From "The Monks of Thelema" by Walter Besant and James Rice p.8:

"It is our duty, began the orator, "at the reception of every new novice, to set forth the reasons for our existence and the apology for our rites. Listen. We were founded four hundred years ago by a monk of great celebrity and renown, Brother Jean des Entommeures. The code of laws which he laid down for the newly established Order of Thelemites is still maintained among us, with certain small deviations, due to the change in fashion, not in principle. In externals only have we ventured to make an alterations. The rules of the Order are few. Thus, whereas in all other monasteries and convents, everything is done by strict rule, and at certain times, we, for our part, have no bells, no clocks, and no rules of daily life. The only bell heard within this convent is that cheerful gong with which we announce the serving of dinner in the refectory. Again, whereas all other monastaries are walled in and kept secluded, our illustrious founder would have no wall around his Abbey; and whereas it was formerly the custom to shut up in the convents those who, by reason of their lacking wit, comliness, courage, health, or beauty, were of no use in the outer world, none should be admitted but such women as were fair and of sweet disposition, nor any manbut such as was well-conditioned and of good manners. And again, whereas in other convents some are for men and some for women, in this Abbey of Thelema men and women should be admitted to dwell together, in such honourable and seemly wise as befits gentlemen and gentlewomen; and if there were no men, there should be no women. And as regards the three vows taken by monks and nuns of religion, those assumed by this new fraternity should be also three, bu that they should be vows of permission to marry, to be rich, if the Lord will, and to live at liberty.
These with other minor points, were the guiding principles of the Thelemites of old, as they are those of our modern Order. It is presumed, from the silence of history, that the Abbey founded by Brother Jean des Entommeures fell prey to the troubles which shortly after befell France. The original Abbey perished, leaveing the germs and seeds of its principles lying in the hearts of a few. We do not claim an unbroken succession of abbots and abbesses; but we maintain that the ideas first originated with our founder have never died."
"Here you will find"-- the orator's voice deepened-- "none of the greater or lesser enemies to culture and society. The common bawling Cad will not be more rigorously exiled from our house than that creeping caterpillar of society, who crawls his ignoble way upwards, destroying the tender leaves of reputation as he goes. The Pretender has never, in any one of his numerous disguises, succeeded in forcing an entrance here. By her Ithuriel wand, the Lady Miranda, our Abbess, detects such, and waves them away. The fair fame of ladies and the honour of men are not defamed by our Brethren. We have no care to climb higher up on the social scale. We have no care to fight for more money, and soil our hands with those who wrestle in the dusty arena. We do not fill our halls with lions and those who roar. We are content to admire great men, travellers, authors, and poets, at a distance, where, steeped in the mists of imagination, we think they look larger. We do not wrangle over religion or expect a new gospel whenever a new magazine is started, whenever a new preacher catches the town ear, and whenever a new poet strikes an unaccustomed strain. And we are thankful for what we get."
"Newly-elected Sister! newly-elected Brother! know that you have been long watched and carefully considered before we took upon ourselves the responsibility of your election. You did not seek election, it was conferred upon you; you did not ask, it was given. We have found in you sympathy with others, modesty in self-assertion, good breeding, and a sufficiency of culture. We have found that you can be happy if you are in the atmosphere of happiness; that you can be spirituelle without being cynical, that you are the fonder of bestowing praise than censure, that you love not downcriers, enviers, and backbiters, that you can leave for a time the outer world, put aside such ambitions as you have, and while you are here live the life of a grown-up child. We welcome you."