Order of Benefit Association of
Railway Employees
Ritual for the Installation of Officers
1959
The officers entitled to install the officers-elect in a
Local Division are
any of the National Officers or the Past Conductor of a
Local Division. General
or Field Organizers or any Local Division officer or member
may be authorized by
the National Division to conduct this ceremony. The officer
acting as Installing
Officer shall be addressed as Brother Installing Officer.
Some member should be selected to act as Master of
Ceremonies to assist the
Installing Officer, and he should arrange nine chairs in a
half circle in front
of the altar, and as the names of the officers-elect are
read, Master of
Ceremonies will escort the officers to their seats,
according to their rank,
beginning with the Past Conductor and also place three
chairs in rear of regular
officers-elect for Board of Trustees.
When ready to proceed the Installing Officer will take the
Conductor's chair,
call the Division to order, and proceed as follows:
INSTALLING OFFICER: Sisters
and
Brothers, I am now ready to proceed with the installation of
your officers.
Brother Master of Ceremonies you will escort the officers-elect
to seats in
front of the altar as their names are read.
Here read names of elected officers. After all elected
officers have been
placed in their proper positions in front of the altar, the
Master of Ceremonies
will report to the Installing Officer, as follows:
MASTER OF CEREMONIES: Brother
Installing
Officer, the officers-elect are in their places, ready for
installation, and now await your pleasure.
INSTALLING OFFICER: Officers-elect,
I
compliment and congratulate you upon your election to the
offices which you are
now about to assume; your fellow members have bestowed upon you
a legacy which
no doubt is merited; see to it that you prove yourselves worthy
in every way of
the confidence reposed in you.
The above should be delivered from the Conductor's station,
at the conclusion
of which, the Installing Officer will call all members to
their feet, when he
will advance to the altar, in front of the elected officers,
and proceed as
follows:
Officers’ Oath
INSTALLING OFFICER: Each
of you will
place his right hand over his left breast, covering the heart,
while taking the
official obligation.
In the presence of the members here assembled, do you solemnly
promise and
declare that you will, to the best of your knowledge and
ability, perform the
duties of your office, until your successor has been duly
elected and installed?
Officers answer.
Will you be considerate of your subordinates in office and
obedient to your
superiors in this Division, and in the National Division, having
jurisdiction
over it?
Officers answer.
Will you do all that we have a right to expect of you in
promoting true
brotherly regard among the members of this Division, and 'use
all honorable
endeavor in securing good and worthy persons for members in this
Order?
Officers answer.
Finally, will you as officers, act at all times with strict
impartiality,
administering simple justice to all?
Officers answer.
These promises, if fulfilled, will place you in the highest
esteem of your
fellow members, and thus cause your term of office to reflect to
your credit.
You may now stand at ease.
After administering the official obligation, the Installing
Officer will
return to his station, and seat the members with one rap of
the gavel, and
proceed with the installation, as follows:
Board of Trustees
INSTALLING OFFICER: The
members of
the Board of Trustees will please rise.
My Brothers it shall be your duty as the Board of Trustees to
supervise the
financial transactions and affairs of this Division.
You will select one of your members as Chairman and you shall
meet at least
once each three months, to examine the hooks and accounts of the
Division and
report your findings to the Division in writing. You will also
audit and approve
the Semi-Annual and Annual Reports, made by the
Secretary-Treasurer or Treasurer
to this Division and to the National Division.
Your compliance with these instructions will be highly
appreciated by the
Division and your National Officers.
You may now take seats among the members.
Past Conductor
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
Master of
Ceremonies, you will please escort to this station the Past
Conductor of this
Division.
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
Past
Conductor, in appreciation of your services during your term of
office, it is
only fitting that you should install the officers of this
Division, and that
shall be your duty except when a National Officer is present, on
which occasion
he should be asked to preside. You shall, in the absence of the
Conductor and
Engineer, preside at all meetings of this Division and perform
such other duties
as are required by the Ritual. You will please take a seat on
the rostrum.
Conductor
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
Master of
Ceremonies, you will escort to this station the
Conductor-elect
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
..., you
have been honored, by being elected to the highest office within
the gift of
this Division; prove your fitness by a faithful and efficient
discharge of your
duties. You are to preside over all meetings of this Division
during your term
of office.
You are to decide all points of order, appoint a majority of all
committees,
maintain order and decorum, and exert your every effort in
promoting the good
and welfare of the Order.
I entrust to your keeping the charter of this Division, and we
expect you to
defend and uphold it with all the zeal and loyalty at your
command.
I also present you with a copy of the Constitution and By-Laws,
and a ritual
of our Order, which will guide and instruct you in all of your
deliberations.
This gavel I now entrust to your keeping; with it you will
control the
movements of the members of this Division, when in session.
Be firm, yet kind and courteous, remembering, that as an officer
you are at
all times a criterion for others to follow. May your duties be
both pleasant and
beneficial, and may your term of office redound to your honor
and exaltation.
Welcome to your exalted station.
Extend right hand as he steps to his seat, which should be
just to the right
of the Installing Officer, until installing ceremonies are
concluded.
Engineer
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
Master of
Ceremonies, you will next present to this station the
Engineer-elect.
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
Engineer,
you are to assist the Conductor in the discharge of his duties;
you are to
preside in his absence; appoint the minority of all committees,
aid in
maintaining order, and in cultivating a brotherly regard among
the members.
You are to assist in the instruction of candidates, have
supervision over the
inner guard, attending to the admission of all who seek to enter
without the
proper pass words. Be faithful and attentive to your duties, and
see to it that
your conduct is at all times of such a character as to merit the
praise of all.
Brother Master of Ceremonies, you will escort the Engineer to
his station and
present to me the Secretary-Treasurer elect.
