United
Ancient Order of Druids
Royal
Arch Chapter Ritual
Opening
The Royal Arch-Druid shall take the chair at the appointed time, and
shall instruct the Royal Arch-Guardian to see that the doors are closed. He
shalt then instruct the Royal Arch-Bards to see that none are present but
members of Royal Arch Chapters. He shall then open the Chapter with the
following address: The objects for which this Royal Arch Chapter is
instituted are to imbue the members with zeal for the general good and welfare
of the Order, and to teach them to discharge the duties of their various offices
in such a way as to impress the members with a due respect for the privileges of
membership. It is the especial duty of all members of this Royal Arch Chapter to
guard against nominating for membership any one who has been found to be an
undesirable member of a Lodge. We must use our utmost efforts to raise the
standard of Druidism to as high a level as possible, and we should resolve to
carry out, to the
best of our ability, the lofty principles of truth, integrity, justice and
benevolence, which were the characteristics of the ancient Druids. Brothers, be
seated.
The Royal Arch Druid will then request the Royal Arch-Secretary to read
the minutes of the last meeting.
When candidates are present for the purpose of being initiated into the
Chapter by receiving the Past Arch Degree, the Royal Vice Arch-Bards shall
receive
the candidates at the door of the Chapter Room, when the Royal Arch Guardian
shall address them thus: Our Officers will now address you within the
Inner Triangle of this our Royal Arch Chapter.
The Royal Vice Arch-Bards having conducted the candidates to the Royal
Vice Arch, the Right Bard shall introduce them thus:
Worthy Royal Vice-Arch, I present to you P.A. Brothers ... that they may receive
the initial lecture.
The Royal Vice-Arch will then give the first portion of the
Past-Arch
Lecture
Brothers,
Allow me to offer you my sincere congratulations that you have been considered
by the members of your Lodge to be worthy of being admitted to the exalted
privilege of membership of this our Royal Arch Chapter. We praise you for having
given practical proof of your belief in the principle that “‘Whatever is
worth doing, is worth doing well.” We rejoice to see you animated with that
spirit of laudable ambition that prompts you to aspire to the highest honor that
the votes of the members can bestow. But you must now be determined to prove, by
your renewed zeal for the interests of the Order, that you are really worthy of
being placed in a position where your power for good or evil will be greater
than it has been in your own Lodge.
Let
me, therefore, exhort you to make now a firm resolution that you will henceforth
be more watchful than ever over your actions; that you will resolve to cultivate
the virtues which will make you good members of society, and those special
qualities which will render you exemplary Druids. As you are now eager to be
animated by such a laudable spirit, you must strive to make yourselves better
acquainted, not only with all the present laws of the Order, but also with those
general principles of equity, benevolence and justice, that will enable you to
co-operate with members for the general good. Do you give me your word of honour
that you will endeavour to shape your future progress in Druidism on the lines
that I have just sketched out to you?
The candidates having answered in the affirmative. the Royal Vice
Arch-Bards will lead them to the Royal Arch-Druid, the Left Bard introducing
them thus: Worthy Royal Arch-Druid I present to you P.A. Brothers
... that they may receive further instruction in the duties and privileges of
the Royal Arch Chapter.
The Royal Arch-Druid will then address them thus:
At this stage of your connection with that beloved and venerable Order, for
whose welfare you are now about to exert yourselves with redoubled zeal and
energy, it is scarcely necessary to tell you that we are
Druids in little more than the name, and that our chief claim to be considered
the successors of those venerable men is founded on the garments that we wear at
our ceremonials.
The
ancient Druids performed their sacred and mysterious rites under the green
boughs of a wide-spreading oak, called, in the language of old “drus.” We
are content to meet in our Chapter-room or our Lodge-room; but whether in a
lighted room or out in the noble forest lit up by the effulgent sun, or by the
paler light of the beautiful moon and glittering stars, we know that we are in
the immediate presence of omniscent Being, to Whom we must render an account for
all the thoughts, words and deeds of this our present life.
