Starting an Order of the Grail Commandery
There are two types of OTG Commanderies; One is ‘initiatory’, that is, The Commander is a Knight or Dame, validly invested and qualified to pass on our lineage in the OTG to new members, or a *Qualified Initiator (*See OTG Initiations for further information)
Other Commanderies do not have this component, due to the lack of Initiators in their area who can transmit the succession to them.
This second type of OTG Commandery, offers membership in that particular commandery, and a format in which to learn about ritual work and discuss certain esoteric subjects, similar to the first.
ICES LIBERS: To start a Commandery you ARE NOT required to be a member of ICES, but you may receive and study the first 2 levels or 20 libers. If you choose this option, you will receive these libers in .PDF format on a CD ROM with your new Commandery Start Up kit. The cost for these Libers will be an additional $20.00 which will be forwarded to ICES for the content of the Libers. Each Liber varies, but most contain approximately 20 pages.
Once you have been a Commander or a commandery member in the Order of the Grail for at least 1 complete Grail year, on your next successive year you may order additional levels of libers in .PDF Format on CD ROM, up to 4 *Levels; approx. 11 libers per level or up to 50 libers total per year of membership, provided, of course, that dispensation fees and commandery dues are current. And individual Commandery membership requirements have been met. The cost fro the Libers will be $15.00 per level, or $50.00 for all 3 (or 4) levels, payable to ICES by International Money Order. *Note: Level 3 is treated as 2 levels, as it contains as many Libers; Libers 1-50 include planes 1, 2 and 3).
Mailing costs and materials fees are included if I can send these Libers with your new Commandery materials on your "OTG Doc's" CD ROM, or with your dispensation renewals. If you want to order additional Libers on a CD ROM at a later date, it will cost $10.00 for materials and postage to the US, and approximately $15 to most other countries to print and mail an additional CD ROM to you separately. The CD ROM in case and packaging weighs 5oz. You can calculate your postage at this link: http://ircalc.usps.gov/ (use 90078 in the 'from' box)
All OTG Initiations require either that a Validly Invested OTG Knight or Dame administer them or a *Qualified Initiator, that is a Martinist S.I. or a Master Mason from a recognized obedience, that has been sanctioned to act as an Initiator for the first and second degree(s) of our order. To become a Qualified Initiator you must be able to provide documentation confirming this. Qualified Initiators who are OTG Commanders, commandery Officers or members may also affiliate with us upon signing our oath and obligation and are allowed to wear our grail apron at OTG meetings. If such a Member is also the Commander or an Officer in the Commandery (Captain or Sergeant) they may also receive the first degree Initiation Materials in their commandery kit, and may, in turn, initiate new members of their Commanderies into the first Degree of the Order, and during the 2nd year of membership may apply to initiate members into the 2nd or Squire degree. Knight or Dame Commanders are indicated in our Commandery Directory as such, Qualified Initiators are indicated as Commanders and their title will is displayed in RED with an * following i.e.: Commander*. Knight or Dame Commanders are also indicated.
To receive the second degree (Squire) you must have participated in Commandery work for at least *1 year, your Initiator must have already conferred the Commandery Initiation to you, and you must be a current Commandery Member -- actively participating in your commandery. To receive the third Knight or Dame Degree, you must have already fulfilled the previous requirements, *and usually at least one additional year of Commandery membership. Then you will need to find a validly Invested OTG Knight or Dame who has agreed to Initiate you, and have them submit your Letter of Election to the Grand Commander. (*exceptions to this rule may be granted under certain circumstances)
If you are a Qualified Initiator, and your candidate meets the requirements to be passed to Squire, you may apply to the Grand Commander for permission and the Initiation Documents to administer this second degree.
Only a validly Invested *Knight or Dame of our Order, however, may confer the Knight or Dame Initiator Degree. If you are a validly invested OTG Knight or Dame, and your candidate(s) meet the foregoing requirements, you may apply to the Grand Commander for permission to Initiate your Candidate by using our Letter of Election form. (*Please note that the Knight and Dame Degrees, also confer the ability to initiate others into the Order of the Grail, and specifically, that the conferring of this degree upon a suitable candidate may only be given with the express permission of the Grand Commander.)
To request this Initiation, a Letter of Election to the College of Knights and Dames (including the proposed Date requested for the Initiation) must be submitted by the Knight or Dame Initiator to the Grand Commander for approval, and subsequently read at the Investiture of each Knight or Dame admitted to our College of Knights.
To receive OTG Initiatory degrees, you may be required to travel to a Commandery which has a Knight or Dame or *Qualified Initiator (see above) able to confer these degrees, or you may arrange to have them come to you. In the latter case, most of the expenses for bringing the Initiator to you will usually be your responsibility, or the responsibility of your Commandery. If there are enough Commandery members at that time ready to receive the 2nd and 3rd degree(s) perhaps these members can then equally share both the financial burden and the organizational tasks involved in making these arrangements.
