Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes 
Third Degree Ceremony - K.O.M.


This ritual is from 1958

S.P. opens the Lodge, First Degree and received Regalia visits.
The Grand Primo takes over the Lodge from Sitting Primo and asks all brethren taking part in the ceremony to retire.
The Knight Commander Officers and Members of the Knights Chapter are then introduced by the Director of Ceremonies.
The Grand Primo transfers the Lodge to the Knight in command.
Director of Ceremonies: Worthy Knight Commander, have I your permission to introduce the Guard of Honour, members of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree.
K.C.: Worthy Director of Ceremonies, you have our full permission.
D.C. retires and announces Guard of Honour to Tyler.
Guard is then brought in and placed in the spaces for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Degree.
D.C.: Worthy Knight Commander, have I your permission to introduce the Installing Knight.
K.C.: Worthy Director of Ceremonies, we do grant our permission that Bro. ... the Installing Knight, be introduced to the members assembled.
D.C. retires and brings in the Installing Knight and introduces him to the K.C. and brethren.
K.C. now transfers the Lodge to the Installing Knight.
D.C. asks permission to introduce the Knight of the Jewel and the Knight Insignia of Peace, placing the Knight of the Jewel on his right and the Knight Insignia of Peace on his left.
D.C., kneeling in centre of Lodge: Worthy Installing Knight, have I your permission to introduce a brother who has been deemed worthy to be raised to the 3rd degree, that of Knighthood, and receive the Honour at your hands
Inst. Knt: His name, worthy Director of Ceremonies?
D.C.: Bro. ....
Inst. Knt.: His rank?
D.C: A Primo of our Ancient and Honourable Order.
Inst Knt.: Worthy Director of Ceremonies, we do grant our permission that the Worthy Brother he admitted to a Lodge of the first degree.
D.C. retires and announces himself with the Candidate and sponsors.
Inst. Knt.: Admit them. On admittance Candidate and D.C. remain at G.M’s end of Lodge.
Inst. Knt: Bro. ..., by what means do you gain admittance to a Lodge of the first degree?
Candidate: By signs and passwords.
Inst. Knt.: Worthy Vice Knight Commander, will you kindly test the Candidate as to his knowledge of the signs, Passwords and Grip of the 1st degree.
V.K.C., after testing: Worthy Installing Knight. Signs, Passwords and Grip quite correct.
Inst. Kt.: Bro. ..., do you remember the declaration administered to you when initiated into the Mysteries of our Order?
Candidate: I do.
Inst. Knt.: Will you please repeat that Declaration?
Candidate repeats.
Inst Knt.: Bro. ..., do you in the presence of the Brethren in Lodge ratify and confirm the declaration you have just made.
Candidate: I do.
The Proclamation of the First Degree is now read: Whereas we, the Kangaroos of the ...
Lodge  No. ..., do declare that one ... has been duly and legally proposed, seconded, and elected, to receive the Honour and Dignity of the Third Degree, and he has this day repeated the Obligation of the First Degree, and proved himself in full possession of the signs and passwords belonging to the said degree.
As witness our hands this ... day of  ....
Inst. Knt.: Let the Brother be advanced to second degree
Inst. Knt.: Primo ..., do you remember the terms of the Oath of Fidelity, which was administered to you when you were raised to the degree of Primo?
Candidate.:  I do.
Inst. Knt.: Do you in the presence of the Primos in Lodge now ratify and confirm that oath of Fidelity.
Candidate : I do.
Inst. Knt.: I will now listen to the petition of the Second Degree.
Know all Brethren hat we, the undersigned duly and legally elected Primos of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, have tested one ..., a member of the Second Degree, and found him in possession of the Signs and Passwords appertaining to the aforesaid Degree, and now most humbly ask that he, the said ... may receive the Dignity of Knighthood at your hands.
As witness our hands this ... day of ....
Inst. Knt.: Let the Brother be further advanced.
The Candidate is then introduced by the Sponsors to the Installing Knight.
Inst. Knt.: I will now listen to the Decree of the Third Degree.
Be it known to all Brethren here assembled, that we, the undersigned, Knights of the Order of Merit of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, having met in secret conclave, have unanimously agreed that one .., a Primo of this, our Honourable Order, shall have the Dignity and Honour of Knighthood conferred upon him.
Given at ... under our hands and seals this ... day of ....
 
