Order of Sleeping Car Conductors
Initiation Ritual
Rules
1922
1. The Bible shall be placed upon the altar and remain open during the
session of the Division.
2. After the Division has been duly opened, the Conductor will escort the
visiting members to the altar, the President will call the Division to its feet,
and the Conductor will introduce the visitors to the Division, who will then be
welcomed by the President, after which the Division and visitors will be seated.
The Dictator and Conductor will receive and examine all visitors who arrive
while Division is in session. Should a visitor be present without the proper
password, the President, Vice-President or Dictator shall examine him closely to
satisfy themselves that he is entitled to his seat.
3. Two raps of the gavel by the President, calls the Division to order and
seats it. Three raps of the gavel calls the Division officers to their feet.
Five raps of the gavel calls the entire Division to its feet.
4. Should any member of a Division be present without the periodical pass,
the President must ascertain if he is entitled to it from the Treasurer, and if
so, he will instruct the Conductor to give it to him. The Conductor only by
command of the President and during a Division meeting, will be entitled to give
the pass, but at no other time.
5. When an obligation is about to be administered, the Division shall rise at
the call of the gavel, and the candidate shall place his left hand on the open
Bible with his right hand extended Heavenward.
6. While a Division is in session, only an officer in performance of his
duty, will be permitted to go in or out of a Division room, without going
through the proper work.
7. No brother will be permitted to enter or retire from a Division room
during the opening or closing ceremonies, reading of the minutes or initiation,
unless by special consent of the President; should an alarm be given during any
of these times, the member will be admitted to the ante room, but no further,
until proper time, and under no circumstances shall they pass between the altar
and the President.
8. The President must properly instruct the Vice-President, Dictator,
Secretary and Treasurer of any instructions changed in the secret work, so that
they may hold meetings in his absence.
9. All lodge property, especially the rituals, must be kept in some secure
place, under lock and key, but accessible at all times for purpose of holding
meetings.
10. No levity, interruption or smoking shall be indulged in during
initiation.
Opening Ceremony.
President: The Division will please come to order.
President: Brother Conductor, prove yourself, and then prove all
present have a right to remain, reporting when so done.
Conductor: Brother President, all have proved themselves.
President: The Division will please rise.
Brother Chaplain, we await your prayer.
Chaplain: Almighty God, we ask that you be with us in this meeting
and direct us in the performance of our various duties to mankind as may be Thy
will. In Thy name we are meeting here, and in Thy name desire to proceed in all
our affairs. Grant that we may have Thy guidance in the efforts we may put
forth; that they may reflect to Thy credit, and eventually have an entrance into
Thy Everlasting Kingdom.
The President will seat the Division and announce the order of business.
Initiation Ceremony
President: Brother Conductor, you will ascertain whether there are
any candidates awaiting initiation; reporting when so done.
Conductor: Brother President, Conductor … is in waiting and
desires initiation.
President: Brother Secretary and Brother Conductor, you will,
after proper fee has been collected, prepare candidate for initiation.
Secretary should report to President that fee has been collected, and if
candidate is qualified for initiation.
Conductor to candidate: Mr. … , you will be required to take an
obligation to join this Order, and with positive assurance on my part that
nothing required of you will conflict with your religious or political views or
your obligation as a man. Do you believe in Almighty God as the Supreme Ruler of
the Universe?
Candidate: I ….
Conductor: Will you solemnly and sincerely promise that at all
times and all places, you will deport yourself in such a manner that will
reflect credit to yourself and honor to the fraternity? Will you agree to
support and conform to the rules of our organization?
Candidate: I ….
Candidate must answer in the affirmative. He should then be blindfolded and
prepared for initiation; after blindfolding, led into Division room and placed
at the altar, facing the President, placing his left hand on the open Bible and
the right hand extended Heavenward. Inner Sentinel will admit conductor with
candidate on instruction from President.
President: Brother Inner Sentinel, you will instruct the Conductor
initiation is now in order and admit him with the candidate.
President: Brothers, attend the initiation.
All members should join hands around the altar.
President: Think seriously, and repeat this obligation: I, …
(your name) before Almighty God, and these men that surround me, solemnly swear
that I will keep the matters of this Order secret and. unto myself, unless
instructed by the Grand Division, and that, if for any reason I relinquish my
membership this oath is still binding even unto death, and that I will work at
all times in behalf of this beloved Order; and I further swear that if I should
betray my fellow men in this Order I will become a despicable subject, not fit
to mingle with honourable men, a traitor and a spy. I thus pass sentence upon
myself.
Candidate will then he admitted to the ring around the altar, his blindfold
removed at the same time as the President repeats the following:
I now look upon this band of men and see ties that will last unto death and
become a part of you, so help me God.
At the sound of the gavel, members seated.
President: Brother Conductor, you will now present the candidate
and I will give him the secret work.
The Conductor will escort candidate before President's chair.
Conductor: Brother President, I have Conductor …, who has been
obligated and now desires further Information.
President: Conductor …, the secret work of this organization, I
will now acquaint you with. On approaching the outer door give … that will
call the Outer Sentinel, and when he presents himself, you will give in a
whisper …, which is never changed. Then you will approach the inner door and
give this …, and to him you will give this … in a whisper, which is changed
every three months, or when deemed advisable by the President. Then you will
advance about eight feet, turn square, advance to the front of the
Vice-President's station, give this … to that officer, who will acknowledge
you by this …, turn around and advance to the altar and give this …, which
signifies …, and when properly given will be answered by the President in this
way …, which signifies that we are …. You may then be seated.
We have a challenging sign to be used in learning if some other Conductor is
a member of the Order, and is given like this …, and if he is a member, he
will reply by giving this sign …. After your sign has been recognized by him,
we have a question which should be used. You should ..., and he should ….
Receipts for current month should be presented by both before talking business.
The motto of this Order is, "Liberty, Justice and Protection,"
President: Brother Conductor, you will now present Brother … to
the Chaplain's chair for further instructions.
Conductor to Brother Chaplain: By direction of our Worthy
President, I now present to you for further instructions, Brother ….
Chaplain: My brother, while in our President's hands, you were
informed the motto of the Order is, "Liberty, Justice and Protection."
Liberty is that principle for which our forefathers fought, suffered and died,
and one of' the foundation stones of all sound governments and societies.
Justice, we insist upon from the hands of all with whom we have dealings,
especially of those who deal with us for our labor. Protection, above all things
we will have, if we are faithful to our obligations, our employers and our God.
Let us learn to love our work, our brothers, our homes and our Heavenly Father,
for love is the fulfillment of the law.
Chaplain: Brother Conductor, you will now present again Brother
… to our President for further instructions.
Conductor: Brother President, by direction of our Worthy Chaplain,
I present Brother … for further instructions.
President: Brother Conductor, you will now introduce the Brother
to the Division.
Conductor: Brothers, it affords me great pleasure to introduce
Brother …, whose initiation has just been concluded.
Closing Ceremony
President: Brother Secretary-Treasurer, is there any further
business?
Secretary: Brother President, there is none.
President: Brother Chaplain, we await your closing.
Chaplain: My brothers, as we leave this lodge room, let us not
forget the obligations we have taken, and let us leave this Division room fully
determined that our actions may be pointed to with pride, and that they may be
confined within the beautiful words, "Liberty," "Justice,"
and "Protection."
Heavenly Father, watch over us through life, that we may be enclosed in the
Portals of Heaven when the time approaches to leave this earth, and keep us well
and safe until our next meeting.
President: I now declare … Division number … closed until the
next regular meeting, which will be held on the … day of ….