Relevant Then ............. Relevant Now
7 Reasons Why YOU Should Join the Orange Order
All over the Western world, mass-membership organisations are experiencing a steep decline in numerical strength.
This has sadly become an undeniable feature of our contemporary postmodern era.
Many fraternal societies that were once very large indeed are now a shell of their former selves.
Some are in long-term decline, others are almost extinct and then there are those who have been forced to avoid extinction by changing themselves into something completely different altogether.
And this trend does not only apply to fraternal organisations like ourselves. It has also had a numerically adverse effect on things like trade union membership and membership of political parties.
In light of this state of affairs – why should 21st century people make a conscious decision to 'swim against the tide' by joining a fraternal organisation like the Orange Order?
What practical and positive benefits can come from making such a decision?
This has sadly become an undeniable feature of our contemporary postmodern era.
Many fraternal societies that were once very large indeed are now a shell of their former selves.
Some are in long-term decline, others are almost extinct and then there are those who have been forced to avoid extinction by changing themselves into something completely different altogether.
And this trend does not only apply to fraternal organisations like ourselves. It has also had a numerically adverse effect on things like trade union membership and membership of political parties.
In light of this state of affairs – why should 21st century people make a conscious decision to 'swim against the tide' by joining a fraternal organisation like the Orange Order?
What practical and positive benefits can come from making such a decision?
[1] Escape the Emptiness of Secularism
In our post-Christian era, we live under 'a new orthodoxy'.
This 'new orthodoxy' is a combination of secularism, relativism and subjectivism - once considered by modernist philosophers to be diametric opposites.
This new wave of secularism, relativism and subjectivism has been emboldened by the arrival of 'resurgent atheism'.
Together, these 4 restless philosophies wage their crusade for total dominance - promising freedom, fulfilment and answers.
This new orthodoxy, despite its many internal contradictions and weaknesses, has managed to become so strong that it currently exhibits a stranglehold upon popular culture and the entirety of societal discourse.
With such success and influence at its disposal, hopes are high that the new orthodoxy can deliver upon its promises.
Sadly for its followers however, their revolution has over-promised and under-delivered.
Despite the fact that it achieved (and retains) absolute power - their revolution has failed.
It has the ability to raise questions, but it cannot supply answers.
Neither can it deliver freedom or fulfilment.
It promises mountains, but it performs molehills.
Only Christ and the Bible can deliver answers, freedom and fulfilment.
The very thing that the followers of the new orthodoxy need, and the very thing for which so many of them are seeking, can only be found in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him alone (click here for more information).
This is the message of our historic, evangelical Protestant faith.
This is the message of the great Protestant Reformation.
And this is the message for which Orangeism stands today.
In the midst of a society that has lost its way, the members of the Orange Institution know that freedom, fulfilment and answers can be found in Christ and the Bible.
Orangemen are therefore making their lives count by serving a purpose that is greater than themselves.
They realise that a life of naked-materialism is a dead-end that leads nowhere.
They know that there is more to life than just burying oneself in the 'rat race' - and then compounding that mistake by measuring our self-worth by the profit-figure located at the bottom of a spreadsheet.
That is why they have resolved to stand firm with God, His Book, His Son and the Protestant Faith that He has revealed to us in the pages of Holy Scripture.
By joining the Orange Order, you are acknowledging this.
Will you join us?
By doing so, you will be performing a truly counter-cultural act.
You will have seen through the secular facade that contemporary society has become.
You will have summoned the courage to declare that 'the emperor has no clothes'.
You will have made the brave decision to swim against the tide.
And there is certainly much to do. The need for the Loyal Orders has never been greater.
This 'new orthodoxy' is a combination of secularism, relativism and subjectivism - once considered by modernist philosophers to be diametric opposites.
This new wave of secularism, relativism and subjectivism has been emboldened by the arrival of 'resurgent atheism'.
Together, these 4 restless philosophies wage their crusade for total dominance - promising freedom, fulfilment and answers.