We
do not, like the old Druids, celebrate the tremendous sacrificial rites of
which even the bare historical narratives that we now read are sufficient to
fill us with reverential awe, but we can offer to our Maker the humble tribute
of an upright, life, which shall be a practical acknowledgment of His universal
sovereignty.
We
cannot, like those venerable sages, ascend the throne of judgment and pass
decrees that shall decide the fate of those who are summoned before our sacred
tribunal, but we can, by our own example, proclaim to our members the joys of a
life spent in the practice of every good work, and we can qualify ourselves by a
diligent study of all the laws, rules, customs and observances of our Order, to
give a sound and impartial judgment in any case of dispute. or other matter that
may be referred to any tribunal of which we may be members.
The
ancient Druids were the professors of science and literature, and kept the
traditional records of the history of their country. They assiduously cultivated
the power of memory, and, for the purpose of assisting it, they expressed their principal doctrines and traditions in stanzas,
consisting of three lines in a species of verse, called “TRIADS.” There were
a great number of these Triads, some of them being extremely beautiful. The
following may serve as examples:
WHAT
A DRUID SHOULD AVOID.
1.
Sloth, because a Druid is a man of investigation.
2.
Quarrelling, because he is a man of peace.
3.
Folly, because he is a man of reason.
THE
THREE DRUIDIC TRIUMPHS.
1.
The triumph of Learning over ignorance.
2.
The triumph of Reason over irrationality.
3.
The triumph of Peace over lawlessness.
In
their love of learning we may all imitate our Druidic forefathers to an
unlimited extent, and we may at least cultivate our memory to the extent of
learning all the lectures and instructions pertaining to our respective offices.
If
time would permit, I might easily institute a much more lengthened parallel
between ancient and modern Druids, but I will, in conclusion, merely exhort you
to take a pride in reading for yourselves the history of early Britain, wherein
you will learn all that is known of the Ancient Druids. There is nothing secret
therein, and the only secrecy in connection with our beloved Order is what may
be styled the family secrets of our Lodge-rooms, which must never be divulged to
the uninitiated
Brother,
as a full privileged Past-Arch of our beloved Order, I now greet you with the
hand of true fraternal affection shaking
hands with each, and will give you the TOKEN of a PAST-ARCH, which is
the Sign of the Chapter.
I
will now acquaint you with the Grip by which Past-Arches of our Order recognise
each other. He
gives the Grip. The ordinary grip denotes Friendship, the
full-linked grip denotes Firm and Constant Friendship.
The
Pass-word to the Past-Arch Degree is ...
Our
P.R.A. will now address you.
P.R.A.: Brothers, Before you take your seats as full and
privileged Past-Arches of the U.A.O.D., let me exhort you to bear in mind that
you are now, more than ever, bound to devote your energy and talents to the
advancement of our Order. Without appearing to arrogate to yourselves any
superiority to those who have not yet advanced to your present grade of honour,
you may strive to encourage them to greater zeal for the advancement and
amelioration of our Order. Should you become Grand Lodge officers or delegates
to the Grand Lodge, I trust that your conduct will be characterised by that
spirit of gentleness. prudence. moderation and Druidic erudition, which will
gain for you the approval of the chosen members of the Order, and make you
worthy of the highest honour they can bestow.
Closing
Royal Arch-Druid: Brothers, I will thank you to rise and assist me
to close the Chapter. Before parting, allow me to remind you that it is highly desirable for the members of the
Chapter to be assiduous in attending their Lodges. It is only by continued zeal
that we can hope to see our beloved Order flourish. To do good should be one of
the main objects of our life; and assuredly it is a great good to foster the spirit of friendship amongst our members,
and to strive to induce others to join our
Order.
Let me counsel you to study your rules, and to see that everything is
correctly done both in Lodge and Chapter Room.
I
now declare this Chapter closed.