Ancient Order of Knights of Jerusalem – Female Department
Initiation Ritual in the Third Department – The Worthy Mother's Historical Degree

 
1896

The Opening Ceremonies in this Department are the same as in the Second. This Department is arranged in two parts by a veil. It requires officers as follows: two P.W.M.; W.P.; one W.M.; W.S.; W.Ch.; Secretary; Treasurer; two R.H.S.; and Inside Doorkeeper.
All must be possessed of this Degree; the two P.W.M. shall have the P.W.M.'s Degree and be Worthy Council members ans shall act as W.M. and W.S. in this Department.
 
 
Opening
 
See Second Degree. Two raps call up the two R.H.S, who make their report. Three raps call up all the officers, and cautions the Inside Doorkeeper to approach the altar.
W.M. to W.D.K.: Your position and duty?
W.D.K.: It is my duty to attend the door of this Court, and to let no one enter without giving the password of this degree; to receive their names and number of the Court or Lodge to which they belong, and see that all persons enter with proper regalia, and with the permission of the W.S. or W.P., and to report all candidates when ready for initiation.
W.M.: You will please attend to that part of your duty.
W.M. to W.S.: Your station?
W.S.: My station is at the veil when opening in this Department.
W.M. to W.S.: And your duty?
W.S.: When this Department is about to open, it is my duty to see that the veil is properly prepared; to open and have charge of the same, and to have charge of the inner door, and give the retiring password.
W.M. to S.Ch.: Your station?
S.Ch.: On the left, in the rear of the altar.
W.M. to S.Ch.: And your duty?
S.Ch.: When this Department is about to open, it is my duty to see that all members are properly clothed with the regalia of this Department, and that the officers are in their proper positions, and to report to the W.M. all absent, as also to examine all persons and see if they are qualified to fill seats.
W.M. to W.Ch.: Is this Department now prepared to open?
W.Ch.: Yes, with the assistance of the W.P.
The W.M. gives four raps, which call up all the members.
W.M. to W.P.: Your station?
W.P.: On the right of the altar, to the entrance of this Department.
W.M. to W.P.: You will please to prepare the altar.
After the altar has been arranged, the W.P. will say: Let us pray.
Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed; let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed who transgress without cause. Show me thy ways O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindness; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake, O Lord. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
W.M.: I now declare this Department duly opened by the powers of the Ch., to confer the W.M.'s or Historical Degree on all worthy Daughters of this Court, No. …, who have received the Second Degree and who have made application for the Third, and also to give P.W.M.'s credentials to the Council of the Female Department.
One rap seats the members.
W.M. to S.S.: You will please read the minutes of the previous session of this Department.
If after reading the minutes there are any applications to be acted on, the following ceremony takes place:
 
 
Initiation Ceremony
 
W.Ch. to W.M.: There are Sisters without who wish to enter this Motherhood Department.
W.M. to W.Ch.: You and your attendant will go and prepare the outer Department and perform your duties.
If the W.Ch. and her assistant are not well qualified for the duties, the W.P. will instruct and assist them.
W.M. to W.S.: You will prepare the veil and attend the same.
W.D.K. to W.S.: They (or she) are coming.
W.S.: I will watch.
Candidate enters.
W.S. to W.Ch.: Shall I call her?
W.Ch.: Yes!
First entrance, a statue, representing Eve, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Manoah's wife and Hannah. Close the first entrance. The candidates now reach the second entrance.
W.D.K. to W.S.: The children of Israel want to go up to the tabernacle to worship.
W.S.: They cannot go before Moses.
W.Ch. reads: Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us? We are not going to be lead by Moses, for he has defiled himself by marrying an Ethiopian woman, and we are going up to the tabernacle without him, &c.
W.M. reads: It is written, when Miriam and Aaron were speaking against Moses, the Lord suddenly spoke unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation, and the three came out.
W.P.: And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forth. And he said, hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant, Moses, 1s not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
W.S. reads: And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.
W.P.: And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow; and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. And Aaron said unto Moses, alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.
W.P. to the candidates: Friends, you will kneel to take upon yourself the prayers of Miriam.
W.P. reads: And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. And the Lord said unto Moses, if her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. Remember O Lord, this day. This day hear my speech; let this be my consolation, I will not complain against no man in my sufferance, and not to speak evil of the righteous man. My spirit is in trouble: mark me and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth, even when I remember, I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O, my God, I trust in thee, and let me be ashamed of the sin that I have committed. Lead me in thy truth, O Lord, that I may not speak evil of them. I put my trust in thee, O Lord! Amen! Amen!
W.M. to candidates: You will now take upon yourself the oath of the degree. You will repeat after me: I, …, do solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, that I will not give the secrets of this Motherhood Degree to any sister in the known or whole world, who has not received the same and only to a true and lawfully made worthy Sister in the Ancient Order of the Daughters of Jerusalem; I will attend all summonses of the P.W.M's Council of this state and be governed by the laws and regulations laid down by or coming from the State Priestry and issued from the State Encampment and the National Priestry of the United States of America. I furthermore promise and swear if ever I should unlawfully speak evil of a Sister or Brother without a lawful cause, may God deal with me as he did with Miriam, and I shall not be received with the Sisters or Brothers for 7 and 7 and keep me steadfast in due performance of the same. So help me God.
W.Ch. reads: So let us journey on and be, as was done, when Miriam was received in the camp again. So let us sing:
 
 
Initiation Ode
 
Father, I stretch my hands to thee,
No other help I know;
If thou withdraw thyself from me,
Oh whither hall I go?
 
