Ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star/Installation, Subordinate Chapter
Installation Ceremonies,
These ceremonies may be performed in public. If at a special meeting, the Chapter will be declared open with one blow of the Gavel. If regular, it may be opened in an adjacent room and business postponed, adjourning to the Hall for installation, after which the Worthy Matron will declare the Chapter closed.
The Installing Officer must be a Present or Past Matron or Patron. The first board of officers of a new Chapter must be installed by a Grand Matron or Patron, or a Deputy; who also may install the officers of any Chapter when requested to do so by the Chapter.
The Installing Officer, after assuming the chair, will appoint a Marshal, who will collect the several badges of office and place them where they will be convenient for use. The Secretary will furnish the Marshal with a list of the officers to be installed. If the installation is a public one, an address may be delivered touching the history and purposes of the Order.
If a Grand officer presides, the Marshal will be Grand Marshal. The officers will be addressed by their titles and such changes made in the language of the following ceremonies as the circumstances require.
Music, vocal or instrumental, may be introduced as may seem best.
After the appointment of the Marshal and the collection of the badges of office, the installing officer will proceed as follows:
I. O. Sisters and Brothers, the selection of a new board of officers is an important event in the history of a Chapter. The welfare of this Chapter and the prosperity of our Order in this place, may be permanently effected by the action of those whom you have chosen to serve as the officers of this Chapter for the ensuing year. Before investing them with official authority we will invoke the blessing of Him from whom cometh all wisdom and strength. Let us unite in prayer.
The Chapter is called up and the Installing Officer or Chaplain offers at the altar the following
PRAYER.
Our Father, who art in Heaven, whose wisdom and goodness manifest themselves in all the works of creation; with filial love and reverence we invoke Thy blessing upon Thy children here assembled an | grace to consecrate the labors we have met to perform. We commend to Thy especial care and guidance the officers elect, into whose hands we are about to repose the government of this Chapter. Endue them with a just appreciation of the responsibilities they are about to assume; and may they be ever mindful that a Father's care is always over them and that Thy all-seeing eye is ever upon them.
Bless and prosper our beloved Order; may it be known and honored among the institutions of the land as one whose foundation is laid upon the enduring principle of Truth. Direct our footsteps in ways of pleasantness and paths of peace and may all our doings reflect honor upon Thy Holy Name. Amen.
Response by the Chapter:
So may it ever be.
Seats the Chapter.
I. O. Sister Marshal.
M. Worthy
I. O. You will call the roll of officers elect who, as their names are called, will form a semi-circle on the west side of the altar, facing the East, to receive the Obligation.
The W. M. on the extreme South, then followed by the W. P., A. M., etc. If the Warder and Sentinel are both called from their stations, a brother will be appointed to attend at the door until the absent officers return. Old officers not re-elected nor appointed, may occupy their stations until their successors are installed. When all are in their places, the Marshal will say:
M. Worthy , the officers-elect are in order and await your pleasure.
I. O. Sisters and brothers, you behold those who have been selected as officers to serve you for the ensuing year. Do you still desire that they shall fill the positions to which they have been elected or appointed?
Ans. We do.
Calls up the Chapter.
I. 0. You will repeat after me the following
OBLIGATION:
I solemnly and sincerely promise, in the presence of the members of this Chapter, that I will, to the best of my ability, faithfully and impartially perform all the duties belonging to the office for which I have been selected. That I will conform to the By-Laws of this Chapter and the Constitution, Rules and Regulations of the Grand Chapter and do all in my power to promote the welfare and prosperity of our Order.
The Chapter and officers will be seated. The Marshal will present the officers at the altar for installation, approaching the altar between Adah and Ruth and leaving between Martha and Electa.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will present the Worthy Matron elect for installation.
M. Worthy , it is with pleasure that I present for installation Sister , who has been elected Worthy Matron of this Chapter for the ensuing year. Our sister is fully aware of the important responsibility that rests upon her in the acceptance of this trust, yet she is willing to assume it, in the hope that by the aid of her sisters and brothers and the favor of God, she will not prove altogether unworthy of the high honor that has been conferred upon her.
