Bridgeton pioneer., 1905-01-26
DECREE LODGE
A NEW SCHEME.

Fraternal orders are beginning to
look with favor upon the plan to have
degree lodges, instead OF compelling
every lodge to equip itself with initia-
tlon paraphernalia. According to this
scheme, all the lodges in city or
county unite in forming body to
confer the degrees only. If there are
ten lodges Of an order in city, each
bears one-tenth of the expense OF pur-
chasing complete paraphernalia. They
also unite in meeting the expenses of
the degree lodge, which are limited to
room rent and postage. Stated meet
lngs are held at which candidtes are
initited
Many OF the smaller lodges are pre-
vented by the expense involved from
purchasing paraphernalia to exemplify
the degrees peculiar to the order. In
some orders the ceremony is very elab-
crate, calling for team and costumes.
Such an equipment costs money, in
some cases as much as 5000. A simple
form OF Initiation has long since it's
attraction to members and many lodge
men seek to have their rituals changed
to require long charges and much para
phernalia. What is called beautiful
work. has been added to many rituals
to satisfy the demands of members.
| A lodge with fifty members cannot
afford to spend 5000 for paraphernalia,
especially il it has laws calling for
the payment of benefits. New lodges
are forced to ask other branches of the
same order to come and do their de.
gree work until paraphernalia is se-
cured. If it is found impossible to
get the equipment within reasonable
length of time, the members become
discouraged.
| Ii lodge has complete parapher-
MALTA, it always has visitors at it's
meetings. They come to see the de-
gree ceremonies. If there is mill
tary drill connected with the ceremony
they admire the movements and regard
them as the gloss to the regular rites
II the lodge excels in this work the
members are proud of it,
| Years ago degree lodges were COM
mon in at least two of the leading fra
ternities, and the wonder is that they
were discontinued. Some people hint
that lack of harmony between the
lodges interested was the cause of the
| SYSTEMS downfall. Others say that as
the LODGES grew financially and in
membership they decided to perform
their own ceremonies, and so there
was nothing for the degree lodges to
do but disband In those days there
were few lodges compared with the
number in existence to-day. Orders
were not so plentiful and only the
leaders could boast OF from six to ten
in large city. The rituals were not
elaborate and handsome costumes were
unknown. A simple ceremony, i'm
pressive charges and plain parapher-
MALTA marked the comforting of de-
grees.
| At the present time the big orders
are not considered successful in a
largo city unless they can show from
fifteen to twenty lodges, and in some
cases the number reaches two score or
more. II an order with twenty lodges
in a town authorizes those branches
to have degree lodges, the best of
paraphernalia may be purchased. and
il the cost is $500 the expense to each
lodge is small. In most of the orders
several candidates may be admitted at
the same bime. and so class of 100
may be initiated with no more trouble
than is required to admit one appli-
can't.
In cities in which a degree lodge
exists the subordinate lodges elect
their candidates and then send them
to the degree lodge for initiation.
That body meets once or twice week.
Its sole business is to convene, confer
the degrees and declare the candidates
to be members of the lodges to which
they have been elected.
One objection to the system is that
a candidate may be elected On Monday
night and then have to wait until
Wednesday night for initiation. In
this age of rapidity this is regarded as
detrimental to the candidates inter-
ests; but one by one the fraternal or
ders are beginning to realize that the
candidate who is rushed out through
the door of suspension for non n-pay-
ment of dues and assessments. The
belief seems to be gaining ground that
il candidate is kept waiting for
few days he has time to wonder what
the ceremony is like, with the result
that when it takes place he is the
hen do as he says