THE Orange Order in the past year has run out of application forms for membership, such has been the demand to join. The main reason given for this huge interest in the Order is the perceived fear that the Protestant culture is under threat.
George Patton, Secretary of the Orange Order of Ireland, said: "I don't think it was down to bad management on our part. I think it was due to the fact that we were taken by surprise for the demand."
Mr Patton said it appears to be younger men who are becoming interested in the Order. According to Victor Stewart Enterprises in Lurgan, Co Armagh, which makes collarettes for Orangemen from all over mid-Ulster, the demand for new collarettes is unbelievable. A woman who works there said she was run off her feet, and this is the busiest time of year.
There are reports of increases in membership right across the North, but there are certain areas where the increase is enormous, according to Mr Patton. "Places like Portadown are absolutely booming. For example, in one night in Portadown 50 new members joined, which is a fairly amazing statistic," he said.
The Drumcree situation was the reason for the increase. "The history of the Orange Order indicates that people join in greater numbers when they perceive their community to be under threat or at a time when they feel there is a need for a strong organisation that reflects their ethos and reflects their identity," said Mr Patton.
He cited times such as after the Anglo-Irish Agreement when there is an increase in numbers.
Mr Patton said the increase is a fair reflection of the depth of feeling within the community. "Whenever the community perceive that there is a problem, then they look to the Orange Order as a morale-booster. Because of the massive numbers on parade you feel strengthened."
In some lodges membership has grown by 100 per cent. While Mr Patton said he could not put a figure on the increase in membership, it was "substantial".
But for many nationalists and Catholics the desire to join the Orange Order is as alien as the various symbols or regalia and - their customs and ideals.
To parade with a piece of Orange material around your neck is incredible to some, but to the Orange tradition the collarette is a profound symbol of their tradition.
The uninitiated call them Orange sashes: however, the sash, which can still be seen sometimes on parade, is worn over the shoulder and under the arm. The modern-day collarette is worn round the neck. According to Mr Patton, the reason is simply that it takes less material to make a collarette. A basic collarette costs around £30 to £35.
The Orange Order is a fashion-conscious organisation, and changing fashions have influenced today's garb. Mr Patton said what is seen on parade reflects the fashions of the times. "I can recall punks on parade. Not maybe with the full safety-pin job but the hair-style. But essentially if someone came back from 1910, he would still recognise the Orange sash or collarette.
The old sash was replaced by the modern collarette during the 1950s. King William of Orange wore an orange sash at the Battle of the Boyne, as it was the badge of the House of Orange. Wearing a sash is seen as identifying with King William and probably came into existence in the early 1800s.
The tradition of wearing a bowler hat dates to the last century. It comes from the Belfast shipyards where the foreman would have worn a bowler. "It became a symbol of status or importance," said Mr Patton.
The bowler is often not taken out its box from one year to the next because, as Mr Patton said. "Not a lot of people like wearing them. It's almost done out of a sense of duty. I'm told that I look like John Wayne because I always wear mine at the back of my head.
"We want to show that we really think something of what we are doing, so we wear our Sunday best. It's a tradition that is probably dying out now. The white gloves worn since around the 1950s are also symbols of being well dressed."
Every sash or collarette displays the letters `LOU', which mean Loyal Orange Lodge, and this is followed by a number which identifies the lodge. No 1 is Dyan in Co Tyrone which is the first lodge and the numbers range to over 2,000. However, there are only 1,500 lodges working today, as many in the South no longer exist.
On the collarette would be basic symbols such as the open Bible or symbols that illustrate stories from the Old Testament such as the Star of David. Many members would have badges pinned to them. "We're very keen on badges which is great because we can make money selling them," said Mr Patton.
Such regalia include "service jewels", hand-painted medals to commemorate 50 years belonging to the Order. "Some of our members would be avid collectors and often you can't even see the collarette," said Mr Patton. The cost can vary from around £1.50 to £60.
Another big expense for Orangemen is banners, and prices start at around £1,200. They originate from flags that King William brought to Ireland. In recent years more and more banners reflect events during the Troubles.
One example is Tullyvallen Orange Lodge, near Newtownhamilton in south Armagh, where there was an attack on the Orange Hall. Members of the lodge who were killed in that attack now appear on a new lodge banner.
The "unfurling" of the banner is an important occasion in the life of the lodge. Because it is expensive and the source of great pride, there is a ceremony to dedicate the banner to the glory of God and that brings in the religious aspect of the Order.
It's not cheap to be an Orangeman. First there is a fee to join a lodge, which varies depending on the lodge. Then there are monthly dues. Most Orangemen pay around £100 a year.
As Mr Patton said, "The Orange Order is big business." Regarding the Twelfth alone, he said: "There must be hundreds of thousands of pounds involved. It is something that has never been looked at."
Mr Patton said the amount of money poured into the economy on the Twelfth has never been quantified. "It generates a tremendous amount of revenue for a lot of people".
"One of our regrets is that the Northern Ireland Tourist Board never seem to appreciate just what the potential for the Twelfth of July is. They seem to see the sectarian image rather than what we would believe is the correct image which is that the Twelfth of July is a very happy family day and something that can be sold to people across the world."
Orange halls are not just places where Orangemen meet but part of the local community, according to Mr Patton. "In Ballymena we have Orange halls where Irish dancing classes are held."
Loyalist bands are completely separate from the Orange Order, although a few lodges have their own band. The bands hold regular competitions, and the various lodges bid early in the year to entice a good band to play with their lodge on parade on July 12th.
Mr Patton believes that the "swagger" which is a feature of the bandsmen and is often regarded by nationalists as triumphalist is merely an expression of their pride in the band.