>S 635 Z9 1887 Jopy 1 Women's Kingdom OR THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE (A FARCE) For Presentation by Rebekah Lodges WRITTTEN AND ARRANGED BY W. E. COVERT GARDEN CITY, KANSAS The Women's Kingdom OR THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE (A FARCE) For Presentation by Rebekah Lodges DEDICATED TO PROGRESSIVE REBEKAH LODGE NO. 550. COPYRIGHTED 1916 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. / JUN20I9I6 TMP92-008945 UD 44190 THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM (Part I.) QUEEN: — "Royal Inside Sentry you will please ascertain from the Royal Outside Sentry whether there are any people from foreign nations desiring to become subjects of our Kingdom and you will return and report at once." (Sentry advances to center and gives sign, then retires; she then returns to center and gives sign.) R. I. S.— "Your Royal Highness, the Royal Out- side Sentry reports two strange and frightful women, dressed in the garb of their nation, who are seeking admission within our walls." QUEEN: — "Did you learn whether they can speak our language or not?" R. i. s.— " I did Your Highness. The Royal Out- side Sentry informs me that they are proficient in our language." QUEEN — "Did you ascertain their purpose in be- coming citizens with us and subjects of this throne?" R. I. S. — "I did not, Your Royal Highness." THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM. QUEEN — "Royal Guide you may retire and proper- ly robe these strangers and conduct them into my presence. The Royal Caretaker will please assist the Royal Guide." (Part II) Alarm sounded 5 raps. R. I. S. — "Who are you and what do you want?" R. G. — "Royal Guide with two strange women." R. I. S. — (From center) "Queen, the Royal Guide with two strange women." QUEEN — "Whence come they and what is then mission ?" R. I. S. — "Whence come you and what is your mis- sion?" R. G. — "From and their mission is to escape from man." R. I. S. — "From and they wish to escape from man." QUEEN — "A noble mission, admit them." R. G. — "Queen I found these women at the outer gate pleading for admission and protection." QUEEN — "Strangers, you are a sight to behold and before you can proceed farther I must ask you your age, and whether you are married or single" THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE R. G. — "They are each over twenty-one and taken separately are single." QUEEN — "Royal Guide conduct these strangers to the Queen-in-waiting for obligation." R. G. — "Queen-in-waiting by the instruction of our Queen I present these women for obligation." Q. W. — "By permission of the Queen and the ladies of this Kingdom, you have been permitted to enter our borders and to partake of our hos- pitality. Before you can proceed farther you must take a solemn pledge. You will place your right hands on your left hips, pronounce your names in full and repeat after me." (Here the R. G. should say, "Queen these ladies have a bad cold and with your permission the Royal Caretaker and I will repeat for them") "I do solemnly promise that I will conceal and never reveal the name of my last lover; that I will forsake and never o'er- take him; that I will produce and quickly re- duce all past letters, that in anyway relate to love or hate; and should I find him I will bind him and assist in throwing him out of this Kingdom. To all this I faithfully promise." Royal Guide, you may conduct these queer women to our Queen for instructions." R. G. — "Queen, by direction of our Queen-in-wait- ing, I present these women for instruction." QUEEN — "My sisters, in this Kingdom there is an alarm sounded when strangers are seen. The THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM Royal Guards and Detectives report your ac- tions and conduct and if satisfied that your mis- sion is friendly, then you will be admitted. When once within our Kingdom you become a subject and are at orice taught the many duties which we as women must perform. The bed- time stories of childhood now become the realities of life and you are to court the friend- ship of the birds and animals of the forest. You are to retire at 8 o'clock and arise at 4:30. and that you may learn real independence, you will cut and carry your own firewood; plant and hoe your own garden; and kill and dress your own hogs and other animals. "I will now instruct you in some of the mys- teries of this Kingdom. The alarm at the outer door is one rattle of the latch or one kick of the heel of your shoe. The alarm at the inner door is 5 long, loud raps. "Snoring is always prohibited, and you will be required to wear a snap clothespin on your nose when you retire for the night. "You must never use a hot iron to curl your hair but instead the kid curlers or a rag must be used. "You are never to talk in your sleep or tell of your dreams, for fear you may become super- stitious. "The pass-word is KNOWLEDGE, and THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE is to be lettered when used to enter the King- dom. In giving this word you must give the letters N-O, and if that is not sufficient you must give the rest of the word L-E-G-S letter- ed as before, this will admit you. "The sign is made as