When Robert Zink got "expelled" by a vote of the Adepts in his Order, I knew it was only a matter of time before he would issue a statement that the Adepts did not have the right to make that vote. This precognition annoyed me. But it wasn't all that marvelous of a prediction when you know the history of Golden Dawn.
I understood my annoyance. It was caused by another annoyance---I was about to have to refight an old battle.
One of the things that has always annoyed the leaders of the current Golden Dawn Orders is the fact that I openly support the membership having voting rights. Not only do I support voting rights, I believe that the members of the Outer Order should have voting rights and not just the highest level of the Inner Order.
My reasons for believing such nonsense will have to wait another night (I got a paper to write tonight for my Urban History class); but just to start getting people aware of the work that I have done to support this idea, I present the Outer Order Voting Rights Oath from the BIOGD (BIORC) Zelator 1=10 ritual.
As always, free feel to leave your offerings of hemlock in the comment section.
Outer Order Voter Oath
Hierophant: My dear brother/sister, _____ Temple, Golden Dawn in the Outer is pleased to offer you the privilege and duty of holding Outer Order Voting Rights. Because of the increased influence over the members of the lodge that such a privilege necessarily confers, the lodge requires you to take a further pledge of your fidelity to the well-being of the lodge.
As with the previous oath(s) that you have taken in the presence of the higher powers and in the presence of your brothers and sisters of this lodge, this oath contains nothing contrary to your civil, moral or religious duties. Are you willing to take this pledge?
Zelator: (affirms)
Hierophant: Then place your left hand upon the symbol of the Order from which we draw our lessons, and your right hand upon the statue (icon) of ____, which represents the lodge of which you are a member of.
Zelator: (does so)
Hierophant: Do you promise to regard the privilege of having Outer Order Voting Rights as a trust given to you, not for your own selfish gain, but rather as a service to this lodge, so that our lodge and our tradition may be kept pure and undefiled, and the Light kept safely for those who seek it on this Path?
Zelator: (affirms)
Hierophant: Do you promise to uphold the right of the members of the Second Order, especially the (Co-)Chief(s) of this lodge to decide on issues of the curriculum and upon issues of advancement in this lodge, so that our high standards of knowledge may be maintained?
Zelator: (affirms)
Hierophant: Do you promise to allow members of the Second Order to override any Outer Order vote, provided that they CAN truly justify their actions as being in the best interests and well-being of this lodge?
Zelator: (affirms)
Hierophant: Do you promise that you will neither recommend a Candidate for admission into First Order, nor for advancement without due judgment and assurance that they are worthy of such a great confidence and honor, nor unduly press any person to be a Candidate?
Zelator: (affirms)
Hierophant: Do you furthermore promise to support the admission of both sexes to our lodge, on a perfect equality, and that you will always display brotherly/sisterly love and forbearance towards the members of this lodge and Order, neither slandering nor evil-speaking, nor repeating, nor tale-bearing, whereby strife and ill-feeling may be engendered?
Zelator: (affirms)
Hierophant: Do you promise to exercise your vote with conscientiousness and loving care, not alone towards this Temple and Order, but unto every individual member?
Zelator: (affirms)
Hierophant: Finally do you promise that if during your travels that you should meet a stranger who claims to be a member of the same Order from which we draw our inspiration, that you will examine them with due care before acknowledging them as such?
Zelator: (affirms)
Hierophant: (addressing the lodge) Brothers and Sisters of _____ Temple, you have heard the pledge of Brother/Sister , do you accept it and grant onto him/her Outer Order Voting Rights?
Lodge: (affirms)
Hierophant: Brother/Sister , you are now a voting member of _____ Temple. Remember always that it is only through the wise exercise of secrecy and our voting rights that we maintain the resources that this lodge has gathered for the use of its members in accomplishing our common goal, which is to accomplish the Great Work, the Union of the Sun and Moon, the Uniting of the Macrocosm and Microcosm, the attainment of the Philosopher’s Stone, the SUMMUM BONUM.
Copyright 2000-2011 Morgan Drake Eckstein.
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4 comments:
Hi Morgan,
Thank you for this post and sharing this Oath. The oath is a great idea, and something we have not thought about consciously including within a ceremony before. I like this very much…and the oath itself.
I naturally support voting by all members once a Temple has gotten off the ground and running fully (the first few years as a Temple finds its feet after initial foundation by one or a few, it may be different. But this situation and limitations to it can be easily placed within the constitution).
All this said, I do however wonder about the EOGD and Robert Zink situation.
If the rank and file EOGD signed up for and stayed within an organisation that did not constitutionally allow for expulsion of their Chief, can they then vote to expel their Chief? (I have no info on the actual EOGD Constitution).
If you start a game under a certain set of rules, don’t you have to abide by those rules, try and change them or get out?
Or of course, you can take your friends and start a new game. I think this may be the preferable way for EOGD folk – scrap the whole lot, dissolve the current egregore and form a new Order at Equinox. The EOGD name has already been tarnished enough by Mr Zink’s antics. Trying to continue as the “EOGD” when there is a rival EOGD saying they are the REAL EOGD won’t help anyone. Presumably any new Order or new manifestation of the EOGD (minus Zink) WILL have voting rights for all members and constitutional provision to remove nutters and Chiefs who go barking mad. :) Thanks.
Historically in our Order the hierarchy included Three Chiefs, with one as the head and the other two Chiefs as the balancing cups on the scale. When the order was originally founded it was by a group of people who were equally involved in its development. After their group began growing they decided they needed to have a bit of structure to make it more workable and to give people in far away places to be able to study the Golden Dawn. The way the original hierarchy began was by a test of knowledge and a vote as to who would be the best leader. Robert came out the winner and was made Order Chief. From the point forward he ran the Order with the other two Chiefs who often changed due to people leaving the Order. Last year a decision was made to install a board of directors in the Second Order. Each person on the board had a voting right. Each of these board members opened themselves up to the rest of the Order, essentially making it a voting Body. However, regardless of this fact the shear necessity to remove Robert for engaging in illegal credit card fraud using the Order as his way to find his next victim, made it imperative that something be done regardless of "tradition".
As far as the future of the EOGD is concerned in name etc. We are very firm with where we stand, and that is as an Order without Zink. Our first order of business however is not to worry about cleaning up the rough edges, but to ensure that Robert will no longer have the ability to harm innocent people.
Care VH Sr FSO,
Thank you for the clarification.
I wish your Order and yourself all the best for unfoldment, balance and harmony within the light. :)
Peregrin Took ;) I wish you the best as well. Honestly, with all the issues that I've been taking care of lately, the outpouring of love from the Golden Dawn community has left me in awe. I have no doubt that the current of the Golden Dawn is alive and well in so many wonderful people I have met via blogs, facebook etc...seeing this affirms in my heart that the Great Work is great indeed.
Love, Truth and Knowledge to you Frater.
And to Morgan...I didn't get to say this earlier when I posted my response to your blog...but the whole time I was reading about your Order's voting rights all I was thinking was "Hell Yeah!" The Golden Dawn is about progressing and growing, this applies to people as well as to Orders and time...having people like you who understand that change is sometimes necessary in growth, and having the ability not to be weighed down by constructs yet still stay in the vein of 'tradition" is a Divine quality indeed :)
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