The County Grand Lodge - how it operates...

LARGEST AND IT'S LEADER:

The Glasgow County Grand Lodge is the largest provincial area and has a special place in Scottish Orangeism. This was the power base for it in the late 19th century growth and expansion.

The County Grand Master of Glasgow is Mr George D. McNee, a member of the Glasgow Evangelical Church and who has a progressive attitude. He has a Deputy, and Subsitute County Masters along with a Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer. As a group they are the Trustees. Meetings of the County Grand Lodge unlike local lodges which meet monthly, are quarterly and there are also some standing Committees.

Brother McNee started from humble beginnings and rose "through the ranks" as is possible for any Orangeman. There is an old saying that there is a Field Marshal's Baton in every private soldier's, knapsack. Well we could equally say a County or Grand Master's chain of office is in every Orangeman's regalia pouch!

COMMITTEE STRUCTURE & DEMOCRATIC:

The County Grand Lodge has some standing committees that any organisation will need to cover the various facets of it's adminIstration. All officers from the County Master down are elected or re-elected each year and this includes the committees. The same principle goes down to District and Private lodges. All members have equal rights and many an ordinary person has honed his debating and organising skills for the first time at his Orange Lodge.

SUPERVISING:

They have as mentioned, an office at Glasgow Evangelical Church. The County Lodge and it's Trustees ensure that all the 23 Districts and scores of lodges in the Greater Glasgow area, conform to the proper workings of the Order.

It is diligent in ensuring that the Orange Order functions properly in the city and the bands that lodges hire for parades ensure decorum and respect for rules etc. The office-bearers are all long standing men and certainly have experience of the Order's workings and administration.

THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS:

The Orange Order in Scotland as a whole, has 3 distinct sections. Males, Females and mixed Juvenile Lodges. Although the Ladies Association has it's own national office-bearers, each ladies lodge comes under the direction of the Districts which are male controlled. Degrees are different .

DISTRICT LODGE COMPOSITION:

While individual private lodges meet monthly, District Lodges meet quarterly and comprise the District Master, Depute,and Substitute District Masters, Secretary, Treasurer, delegates from each male lodge. In addition, a male member represents each ladies lodge and attends their meeting to keep them up to date with matters.

Below this there is also a District Committee, which meets without regalia or ritual and is made up of the District Trustees and reps from each male and female lodge. Most business will go through this before the formal District Lodge gets it.

ORANGE YOUNGSTERS:

In common with other church and general youth organisations, the Juvenile lodges have suffered a great decline unlike across in Ulster which is bucking national trends and where Junior Lodges continue to grow. Much of the problem has been that children nowadays are not so much joiners of organisations as they once were. We have to remember too that the birthrate rate has been falling and the population getting older!

RITUAL:

Both male and female lodges have their own distinct ritual at meetings and for degrees. To be an office-bearer you must attain a particular degree and these are Bible based and Christian throughout.

Juvenile lodges do not have degrees and have a much simpler system. Each ladies lodge must operate within a male led District. Glasgow Orangemen and women strongly like the ritual side of the Order and why not? It is quite innocuous and has historical connotations. Some folk muse about the Order being a secret organisation due to the ritual, recognition signs and what they regard as funny handshakes. These are part of the fraternal nature and our attitude is that we publicly proclaim our principles in the street so we don't hide away as a "secret organisation". More of a public movement entitled to have it's secrets!

(UN-OFFICIAL)

ORANGEISM IN GLASGOW