follows: Bend both knees quickly and at the same time, and at the proper time look the Queen in the face. "The Recognition Sign is faking a Stiff Knee.. "Should a stranger approach you and desire to be recognized as a subject of this Kingdom, she will approach you walking with one stiff knee. The Sister observing this sign shall answer the same by approaching the Sister who made the sign, she also walking with one stiff knee, and shall ask "are you looking for a man?" and the Sister who made the sign shall answer "not yet." The Royal Guide and the Royal Care- taker will now exemplify the sign of Recogni- tion, the Royal Caretaker acting as challenging Sister. "Royal Guide, you may conduct the sisters to our Chaplain for admonition and spiritual in- struction, for they will need it." R. G.— "Worthy Chaplain, by direction of the Queen I present these sisters for admonition and spiritual instruction and she says they need it." CHAP. — "You have been trusted and honored by being admitted into these most sacred moun- tains where only women of courage and a THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM taste for the beautiful are permitted to enter. It is my duty now to warn you against gossip or frivolous speech and to tell you that the name of man is to be banished from your thoughts. No word, act or thought of yours must ever suggest that such a creature lives on earth and should you so far depart from this admonition as to dream that you are walk- ing with one; then may the hoop-skirt ccme in fashion and the God of the wind cause you to soar on high and vanish from our sight, now and forever. This Kingdom is of women, by women and for women and our amusements consists of quilting parties, Sunday schools and Pink Teas and we admonish you to be quiet in speech, strong in good works and short on promises. "Some of our lessons are taught by emblems and I will now call a few of our sisters just to show ycu that everybody works but Father." TABLEAUX The Chaplain from her station calls out the fol- lowing sisters who advance to center of floor and face V. G. (Candidates being seated in front of V. G.) R. S. S. and L. S. S.; R. S. N.G.; R. S. V. G,; L. S. N. G.; L. S. V. G.; Warden; I. G.; O. G. and Conductor, each in costume to represent their part and which they have had placed at their station before the degree is commenced and which they can put en quickly when the lights are dimmed. THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE The Chaplain uses their first names and they ad- vance to center and pose while the Chaplain gives her lines, then form in large circle as they retire from pose. (A red light adds to the effect) CHAP.— "EMMA and LUCY, our Royal Guards; brave soldiers of the Realm, they never sleep but are always looking for Little Bopeep." "LAURA, our Royal Butcher, who can fell an ox with one blow." "MINNIE, our Royal Carpenter, who can climb a ladder when she sees a mouse." "CATHERINE, our Royal Gardener, who kills weeds and performs noble deeds." "ALICE, our Royal Sexton, who feels so sad when we are bad." "MARY, our Royal Forester, who can fell a tree or whip all who may need it." "GRACE, our Royal Baker, who uses only Royal Baking Powder." "MABEL, our Royal Chambermaid, we always remember her in our prayers and we earnestly pray that she may soon learn to make a bed." (All march in circle, Guards leading, then to V. G. turn left and go once around room and then to stations). CHAP.— "Oh, I have forgotten one; NINA, our Rcyal Milkmaid, who loves her Jerseys." 10 THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM (When her name is called the milkmaid should skip once around the room, to quick music and then pose at center before being introduced. After being introduced she may call "Co boss, Co boss, Co bossy," (then imitate trying to milk the cow.) "So bossy, So, So, (then fall as though the cow had kicked her, the guards rush up and one screams and says to the other: "run for the nurse." She returns with Chap- lain who now has a red cross on her arm. As Chaplain approaches the milkmaid raises on one elbow and says: "Is this me or not me; or has the Devil got me; was that a cannon shot me; have I lain here more than a week. That heifer kicks amazing; the beast was spoiled in raising; and now I'll bet she is grazing on the other side of the creek." Chaplain ministers by using bandages, &c, and takes Guide to her station, then the lights are restored.) CHAP. — "Royal Guide and Royal Caretaker con- duct these women to our Queen-Dowager for further advice." R. G. — "Queen-Dowager, our Royal Chaplain thinks you should give these women some advice." Q. D. — "With honest pride I welcome you to this station and congratulate you on the progress you have made. Ycu are now on the threshhold of real happiness. We forget not the courage it tcok for you to renounce the world in gen- eral and man in particular. Pause and reflect. In the beginning God created man and then when he saw what he had made, he changed THE .