This new orthodoxy, despite its many internal contradictions and weaknesses, has managed to become so strong that it currently exhibits a stranglehold upon popular culture and the entirety of societal discourse.
With such success and influence at its disposal, hopes are high that the new orthodoxy can deliver upon its promises.
Sadly for its followers however, their revolution has over-promised and under-delivered.
Despite the fact that it achieved (and retains) absolute power - their revolution has failed.
It has the ability to raise questions, but it cannot supply answers.
Neither can it deliver freedom or fulfilment.
It promises mountains, but it performs molehills.
Only Christ and the Bible can deliver answers, freedom and fulfilment.
The very thing that the followers of the new orthodoxy need, and the very thing for which so many of them are seeking, can only be found in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him alone (click here for more information).
This is the message of our historic, evangelical Protestant faith.
This is the message of the great Protestant Reformation.
And this is the message for which Orangeism stands today.
In the midst of a society that has lost its way, the members of the Orange Institution know that freedom, fulfilment and answers can be found in Christ and the Bible.
Orangemen are therefore making their lives count by serving a purpose that is greater than themselves.
They realise that a life of naked-materialism is a dead-end that leads nowhere.
They know that there is more to life than just burying oneself in the 'rat race' - and then compounding that mistake by measuring our self-worth by the profit-figure located at the bottom of a spreadsheet.
That is why they have resolved to stand firm with God, His Book, His Son and the Protestant Faith that He has revealed to us in the pages of Holy Scripture.
By joining the Orange Order, you are acknowledging this.
Will you join us?
By doing so, you will be performing a truly counter-cultural act.
You will have seen through the secular facade that contemporary society has become.
You will have summoned the courage to declare that 'the emperor has no clothes'.
You will have made the brave decision to swim against the tide.
And there is certainly much to do. The need for the Loyal Orders has never been greater.
[2] Become Part of a Prestigious Alumni & Lineage
When someone becomes a member of the Loyal Orders, they take their rightful place as a living part of a rich heritage that has nurtured some of the most gifted thinkers and leaders in church, society, culture, education, industry, nationhood, sport and the military.
It is understood that some of the greatest figures in Western history have held membership of the Loyal Orders.
It is understood that some of the greatest figures in Western history have held membership of the Loyal Orders.
Unionist Leader Sir Edward Carson
Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli Prime Minister Bonar Law Social Reformer Dr Barnardo Prime Minister & Industrialist William Massey Prime Minister Lord Brookeborough Duke of York Prince Frederick Hanover King of Hanover & Duke of Cumberland Ernest Augustus Governor-General John Adrian Louis, Earl of Hopetoun Prime Minister Sir John Abbot Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald House of Lords Deputy Speaker Lord Rogan Field-Marshal the Earl of Enniskillen Lord Claud Hamilton, Treasury Lord & King's Lynn MP Archbishop J. Crozier, Prmate of All Ireland Archdeacon T.C. Hammond Lord Bishop of Salisbury & Founder of Lampeter University Stormont House of Commons Speaker Sir Norman Stronge Members of the Guinness Family Famous Footballer George Best Maastricht Rebel Nicholas Budgen QC MP Former Monday Club Chairman Andrew Hunter MP Plus many others, including 7 Prime Ministers from 3 nations, famous inventors, sportsmen, royalty, soldiers, winners of the Victoria Cross, MPs, peers and great men of charity. |
When you join a Loyal Order brotherhood, you become part of this rich heritage, elite lineage and illustrious company of conservative Protestants and patriots.
[3] Know that You Stand for Constitutional Stability & the Continuity of Societal Balance
In the Lodge Room, we do not indulge in 'Party Politics'.
We do however participate in 'Constitutional Politics'.
What is 'Constitutional Politics'?
Constitutional Politics is a positive and passionate defence of both the British Constitution and the great spiritual / philosophical foundations that undergird it:
We do however participate in 'Constitutional Politics'.
What is 'Constitutional Politics'?