 
Address
 
Inst. Knt.: Worthy Knights, Primo’s and Brethren. In the performance of the varied duties devolving upon the Executive of this Order, there is one which excites the feelings to a superlative degree of gratification and that is when the Brethren assembled do conjointly and unanimously agree to testify their esteem and regard for, and appreciation of, the zeal and devotion of a Brother unto whom they are about to do honour.
To the Knight Elect primo: From time immemorial, aye even from the most barbarous epochs in the world’s history, there has ever appeared to exist an intuitive principle in human nature to discover in others the attributes of Talent, Valour, Wisdom, or Worth ; and always a desire to reward the possessor of the same by some Title, Decoration, or Symbol, by which he became recognised as a superior in his class or tribe.
For centuries past, and in this enlightened era how many of our gallant soldiers and sailors have worn, and do now wear upon their breasts, Medals, Clasps, and peculiar coloured Ribands, describing in intelligible terms the actions in which they have been engaged and when complimented by even a casual enquirer or observer, does not an emotion almost indescribable pervade their minds, as they can honestly and fearlessly exclaim, “These Decorations are the gifts of my grateful Country.”
We wilt now, after this exordium, proceed to remark that Orders of Knighthood most probably had their origin from that celebrity, Peter the Hermit, whose enthusiastic eloquence forced the nations of Christendom into the Saracenic War of which, according to our traditions, our Royal Brother, Richard Coeur de Lion, was an eminent Chieftain. Hence arose the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, of Malta, and a variety of others which are well described by various talented authors; but all these enumerated Orders were of a religious nature.
Other Orders of Knighthood were also established, some of a National, others of an Individual character. Knight Errantry in the individual ran wild and rampant but was restored to reason by the able satires of Michael Cervantes of Spain, and Tobias Smollet, of England, respectively, in those standard novels of “ Don Quixote de la Mancha,” and “Launcelot Greaves,”
In this enlightened age we have various Orders of Merit, with appropriate decorations, not confined to achievements upon the battlefield or the ocean. For those who procreate
the welfare of their Country, be it on Field, Ocean, in Cabinet or Council, there is always open, by advancement, the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and the Most Honourable Order of the Bath; and, in conclusion, since there be knights of so many distinctions, that even the Quadrupedic Race furnish some titles, such as Knights of the Lion, Elephant, and Leopard, we do ourselves undertake to create Knights of the Order of Merit belonging to the Order of Buffaloes.
 
 
Obligation
 
Primo ..., stand forth.
In addition to your pledges of Secrecy and Fidelity, will you in this august assemblage of True and Goodhearted Brethren, solemnly promise to maintain and uphold the rights and privileges of this out Ancient and Most Honourable Order of Buffaloes.
The Knight-Elect will answer.
I do solemnly promise the same, on the Word and Honour of a Man and Brother, and if I fail in the performance thereof, may I, after receiving the dignity about to be conferred on me, be treated as a Coward, a Craven, and a Recreant Knight.
Kneels on right knee.
Primo ..., you have fought the battle of Good-Fellowship, Peace, Harmony, and Philanthropy, on the civilised prairies of Bipedic Buffaloism, we hereby, but not with a weapon of warfare and bloodshed, but with the social calumet of peace, do now dub Thee Knight of the Order of Merit, of the Order of Buffaloes.
Arise Sir ....
Inst. Knt. asks the Knight of the Jewel to convey the Jewel, Apron, etc., to the V.K.C with the request that be consecrate the same.
V.K.C : By virtue of mine office and the power vested in me I do hereby consecrate this Jewel and Apron, and do declare them fit to be worn in all duly and legally constituted Buffalo Lodges throughout the world. By the name of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and the Executive of this our Ancient and Most Honourable Order.
V.K.C., after Consecration: Worthy Installing Knight, I return Jewel, Apron, etc., duly and legally Consecrated.
Inst. Knt.: Worthy Vice Knight Commander, you have our thanks.
Inst. Knt. then decorates the Knight with Jewel, Apron, etc.: We do now invest you with this Mark of Distinguishment. Preserve it as a treasure; and as you must eventually leave it to either Wife, Child, Brother or Friend, it will be a consolation to you in your last moments to know that, when they look upon it hereafter they will say: Sir ... lived and died respected as an
Upright and Honest Man, and a Good and True-hearted Buffalo.
Signs and Passwords to be given at the Exaltation.

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