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Maccabees
& Ladies of the Maccabees
Knights of the Maccabees
Variously known as the Knights (and Ladies) of
the Maccabees, Maccabees of the World, Macabees, Women’s Benefit Association.
The original early biblical
Maccabees were a priestly family of Jews who organized a successful rebellion against the
Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV and reconsecrated the defiled Temple of Jerusalem.
In 1896, the Knights of the Maccabees had a
membership of 209,831. The Knights of the Maccabees were a fraternal and
benevolent "legal reserve society." Families of deceased members received
benefits in the form of legal-reserve insurance. All white persons of sound health and
good character, from birth to 70 years of age, were eligible for membership. Their name
comes from the Biblical Maccabees. The order was founded in London, Ontario in 1878 and
reorganized in 1883. Before 1914, it was known as the Knights of the Maccabees. Subsequent
to 1914, it has been simply been called "The Maccabees". At one
time, about one third of membership was in Michigan. Thirty years ago, their
national headquarters was located at 5057 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI. From
"History of Genesee County, Michigan Vol. 1, - 1916": Knights of the Maccabees of
the World, organized originally in Canada, was incorporated in Michigan in 1884.
Originally it operated on an assessment basis; whenever a member died, each
living member was assessed 10 cents to go into a pot to provide the widow $1000.
After reorganization, it became much more sophisticated, collecting monthly
assessments based on payouts. By the 1890s it provided not only death benefits
but also sick benefits of $4 to $10/week; total and permanent disability
benefits of $50, $200, or $300 annually (depending on the size of your
assessment); $175-$2000 for loss of hands, eyes, feet, etc.; funeral benefits,
and so on. "Coal miners" - "aeronauts" and other dangerous
professions excluded. Manufacturers, sellers, and drinkers of alcohol also
excluded. The Maccabees were one of the more successful of fraternal benefit
societies which sprung up after the Civil War. Many insurance companies were not
interested in sales to ordinary people and there was little in the way of
"safety nets". Groups like the Maccabees, Foresters, Woodmen, and so
on provided a safety net along with pleasant social meetings and other
gatherings. Each had its own ritual legend -- the Foresters, Robin Hood, for
example, and the Maccabees the story of Mattathias Maccabee and his sons, the
leaders of the Jewish revolt against Syrian desecration of the Temple.
The insurance aspect of the
fraternity has always been paramount. Its fraternal aspect drew on the exploits
of the Jewish military genius Judas Maccabeus.
The
Knights of the Modern Maccabees and The Maccabees of the World have since consolidated and
were known simply as the Maccabees. Their fraternalism activities
ceased to exist in 1962 when they became a life insurance company.
Ladies of the Maccabees
The
Ladies of the Maccabees were organized in the mid-1880s and not at first
recognized by the Knights, but persistence paid off, and according to Albert C.
Stevens, (in 1896), "Its successful career has surprised many, even among
its well-wishers, and has shown that women may safely be entrusted with the
conduct and management of many of the broader business affairs of life."
In 1891, a young woman went to a summer picnic
that would transform her life as well as Port Huron's history. The woman, Bina
Mae West, was a prodigy. At age 18, she completed her studies at St. Clair
County Normal School and returned to her alma mater, Capac High, as a teacher
and assistant principal. At 20, she won a seat on the Board of County School
Examiners, one of the first women in Michigan to hold elected office.
The picture above and just below are from Karen Baker who
describes her female relatives that were members of Ladies of the Maccabees:
My Aunt Jean Drane Yott (with glasses) is on the far right, and my Grandmother
Jean Drane is beside her. The young girl kneeling in front of them them is my
mother, Elizabeth ("Bettie") Fettes Drane (Married name, Ferency).
The picnic, which she attended with an aunt,
was sponsored by the Maccabees, a fraternal benefit society led by Port Huron
native Nathan Boynton. Such societies offered social and self-improvement
activities as well as life and disability insurance at a time when neither was
common.
On the spot, she decided she would change that.
Her motivation was the thought of two of her best pupils, whose mother had died
without insurance. The father had placed the children with well-to-do families -
the daughter as a domestic servant and the son as a stable boy.
As West saw it, the youngsters had been torn
from their family and denied a formal education because life insurance was
unavailable for women.
This photo is also from Karen
Baker. It was taken while on a Ladies of the Maccabees outing! Her
grandmother, Jean Drane is draped on the fender.
In his 1992 book, An Enduring Heritage,
Keith Yates quoted what West told her aunt as they left the picnic: "Aunt
Nellie, the fraternal benefit system is the greatest thing I've ever heard of. I
will make this my life's work. There is a great need, and I know I can fill it."
Over the next 56 years, West devoted herself to
her mission.
WORKING FOR WOMEN:
In 1892, when Bina West Miller set up shop in the basement of the Maccabee
Temple to create an insurance organization for women and children, she unleashed
a revolution. From its humble start, what was to become the Women's Benefit
Association would claim more than 75,000 members in 42 states in just eight
years. Today, the Woman's Life Insurance Society has more than $180 million in
assets.
As state organizer for the Ladies of the
Maccabees, she built its membership from 319 in 1892 to 5,770 in 1894. The
organization, later renamed the Women's Benefit Association, had 75,224 members
in 42 states by 1900. Four years later, it had nearly 150,000 members and 40
employees at its Port Huron headquarters.
"In less than 12 years, (it) was no doubt the
great business movement of women in the world," Yates wrote.