I. O. My sister, before proceeding with your investiture, it is necessary that you signify your assent to those Regulations of the Order, upon the strict observance of which its stability and success depend.
You admit that the name, character and modes of recognition of the Order of the Eastern Star are unchangeable.
Ans. I do.
You admit that a belief in the existence of a Supreme Being is one of the requirements of the Order.
Ans. I do.
You admit that the utmost care should be taken to admit to membership only such persons as possess a good moral character.
Ans. I do.
You admit that no new Chapter can be legally formed without a Charter or Dispensation from the Grand Chapter within whose jurisdiction it is formed; that no countenance should be given to any illegally formed Chapter, its members, or persons initiated therein.
Ans. I do.
You promise to obey the Laws and Regulations of the Grand Chapter; together with the By-Laws of this Chapter and permit no violation of them by its members.
Ans. I do.
You promise that no visitor will be admitted to your Chapter, to witness the secret work of the Order, unless found legally entitled to do so; and that none will be admitted who would injuriously effect the peace and harmony of the Chapter.
Ans. I do.
You agree to do all in your power to promote the welfare of this Chapter and to enforce, to the best of your ability, all the rules and regulations of the Order.
Ans. I do.
Members of Chapter, you have heard your Worthy Matron elect in the pledges she has made; do you promise to support her in the performance of her duties?
Ans. We do.
My sister, the office of Worthy Matron is one of great responsibility and it will require your utmost attention, wisdom and forbearance. The members will look to you, not only for counsel in all matters that come before the Chapter, but for advice and sympathy in their troubles and sorrows. It should be your constant study, therefore, how best to cultivate the social virtues and avoid unpleasant misunderstandings among the members of your Chapter. You should be cautious in the execution of your trust, courteous to the members and ever ready to render a helping hand to sisters or brothers in affliction or adversity. You should set an example of good order and punctuality; for only by so doing can you expect similar attention from others. Whatever you would deem praiseworthy in another, in your position, you should carefully imitate; and with equal care, avoid what would be blameworthy. Within the Chapter, it will be your duty to see that its regular meetings are held and special meetings called, whenever the good of the Chapter demands them; that your subordinates fill their stations with honor and usefulness; that the By-Laws be implicitly obeyed; that the funds, records, rituals and other property of the Chapter be properly preserved by the officers in whose charge they are placed; that the cry of the widow and orphan shall never be heard in vain; and that this Chapter fails in nothing for which it was established. All this you should strive to accomplish by the zealous exercise of your prerogatives as Worthy Matron, to which exalted position your associates have been pleased to elect you.
Sister Marshal, you will invest our sister with the badge of her office.
The Marshal will invest the officers with their badges as she is requested to do so by the Installing Officer.
I. O. Your badge is the Gavel within the Star, an emblem of authority,
admonishing you that upon your judgment and discretion rests the government of this Chapter, and in a great measure, the prosperity of our beautiful Order.
Sister Marshal, you will conduct our sister to her station.
The Worthy Matron will ascend the dais, and turning towards the Chapter, stand in her station. The Installing Officer will call up the Chapter and say:
I. O. Worthy Matron, behold your sisters and brothers. Sisters and brothers, behold your Worthy Matron and salute her with the Grand Honors.
The Chapter responds by giving the Grand Honors, after which the Chapter is seated. The Worthy Matron takes the chair on the left of the Installing Officer.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will present the Worthy Patron elect for installation.
M. Worthy , I have the pleasure of presenting, for installation, Brother , who has been elected Worthy Patron of this Chapter for the ensuing year. His zeal in our cause and qualifications for the position, assure us that he will discharge the duties to the satisfaction of the Chapter and the honor and welfare of our Order.
I. O. My brother, you have heard the pledges made by the Worthy Matron previous to her installation. Do you also promise a faithful obedience to all those regulations?
Ans. I do.
