Ancient Toltec Rite
Ritual of Installation of Officers


1926


Preceding the ceremony of installation, the Installing officer and a Temporary Mistress of the Ceremonies are selected. The elected officers are seated in the southwest section of the room, in regular order as they will be taken to their respective places
It is the duty of the temporary Mistress of Ceremonies to marshal them into formation and at the proper time, escort them to their respective places.
KNIGHT COMMANDER:
Lady Secretary you will read aloud, the names of those who have been exalted by election and appointment to the position of officers for the ensuing year.
Knight and Ladies: You have heard these names, you know them well,—are there any among you who will not willingly follow where they lead, or who will not pledge them your fealty and support? If so, speak now, and do not by future word, or act, break the covenant of consent that you will now make if you remain silent.
Lady …, I do now appoint you to act as Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies for this installation, and direct you to arrange the various officers immediately behind the altar in the form of a cross, with the Knight Commander elect, and the Lady Superior elect, at the apex of the cross.
Music.
LADY MISTRESS OF THE CEREMONIES:
Knight Commander, the officers elect and appointive are in proper order, with Sir Knight … and Lady … at the apex of the cross.
KNIGHT COMMANDER:
The cross, has always had a potent signification to the human race. It has symbolized the universe, because its arms were pointing toward infinity and in every direction. To the ancient Toltecs, it symbolized the North wind, the South wind, the East wind and the West wind, each idealized as sentient beings, with mighty wings, who, supporting the sky upon their uplifted arms, kept the human race from destruction, and by the beating of their pinions, caused the winds whose names they bore. We find their inscription of the cross in the well known Swastica, but, more perfectly to our conception, in the wondrous sculptured cross at Palenque.
As they symbolized and venerated the cross, the emblem that we hold the most sacred, and take as a symbol of our order, it is but meet and fitting that you, the officers who are to represent us, should be arranged to form a cross, symbolizing by that act, that you are a unit, in working for, and upholding the principles that unite us into one holy band, a band who will hold the cross before us in our walk through the mists and the uncharted wilderness of our earthly life.
Knight Commander elect, upon you will devolve the duties of directing the course of our council for the coming year. Do not enter lightly upon your mission. We lean upon your guidance, as the pilgrim leans upon his staff, and should you fail us, with those words of wisdom and of kindness that we expect, we will be indeed like the pilgrim with a broken staff, only able lamely and haltingly to gain the goal.
Your virtues are well known to us, and we ask you to carry them out before the world, that those not of us, may say of you, "He is an honorable and righteous man; just, kind, considerate, of unquestioned integrity of character, patriotic and philanthropic. He practices the virtues that he proclaims. If the Toltec Rite be composed of such as he, it is an honor to belong to it."
Do you promise us that you will preside with justice, will be courteous to subordinates, and will uphold the principles of our order?
Answer.

That you will not allow the secret work of our order to become known to the profane, but will jealously guard the same; that our obligation, and our means of recognition, shall not become the property of the uninitiated?
Answer.

That you will hold all the officers under you to a strict accounting for their various duties, as well as zealously and faithfully performing your own?
Answer.

Your promises have been heard by us, and also they are now written in letters that neither time nor eternity can ever erase. Letters that are beyond our present ken, but, be assured they will still hold over you, inexorable as fate, when the universe has ceased to exist.
Lady Superior elect, the Ancient Toltecs traced their lineage, not through their fathers, as we do, but through their mothers. We, the modern Toltecs, trace the history of our order through the administrations of our Ladys Superior. They are the symbolic mothers of the order.
How fitting then, that you as the active Mother of this Council, should minister to us, should watch over us, pray for us, and keep us from the inviting paths of error, that radiate on every hand from the course which we should pursue.
Do not enter upon your duties with the vain conceit that your labor is but to sit in the East and follow out the ritual. You will find your duties do not cease with the stroke of the gavel, but rather that they do but then begin.
We are expecting you to minister to your distressed sisters and brothers, cloak their shortcomings with motherly charity, and to act ever and always as that highest example of human attainment, a lady; a lady of the Holy Cross.
If it is in this spirit that you approach your office and undertake the duties devolving upon you, we, on our part, pledge you our hearty support and co-operation, and that we will endeavor to make your work as light as the importance of your office will permit.
Do you now promise to uphold the principles and tenets of the Ancient Toltec Rite and assume the duties and responsibilities of Lady Superior of our Council?
Answer.

Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will now conduct our Knight Commander elect and our Lady Superior elect, to the East.
Music
The Knight Commander and Lady Superior are escorted to the East, when the installing officer greets them and seats them, the Knight Commander at the right of the Lady Superior.

Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will now present the Lady Ciencia elect.
LADY MISTRESS OF THE CEREMONIES:
Knight Commander, Lady … stands before the altar, prepared for installation as Lady Ciencia.
KNIGHT COMMANDER:
To the Ancient Toltecs the plains extended in unmeasured distance, vast, boundless, and unknown. Sad was the fate of those who trusted themselves there, without careful instruction and preparation; as starvation, and thirst, with madness as their boon companion, were always at their side, on those trackless deserts.
But our ancient brethren did compass these forbidding lands, did find their way to go and across them. They learned to read the face of the wilderness and see a thousand things, where the unlearned could see but desolation and destruction. So they gained knowledge, and knowledge, steadily advancing, became Science—Ciencia.
You as Lady Ciencia, are to preside over the plane of the West. To give, with kindly courtesy, to those who do not know the pathway through the trackless waste, such instruction and guidance as will lead them steadily toward the East; the direction from which light comes to a darkened world.
Your duties are many, and are both written and unwritten, but are necessarily subservient to the presiding officers in the East.
Do you promise to fulfill them to the best of your ability, and to labor for the good of our order?
Answer.

Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will conduct the Lady Ciencia elect to the North.
Music

Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will present the Lady Natura elect.
LADY MISTRESS OF THE CEREMONIES:
Knight Commander, Lady … stands before the altar, prepared for installation as Lady Natura.
KNIGHT COMMANDER:
To the primitive man, nature presented an undecipherable enigma. On every hand were unknown processes, and unknown principles,—he found about him things that were harmful, and others that were good; he learned to avoid the one, and turn to his use the other, and so he gained in knowledge.
You are to typify Nature in the plane of the South and to act in conjunction with Science, typified here as Lady Ciencia, in instructing those who seek admission among us, in the path that they should follow, if they are to reach the source of light, of knowledge, and of joy.
Do you undertake these duties?
Answer.

Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will conduct the Lady Natura elect, to the South.
Music

Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will now present the Lady Secretary elect and the Lady Treasurer elect, at the altar.
LADY MISTRESS OF THE CEREMONIES:
Knight Commander, Ladies … and … stand before the altar, prepared for installation as Secretary and Treasurer.
KNIGHT COMMANDER:
Lady Secretary, as our ancient brethren inscribed with obsidian tools, and with infinite patience, upon flattened stones, a record of events that were of the most importance to them, so to you is entrusted the duty of perpetuating in writing, the things that are of most importance to us as an order.
You duties are many and varied and are enumerated in our Constitution and By-laws. It is for you to inform yourself of them and to perform them to the best of your ability. Do you promise to do this?
Answer.

Lady Treasurer, since man has existed as a thinking being, there have been things that he prized, one above another, those things that he prized the highest, were treasures. With the advance of organized society, some one was set apart to guard and care for the things most precious, that they might be ever at hand in time of need.
You have been elected to perform this duty for us, as the guardian of our funds. These we expect you to guard jealously, to account for accurately and faithfully. Do you promise to do this? Answer.
Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will conduct the Lady Secretary elect and the Lady Treasurer elect to their stations.
Music.

Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will present the appointed Musician, at the altar.
LADY MISTRESS OF THE CEREMONIES:
Knight Commander, (Lady or Sir Knight) … stands before the altar, prepared for installation as Musician.
KNIGHT COMMANDER:
The rippling of murmuring waves upon the beaches, the wind sighing through the palm trees, the laughter of little children, the muffled roar of the waterfall, the thunder of the breakers on the rocky shore, the sigh of love, the wail of anguish, the cry of despair, the halting step of age and the sprightliness of youth, the tenderness of motherhood, the wild roar of the tornado, the stalwartness of manhood and the purity of truth, woven together, with the warp and woof of tone, tempered with the shuttle of time, lightened and shaded with the soul of an artist, makes that heavenborn fabric known as music.
The Olympian Gods had Orpheus, "whose harp was strung with poets’ sinews, the touch whereof would melt both steel and stones." We have our musician upon whom devolves the duty of bringing to our Council the rhythm and harmony that goes so far in perfecting the spirit of our work. To this most important station you have been appointed. Do you accept?
Answer.

Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will conduct the Lady (or Sir Knight) Musician to her (or his) station.
Music.

Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will now present those appointed to be Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, Lady Associate Mistress of the Ceremonies, the Sir Knight Orator, the Lady Guardian and the Sir Knight Sentinel at the altar.
LADY MISTRESS OF THE CEREMONIES:
Knight Commander, Lady …, Lady …, Sir Knight …, Lady …, and Sir Knight … stand before the altar, prepared for installation as Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, Lady Associate Mistress of the Ceremonies, Knight Orator, Lady Guardian, and Knight Sentinel.
KNIGHT COMMANDER:
It is not needful that I here rehearse to you your various duties, you are each and all subservient to the presiding officers, and we feel, that in your hands, the functions and duties of your various offices will be well and graciously attended to, and carried out.
Your work, and the effects that you impress upon our candidates, are vital to the very life of our order. See that you do them well.
Do you promise to endeavor to the best of your several abilities so to do?
Answer.

Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will conduct these officers to their various stations.
Music.

Lady Mistress of the ceremonies, you will now present the appointed Lady Chaplain.
LADY MISTRESS OF THE CEREMONIES:
Knight Commander, (Lady or Sir Knight) … stands before the altar, prepared for installation as Chaplain.
KNIGHT COMMANDER:
Not because your office is esteemed the least, but because it is the greatest, has your installation been left until the last. Our earliest brethren had learned to adore the Diety, and to His honor and glory, they erected the greatest of their temples and raised the most enduring of their monuments. In token of the acceptance of your sacred trust you will now lead the Council in Divine worship. * * *.
CHAPLAIN:
To thee, Almighty Father of the Universe, we bow and, humbly beseeching, pray that Thou will cast the rays of Thy unceasing love upon this Council; will guide, guard and protect it, its officers and members, and help us to help our fellow men.
Thou hast heard the promises made to us; these promises were also made to Thee. Guard Thou the footsteps of those who made them, that they may not grow faint, nor fall weary by the wayside.
Enlighten, strengthen, and upbuild our beloved Order, that it may become a potent power for good, for us, and for all mankind.
Keep thou Thy watchful eyes, ever upon us and our sacred cross always before us.
Bless, prosper, guide and protect us, we most humbly pray, and Thine shall be the glory forever, Amen.
ALL PRESENT:
Amen.
KNIGHT COMMANDER, *:
Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies, you will conduct the Lady Chaplain to her station.
Music.

Lady Mistress of the Ceremonies have all the officers elect and appointed been attended to their stations?
LADY MISTRESS OF THE CEREMONIES:
They have.
* * *.
Sir Knight Commander I present to you the gavel of office and in the name and under the authority of the Grand Council of the Ancient Toltec Rite, I now proclaim the officers of … Council Number …, duly and legally installed for the ensuing year. Let us all take heed and obey.


Home