The rapid growth led the Maccabees to build a
second temple in 1904 at the intersection of Huron and Pine Grove avenues. The
original temple, built in 1892 at Huron and Bard, was noted for its hive-shaped
brass domes. It became the Algonquin Hotel in 1906 and was destroyed in a fire
in 2000.
Port Huron's mayor declared a public holiday on
Oct. 22, 1915, when the cornerstone was placed for the association's
headquarters on Military Street. The structure, with an exterior of Indiana
limestone and Corinthian columns flanking its entrance, would be dedicated two
years later.
Bena West Miller
A sign in West's office gave the motto - "Hard
Work and Ever At It" - that she embraced until her retirement at age 81. She
died in 1954.
The Woman's Life Insurance Society, as the
association is known today, is still based in Port Huron. Janice Whipple, who
took over in 1990, is only its sixth president in more than a century.
Pictured above is a Past Presidents
pin for the Women's Benevolent Association. It could very well have
belonged to Bena West Miller the Founding President or possibly Francis
Partridge, as there have been but 5 past presidents of this organization in the
past century (116 years).
Ladies of the Maccabees Petition for Membership
This circa 1922 application for
membership in the Ladies of the Maccabees came from the family of Edward Ward.
Thank you!
Ladies of
the Maccabees Building in Port Huron, Michigan
We owe a special
"Thanks" to Richard C. Kelly, an amateur photographer who lives in Port Huron
for submitting the above picture.
Here is a collage of Maccabee
Founder Major Nathan S. Boynton and his commemorative plaque in front of the
"New Maccabees Temple" in 1938. The dome is smaller and the building is
facing in a southerly direction. The cornerstone is on the north-east corner,
or on the right rear of the building. The current building houses a law firm
and "Ladies of The Maccabees" is still on the front above the entrance.
The building on lower left is on the old site of the original temple, about 3
blocks south of the Boynton monument.
A special Thanks to Jim Cox for
submitting the above picture.
About the
Founder
Major Nathan
S. Boynton
Nathan Boynton was a major and a
good deal other things besides the man who gave Boynton Beach in Florida his name. He was
born June 23, 1837 in Port Huron, Michigan. His direct ancestor John Boynton
emigrated to the New World in 1638 (a scant eighteen years after the Mayflower)
from Yorkshire, England and settled in Rowley, Massachusetts. Another ancestor,
Sir Matthew Boynton, was knighted by the Crown of England in the Seventeenth
Century for being the first to ship sheep and goats to America (think about THAT
the next time you smear some domestic chèvre on a cracker).
His father, Granville P. Boynton,
helped pioneer Michigan in 1827 and his mother's father, Captain Lewis Rendt,
fought in the War of 1812 - on the British side.
After graduating high-school,
Nathan S. Boynton worked as grocery-store clerk and a buggy-whip manufacturer
before making a tidy sum of money with his own grocery business. He invested his
savings in Michigan pine lands and was promptly wiped out by the Panic of 1857.
Over the next five years he lived
in Cincinnati, New Orleans and St. Louis working alternatively as a farmer's
work hand, carpenter and a salesman of electrical apparatus for "curative"
purposes (obviously this was before the FDA came into existence). Along the way
he married and had his first of six children, Charles Boynton, in 1860. He gave
his firstborn the middle name of Lincoln in honor of the newly elected president
who's strong anti-slavery position mirrored his own. It was also for that reason
that Nathan Boynton left his wife and child to enlist as a private in the Eight
Michigan Calvary of the Union Army.
And it was here that Boynton's
star began to shine. He was soon promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant and
with a detachment of 100 men cut off the retreat and accepted the surrender of
Confederate John Morgan after his devastating raid through Kentucky, Indiana and
Ohio. He served under Burnside In the campaign of East Tennessee and was in one
of the first units that marched Into Atlanta alongside General Sherman.
Returning to Port Huron as a Major
he became the editor and publisher of the Port Huron Press. Boynton was elected
mayor three times and served in the State Legislature. He also invented the
Boynton fire escape, the Boynton hook and ladder fire truck and the Boynton
system of rope trussing for fire ladders. Nathan S. Boynton was also a founder
of the Order of the Maccabees. Under his leadership the order's membership grew
from a handful to almost half a million.
In 1883 his health began to
deteriorate. Eleven years later he and his friend, Congressman William S.
Linton, traveled to Florida in search of a winter retreat from the harsh
Michigan winters. They sailed down the newly dredged Florida East Coast Canal
(the Intracoastal) in Fred C. Voss's launch "Victor".
Pausing at an area close to the
present-day Ocean Avenue, Nathan S. Boynton pointed around him and said, "I'll
take this."
It was as simple as that.
Linton bought the area further south that temporarily bore his name until it was
changed to Delray Beach.
Two years later Boynton began
construction of the legendary Boynton Beach Hotel that cemented his name to the
area and outlived its creator by fourteen years. He died in Port Huron at
11:30pm on Saturday, May 27, 1911. His last words were, "I am tired. I am ready
to go."
The above history
was written by David J. Castello.
The photos of
Boynton were submitted by Boynton's great great nephew Dennis Smith.
Knights of the Maccabees Ribbons
and Medal
The first
two ribbons above are 9 inches long overall, ribbon with gilt brass fittings, brass
fringe, celluloid emblems and embroidered flags. The second one is reversible, the back
being in black for funeral processions. Condition is very good, it does show some wear.
Makers card between the ribbons is "The M.C. Lilley & Co."