I. O. My Brother, the station to which you have been elected is one of the most important within the gift of the members of this Chapter and your election thereto the highest honor they can confer upon a Brother. From the nature of the Order you are not its chief officer, yet you are expected to have a watchful care over the interests of the Chapter and see that the Laws of the Order are promptly obeyed.
It is your duty to preside during the ceremony of Initiation and at other times when requested to do so by the Worthy Matron; to see that the officers are thoroughly instructed in their duties and that the ritual work of the Order is properly rendered. It is also your duty to have a general supervision over the affairs of the Chapter and act as the constitutional adviser of the Worthy Matron. To do this acceptably, you must make yourself thoroughly familiar with the jurisprudence of the Order, as promulgated in its established rules and regulations.
Sister Marshal, you will invest our brother with the badge of his office.
I. O. Your badge is the Square and Compasses within the Star, an emblem of
the relationship existing between the Masonic Fraternity and the Order of the Eastern Star, and admonishes you to be ever mindful of your obligations to the Order.
Sister Marshal, you will conduct our brother to his station, at the left of the Worthy Matron.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will present the Associate Matron elect for installation.
M. Worthy , I have the pleasure of presenting Sister , who has been elected Associate Matron of this Chapter for the ensuing year.
I. O. My Sister, the duties of your position are embodied in the name of your office. You are the assistant to the Worthy Matron in all branches of her responsible charge, and in her absence, will succeed to all her privileges and prerogatives. It is necessary, therefore, that you should make yourself familiar with the duties of that office, so that you may fill it with credit to yourself and honor to your Chapter.
Sister Marshal, you will invest our sister with the badge of her office.
I. O. Your badge is the Sun within the Star, an emblem of light, admonishing you that the principles of our Order should shine with undiminished lustre through our lives.
Sister Marshal, you will conduct our sister to her station in the West.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will present the Secretary elect. M. Worthy , I have the pleasure of presenting Sister , who has been elected Secretary of this Chapter for the ensuing year.
I. O. My sister, yours is a difficult and responsible charge. Failure or neglect on your part will complicate and embarrass all our proceedings, and give us a disgraceful record on the books of the Grand Chapter. It is your duty to note in proper order, the business of our meetings; to collect all moneys due the Chapter, and forward to the Grand Secretary the necessary returns, as required by the Constitution, and perform such other duties as properly belong to your office.
Sister Marshal, you will invest our sister with the badge of her office.
Your badge is the Cross-pens within the Star, an emblem of intelligence, admonishing you to be faithful to your trust, that the good deeds of your companions may not go unrecorded.
Sister Marshal, you will conduct our sister to her station in the Southeast.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will present the Treasurer elect.
M. Worthy , I have the pleasure of presenting Sister , who has been elected Treasurer of this Chapter for the ensuing year.
I. O. My sister, the proper preservation of our funds demands honesty and carefulness on the part of the Treasurer. The money placed in your hands may be required for charitable purposes at the most unexpected moment, or to meet the necessary expenses of the Chapter.
Sister Marshal, you will invest our sister with the badge of her office.
Your badge is the Cross-keys within the Star, an emblem of security, admonishing you to the strictest fidelity in the discharge of your important trust, that the Chapter may not be embarrassed in its efforts to relieve the distressed and meet its necessary expenses.
Sister Marshal, you will conduct our sister to her station in the Northeast.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will present the Conductress and Associate Conductress elect.
M. Worthy , I have the pleasure of presenting Sister , elected to be Conductress, and Sister , elected to be Associate Conductress of this Chapter for the ensuing year.
I. O. My sisters, upon you devolves the duty of preparing and conducting through our ceremonies of initiation those who seek the privileges of our Order. It is important, therefore, that you should fully understand and intelligently perform the duties of your office. The candidates enter our Chapter prepared to receive a favorable impression of our mysteries and aims; if you present these matters aright, throwing sisterly courtesy and dignity around your official proceedings, they will acquire a fond regard for our beautiful Order. Remember, therefore, that it depends greatly upon the manner in which you perform your duties whether the candidates receive favorable impressions from their initiation.
