Order Italian Sons and Daughters
Ritual

 
1936  

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Opening
 
Before opening the meeting, the Brothers and Sisters of Ceremonies will place the Italian and American Flags on the Altar together with the book of the Laws of the Order. They shall also set up the Standard of the Order to the right side of the President.
PRESIDENT, *: Brothers and Sisters, the meeting is called to order. Officers, take your places and don your regalia. Sentinel, close the door. Let no one enter without the password. Those who do not belong to this Lodge shall give their names and the names of the Lodges of which they are members.
Brothers Masters of Ceremonies (Sisters Mistresses of Ceremonies), ascertain if all those present belong to the Order by having them give the password.
FIRST MASTER OF CEREMONIES: Brother President, your orders have been carried out and we assure you that those present are entitled to remain at this meeting.
PRESIDENT, ***: Brothers and Sisters, on what principles is our Order founded?
ALL: On the principles of Liberty, Unity and Duty.
PRESIDENT: Brother Ex President, explain the meaning of Liberty.
EX PRESIDENT: Our understanding of Liberty is the opposite of slavery, of imposition and of autocracy; freedom within the limits of the laws and the Constitution of the Order; freedom of thought and of conscience, political and religious.
PRESIDENT: Brother Vice President, explain the meaning of Unity.
VICE PRESIDENT: Unity to us signifies harmony. It represents the feeling of brotherhood that should band together the Italians and those of Italian extraction into a unit, so that we may reveal the virtues of our race.
PRESIDENT: Brother Orator, explain the meaning of Duty.
ORATOR: Those who do not realize their sense of Duty cannot claim rights. Duty means honest and laborious life for the welfare of the family and of the Organization to which one belongs. Always do your Duty within the field of your activities and success will be assured.
PRESIDENT: Brothers and Sisters, I now declare … Lodge No. … of the Order Italian Sons and Daughters of America duly open. Come to order and give the Ritualistic salutation.
Each person will place their right hand on their heart and say:
ALL: Brother President.
The President will answer the salutation in the same manner, saying: Brothers and Sisters, let us proceed with our business. *.
PRESIDENT: Recording Secretary, call the roll of officers.
The First Brother or Sister of Ceremonies will stand and answer to the roll call of the officers.
 