The medal is 4 inches long with a nice 1 inch
tin litho. The logo on the lower portion has some wear and reads: "Modern KOTM
Original Lodge 1881" Surrounded with the words: "Astra Castra Numen Lumen"
which means: "The stars my camp, the Deity my light" and Michigan at the
bottom. The silver plating has minor wear and tarnish. It has a pin on the top to hold a
ribbon and the other pin is broken off. Makers mark on back is "Whitehead & Hoag
Co."
Knights of the Maccabees
Medallion
This Knights of the Maccabees medallion served
much the same purpose as the Mark Master Chapter Penny. It bears their Latin motto:
"Astra Castra Numen Lumen" which means:
"The stars my camp, the
Deity my light" and has an area on the reverse for engraving a name, camp and member
number. They were made by the Whitehead and Hoag Company of Newark, NJ.
This is a standard member's piece--this one has
a past Commander's Jewel dangling from it. There were a lot of Maccabees and every
member had one of these.
Knights of
the Maccabees Building in Port Huron, Michigan
The building did exist at one time in
Port Huron, Michigan as the above post card depicts. It was destroyed by a
fire after serving many years as the Algonquin hotel.
This
picture was taken looking northeast.
Note the Maccabee Temple with the domes. The Howard Furniture Co. and the Maccabee
Temple are no longer there.
In the pictures below you can see
the former Maccabees Headquarters being torn down after the fire in 2000.
The beautiful domes collapsed
into the building during the fire.
A
special "Thanks" to Dale McDonald who took the above pictures of the (Algonquin
Hotel) the original Maccabees Headquarters being torn down!
This is what
they looked like!
Above is an early
cabinet card photograph of a uniformed Maccabee. Their dress is very
similar to that of a Masonic Knight Templar.
Here is another
young Maccabee wearing his badge and hat.
Order of the Maccabees
Initiatory Ceremony
Opening
COMMANDER:
Sir Knight Picket, advance to the altar, sound the trumpet and retire.
COMMANDER:
Attention, Sir Knights, At this command all members
give ‘token of sincerity’ prepare for action.
LIEUT. COMMANDER:
Sir Knight R. K., call the roll of officers.
COMMANDER:
Sir Knight Sergeant, report to this station, and communicate the passwords.
SERGEANT:
Sir Knight First Master of the Guard, take this station.
COMMANDER:
The words are correct; return to your station.
LIEUT. COMMANDER:
Sir Knight
Sergeant, have the Sentinel and the Picket been placed?
SERGEANT:
They have, Sir Knight Lieut. Commander.
LIEUT. COMMANDER:
Are they in possession of the passwords?
SERGEANT:
I will ascertain and report. Sir Knight Sentinel, relieve the Picket and
instruct him to report to this station.
SERGEANT:
Sir Knight Picket, the words are correct. Relieve the Sentinel and instruct him
to report to this station.
SERGEANT:
Sir Knight Sentinel, the words are correct. Return, guard well the inner door,
allow no one to pass without giving the proper signal and password or obtaining
permission.
SERGEANT:
Sir Knight Lieut. Commander, the Sentinel and the Picket are in possession of
the proper passwords.
LIEUT. COMMANDER:
’Tis well. See that the approaches are continually guarded. Allow no one to pass
the inner door not in possession of the passwords, without permission. You will
now ascertain, through the Guards, that all present are qualified to remain.
SERGEANT:
Sir Knight Guards, communicate the passwords. The words are correct. You will
now ascertain that all present are qualified to remain.
FIRST MASTER OF GUARD:
Sir Knight Sergeant, I have examined my charge and find all in possession of the
passwords.
SECOND MASTER OF GUARD:
Sir Knight Sergeant, I have examined my charge and find all in possession of the
passwords.
SERGEANT:
‘Tis well. Return to your stations.
SERGEANT:
Sir Knight Lieut. Commander, alt present are qualified to remain.
COMMANDER:
Attention, Sir Knights, attend the Chaplain’s invocation.
CHAPLAIN:
Supreme Ruler, strengthen our hands in building up this Order. Aid us in
carrying out the great principles of fraternity which underlie it. Assist us in
bringing peace on earth and good will toward men. May the deliberations of this
body be conducted in that spirit of harmony so necessary to success. May our
Order grow and prosper. May its usefulness be enlarged and its protecting arms
extended so that we may be better able to provide for the widow, protect the
orphan, and care for those dependent upon us. May we so speak and act as not to
bring reproach upon the Order nor disgrace any of its humane principles. Make us
a power for good in this land, and worthy exponents of the brotherhood of man.
COMMANDER:
Sir Knights, join in the opening ode,
Opening
Ode
Air:—
“Battle Cry of Freedom.”
We have gathered in our Tent,
Knights,
gathered once again,
Singing
the joyful song of gladness.
We’ve resolved to be true, more knowledge to obtain,
Singing
the joyful song of gladness.
Chorus:—United forever, we’ll by each other stand,
Protecting the helpless all over this land,
Yes, we’ll rally to our standard, so noble and so
grand,
Singing
the joyful song of gladness.
With the stars for our Tent, and the Deity our
Light,
Singing
the joyful song of gladness.
We’ll battle for the widow, the orphan and the
right,
Singing
the joyful song of gladness.
Chorus:—United forever, etc.
Let harmony prevail in all that we may do,
Singing
the joyful song of gladness.
We’ll labor for the right, the good, the grand, the
true,
Singing
the joyful song of gladness.
Chorus:—United forever, etc.
COMMANDER:
Sir Knight Lieut. Commander, take this station. Sir Knight Past Commander,
Chaplain, and Sergeant, advance to the altar, while all unite in giving the
signs and words.