Master of Ceremonies conducts the Engineer to his station,
then presents the
Secretary-Treasurer elect.
Secretary-Treasurer
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
Secretary-Treasurer, yours is a most important office, in fact,
the most
laborious one in the gift of a Division. The duties of your
office require you
to keep a true and accurate record of the proceedings of the
Division, and upon
the faithfulness with which you discharge that duty much
depends. You are to
take charge of the funds of the Division and render a true and
correct account
of all receipts and expenditures, draw all checks and pay all
bills ordered paid
by the Division, have charge of the seal and conduct all the
official
correspondence of the Division, and upon retiring from office
turn over to your
successor all lodge funds and Division property entrusted to
your keeping and
render a report of same to the Division. May success crown your
efforts and your
accomplishments entitle you to reasonable pride.
Brother Master of Ceremonies, conduct him to his station and
present the
Fireman-elect.
Master of Ceremonies escorts Secretary-Treasurer to his
station, then escorts
Fireman-elect to Installing Officer's station.
Secretary
The following form to be used only when the offices of
Secretary and
Treasurer are separate:
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
Secretary,
yours is a most important office, in fact, the most laborious
one in
the gift of the Division. The duties of your office require you
to keep a true
and accurate record of the proceedings of the Division, and upon
the
faithfulness with which you discharge that duty much depends.
You will receive all money paid into the Division and pay same
over to the
Treasurer, taking his receipt therefor.
You will have charge of the seal and conduct all the official
correspondence
of the Division, and upon retiring from office turn over to your
successor all
lodge funds and Division property entrusted to your keeping and
render a report
of same to the Division. May success crown your efforts and your
accomplishments
entitle you to reasonable pride.
Brother Master of Ceremonies, conduct him to his station and
present the
Treasurer-elect.
Master of Ceremonies escorts Secretary to his station, then
escorts
Treasurer-elect to installing officer's station.
Treasurer
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
Treasurer,
it will be your duty to receive all money paid into the Division
from
the hands of the Secretary, giving a receipt therefor. You will
keep a true and
correct record of such receipts and pay them out only on warrant
properly
authorized by the Division and signed by the Conductor and
Secretary. You will
also keep a record of all expenditures in a hook provided for
that purpose and
with the assistance of the Secretary prepare Semi-Annual and
Annual Reports of
the financial standing of the Division which shall be submitted
to the National
Secretary. Upon retiring from office turn over to your successor
all lodge funds
and Division property entrusted to your keeping and render a
report of same to
the Division.
Observance of these instructions will bring you credit and
elicit the
approval of your Division and the National Officers. Brother
Master of
Ceremonies conduct him to his station and present the
Firemen-elect
Master of Ceremonies escorts Treasurer to his station, then
presents the
Fireman-elect to the Installing Officer.
Fireman
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
Fireman,
it will be your duty to instruct all candidates entering the
Division in the
principles of our Order and see to it that the work is clone in
such a manner as
to leave a lasting impression on the minds of all who are
admitted for
membership.
An efficient discharge of these duties will bring you credit.
Brother Master of Ceremonies, escort the Fireman to his station
and present
to me the Machinist-elect.
Master of Ceremonies escorts Fireman to his station, then
presents the
Machinist-elect to the Installing Officer.
Machinist
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
Machinist,
yours is also an important part. At the opening of Division
meetings
you are to collect the pass word from all present, and ascertain
that all are
entitled to a seat in the meeting after which you will properly
arrange the
altar, then report to the Conductor.
You are to have charge of all the Division paraphernalia, seeing
to it that
it is properly cared for; you are to arrange for the safe
conduct of all
candidates admitted for initiation into the Division. You are to
become the
Captain of the Degree Team, unless otherwise decreed by the
Division. If you are
diligent in the discharge of these duties your services are
certain to gain you
favor with all members.
Brother Master of Ceremonies escort the Machinist to his
station, then
present to me the Motorman-elect.
Master of Ceremonies conducts Machinist to his station, then
presents the
Motorman-elect.
Motorman
INSTALLING OFFICER: Brother
Motorman,
you also have an important part in the activities of the
Division, and I
admonish you to hold yourself ready to assist the Conductor and
perform such
duties as may he required of you. Brother Master of Ceremonies,
escort the
Motorman to his station, and present to me the Brakeman and
Flagman-elect.
The Master of Ceremonies escorts the Motorman to his
station, then escorts
the Brakeman and Flagman-elect to the Installing Officer.
Brakeman and Flagman
INSTALLING OFFICER:Brothers Brakeman
and Flagman, your duties are to carefully guard
the Division against imposition by those not entitled to enter,
and to see
that the proceedings of Division meetings are not disturbed,
admitting no one
except when it is proper for them to enter. Upon your
watchfulness and tact much
depends; look well to your stations.
Brother Master of Ceremonies, conduct them to their station,
after which you
are discharged with many thanks.
After conducting the Brakeman and Flagman to their
respective places, just
inside the inner door, he will take a seat, while the
Installing Officer will
proceed.
INSTALLING OFFICER: Officers
and
members ... Di vision No. .... Your Conductor and full corps of
officers have
been duly and lawfully installed and are now vested with due
authority to
perform their official duties according to the laws of the
Order. By your united
efforts the Division will grow and prosper in whatever measure
you deserve; see
that each one does his full duty and that none, be he officer or
member of the
rank and file, prove recreant to his trust; remember the objects
of our Order,
and in the spirit of true fraternity, strive to excel in good
works only, thus
exemplifying the true brotherhood of man, and now by the power
vested in me by
the National Division, I proclaim the officers of ... Division
No. ... duly
installed, and they are hereby authorized to enter upon their
official duties
for the ensuing term and until their successors are elected and
duly installed.