Initiation
 
PRESIDENT: First Brother Master of Ceremonies (First Sister Mistress of Ceremonies), go into the ante-room and see if there are any candidate’s to be initiated.
The First Brother or Sister or Ceremonies will go to the Altar, give the Ritualistic salutation and go into the ante-room. After receiving the names of the applicants he or she shall come back into the hall, give the Ritualistic salutation, stand by the Altar and say:
FIRST MASTER OF CEREMONIES: Brother President, in the ante-room I found …, who having been informed of the acceptance of their applications desire to be initiated into our Order and thus become a part of the family of the Order Italian Sons and Daughters of America.
PRESIDENT: Brother, present yourself before the Altar and assume the duties of the Herald.
PRESIDENT: First Brother Master of Ceremonies (First Sister Mistress of Ceremonies), invest the Herald with the regalia.
HERALD: Brother President, I stand ready to obey your orders.
PRESIDENT: Brother Herald, prepare for the initiation exercises.
The Herald shall place the Standard to the right of the Altar, where he also remains.
PRESIDENT: Brothers Masters of Ceremonies (Sisters Mistresses of Ceremonies), go into the ante-room and prepare the candidates.
As soon as the Brothers or Sisters of Ceremonies leave the hall, the President shall say:
PRESIDENT: Brother, in the ante-room are candidates desiring to become a part of our fraternal family. We should be proud and happy that our avowed mission is understood and appreciated by these applicants who wish to join with us to advance our precepts of idealistic human relations.
Therefore, let our actions be such that they shall always have grateful recollection of their induction and its solemn significance. Let the initiation be marked with silence as the candidates should be impressed by the dignity and behavior of the members of this Order.
HERALD: Brother President, the candidates are ready.
PRESIDENT: Brother Herald, proceed with the initiation exercises.
PRESIDENT: Brother Sentinel, admit the candidates. ***.
The Sentinel opens the door and the candidates will march preceded by the Herald and by the two Brothers or Sisters of Ceremonies. At their entrance, one stanza of the Hymn of the Order shall be sung if possible, repeating the chorus. The candidates shall march before the Altar and the Herald in slow and solemn voice shall say:
HERALD: Behold the candidates who seek admittance in our Lodge to enjoy the ideals and privileges of our Order.
PRESIDENT: We welcome you into our fraternal circle and we find new inspiration and encouragement in the thought that our number is to be enriched by recruits who will join with us in exemplifying the doctrine’s which have become the accepted mission of our Order.
We believe in the individual Liberty which has become part of our constitutional rights . . . a heritage handed down to us by the noble sacrifices and martyrdom of our gallant forefathers.
We believe in Unity because it represents a spiritual as well as living bond between the people of Italian extraction and in Duty because it is a self-imposed contribution to the evaluation of the people of our race.
Our first principle is that of lasting brotherhood and I wish to express our appreciation of your confidence, vision and belief in our ideals which prompted you to join with us.
PRESIDENT: Brother Herald, lead them to our officers who shall explain to them the fundamental principle’s of our Institution: Liberty, Unity, Duty. *.
The following officers only shall rise: Ex President, Vice President and Orator, when the candidates are presented to them.
The Herald with the assistance of the Brothers or Sisters of Ceremonies, and placing himself on the left hand side of the candidates, shall march them successively to the Ex President, then to the Vice President, and after to the Orator. This being accomplished the candidates shall be placed at the Altar facing the President.
At the Station of the Ex President
Herald and Master of Ceremonies will give the Ritualistic salutation and Herald will say: Brother Ex President, I present to you the candidates who desire to know our conception of Liberty.
EX PRESIDENT, answering the salutation will say: Liberty is the offspring of nature and is conceived by noble and lofty thoughts. It is a divine issue. It accomplishes great and excellent deeds, it leads humanity to happiness on the path of virtue. Liberty balances rights and duties and is therefore essential to domestic and social life. This is our conception of Liberty.
At the Station of the Vice President
HERALD, saluting as above: Brother Vice President, I present to you the candidates who wish to learn our conception of Unity.
Vice President shall salute and say: Unity is the harmony of soul, of will and efforts towards a common ideal. Divided we shall be defeated, isolated and ignored; united we shall be victorious, strong and respected. In Unity there is strength. This is our conception of Unity.
Herald and Brothers or Sisters of Ceremonies will salute and pass on to the

Station of the Orator
HERALD, saluting as above: Brother Orator, I present to you the candidates who wish to know our conception of Duty.
ORATOR, saluting: Duty is the cement that holds together the entire moral and material structure of humanity. Without Duty all power, all goodness, happiness, love itself cannot endure. Duty endows men with supreme energy, consolation and hope. Few are the rights, many are the duties.
Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. This is our conception of Duty.
The candidates will be marched to the Altar facing the President.
HERALD, saluting: Brother President, the fundamental principles of our Institution have been explained to the candidates.
PRESIDENT: Friends, now that you are acquainted with the fundamental principles of our Institution, do you still desire to be a part of this family?
ALL: We do!
PRESIDENT: We are grateful for your willingness to participate and contribute to the welfare and constant advancement of this, dour lodge. May you follow the golden rules herein emphasized by those who also have the tenets and expectations of the Order at heart.
HERALD to the candidates: Candidates, place your right hand over your heart and repeat after me:
“Before this emblem, reminding us of our principles of Liberty, Unity, and Duty, and upon my honor I pledge—to accept the laws of the Order, and the deliberations of the majority of its members,—to respect and obey our superiors,: to do my utmost for the progress of our Institution and not to reveal to strangers the secrets of the Order Italian Sons and Daughters of America.”
The Herald turns to the President and says: Brother President, the candidates have solemnly pledged to fulfill their duties.
PRESIDENT: Brother Herald, instruct them in the secret ways of the Order.
The Herald will impart the instructions to the new brothers or sisters in the secrets of the Order such as signs, pass-words, hand clasps, salutations, the way of admittance and entering the meeting place, visits to other lodges, the use of the gavel, etc.
HERALD: Brother President, the candidates have been instructed as to the secrets of the Order.
PRESIDENT, ***: The initiation ceremony has come to an end. I, in the name of the State Council of Pennsylvania, declare you to be active members of this Lodge … No. … and
of the Order Italian Son’s and Daughters of America. It shall be your duty to attend the meetings of this Lodge, to maintain harmony among the members and to cooperate towards the progress of our Institution.
You may be seated.
Brother Herald, I thank you for your valid cooperation. *.