\EW REBEKAH DEGREE 11 his plans and made woman. By seme means man escaped and has been running loose ever since, and to escape his evil influences we are here in this secluded spot where no man may- enter. "Just think of our freedom ; we acknowledge no bess; we take orders from no one; and "when we work or when we play we do it in an honor- ed way." May your sojourn with us be pleasant and as you approach the sun-set of life may you realize that your lives have been well spent in the labors of freedom for those of your sex and not for man. And now as you approach the Queen and receive her final mes- sags, please remember that I ence occupied her exalted station and that no man dictated to me. May you both receive her blessings. "Royal Guide, conduct the strangers to our Queen that she may pass final judgment on them." R. G. — "Queen, by order of the Queen-Dowager I present these ladies for final judgment." QUEEN — "My Sisters ycu have been watched dur- ing your journey through our Kingdom and your conduct has been above reproach. I am now about to pass final judgment on you. Temptations have been thrown about you of which you were not informed. We have tested you and find that you do not suck eggs, eat olives or associate with or appear like the Gib- 12 THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM son Girls. Therefore we hereby absorb you into this Kingdom of Women with fear and ap- prehension that you might forget our rules and thus bring upon yourselves the disgrace of deportation and death at last. Ee honest, be true and so live that no man can accuse you of being either polite or good looking and if perchance a man should see you or hear your voice or mine, we must dispatch him at once. And now in the name of the women of our Kingdom I welcome you as Sisters of this Realm. Royal Guide and Caretaker you will now remove their traveling robes and put on them the robes of the Kingdom. GRAND FINALE THE NEW REBEKAH DEGREE 13 INSTRUCTIONS Costumes are white dresses and pink and green capes and the properties are 2 air guns for the Guards, meat saw for R. S. N. G.; hammer and saw for R. S. V. G.; garden hoe for L. S. N. G. spade for L. S. V. G.; ax for Warden; rolling pin and cap for I. G.; dust pan and broom for 0. G.; milk pail and costume for milkmaid. The candidates should be two men who can be thoroughly disguised as stylish ladies and they may answer questions and repeat the V. G. obliga- tion if they can use the falsetto voice. A stand should be provided on which is placed a dish of eggs and some olives. This stand will be placed before the candidates by the Guide and Caretaker just before the Chaplain's charge and these officers will then resume their stations. It is important that the Guide and Caretaker learn to walk with stiff knee when exemplifying the Recognition Sign. The sign used in addressing the Queen is a drop courtesy and the knees should bend much. The Grand Finale will be more effective if when the candidates hats are removed by the Guide and Caretaker. The Queen screams: "Oh an imposter. Put them out" at which the ladies all rush in and chase the candidates around the room an^ the THE WOMEN'S KINGDOM guards should act as though they were trying to head them off at the door but fail a time or two as the procession must go around the room two or three times. This should have spirited and fast CASTE. N. G. — Queen; V. G. — Queen-in-Waiting; P. G. — Queen Dowager; Chaplain; R. S. N. G. R. S. Q. L. S. N. G. L. S. Q. R. S. V. G. R. S. Q-in-W; L. S. V G. L. S. Q-in-W. Warden — Royal Caretaker Conductor — Rcyal Guide Sentries are called The Royal Inside and Outside Sentries and they are the Guardians and the scene Supporters are the Royal Guards and De- tectives and they should meet the candidates at the door and follow then through all the work as though they mistrusted them. The Royal Guide and the Rcyal Caretaker each take a candidate; the R. G. and her candidate lead- ing, the Caretaker and candidate next and the de- tectives last in the degree marching, and when they line up before any station the candidates should be in center, R. G. at right and Caretaker at left of candidates and the detectives at ends; this makes it necessary for one detective to pass behind the line for her position before the R. G. introduces THE .NEW REBEKAH DEGREE 15 the candidates. DRILL Number the staff as follows: N. G. No. 1; V. G. No. 2; R. S. N. G. 3; R. S. V. G. 4; L. S. N. G. 5; L. S. V. G. 6; Warden, 7; R. S. 8; Con., 9; L. S. S. 10; Chap., 11; P. G., 12; I. G., 13; O. G., 14. Odd num- bers wear the pink capes and the even numbers the green. Line up in the above order outside and march in, keeping about 4 feet apart. March twice around the room and to P. G. station, (turning square cor- ners) then form spiral; come out of spiral and form the square again. Leave square at V. G. and single to N. G.; pink right and green left to V. G.. Double file to N. G.; same order again to V. G. and form "I" as follows: 1 and 2 leading abreast, others single, 13 and 14 abreast and when letter is formed, stop at siagtoG single to left from N. G. to V. G. and form "O" between V. G. and Center, stop at signal; then form u O" between N. G. and Center; single from N. G. left to V. G. and form "F" five abreast and balance single except No. 10 who steps out beside No. 9. Double file right at N. G. to Chap, and then right to center then all go to stations.