COMMANDER:
Step and Salutation sign.
COMMANDER:
Recognition sign.
COMMANDER:
Its answer.
COMMANDER:
Token of Sincerity
COMMANDER:
What is the permanent password?
SERGEANT:
URLLRLTXRF.
COMMANDER:
When is it to be used?
SERGEANT:
When visiting a Tent, if required.
COMMANDER:
Give me the test word.
SERGEANT:
F; Com., M;
Serg., M; Com., Y;
Serg.,
R; Com., H;
Serg., H; Com., R;
Serg., U.
SERGEANT:
FMM.
COMMANDER:
YRH
SERGEANT:
HRU.
SERGEANT:
FMMYRHHRU.
COMMANDER:
’Tis well. Return to your stations.
The four officers resume their stations, by the way they came.
COMMANDER:
In the name of Judas Maccabeus, the liberator of his people, and with a firm
belief in the brotherhood of man, I, as Commander of this Tent, now declare it
open and ready for action.
Commander gives one rap with gavel, and all seat themselves.
Order of
Business
1:
Reading, correcting, and approving of records.
2:
Reading of communications, notices and bills.
3:
Applications for membership, and their reference to committees for
investigation.
4:
Report of Committees on Investigation.
5:
Balloting for candidates.
6:
Initiation of elected candidates.
7:
Payment of dues and monthly rate.
8:
Reports of sickness or distress.
9:
Report of Committees (standing and special.)
10:
Unfinished business.
11: New
business.
12:
Report of suspensions and reinstatements since last report.
13: R.
K.’s report of receipts and disbursements since last review.
14: Does
any Sir Knight know of employment for a Sir Knight who is out of work?
15: Good
of the Order.
16:
Close in regular form.
Initiation
First
Section
COMMANDER:
Sir Knight Sentinel, ascertain if any candidates are in waiting.
SENTINEL:
Sir Knight Commander, a candidate is in waiting.
COMMANDER, as King:
Sir Knight Lieut. Commander, retire and introduce the candidate.
JUDAS:
Mr ... , you have made application for membership in this Tent of The Maccabees.
You have been well recommended and elected to membership. I can assure you there
is nothing in the ceremonies of the Order that will conflict with your religious
or political opinions. Are you willing to proceed?
CANDIDATE answers.
JUDAS:
Before advancing, do you promise that you will never reveal any of our private
work, or express either religious or political opinions within the Tent?
CANDIDATE answers.
JUDAS:
Then come with me.
JUDAS:
I trust you will thoughtfully observe and remember all that you are about to see
and hear. But, in order to prepare you in a measure for what will soon take
place within your sight and hearing, allow me to call your attention to an event
in the history of the human race that was certainly one of the most pathetic and
in some respects, the most remarkable this world has ever seen.
About
the year 175, before the present era, there reigned, in Syria, Antiochus the IV,
a monstrous King, who sent 22,000 of his soldiers against Jerusalem. He
plundered the Holy City, and issued a proclamation that all should forsake their
ancient forms
of worship. Many, in order to escape persecution,
denied their country and renounced its laws. There were some, however, who
preferred death to dishonor. One such was ELEAZAR, a doctor of the law, who,
when commanded to defile himself, refused, and determined to go to the King and
make answer before him, according to the Holy ordinance.
JUDAS:
Behold the man!
KING:
Hold! A pause, during which attendants carry and
ground spears. Who art thou?
CHAPLAIN AS ELEAZAR:
O King! I am a doctor of the law; I am Eleazar.
Drops his hand and head.
KING, in an imperious manner:
And what wouldst thou, Eleazar, before me Antiochus? I have not sent for thee.
ELEAZAR, slowly and with much deliberate emphasis:
No, O King! thou hast not sent for me; but I hear that thou hast commanded my
people to forsake the sacred law and deny its authority. It would be shameful in
me to take shelter in hypocrisy, neither will I stain my old age by appearing to
embrace thy false teachings.
KING, seriously:
Knowest thou the penalty imposed upon all who refuse to obey the commands of
Antiochus?
ELEAZAR, defiantly:
Ay King a pause, death!
A pause.
And, although I could escape thy punishment for the present, I could never
escape from the hands of the Almighty. Therefore, I would rather lay down my
life now, for the sake of my country and its venerable laws, than leave behind
me to the young men of my tribe an example of dishonor. O King, I would!
KING, soliloquizing:
This foolish old man is filled with conceit, and hath an exalted opinion of
himself.
Rising, in a loud tone of voice:
Guards, away with him! Let him be scourged to death!
JUDAS, after a short panae, when all is quiet and the curtain
closed, addresses the candidate as follows:
The fidelity of that man is a memorial of civil virtue, not alone to his nation
and generation, but unto all people of every age, as long as patriotism and
piety shall be considered honorable among men. Such sublime courage and utter
contempt of death in a good cause, mankind will never willingly forget, for the
possibility of such heroism is the glory of the race.
Ponder well, therefore, upon all you see and hear
this evening; and let the lessons conveyed be indelibly fixed upon the tablets
of your memory. Now, come with me.
Initiation
Second
Section
SENTINEL, opening the door slightly, says:
Who comes?
JUDAS:
Judas, of the house of Mattathias, with a friend.
SENTINEL:
I will inform the Venerable Sire of your presence.
SENTINEL:
Venerable Sire, without the gate stands thy son Judas, with a friend.
CHAPLAIN, AS MATTATHIAS:
If he be Judas, my son, let him enter, and present his friend.