CHORUS: O Jesus, could I this believe,
I now should feel thy power,
And all my wants thou wouldst receive
In this accepted hour.
W.M.to candidates.: Sisters, you will now listen to the words of scripture: In the days of King David there was a man by the name of Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail; and she was a woman of good understanding. But the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and this man's possessions were great. And David said unto bis servants, go unto Nabal and say: I pray thee, give us a little food, for we stand very much in need.
W.S. reads: And Nabal answered David's servants, and said: Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be. So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
W.D.K. reads: And David said unto his men: Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword, and David also girded on his sword; and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the staff.
W.Ch. reads: But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying: Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
W.D.K. reads: And she said unto her servants: Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband, Nabal.
W.Ch. reads: Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of fig, and laid them on asses. And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and fell at his feet, and said: Upon me, my lord-upon me let this iniquity be; and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience; and hear the words of thine handmaid. Let not, my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; but I, thine handmaid, saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.
W.P. reads: So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her: Go up in peace to thine house; see I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, be held a feast in hi, house like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light, But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.
After finishing the reading of scripture, the W.P. continues: Worthy Sisters or Friend; You have beard the evil of Nabal, and what the good Abigail, his wife, has done in ancient times. This degree is founded on the history of Matthew and the plotting of Miriam against Moses, and proved on Abigail.
Before giving the signs, grips, &c., the W.P. lectures to the candidates.
 
 
Lecture of the W.P.
 