Constitutional Politics is a positive and passionate defence of both the British Constitution and the great spiritual / philosophical foundations that undergird it:
The Bible
The Protestant Faith Civil & Religious Liberty The Rights of the Individual Intellectual & Academic Freedom The Rule of Law The Maintenance of the Union The Williamite Settlement The Bill of Rights Magna Carta Common Law The Monarchy Biblically-Informed Family Values The Protestant Character of Britain & its Churches These important principles (listed above) have held the fabric of Western Civilisation together for centuries. |
[4] Experience the Fellowship & Friendship of an Order of Brothers
We do not have Wi-Fi.
Pretend that it is the 1990s............. talk to each other.
In an era of Wi-Fi, virtual reality, smart phones and social media - prepare yourself for a shock.
You actually get a chance to speak to people in person AND chill out while you are doing it.
The value of something like this cannot be overstated in an era of texting, Snapchat and instant communication.
When you join a Protestant fraternal organisation, you immediately get access to a circle of instant acquaintances with whom you already (from the very first moment that you meet them) have something in common – spiritually, ideologically and politically.
This bond is further strengthened when, at the end of your initiation ceremony, you are proclaimed to be both 'their brother' AND 'a member' of their lodge.
You share a common initiatory experience with each and every one of them. Why is this? It is because both you and they have experienced the exact same initiation ceremony - AND done so in each other's presence, upon each other's invitation and with each other's tacit support. Therefore, from the very start, you and all of your fellow lodge members share a common bond and an accompanying measure of goodwill.
Pretend that it is the 1990s............. talk to each other.
In an era of Wi-Fi, virtual reality, smart phones and social media - prepare yourself for a shock.
You actually get a chance to speak to people in person AND chill out while you are doing it.
The value of something like this cannot be overstated in an era of texting, Snapchat and instant communication.
When you join a Protestant fraternal organisation, you immediately get access to a circle of instant acquaintances with whom you already (from the very first moment that you meet them) have something in common – spiritually, ideologically and politically.
This bond is further strengthened when, at the end of your initiation ceremony, you are proclaimed to be both 'their brother' AND 'a member' of their lodge.
You share a common initiatory experience with each and every one of them. Why is this? It is because both you and they have experienced the exact same initiation ceremony - AND done so in each other's presence, upon each other's invitation and with each other's tacit support. Therefore, from the very start, you and all of your fellow lodge members share a common bond and an accompanying measure of goodwill.
[5] Socialise 'Outside the Box'
Within the ranks of fraternal brotherhoods, a wide variety of very different people will have an opportunity to meet on an equal footing and call each other ‘brother’. We therefore have a very real chance to break free from the inward-looking cliques and bubbles that society has a habit of engineering us into.
In the Lodge Room, we find ourselves meeting and fellowshipping with a wide variety of people whom otherwise we would never meet in our ordinary lives.
There are, for example, different ages, different life experiences, different giftings, different abilities, different levels of wealth, different levels of success and different political opinions - all represented within the same Lodge Room.
You will see the employed, the unemployed, the self-employed, people from the private sector and people from the public sector - sitting together in the same Lodge Room, and calling each other 'brother'.
You will also see people with different skill sets (eg. financial services, teaching, manual labour, IT specialists, law, the arts, etc) - sitting together in the same Lodge Room, and calling each other 'brother'.
We know from history that, at one time, it wasn't unusual for a boss and his employee, or a landowner and his tenant, to sit together in the same lodge and call each other 'brother'. In such a scenario, those who found themselves to be unequal OUTSIDE the lodge were very much equal INSIDE the lodge.
Things that, in the outside world, would run the risk of placing distance between us - melt away within the confines of the Lodge Room.
This diverse mixture of people, life stories, situations and experience can help to enrich us as individuals.
It makes us stronger, it grows our knowledge and it also enables us to learn valuable lessons from one another.
Never underestimate the benefit of learning from someone else.
Upon that basis, it is the intention of our lodge to take good men - and then help them to become better men.
In the Lodge Room, we find ourselves meeting and fellowshipping with a wide variety of people whom otherwise we would never meet in our ordinary lives.