SENTINEL, returns and opens wide the door and says:
Judas, thy father, bids thee enter, and present thy friend.
MATTATHIAS, in tones of deep distress, with head bowed on left
hand:
Oh, Jerusalem! The Holy! Thy sanctuary is laid waste; thy feasts are turned into
mourning; thy Sabbath into a reproach; and thy honor into contempt. Wherefore
was I born to see this misery of my people, and the sad day when the Holy City
should be delivered into the hands of the enemy? To what end should we live any
longer?
JUDAS, as soon as all is quiet in a low voice says:
Father, I have ‘with me a friend, who, having seen the Holy Altar cast down,
hath himself refused to be defiled or take part in unlawful ceremonies, and who
desires to unite with us in the cause of humanity.
Those at altar rise, Mattathias tremblingly leaning on his staff,
in a feeble voice says:
My son, thy friend is welcome; but, before we accept him, let him truthfully
answer me. Addressing candidate, says:
Stranger, art thou true and loyal to thy home and friends?
Candidate answers. Dost thou love thy
country? Candidate answers. Art thou
zealous of its laws? Candidate answers.
Dost thou observe them thyself? Candidate answers.
Further, art thou willing to yield up thy life, shouldst thy country
or its institutions require such a sacrifice?
Candidate answers. Kinsman, adversity surrounds us; and the hand of
calamity lies heavily upon us. Who knows how soon thy assurances may be put to
the test? Perchance, this very night! If, therefore, thou wouldst recall or
modify them, do so now before it is too late.
At this moment a flourish of trumpets occurs, with commotion,
cheering, etc Mattathias continuing says:
The hour has come!
APELLES:
Hear ye! Hear ye! Men of Judea! The King makes proclamation unto you.
Unfolds scroll and reads.
“I
ANTIOCHUS, would have all my kingdom one people. Now, therefore, unto you it is
commanded, that all your former laws and customs shall cease;
The Maccabees contemptuously torn away. that
you shall forthwith set up altars to Almighty Jove; and that you shall not
henceforth discriminate against the flesh of swine.
In token
of your compliance, you are commanded to sacrifice before the reader of these
present. I, ANTIOCHUS, have spoken!” rolls the
scroll and says: And I, APELLES, the King’s officer, now command you
to obey.
Mattathias returs
and looks upon Apelles with scorn.
APELLES:
Mattathias, thou art a man of honor and influence here; come, be thou the first
to set an example of obedience to thy kinsmen.
MATTATHIAS, with emphasis:
NO. We will not depart from our faith. We will not harken to the King’s words.
APELLES, argumentatively:
The people of other countries have obeyed. Yea, even Jason the High Priest at
Jerusalem and many more of thine own people have obeyed. Come, Venerable Sire,
if thou wilt be the first to offer sacrifice on this altar, thou and thy house
shall find favor with the King and be counted among his friends.
MATTATHIAS:
I know how Joshua became high priest and why the vile traitor calls himself
Jason! Officer of the King,—though all the nations of the earth should obey
Antiochus, and all the children of Israel abandon the faith of our Fathers, I
and MY house will remain steadfast.
APOSTATE:
General, I crave the favor of your great King Antiochus, and would burn incense
on this altar.
MATTATHIAS:
Traitor, thou must DIE!
Tableau—when the fire has burned out and the curtain closed, and
all is quiet, Judas proceeds as follows.
JUDAS:
The scene you have just witnessed, represents the revolt at Modin. The venerable
Mattathias, the father of the Maccabees, was the first man to activity oppose
the mandates of the pagan king. He not only scorned the bribes and flatteries of
the king’s officer but in a moment of uncontrollable indignation he slew the
Apostate Jew in the act of sacrificing to strange Gods, and likewise the king’s
officer when he attempted to protect the miserable traitor. Do not mistake the
significance of this scene. From the heights of Sinai the thunderous command of
Jehovah still echoes through the known world. Yes, “Thou shalt not kill,” but
the staff of Mattathias was not the weapon of a murderer. Its deadly blow was
not struck with the fell purpose of the assassin. Rather did it speak the sudden
impulse of the patriot, driven to desperation by the wrongs inflicted upon his
country and his people. maddened by the craven hypocrisy of an erstwhile friend
and follower, and fired with an unselfish zeal to strike for the liberty of his
countrymen, avenge their wrecked hopes and ruined homes, and hold aloft the
sacred traditions of his fathers.
Learn
from this terrific scene a lesson in genuine patriotism, and see in it your duty
to uphold and defend the rights of liberty and conscience, regardless of what
the destroyer would promise or give in their stead. Let us retire.
Initiation
Third
Section
JUDAS:
My kinsman, it will be necessary for thee to undertake a dangerous journey
through the enemy’s country to the camp of our brethren, where thou wilt learn
what will be required of thee. Wilt thou proceed?
Candidate answers. Thou must go alone. Thy path will be full of
pitfalls and snares. Unknown perils will surround thee. The safer route lies to
the right. Be brave, be true, and all may be well. Remember thy assurances to
Mattathias. He then causes candidate to pass into
enclosure, immediately closing curtains behind him. GO!
GENERAL, addressing soldiers:
An alarm at the outpost. Ascertain the cause.
SENTINEL, AS GUARD:
An enemy! There he goes toward the foot hills!
SOLDIER:
Well, if we haven’t another of the rebels! And in disguise too!
SOLDIER:
Shall we kill him or take him to the General?
SOLDIER:
Why take him to the General, of course, he may be a spy!
