Initiator Policy

The Initiation Committee has a process of quarterly meetings to discuss policy, feedback and the continuing success of our Initiation Rituals. All Initiators who are active within the Lodge should participate in these meetings.

The Secretary and the Initiation Committee will usually handle all interface with candidates, including scheduling the initiation and letting candidates know what to bring or wear, and generally answering any questions they may have prior to their initiation. It is our intention that candidates not know who their initiator is until to their initiation.

The Secretary will handle any necessary communication with Grand Lodge. This includes dues status verification and activity verification, and any communication with the U.S. Initiation Secretary regarding the initiation, candidates or sponsors.

The Secretary and Treasurer will handle all the money, including the collection of dues and fees, reimbursing initiation expenses, and sending dues to Grand Lodge.

The Initiation committee will be responsible for making sure that the initiation is posted on the calendar, announced to PDXOTO and any other appropriate lists. The Initiation committee is responsible for making sure attendees have all pertinent information regarding what to bring or wear, et cetera.

The Initiator will coordinate with other appropriate Officers, ensuring that feasts, regalia, study guides, certificates, et cetera is provided.

The Ritual and Feast Committee will provide a feast when appropriate. It is the Initiator’s responsibility to contact the Feast Coordinator to arrange this.

The SML Quartermaster will provide all candidate regalia and items involved in the initiation.

SML has its own study guide supplements as well as the official U.S.G.L Study Guides. They will be ready for the Initiator to give to candidates at the initiation. The Quartermaster will provide these.

Certificates will be provided by the Secretary to the Initiator to sign shortly after the initiation.

SML has available all temple and initiation equipment for all Man of Earth degrees. Initiators are responsible for knowing all safety issues as well as the proper care, set up and take down of all equipment.

Musicians (or recorded music) are generally available if appropriate. It is the Initiator’s responsibility to arrange for this.

The Initiator will schedule rehearsals which they will be responsible for holding with the Officers. Three or four rehearsals are generally expected. One run-through on the day of the initiation should be held, and can be counted among these three or four rehearsals. Sufficient rehearsals should be held for the Officers to feel confident and be capable. Initiators are expected to use these rehearsals as training sessions, working with the Officers to improve and providing any feedback and clarification of the Officer Training program and Initiation Policies. All of these are found within the Initiator’s Handbook.

Guest Initiators from other Valleys, who are invited by the Lodge Master to initiate at Sekhet-Maat Lodge, should ensure that another Initiator or one of the SML Trainers hold these rehearsals in their place in the event that they cannot make it to SML to train their initiation team.

The Initiation Committee will provide Initiators scripts at the Quarterly Committee Meeting to distribute to their officers for memorization. Initiators are fully responsible for these scripts and they must be returned at the end of each initiation.

In order to be on the SML Officer Roster, members must meet certain requirements, e.g., training sessions, Policy updates, be active members of Sekhet-Maat Lodge, et cetera as stated in the Initiation Officer Training Guidelines. Initiators will choose their officers from this roster.

The Initiator is responsible for memorizing her/his part of the script. Oaths, poems, et cetera may be read.

The initiator must give the Chair of the Initiation Committee and Body Master immediate notification if they cannot perform the initiation.

The Initiator is expected to maintain professional performance standards as described in the Sekhet-Maat Initiator Training.

The Initiator should ensure that the entire Lodge is left clean and back to “default” before leaving, using the Initiation Checklist as well as the Lodge Closing Checklist.

The Initiator is expected to schedule and hold a degree class for the candidates within approximately three weeks after the initiation. This class should involve a walk through of the initiation, discussion of symbolism, Lodge policy and customs, such as payment of dues, etc. Visiting Initiators from other Valleys should arrange to have another local Initiator do this for them.

The Initiator is expected to inform the Lodge Master and Secretary of any unusual circumstances regarding the initiation and/or candidates as soon as possible.