Sister Marshal, you will invest our sisters with their badges of office.
Sister Conductress, your badge is the Scroll and Baton within the Star, an emblem of prepared plans and their fulfillment, admonishing you that the first impressions made upon candidates are permanent, and should be for good.
Sister Associate Conductress, your badge is the Baton within the Star, an emblem of direction, admonishing you that good discipline is essential to the success of our Order.
Sister Marshal, you will conduct our sisters to their stations in the South and North.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will present the Chaplain for installation.
M. Worthy , I have the pleasure of presenting , who has been appointed Chaplain for the ensuing year.
I. O. My , we recognize our dependence upon the Source of all Wisdom and Strength, and often invoke the blessing of our Heavenly Father upon our work. It will be your duty to lead the Chapter in its devotions at the altar, and perform such other duties as are appropriate to your office.
Sister Marshal, you will invest our with the badge of his office.
Your badge is the Bible within the Star, a symbol of the Word of God, admonishing you to walk circumspectly, that your life may be void of offense toward God and man.
Sister Marshal, you will conduct our to station in the East, at the right of the Worthy Matron.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will present the Marshal for installation.
M. Worthy , I have the pleasure of presenting Sister , who has been appointed Marshal for the ensuing year.
I. O. My sister, the position assigned you is one of honor and responsibility. It is your duty to superintend and marshal all processions, assist in all public and private ceremonies, conduct and proclaim the officers at the time of their installation, and perform such other duties as pertain to your office.
Sister Marshal, you will invest our sister with the badge of her office.
Your badge is the Cross-batons within the Star, an emblem of direction, admonishing you that courtesy and promptness are essential to the discharge of your duties.
Sister Marshal, you will conduct our sister to her station in the Southeast.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will present the Organist for installation.
M. Worthy , I have the pleasure of presenting , who has been appointed Organist for the ensuing year.
I. O. My sister, your duties are embodied in the name of your office. To make the initiation ceremonies as impressive and effective as we desire, it is important that you should be faithful to your trust.
Sister Marshal, you will invest our with the badge of her office.
Your badge is the Lyre within the Star, an emblem of music and poetry, admonishing you that by uniting harmony with our mystic rites, the impressions will be more lasting.
Sister Marshal, you will conduct our to station.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will present for installation the sisters appointed to represent the five rays of our central Star.
M. Worthy , I have the pleasure of presenting those who have been appointed to represent the five rays of our central Star. Sister , to represent the blue ray of Adah; Sister , the yellow ray of Ruth; Sister , the white ray of Esther; Sister , the green ray of Martha and Sister , the red ray of Electa.
In the installation of the Star officers, bouquets of flowers having the appropriate colors for the several points, may be introduced with pleasing effect.
I. O. My sisters, you are the floral center of this Chapter. In our ceremonies, the colors and flowers appropriate to the five points of our Star are endowed with beauty and instruction. To you is assigned the duty of teaching the impressive lessons which those colors and floral emblems symbolize, and the sublime virtues illustrated in the lives of the heroines of our Order. How important, then, that in the discharge of your official duties, you should strive to throw an air of beauty and solemnity around all that you have to say and do, so that from you, as the central Star of this Chapter, may emanate a light that will give instruction and joy to all who attend our meetings.
Sister Marshal, you will invest our sisters with their badges of office.
I. O. Sister Adah, your badge is the Sword and Veil within the Triangle, an emblem of the heroic conduct of Jephthah's Daughter, admonishing you to be ever faithful to your convictions of right and duty.
Sister Ruth, your badge is the Sheaf within the Triangle, an emblem of plenty, admonishing you that patient industry shall not go unrewarded.
Sister Esther, your badge is the Crown and Scepter within the Triangle, an emblem of royalty and power, admonishing you to emulate the virtues of the heroic queen Esther.