SOLDIER:
General, the foraging band you dispatched up the valley, came upon three
miserable looking peasants and proceeded to capture them. They offered
resistance. One was slain on the spot. One defended himself in a most remarkable
manner. One undertook to run away. We caught and have him before you.
GENERAL, eyeing the candidate fiercely:
He is a Maccabee; one of the rebels under Judas. Let him stand aside and wait
his doom.
SOLDIER:
General, the squad you sent to forage the valley came upon three peasants. One
was killed. The other escaped. One of them seems to have the strength of a lion
and the skill of David of old; Reinforcements came to our aid else we could not
have taken him. He is covered with wounds and almost ready to die from the loss
of blood. We bound up his wounds. Thinking he might be of more value to you
alive than dead, we refrained from killing him. In his delirium he continually
called for a friend. This we do not understand. Question him yourself. Here is
his sword stained with the blood of our comrades.
GENERAL, examining sword carefully, in tones of surprise says:
This is the sword of Judas, the leader of this rebellious horde.
Throws sword on floor to the right of and near center of enclosure,
then turning to Judas and eyeing him fiercely.
And thou art
the arch rebel, under whose leadership this small land of rebellious Maccabees
hath so long harassed the Syrian armies and spread death, desolation and dismay
throughout the realms of Antiochus. Thus far thou hast eluded our pursuit; but
now we have thee within our power. Nothing less than thy life will avenge the
death of those whose blood hath moistened this blade. This hour thou shalt pay
the penalty. Guards, chain him to the block and bare his neck for the sword.
SOLDIER:
General, your orders have been obeyed.
GENERAL:
No, but thou, fruit of this rebellious spirit, mast perform this execution or
suffer the fate of those who refuse to obey the commands of Antiochas. Take this
blade and with it slay this arch rebel, and thus end this rebellion.
GENERAL:
Take it!
GENERAL:
Take it, I say!
GENERAL, if sword is refused:
What, thou refuseth to obey my commands? Guards,
turning to
Guards away with him, let him be destroyed!
GENERAL, if sword is accepted:
Ah, I Thou art not only a rebel but a traitor as well, who would raise his hand
against a kinsman and friend without cause. Thy boasted fidelity to friends and
kinsmen is but a myth. So soon hast thou forgotten thy assurances to Mattathias.
Thine shall be the fate of a traitor. Guards, away with him. Let him be
destroyed!
SOLDIERS, shouting in concert:
Away with him!
Let us
bind him to the post, and make a target of his body for our spears.
GENERAL:
He is not brave enough to meet death with his eyes open. Blindfold him.
SOLDIER then shouts:
Take that, thou rebel! And
stamps his foot as in the act of throwing a spear.
GENERAL then says:
You threw too high. Let me place a mark over his heart and see who will be the
first to pierce it. He does so.
SOLDIER:
This, for thy cowardly heart!
And stamps his foot as in the act of throwing a spear.
GENERAL:
Shorten the distance and make your aim sure.
When Guard at foot of enclosure sounds trumpet.
GENERAL:
An
alarm at the out post! Go and learn the cause.
JUDAS:
Still alive! Fortunate indeed are we to have escaped with our lives from those
cruel barbarians.
JUDAS:
Hark!
The battle rages fiercely over the hills, whither
our enemies have gone. The destiny of Judea and the liberty of its people hang
in the balance. Taking candidate’s right arm and
advancing toward point where sword lays on floor. Come, let us hasten
to join the forces of the Maccabees that we may aid in the cause of humanity,
and share in the glory of their triumph!
JUDAS:
Ah! here is my trusty blade again.
Turning to candidate and holding it aloft in his right hand,
says:
This day thou shalt listen to a proclamation of Judea’s freedom, for unto the
just belongeth the victory.
Initiation
Fourth
Section
Triumphal Song
See the
conquering hero comes,
Sound
the trumpets, beat the drums;
Sports
prepare, the laurel bring,
Songs of triumph to him sing.
Sports
prepare, the laurel bring,
Songs of
triumph to him sing.
See the
god-like youth advance,
Breath
the flutes and lead the dance;
Myrtle
wreaths and roses twine,
To deck the hero’s brow divine
Myrtle
wreaths and roses twine,
To deck
the hero’s brow divine
See the
conquering hero comes,
Sound
the trumpets, beat the drums;
Sports
prepare, the laurel bring,
Songs of triumph to him sing.
See the
conquering hero comes,
Sound
the trumpets, beat the drums.
COMMANDER, rising:
Welcome, Judas Maccabeus! Thrice welcome art thou! What tidings from the front?
LIEUT. COMMANDER:
Sir Knight Commander, I have just returned from Jerusalem. The power of the
blasphemous King is ended; the widows, orphans, and the disabled are provided
for; the light of liberty has broken over our beloved land, and Judea is free.
COMMANDER:
To the patriotism of thy father, Mattathias, is due the credit of having begun
this revolution, but to thee, JUDAS MACCABEUS, belongs the honor of having
achieved its victories. Ask what thou wilt of us, and it shall be granted unto
thee.
LIEUT. COMMANDER:
Sir Knight Commander, now that victory has graced our banner, let us the more
strongly bind ourselves together in the bonds of fraternal love, in order to
better aid and assist one another and protect the widows and orphans of our
departed brothers. For myself I ask nothing, but permit me to recommend for
membership in the family of Maccabees the friend at my side who has so nobly
complied with all our requirements.
COMMANDER:
This last act of thine is as great as any of thy magnificent victories. To thus
defer to a friend is nobler than to wear a crown.
