The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

Chapter 7 - Rituals 591
could make themselves known in case of distress. Thus, we are told by an Oddfellow
pocket text book that
[n]o business whatever, except that of conferring, can be done in the
Degree of Rebekah. The preliminaries must all be settled in the
Subordinate Lodge. We particularly make this statement, because an
erroneous impression has prevailed that 'women are to be introduced to
the lodges!' [...]
The simple truth is: Woman is not entitled to and seeks not a place
among us. Our institution was originally intended and framed
exclusively for men, and the various modifications it has undergone
have not adapted it to the other sex. They could not, with propriety, in
conformity with the usages of the world, take part in our private
assemblages, without exposing themselves to the censoriousness of the
age. 1539
Another similarity with Freemasonry is the love for decorations. As we will
see in the analyses of the other fraternal orders, these organizations
enthusiastically deck their members in regalia. In Freemasonry, these badges
have a symbolic value, however, in several orders the neutral observer gets the
impression that such decorations have been created in the first place to make the
members feel special, proud, and belonging to that group, and to make them
want to join for these reasons. There seems to be less spiritual sense behind these
"symbols" as soon as a whole trade develops around them, and when they are
worn on public processions or at lodge meetings for the mere show-off and pride
in rank and reputation, we can assume that their original purpose got lost and
they remain but a pretty, empty shell.
The exposure of the Odd Fellow ritual from 1888 mentions as a special
function of an officer to care for the regalia: thus, it is the Warden's duty to place
and replace the regalia "in a careful way," and to report "any damage it may have
received" to the Noble Grand (cf. p. 40). This last duty sounds rather trivial and
is not mentioned as a separate charge of an officer in Freemasonry. However, the
Odd Fellows lay much stress on their regalia, which is heavily reproached by the
Christian critic, Blanchard, who has written commentaries to each degree of this
ritual. For example, when the Odd Fellow historian, Grosh, cites a Biblical
passage of Mary anointing Jesus' feet with costly spikenard, as a parallel to and a
defense of the Odd Fellows spending much money on regalia, Blanchard calls
the jewels "trinkets, gewgaws and 'horse-collars'," 1540 and mocks their valuable
educational influence thus claimed by Grosh:
When the humble and grateful Mary (Mark 14: 3-9, and John 12: 3-8)
took a pound of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the head and feet of
Jesus, there was complaint that the expensive article had not been sold
1539 Revised Oddfellowship Illustrated, p. 236 - 237.
1540 Revised Oddfellowship Illustrated, p. 33.