Order

Why an Order?

There are many definitions that can be applied to the word "order" and likewise there are many types of "orders". In reference to an individual assembled in a group there are several ways the term can be applied to be understood. Our organization encompasses the term from several different perspectives and holds the term in very high regard.

Brotherhood: an association, society, or community of people linked by a common interest, religion, or trade.
History: a society of knights bound by a common rule of life and having a combined military and monastic character.
Law: a state in which the laws and rules regulating the public behavior of members of a community are observed and authority is obeyed; and the prescribed or established procedure followed by a meeting, legislative assembly, debate, or court of law; and a written direction of a court or judge.
Organization: an organized body of people with a particular purpose, especially in a business, society, association, an order, etc.
Politics and Society: a particular social, political, or economic system.
Religion: a stated form of liturgical service, or of administration of a rite or ceremony, prescribed by ecclesiastical authority; and a society of monks, priests, nuns, etc., living according to certain religious and social regulations and discipline and at least some of whose members take solemn vows.

An Order of Merit

Accordingly we have fashioned our organization pursuant to international law and understanding as an order of merit.

An order of merit is an honorific order that is conferred by a state, government, royal family, or other sovereign entity, such as an international non-state or non-governmental organization to an individual in recognition of his or her civil merit. The historical background of the modern honors system of orders of merit may be traced to the emergence of orders of chivalry in the Middle Ages.

An American Chivalric Order & Civil Society

Creating an Order of Merit

In reviving a traditional and historic ideal as an order of merit representing American chivalry our goals are developed to reflect a high standard of values in consideration of promoting honor to exemplify integrity in the ideals behind the establishment of our great civilization.

The Most Honorable Order of the Transylvania Colonel (MHOTC) does exactly this and includes the values by which a colony (country) was founded which are consistent with today's modern understanding of civil order and law that is desirable in our world today. We embrace the ideals of equality, law, peace, society, humanity, sustainability, self-sufficiency and fraternity. The same idealistic and romantic folklore of the pioneers who founded the Transylvania Colony are respected as consistent with our current values prevalent in our modern civilization today.

The founders of Transylvania, Col. Richard Henderson and Col. Daniel Boone were unique in their time, they demonstrated the goodwill of humanity treating former slaves as their friends and negotiated a diplomatic treaty with the native Cherokee in a time when most others used slaves subjectively and fought native peoples to dominate their lands.

As a philanthropic fellowship with eleemosynary goals, an international civil society organization and a membership foundation that provides its members with services, our association offers a wide ranges of services including honorary recognition, regular membership, consulship, ambassadorship, chancellorship, commissionership, and foundership..All members are considered Extraordinary and entitled to use the "Most Honorable" or "Honorable" title as international civil service officers with the rank of "Colonel". All members are considered to be acting on the behalf of the Order as "Goodwill Ambassadors" officially and internationally as pioneers of a civil and lawful society.

Become a Member of the Order

To be nominated as a member, a current member must donate a minimum of one hundred US dollars or one hundred Euros more on the behalf of the person being nominated, this is the minimum amount that can be construed as "consideration" under international law, the funds go directly towards our work as an international foundation and is accounted for in the name of the nominee, not the member.

Our members must also pay for the printing and shipping of the certificates or they can pick them up where they are printed as lithographs, subscribed and sealed by a commissioner. This payment should be made for by the organization that is presenting the award or the member making the nomination, this amount is subject to change depending on where you live or the destination of the recognition certificate.

All nominees are considered honorary members for life, however as honorary members they are not entitled to vote or direct participation in the society unless they join the organization under one of the formal membership levels, pay the initiation fee (known as investiture), and subscribe to the payment of dues to receive membership services, all active members that are 'current' in their membership obligations may vote and make nominations to recognize others as honorary members. A portion of this fee is dedicated to our operational activities, part of it is a donation to the foundation, and another portion benefits the general membership to provide these services. Monthly or annual dues and subscriptions are not considered donations.

All donations that are received are considered as 'benevolent gifts' to the foundation and are directed to fund causes initiated by our members to support their efforts in qualifying countries relative to humanity, the environment, sustainability, peace, and indigenous peoples. Currently the focus is on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the year 2030 there are over 100 countries where these funds can be applied, the United Nations SDGs address all of the issues we support. Our focus here is on establishing a model project that emulates these type of programs from Berea, Kentucky with a historical and recreational purpose.