Turning to
candidate: Friend of Judas Maccabeus, if
thou wilt accept this generous offer, thou must first be bound with us in a
fraternal covenant. Art thou willing?
Candidate answers.
CHAPLAIN, advancing to head of the Altar, by way of the
Commander’s station:
You will now
repeat after me:
I do
most solemnly vow, in the presence of these witnesses, that henceforth, in all
matters pertaining to the Order of the Maccabees;
I will
be bound by the laws of the Order in force from time to time;
I will
not make known to any one not a member of the Order, any of its private work, or
secret business;
I will
never fail this Order, my country, my friends, nor those of my own flesh and
blood in time of danger, need or sorrow;
I will
comfort with my sympathy, and assist with my substance all worthy members of the
Order, their families and dependents who may be in sorrow or need;
That of
them I will speak no evil, and should I see, hear, or know of anything that
threatens harm to them, I will give them timely notice or warning;
I will
bear with modesty and administer with strict integrity, each and every trust,
official or otherwise, committed to my care or keeping;
I will
be temperate in my habits and honorable in my conduct, so as to command the
respect of all.
ALL SIR KNIGHTS, in concert, pointing index finger at candidate:
Thy pledge is recorded.
CHAPLAIN:
Sir Knight Lieut. Commander, you will now conduct our kinsman to the Commander’s
station for further instruction.
COMMANDER:
I will now instruct you in the private work of the Order. When giving signs,
outside of a tent, always make them in a careless, easy manner, so as not to
attract the uninitiated.
COMMANDER:
The Step is given thus ...
The
Salutation sign is given thus ... This is also the voting sign.
The
Recognition Sign is given thus ... The answer thus: ...
The
Token of Sincerity is given thus: ... It must always be given in a standing
position when being addressed by. or addressing an officer.
The
permanent password is URLLRLTXRF adopted in honor of LTM QRLTMD of Judas
Maccabeus, and is only used when visiting a Tent, if required.
The Test
Word is given thus: ...
Ask the Lieutenant Commander to give the Test Word.
When you
wish to make or support a motion, or address the Tent, you will rise, give the
“token of sincerity,” and say, “Sir Knight Commander.” You should not proceed
with any remarks until recognized by that officer.
Having
obtained permission to cross the hall, or to retire from the Tent, during
review, you will always do so by right lines, by way of the Sergeant’s station,
giving the “token of sincerity” to that officer in passing him. The walks around
the foot and the sides of Tent must be followed at all times; care being taken
never to pass between the altar and the Commander’s station after the altar is
arranged.
The
gavel, the emblem of authority in the hand of the presiding officer, is used as
follows: Three raps, thus ..., call all the members to their feet; one rap, thus
..., seats them; two raps, thus ..., calls to order.
Grand honors to the Supreme or Great officers are
made by giving the ordinary military salute with right hand, at the same time
giving the “token of sincerity.”
COMMANDER:
Sir Knight Lieut. Commander, you will now conduct the candidate to the Past
Commander’s station.
Candidate is then conducted to Past Commander’s station by way of
the Chaplain’s and Sergeant’s stations, and seated a few feet in front of that
officer.
PAST COMMANDER, to candidate, seated:
My kinsman, you are about to have conferred upon you the title of a Knight of
The Maccabees, but before this is done, I desire to call your attention to the
objects of our Order and to some of the requirements of a membership among us.
Its great object is to unite fraternally all those who are physically and
morally qualified under its laws, in order to better aid and assist those who
may become disabled, or who may reach the allotted age of man, and to provide
for the widows, orphans, and dependents of its members.
This
Order is a great co-partnership; all are equally interested in its welfare; all
are equal under its laws. It is not a cold business corporation, organized for
profit and gain. Its foundation is fraternity; its superstructure, protection,
and in order to promote its healthy growth and enlarge its usefulness, we must
all work zealously hand in hand.
The
ceremony through which you have just passed was not an imaginary creation, in
which an attempt was made to entertain or surprise you. The tragedies you have
seen enacted and the warfare in which you are supposed to have taken a part are
facts, and part of both sacred and profane history.
While
groping your way cautiously along a solitary and unfamiliar pathway, you were
set upon in a rude manner, carried captive before an arbitrary despot, and
subjected to a most harrowing and desperate experience, to test your loyalty to
friends, as well as your regard for the assurances you made to Mattathias. How
well you bore the ordeal and justified those assurances let your own thoughts
now answer, and let that answer be a warning for the future and a solemn
reminder of your fraternal covenant with us.
While in
this dilemma your Maccabee friend, after freeing himself from the chains of his
oppressors, came to your relief, and rescued you from your perilous
situation—and later, to more fully exemplify the beautiful lesson of friendship,
bestowed upon you the favors which his valor had won for himself. Learn from
this and forget not that “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
The
lessons we would have you learn in your experience with us this evening have an
important application to your personal relationship with the government that
protects you, as well as your social relations with your fellow-men, and your
duty to Order, home, and friends. As Maccabees, we strive to impress all members
with a firm and determined resolution to always labor in the cause of justice,
mercy, and charity; remember that justice begets justice, mercy begets mercy,
and charity begets charity.
All
these virtues were exemplified in the life and character of Judas Maccabeus, the
liberator of his people; one of the first of a glorious army of martyrs who have
since suffered in the cause of human freedom. His whole life was characterized
by an undying devotion to country, home, and friends. He it was who demanded of
his soldiers that, in dividing the fruits of their victories, they should
reserve a part for the widows, orphans, and disabled; a practice observed (in
effect) among all true Maccabees unto this day. May his name be honored as long
as patriotism, love and friendship have a place in the hearts of men, and may
you ever emulate his virtues, and prove yourself worthy of the new character you
have assumed tonight.