Sister Martha, your badge is the Broken Column within the Triangle, an emblem of the uncertainty of human life, admonishing you that the deepest sorrow is often relieved by trustful faith in God.
Sister Electa, your badge is the Cup within the Triangle, an emblem of charity and hospitality, virtues inculcated by the teachings of our Order.
Such, my sisters, are some of the lessons taught by your several badges of office.
The sublime virtues exemplified in the lives of the distinguished heroines, whom you represent, are worthy of imitation and I trust that, while you teach those virtues to others, they will be illustrated in your lives. Thus you may honor the positions to which you have been appointed and lay up for yourselves those Heavenly treasures which shall never fade and which will render you "Fairest among thousands, altogether lovely."
Sister Marshal, you will conduct our sisters to their several stations.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will present the Warder and Sentinel for installation.
M. Worthy , I have the pleasure of presenting Sister who has been appointed Warder and Bro. , appointed Sentinel of this Chapter for the ensuing year.
I. O. My sister and brother, you are respectively the inner and outer guards of the Chapter. Upon you, therefore, we rely to preserve that secrecy which is essential to our proceedings, and to see that the solemnity of our ceremonies is not interrupted by untimely alarms. Be ever watchful in your positions and allow none to enter nor leave the Chapter without permission of the presiding officer.
Sister Marshal, you will invest our sister and brother with their badges of office.
Sister Warder, your badge is the Dove within the Star, an emblem of peace, admonishing you that peace and harmony are necessary to the success of our Order.
Brother Sentinel, your badge is the Cross-swords within the Star, an emblem of protection, admonishing you that upon your watchful care depends our security from interruption.
Sister Marshal, you will conduct our sister and brother to their stations within and without the door.
I. O. Sisters and Brothers, such is the nature of all associations, that some must rule and govern, others submit and obey.
The officers whom you have selected to preside over your deliberations during the ensuing year, are I trust, sufficiently conversant with the rules of our Order to avoid exceeding the powers with which you have intrusted them.
All things are now ready for you to enter upon the proceedings of a new year. But we know not what is before us. No one can affirm that another year, nor even a single day, will be committed to our trust. Therefore, if we have been faithful heretofore, let us increase our exertions for the future.
As among the objects for which we are associated together is our purpose to protect the widow and orphan, comfort the afflicted, sympathize with the sorrowing and relieve the destitute and distressed, I trust that no discord will ever rise among us to imperil the success of our efforts to accomplish these charitable purposes and increase the happiness of ourselves and others.
Let us be kind, forbearing and forgiving, one towards another. Let us return kindness for hostility. Let us sacredly preserve our lips from slander and evil speaking; and, whatever may be our failings, let us throw around each other the broad mantle of charity. And, finally, let us be governed in words and deeds by the golden rule, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets"
Thus may we confidently hope that in the good providence of God, each of us will be brought, through a useful and happy life, to a blissful close and triumphant entrance upon the joys of celestial life.
The Installing Officer then addresses the Worthy Matron, who, as he does so, rises.
Worthy Matron, the officers of your Chapter have been installed into their respective stations and are prepared to enter upon their duties. You will not receive in charge the Charter, by the authority of which this Chapter is held and which must be present at all its meetings. You will also receive the Constitution governing the Order in this State and the By-Laws of this Chapter, both of which you are expected to make yourself thoroughly acquainted with and see promptly obeyed. I now present to you the Gavel, an emblem of your authority; and, as none should disobey it, I confidently hope that you will never use it in an arbitrary or dictatorial manner, remembering that we should charitably temper justice with mercy. You will now assume your station as the Worthy Matron of this Chapter.
The Worthy Matron steps to the center of the dais and the Installing Officer to the right. The Worthy Matron calls up the Chapter.
I. O. Sister Marshal, you will now proclaim the officers of Chapter No. , regularly installed.
M. In the name of the Grand Chapter and by order of the Worthy , I proclaim the officers of Chapter No, , of the Order of the Eastern Star, for the ensuing year, regularly installed.