Order of the Grail NEW Commandery Application Process:
1) Email us to request an application OR download one by clicking here to download an OTG Commandery Application/obligation in .*PDF format.
NOTE: You will need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader already installed on your computer to open, read, and/or print .PDF files. The free Adobe Acrobat Reader software is available at Adobe.com: get *Adobe Acrobat Reader.
2) Download and read our OTG Rules and Regulations (to download OTG Rules in .PDF Format, click here) so that when you are asked to sign a statement (At the bottom of the Application and Obligation Form) stating that you have read, understand, and agree to abide by them, you will be able to do so.
3) Mail the Completed and Signed application/obligation (with the Prospective Name of your New Commandery) and a **check or money order in the amount of $25.00 USD* for your Dispensation fee (*postage of up to $5.00 USD per "kit" is included in the dispensation fee. If you are in the US or Canada $5.00 will usually cover the mailing expenses, other countries may require an additional payment to cover postage especially if you want your package sent via Air Mail. The regular "Commandery Start up kit" (including CD Rom & mailer) weighs 3 lbs. or we can send you a "scaled down" version with less printed materials which weighs just under 1 lb. You can calculate your postage at this link: http://ircalc.usps.gov/ (use 90078 in the 'from' box) Make check or money order payable to: Donna Owen, OTG, GC, P.O. Box 3364, Los Angeles, CA, 90078-3364. U.S.A.
4) Upon receipt your Completed and Signed Obligation, Dispensation fee, and additional postage cost if needed, you will be notified within 2 weeks. If all is in order, and your application is approved, an acceptance letter and/or email will be issued. If it is not approved, a rejection letter will be sent (usually within 2 weeks) and any dispensation fees and documents submitted to us will be returned to you. If accepted, we'll need to have you send us your commandery seal design or design a seal for you (see our commandery directory for examples). Once we've established a design for your Commandery seal, Your commandery will be listed in our Website OTG Commandery Directory and your Commandery Dispensation and Commandery "Start-up Kit" will be mailed to you approximately 2-3 weeks after your commandery seal is finished.
5) The Commandery "Start-up Kit" includes written materials and instructions for operating your OTG Commandery, and a CD ROM with copies of all necessary documents in .PDF format, including our Sacramentary du Graal, with optional esoteric exercises, prayers, that you may use for your personal spiritual practices additional information and instruction. In addition to this you will also need to purchase ritual items for the convocations which are not included in the "Start-up Kit" (see Convocation Ritual for more information), however, if available, we will be happy to provide you with information, guidelines and resources will be given you on how to obtain these items soon after your acceptance.
6) The first 10 ICES Libers will be included with your OTG Docs CD ROM, but if you'd like the first 2 levels of *ICES Libers (1-22) included on your CD ROM add an additional *$20.00 for ICES libers. (*Payments for Libers must be by international money order payable to ICES, which will be forwarded to ICES in Barbados. ICES Libers in .PDF format are AVAILABLE TO OTG Commanders and Commandery Members See section above regarding receiving additional levels of libers, or libers sent separately.
6) Your OTG Dispensation Fee is required as a yearly contribution towards the expenses of the OTG, and is due at the end of EVERY "Grail Year" (the 20th of March) of that year, unless otherwise informed by the Grand Commander. In *special cases, we will also occasionally grant dispensations and dispensation renewals at reduced cost, pay the shipping expenses out of the dispensation fees, or waive dispensation fees entirely in certain circumstances, including financial hardship, for the benefit of our work.
(*We require a letter from you stating your case or special circumstances with your application, and a yearly review of commandery activity to retain "no fee or low fee" status)
7) DISPENSATION RENEWAL. Your Dispensation will expire approximately 1 year from it's date of issue, or the following year on March 20, whichever is later. Dispensation fees are currently $25.00 per year. Barring any verified incidences of misconduct, and/or sufficient negative feedback received regarding your commandery, you will be allowed to renew your dispensation yearly and to retain your status as an Order of the Grail Commandery. Usually we allow a 10 day "grace" period (until March 31st) before these are considered late, and we will accept late payments until May 31st, if they are accompanied by a $5.00 late fee.
Please *email or write to us if you have any questions.
You can contact me by email at:
gcommander@orderofthegrail.org or commanderdamedonna@yahoo.com, revdamedona@gmail.com
Or you can IM me or we can chat online using Yahoo Messenger. My yahoo ID is "commanderdamedonna" .
(*Note: PLEASE be sure that "OTG" appears in the Subject line so your message doesn't end up in the junk mail!*)
Please *email or write to us if you have any questions.
Your Friend in the Quest,
Dame Donna
Grand Commander
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