You have
given us your pledge of honor as a man, that you will always be true to country,
order, home, and friends, and those of your own flesh and blood; and that you
wilt comfort with your sympathy and assist with your substance the
broken-hearted and the destitute. Should you ever knowingly or willing violate
this solemn pledge, you need not longer expect our confidence and fellowship.
When you
think of the solemnity and magnitude of your engagements here tonight, need I
say that you cannot retire from this room exactly the same kind of man you were
when you entered? No! After seeing and hearing what you have seen and heard, and
making such promises as you have made, you will surely go hence a better man,
filled with a higher ambition, and inspired with a nobler purpose in life.
Time
will not permit me to indicate more of the valuable lessons contained in this
degree, but, to the thoughtful mind, they are sufficiently obvious. If we have
succeeded in awakening in your breast a manly determination to exercise these
noble attributes in behalf of the widow, the fatherless, the unfortunate, and
the stranger within thy gates, we have not labored in vain.
In
conclusion, let me remind you that in becoming a member of this great fraternal
brotherhood, you have changed your relations with a vast number of persons.
While you remain true to your pledges, rest assured that in the Maccabees you
will find friends who will comfort you in your sorrow, assist you in adversity
and rejoice in your prosperity. When the battle of life is ended and you are
about to commence your journey to that realm beyond the grave, you will have the
consolation of knowing, that, among us, you have brothers who will give your
remains a fraternal burial, keep green your memory, defend your character and
provide for those who are nearest and dearest to you.
Sir Knight Lieut. Commander, conduct our kinsman to
the Commander ‘s station there to receive Knighthood.
LIEUT. COMMANDER:
Sir Knight Commander, our kinsman awaits your pleasure.
COMMANDER:
In commemoration of the Valor, Friendship and Obedience of Judas Maccabeus, one
of the first fruits of genuine chivalry, and by the authority in me vested as
Commander of this Tent, I now dub, create and proclaim you a Knight of the
Maccabees. ARISE, SIR KNIGHT, and stand erect among your fellows.
Sir Knight Lieut. Commander, you will now conduct
the Sir Knight to the Record Keeper’s station, there to receive a copy of the
Laws of the Order and By-Laws of this Tent, which he should read carefully and
consult frequently, after which you will retire with him to the ante-room and
instruct him further in the manner of working his way into a Tent while at work.
Upon
re-entering and after saluting at the altar the Sir Knight is conducted to
Chaplain’s station.
CHAPLAIN, taking Candidate by the hand:
I welcome, and at the same time, congratulate you upon your admission to
membership among us. We sincerely hope that the brotherly relationship
established here, at this time, may be a continuing one; that you may be a
regular attendant at our reviews, and that in the practice of the principles of
Maccabeeism you may find both pleasure and profit.
The
Motto of our Order is “Astra Castra—Numen Lumen,” meaning “The Stars my Tent—The
Deity my light.”
Displaying the Maccabee flag:
The Colors of the Order are Black, Red and White. These were the colors chosen
by Judas Maccabeus, during his struggles for the liberation of his people.
Black, symbolical of the dark prospects around him; Red, indicative of his fire,
and zeal for the right; and White, emblematic of the purity of his motives. His
wars were all defensive. No crime sullies his fair name.
The
emblems of our Order are the Circle and the Globe. The Circle is universally
regarded as symbolic of Eternity, it has no ending. So let it be with the vows
you have taken and the noble duties you have assumed. Keep inviolate every
promise you have made to us and then, wherever you may find yourself on the face
of the Globe and meet another who has taken and kept the same vows, you will
always find a brother.
Sir Knight Lieut. Commander, conduct the Sir Knight
to a seat.
Closing
COMMANDER rises:
Master at Arms, That officer rises and gives token
of sincerity what is the last and constant care of every Knight of
the Maccabees?
MASTER AT ARMS:
To remember his pledges to the Order, and to protect humanity, especially the
widows and the orphans.
COMMANDER:
Sir Knights, never fail to discharge these important duties. Let us now sing the
closing ode.
Give three raps with gavel.
Closing
Ode
Air:—Sweet, Bye and Bye.
1. We
now go from our labors tonight,
To our
homes, to our hearths, to our rest.
May our
lives overflow with kind acts,
Our
hearts full of joy and tenderness.
Chorus—Let us join in the song,
As it
comes from that beautiful shore.
Yes,
we’ll join in the song,
As it
floats from that beautiful shore.
2. When
we meet in our Tent once again,
When we
enter this guarded abode,
As
brothers our work we’ll review,
And
endeavor to lighten each load.
Chorus—Let us join in the song, etc.
3. When
our life’s grand review shall be held,
In
yonder grand mansion of rest,
All
warfare and trials will be over,
In that
beautiful land of the blest.
COMMANDER:
Sir Knight Master at Arms, remove the circle; close the book; collect the odes,
and place all in the depository of this Tent.
MASTER AT ARMS, after complying with the orders, returning to his
station and says:
Sir Knight Commander, your orders have been obeyed.
COMMANDER:
Sir Knight Sentinel, call in the Picket.
SENTINEL, after the Picket appears, says:
Sir Knight Commander, your orders have been obeyed.
COMMANDER:
This review is ended. Sir Knights, retire to your homes in peace, and hold
yourselves ever in readiness to serve our noble cause.
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