There are, for example, different ages, different life experiences, different giftings, different abilities, different levels of wealth, different levels of success and different political opinions - all represented within the same Lodge Room.
You will see the employed, the unemployed, the self-employed, people from the private sector and people from the public sector - sitting together in the same Lodge Room, and calling each other 'brother'.
You will also see people with different skill sets (eg. financial services, teaching, manual labour, IT specialists, law, the arts, etc) - sitting together in the same Lodge Room, and calling each other 'brother'.
We know from history that, at one time, it wasn't unusual for a boss and his employee, or a landowner and his tenant, to sit together in the same lodge and call each other 'brother'. In such a scenario, those who found themselves to be unequal OUTSIDE the lodge were very much equal INSIDE the lodge.
Things that, in the outside world, would run the risk of placing distance between us - melt away within the confines of the Lodge Room.
This diverse mixture of people, life stories, situations and experience can help to enrich us as individuals.
It makes us stronger, it grows our knowledge and it also enables us to learn valuable lessons from one another.
Never underestimate the benefit of learning from someone else.
Upon that basis, it is the intention of our lodge to take good men - and then help them to become better men.
[6] Mutual Aid From 'Brothers Who Have Your Back'
In our modern era, there is little sense of honour.
Blame-shifting is the norm. It can therefore be an immense source of relief to have a group of friends who 'have your back' and are looking out for you. In Galatians 6:2, the Word of God commands us to practice mutual aid: 'bear one another's burdens'. In a lodge where the bonds of fellowship, honour, trust, fraternity and integrity are strong – you can expect there to be a strong culture of mutual aid. This can include things like friendship, mentoring, helping one another and giving advice. |
A former Canadian Grand Master, Bro Rev Dr C.K.S. Moffatt, had this in mind when he said: "It has been a great honour and privilege to be a member of the Order, to call such men brother". He called upon members of our Institution to "practice the highest levels of fraternalism in the tradition of our lodges".
The star of fellowship (pictured above) reminds us of the fraternal bonds that unite Orangemen worldwide. Why not become a part of it? Join Benvarden Lodge today! Click here to contact us and we'll get the ball rolling! It will be a joy to welcome you into the Orange Family!
The star of fellowship (pictured above) reminds us of the fraternal bonds that unite Orangemen worldwide. Why not become a part of it? Join Benvarden Lodge today! Click here to contact us and we'll get the ball rolling! It will be a joy to welcome you into the Orange Family!
[7] Character Development & Practical Skills
When you join an Orange Lodge, you begin a journey of personal development - a pilgrimage that introduces you to the wholesome biblical and chivalrous principles laid down by Orangeism across the world. You can therefore, as time goes by, expect to see Lodge Membership having a positive effect on your own character development, personal ethics and sense of honour.
As you attend meetings and work your way through the different officer positions, you will find yourself developing new skills and sharpening existing ones, for example: public speaking, didactic reasoning, local history, constitutional philosophy, debating and rhetorical skills, basic accountancy, note taking, the chairing and organising meetings, advanced writing skills, record keeping, and the mastery of protocol and procedure.
As you attend meetings and work your way through the different officer positions, you will find yourself developing new skills and sharpening existing ones, for example: public speaking, didactic reasoning, local history, constitutional philosophy, debating and rhetorical skills, basic accountancy, note taking, the chairing and organising meetings, advanced writing skills, record keeping, and the mastery of protocol and procedure.
Conclusion
On a variety of levels, there are many benefits - spiritual, practical, educational and social - to be enjoyed when we join a large Protestant brotherhood like the Orange Order.
As is so often the case in life - membership of a fraternity is what you make it. You get out what you put in.
We warmly invite you to join us now. If you would like to accept our invitation, please click here, fill in the online form and we'll get the ball rolling. We look forward to welcoming you into Benvarden Lodge.
As is so often the case in life - membership of a fraternity is what you make it. You get out what you put in.
We warmly invite you to join us now. If you would like to accept our invitation, please click here, fill in the online form and we'll get the ball rolling. We look forward to welcoming you into Benvarden Lodge.