Imagine for a minute that it is 1900, and you have just
been admitted into the fraternal organization, the Modern
Woodmen of America (MWA). You have been a member
for almost a week, and you already know some of the
secrets and rituals that MWA members hold close to their
hearts. You approach the meeting hall to attend the next
assembly of members. After knocking on the door in a
secret rhythm, just as you were instructed, you begin to
recite the secret password. But, just before you can say the
word, four men open the door and drag you into the dark
interior of the building. They bind your hands and lower
you into a guillotine, and they begin to question you about
your organization’s secret rituals and passwords. After you
are interrogated for several minutes, your fellow Woodmen
burst into the room and chase off the imposters.
In all the commotion, you failed to notice the impossibly
bright red blood stain on the blade, the ridiculous costumes
the men were wearing, and the stopper that would have
inhibited the path of the blade…It’s just a joke. You passed
the test! The men around you shout their approval of your
accomplishment by saying, “Grand Officer, we present
you this candidate, whom we found a captive of outlaws,
and he was going to permit them to take his life rather than
reveal to them the secrets of this Order. We recommend
him to you as a worthy person for adoption into our
Order!