in His wonderful way and Ben Hur saw them just as they were being healed. They were so happy to be together again. This teaches us the lesson of Loyalty, the third word of our motto.
GUIDE: Candidates, repeat so that all may hear the third word of our motto.
CANDIDATES: Loyalty.
PAST CHIEF: Ben Hur's loyalty to his mother and sister helped him to find them and make them happy again. You, too, should be loyal to your family, those who made it possible for you to come into our Junior Order. Be loyal to the Ben Hur Life Association which means so much to all of us. And always, boys and girls, be loyal to your country and its flag!
Guide, place the candidates at the altar.
Guide leads candidates to the right around the room to the altar.
CHIEF: Captain, bring the flag. * * *.
As Captain brings the flag into the room all present salute by placing right hand over the heart and hold salute until flag is placed.
CAPTAIN: Most Worthy Chief, I bring our Country's flag.
Captain places flag in holder and returns to station.
CHIEF: Let us join the Captain in the salute and repeat the pledge to the flag.
Salute: Three fingers of right hand extended and touching forehead, small finger doubled back with thumb.
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One Nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. *.
CHIEF: The people of every nation and tribe have always had a flag of some kind which they loved as we love ours. Officers of this Junior Court, tell us is this not true?
SCRIBE: Most Worthy Chief, we can learn from the stones in history that what you say is true. The Hebrews had a flag or Standard for each of the twelve tribes, a lion for the Tribe of Judah―something for each one.
CAPTAIN: Alexander the Great, who wished to rule the world, had a picture of the God of Strength named Hercules on his flag.
GUIDE: The Country of Persia had on its flag a picture of the sun over a lance to show how powerful they were.
JUDGE: The men of Corinth showed on their banner a horse with wings.
PAST CHIEF: The first Americans, our Indians, have an emblem called totem. They have a different one for each tribe.
TEACHER: The most beautiful emblem of all is the cross. It was shown on the flags of the Crusaders when they fought years ago to save the Holy City of Jerusalem from nations that did not believe in Jesus.
CHIEF: Now we see that there have always been flags. Our flag has always been the Stars and Stripes, the stripes for the first thirteen states, the stars for all the states that now make such a great country. We Juniors must always love our flag and be loyal to it and our country.
My friends, by this time you should understand what the Ben Hur Junior Order stands for. You remember the story of Ben Hur as told to you by our Teacher, Judge and Past Chief. You remember the three words which explain the guiding principles of our Order. I will ask you to prove to this Junior Court that you are worthy of becoming members by repeating now these three words of our motto.
CANDIDATES: Kindness, Thrift and Loyalty.
Guide will assist the candidates in repeating the words of the motto if necessary.
CHIEF: Our Teacher will now give you our Junior pledge.
Teacher takes position in front of the altar facing candidates.
TEACHER: Please say after me: We will be cheerful and kind to people every day. We will be friendly to all boys and girls and especially to the members of our Junior Court.
We will learn the value of money and be careful in using it.
We will be loyal to each other, to the Bible, to the flag, and to the Ben Hur Life Association.
Teacher returns to station.
CHIEF: Captain and Guide, seat the candidates while we give them further instructions.
Captain and Guide escort the candidates to seats reserved for them and then take positions back of the altar facing the Chief.
CHIEF: Candidates, give attention to these final instructions.
Guide, what is the name and number of the organization into which these candidates are being initiated?
GUIDE: Most Worthy Chief, this organization to which we all belong is … Junior Court No. …, Ben Hur Life Association.
CHIEF: Tell us, Guide, why we should be proud to be members of the Ben Hur Life Association.
GUIDE: Most Worthy Chief, I am glad that I am a member of the Ben Hur Life Association because it is a great fraternal society whose main purpose is to protect the homes and families of America.
It takes gladness into homes that are sad. It helps women and men with money when they need it most. It helps boys and girls secure an education. Ben Hur has sent over thirty million dollars into the homes of its members. If I remain a faithful member I know that some day Ben Hur will do some good thing for me or my family.
CHIEF: Captain, to what important event does every Ben Hur Junior look forward?
CAPTAIN: Most Worthy Chief, every Ben Hur Junior expects at the age of sixteen to graduate from this Junior Court into the Senior Court. This graduation is a most important event because it marks the beginning of greater privileges in the Ben Hur Life Association.
CHIEF: Guide, what book should every Ben Hur Junior read before graduating into the Senior Court?
GUIDE: Most Worthy Chief, every Ben Hur Junior should read the book Ben Hur, written by General Lew Wallace of Crawfordsville, Indiana, because this is the book from which our Society took its name. Our ritual is based on this thrilling story of Ben Hur and therefore it will help us to understand the meaning of our Society. The book Ben Hur has been read by more people in the world than any other book except the Bible.
CHIEF: Captain, what emblem should Ben Hur Juniors and all boys and girls respect and reverence?
CAPTAIN: Most Worthy Chief, we should all respect and reverence Old Glory, our country's flag.
CHIEF: How do we Ben Hur Juniors show reverence and respect for Old Glory in our Court ceremony?
CAPTAIN: Most Worthy Chief, we stand at attention and salute the flag when it passes before us.
CHIEF: Guide, what is the position of attention and the flag salute?
GUIDE: Most Worthy Chief, we stand with heels together, equal weight on both feet, shoulders erect, and facing the flag. The salute is given by placing the right hand over the heart. We hold this position until the flag is placed in its holder.
CHIEF: Captain, how do we pledge allegiance to the flag.
Captain steps forward.
CAPTAIN: Most Worthy Chief, we give the salute and repeat the pledge with our eyes at all times on the flag.
Captain and Guide step forward, salute and repeat the pledge, then return to their stations.
CHIEF: I now welcome you as members of the Ben Hur Junior Order and hope you will like your new brothers and sisters.
A recess may be declared in which the members may be given a chance to speak to the new members.
 

Closing Ceremony

CHIEF: The time has come for closing this meeting of our Junior Court. Today the success of the Ben Hur Life Association depends on our parents and others older than we are. But some day we will take their places and help make our great Society more useful. Therefore let us ever remember the lessons of Kindness, Thrift and Loyalty which our Junior Order teaches; Kindness to others; Thrift to ourselves that we may do our full share in the world's work; Loyalty to our country, our Ben Hur Junior Order, and to our friends.
Let us sing our closing song.
All sing the tune of "America".
The hour has come to go.
We'll not forget, although
We say goodbye.
We’ll not forget to do
The loyal things and true.
We’ll love our flag and country, too!
Goodbye! Goodbye!
CHIEF: I now declare this meeting of … Junior Court No. … closed. *.

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