You also know scripture tells us of the mother of Samuel, B.C.1171.This was a pious wife. She did not speak evil of her handmaid, but prayed to God to do his will.
The W.P. reads 1 Samuel, 8th to 20th verse .
And you also have seen and now know how Miriam watched and planned to save her little brother, Moses, and the one who seeked the child to destroy it. It was saved by the same hands. This is to show you out of evil came good, and that we can do good for one another in the time of trouble, and that you must have faith in God and put your trust in him, and be will deliver you in the day of trouble. You have seen what the Lord done unto Miriam for talking against Moses, when she spoke evil of him and his wife. She said that Moses had done something wrong, and that he had married an Ethiopian woman; and Aaron and Miriam did not like her, and were talking about Moses not doing right, and said that God had spoken to them. They were as good as Moses; and you saw what God did unto Miriam.
This is for you to remember, that when God appoints a prophet he knows his heart. Judge not, as you may be judged. Speak not evil of God's people, and fear God's justice. Remember your words m the first degree: If you cannot do them any good, do them no harm. If your Sister or Brother have always done right by you and all others, speak not evil of them because they make one step out of the way. Remember God has said you can fall ninety-nine times a day. Then remember your oath and obligation, God's anger, Miriam, and seven and seven.
W.P.:  Sisters, you have received the understanding of the foundation of this degree, and the warning to avoid all evil, and it cautions you to speak the truth, or hold your peace. I will now give you a proof of Abigail, the wife, a good, understanding woman (Gen.2, 22 and 24.) Then we must prove why should man do all these commands for his wife.
The W.P. illustrates.
His wife should love and protect him; the love and protection of a wife is combined by nature. But there is a love and protection that we and all other nations shall admit: it is a mother-love for her child. We all know that we must have a mother's love and protection. But this protection stops when your son arrives at the age of 21 years. He is free then and your protection is gone according to law. Yet we have scripture to prove it, when those who seeked Christ's life, they asked his parents. They wanted to know something of Jesus. Jesus' parents said, he is of age, ask him! They were under fear and dread.
Then, my dear Sisters, there is the part Abigail took to protect her husband. When Nabal had refused the king's demands and sent back word that was not right, it was the kino's intention to kill Nabal and all her family. But after the good wife was told what had been said, she did not tell her husband, but got everything ready that he could and met the king and so stopped all trouble and bloodshed. This is for you to keep in memory, if your husband does anything that is not right, you must try and show bun the danger, and you will save him and yourself from sorrow and distraction.
If your husband should be angry with you, say nothing if you want to be a wife of good understanding; and if he should have strife with your neighbor, hold your peace, if your husband is like Nabal, quick tempered and churlish. He will not heed you; say nothing. Be like Abigail, pray to God and he will do all things well. In conclusion, remember Abigail the wife of good understanding; a good wife will make a good husband, if the wife avoids little evils and will shun trouble. Listen not to false friends and remember, Sisters, Miriam and the wife of good understanding. Amen. Amen, &c., &c.
The W.P. will give the Sisters, the explanation, and instructions in the signs, grips, tokens and numbers:
The entering sign to, this degree is three raps; and the password is Abigail. The working sign, left hand up and the right hand on the left breast-the left band up, asking God to justify the act, the right hand we do act with a pure heart in remembrance of G.K., God knows my heart, conforming the word with action. The recognition sign is by forming the shoulder of the Cross, as in the first degree work sign. Answer to it, armlet sign; this is for Sisters; a Sister to a Brother, she will shake his left hand and say, O Brother; answer, he will place bis right hand on his left breast and say: well, Sister, G.K.; and a Brother to a Sister, he will take her by the right band with bis left and say: O Sister, Miriam; her answer, 7 days; Grip, or right hand, and left on the right shoulder. The warning sign, is the right hand up; answered, by a look back; dark word: Miriam; answer, 7 and 7; the sevens have 7 meanings, and 4 of them are used here: The 7th day God rested and commands us to keep holy; for 7 days Miriam was put out of the camp; and 7 years of famine. Token, remember Ruth and the barleycorn; and two sevens mean if you betray the secrets of this Order, you will be expelled for 77 years; the letters are the traveling key; and take care how you talk about a brother; this in remembrance of Miriam talking to her brother Aaron about her brother Moses. Explanation of the traveling letters is given only when a Sister is to travel.
The regalia to this degree, is a purple armlet, gold trimming and M.T.M., and a Cross, two sevens and a shoe, a white merino sash with trimmings of half inch green velvet and silver fringe, green silk in the couplers with a silver Cross.
Explanation-the first entrance in the 3d degree-W.M. to the candidate: You have seen nothing hut the green veil and a box; then one Sister came and said: Shall I call? answer: Go; then one came and said: Take this -- away a.n. it for me, and I will give you wages.: Ex. 2nd ch. 9th v. This is to show the love of a mother and a sister's care-this representing Pharaoh's daughter and Moses' sister and his mother-how they work to save the child Moses. Now, on your second entrance, you saw the representation of Eve, globe, snake and apple. Eve had the whole world and was not satisfied. The snake, a false friend, deceived her; let not your eyes deceive you as Eve's did; now look on the apple; what did Sarah tell her husband to do, then was not satisfied; look at the hardship of Hagar; this is to show that we know not what we want sometimes – See Rebekah pointed out a wife for Isaac; See Hannah, the mother of Samuel, she was good and her prayers were answered; and Manoah s wife, who was the mother of the strongest man in the world; all this is for you to understand that God had his time for these two sisters and mother-in-law to pass in and out of motherhood; now you have heard the words spoken and seen the shadows on the white veil and the Sister's white face; now look on the snake, and the black dotted white Cross; the snake here represents false friends and outside tatlers; the black dot is our own evil mind we sometimes have; the white Cross represents the pure part. Remember the words you have heard spoken and you will not forget the white face.
W.M.: Sisters be clothed and take your seats.
The W.P. hands the Book to the W.M.
 
 
Closing Ceremony
 
W.M.: W.S., W.Ch., W.D.K., and Sisters: I am about to close this Department, and if any of the members have anything to say why it shall not be done, you will please to speak or hereafter hold your peace.
W.P. to W.M.: Your duty in opening and in the initiation as also in the closing of this department?
W.M. answers.
W.M. asks the same question of the W.S., W.S. answers.
W.S. asks the W.Ch., W.Ch. answers.
W.Ch. asks the W.D.K., W.D.K. answers.
W.M. to S.S.: Have you any applications from the Second Degree Department?
S.S. answers-yes or no.
W.Ch.: Is there any P.W.M. who desires her card to the Council?
Answer:
W.Ch.: We are prepared to close this Department.
W.M. to W.Ch.: Your last duty in this Department?
W.Ch.: To remind the officers to be present at the next opening of this Department, if possible, and with my assistant to collect the property of this Department and to deposit the same in its proper place and have charge of the same.
W.M. to W.S.: Your duty in closing this Department?
W.S.: When this Department is about to close its labors, it is my duty to remind the Sisters to attend this Department, when open to receive instructions, in order to become qualified to fill offices in the first Court.
W.M. to W.Ch.: Are the officers ready to close?
W.Ch. calls in the O.S.K.and her assistant and answers: We are.
The W.M. gives three raps which call up all the officers and Sisters.
W.M. to W.P.: This Department is ready to close.
W.P.: See Second Degree closing.
W.M.: I now declare this Department closed in due and ancient form, by the authority of the W.P. and this Court Chart.
All respond: So may it be. Amen, Amen !
W.M. gives one rap and all is closed.
The emblems of the third degree are: a white cross surrounded by a snake and a light. On the armlet a white cross with a black spot in the centre.