Universe

Ryan,

You are correct about the By-Laws stating that bussiness is to be conducted while open in the Initiatory Degree

Article 18 / Meetings
Section 318.3 Conduct of Business.
Business of the Chapter must be conducted while the Chapter is open on the Initiatory Degree.

Notice that the word MUST is used.

And the following section:

Section 318.4 DeMolay Degree, When Opened In.
When a Chapter is opened in its highest degree, all preceding degrees are opened and it may pass from work in one degree to work in another without other form than the declaration that it does so.

The reasoning for this is so that all members have knowledge and input into a Chapters business.

Actually Dad Itz, I was refering to my Chapter By-laws, which has a section that is worded like this: 'The Chapter may conduct business on the Intiatory Degree."

But that is an interresting note nonetheless. That is a good reason though. I know some Chapter s that still do all of their business after opening on the DeMolay Degree, and then 'calling down' as we would say in Lodge to the Intiatory Degree.

It puts all DeMolays, since the younger to the older Senior in the business. That's good. Here in Brazil it's a little bit similar to Philliínes. Our works are secret and parents only watch to the Investiture of Officer and the Public Cerimonies.


Sir Jaimar PMC

quote:

Originally posted by SvnLyrBrto:
Okay... just to show how much of a dork I am, and pretty much have always been...

If ever the budget for the props and costumes were to be available; I always thought it'd have been pretty cool to do a Star Wars themed degree...

Lord Constipated would, of course, be Darth Vader, complete with lightsaber. Maybe he could even force-choke any guards who remained loyal to the MI and SI on his way in. Maybe he goes ahead and cuts down the inquisitors (ALL of them...) at the end anyway.

Guards would be clad in Stormtrooper uniforms.

Marshall of Commission could be a 3P0-series protocol droid.

Inquisitors could be Imperial officers, MI with the rank insignia of Grand Moff, SI with Moff, and JI with... I dunno... plain old Admrial or Captain or something.

And of course, the prisoners would be rebels; maybe with DeMolay and Guy dressed as Han Solo and Chewbacca...


cya,
john

You sound like a very nice dork actually the idea is really creative,

____
http://www.starwarsbuddies.com/

Some of these posts on the DeMolay Degree are very interesting...

As Brother Hart had said earlier, in Washington State everyone can see the DeMolay Degree, and some Chapters can even perform the degree open-air style, but only with the EO's permission.

The Nazi-style degree that Bro. Hart also talked about was performed at our last State Convention, and the MI part was split in two: the first two paragraphs was the "judge" MI and the rest the "head-prosecutor" MI.

Another element some Washington degrees use is a sort of "betrayal" by Hughes de Peralde and Godfrey de Goneville, where they sign their lives away after Guy's speech.

Any other ideas or suggestions?

My chapter does the typical themed Degree. We freeze frame and have this elaborate exit. Last year i was a door guard and now im gonna be the Lord Constable and we are arranging the degree differentl;y. More details later.

O.K. Everyone gets face paint. DeMolay is white, maybe even the rest of the the prisoners, but the inquisition gets a half black half white face. As the emotions change throughout, allow the "audience to only see that half of the face which best reflects the tone of what is being said. With that said, LC may not necessarily be black, he is the bringer of bad news, but he could just be a messenger, so maybe gray would be a good color for him. I would recommend subdued lighting around the performance area, with good lighting on the performers...kinda goes with the black white contrast making it more...can't think of the word right now, but I'm sure you know what I'm saying.

Another one. Everyone paints there faces white. All performers have a flashlight that they hold under their faces. As the individuals interpreted mood changes so does the color of the light on the face, red for anger, etc. Maybe one of those LED flash lights, and of course this will take some practice getting the coordination right for insuring the appropriate color at the appropriate time. Again subdued lighting to make the different colors pop.

The inquisition and there staff are hippies, and the prisoners are military men just back from serving their country.

A couple of "twists" I didn't include in the original post of this thread, but can add to any Degree if they are workable, and well done.

The "Invisible Orator", uses a total dark opening where the Orator can't be seen. Spooky music may preceed the opening Oration, or may even play behind it. If the Lodge room or other room doesn't allow a totally dark setting, the Orator can still be a dim figure, impossible to see clearly.

In some older Lodges, there is an "upstairs balcony" of some type. If workable, the LC can enter there, carrying a lit candle, and be listening in on the Senior Inquisitor and DeMolay at the end. He can make his first speech from this location, then storm downstairs to finish up. The lit candle is meant to attract the Candidates eyes, to see him up there, even though he goes "unnoticed" by DeMolay and the Inquisitors.

As always, the available setting should be utilized with imagination to maximize the dramatic effect.

Dale

PS I am happy to see so many people interested and participating in this thread.

How about LC coming in with a sadistically jovial deliverance of his part, like he's taking absolute pleasure in it.

MI- JFK
SI- Lincoln
JI- Nixon or "W"
LC- TR
DeMolay- Obama
Guy- McCain
Orator- Bill Clinton

Use their speaking styles for performing the parts.

O.K., here's your motivation, you are all William Shatner and the ship is about to blow, so you must inspire Scotty to work miracles through your delivery of each line.

Ooh, perform an Esperanto translation of the Degree.

Deliver each part as a soliloquy. No one reacts to anyone else's part, everyone is just kinda siting around in their positions almost as if not sure where to go from the point that the prisoners are brought forth. Then out of nowhere LC comes in and delivers his part as usual.

Bro. Lopez, I love the Shatner one. My theme for the year is SciFi... i might have to do it at WOFAB.
I assume you are speaking about how Shatner... pauses... and adds. emphasis... to the lines... and such....

I can't remember if this was mentioned (i dont think so) but what about a discoteque or roller rink style? Huh Huh?
Way too tight spandex. the "rack" can just be Jacques doing the splits after the JI spills oil on a spot on the floor... Jacques gets carried out singing "Stayin' Alive"...

William

Firstly, I just want to say, and I'm quoting Dale on this, that the secrets of our Fraternity cannot be learned from reading our rituals. The signs and grips and passwords are modes of recognition, and also signs of salutation (we walk to the alter and give the sign of that degree when entering or leaving the Chapter Room). But they are all found in the book, which is also found in a lot of libraries across the nation. Not very secret.

However the TRUE secrets are the bands of brotherhood we find and the experiences we share with our brothers. The feeling of being connected to someone thousands of miles away, but knowing that we still have a friend AND a brother almost anywhere we go.

Now, as for Degree interpretations: How about a musical? Cause who doesn't want a world we everyone busts out into song and dance!

I would also like to note, these "twists" and all out changes should never, never, NEVER be done for a candidate. This is something that should be done to stretch your wings and imaginations as Ritualists. Leave the real ritual for the candidate to enjoy because the degrees are entirely for the candidate, not for anybody else in the room.]

S&F

Oh!

Here the things are a quite different... The meetings are tottaly secrets (Brazillians are less worrieds about do secrets meetings, the population don´t thing "conspiration teories" and it turn the things more easily here), only DeMolays and Masons can watch it.

All the meetings are made with the complete ritual description, using all the regalia and weekly. In the others days, we are doing projects.

It´s good to detail it to compare and know particularities, but always remember we are one Order, and all brothers!