Origin
The history of TOSS can be traced through written records, oral histories and ancient practices to the dawn of mankind. It has even been said that TOSS began in the Garden of Eden with Adam before God created Eve. While that may be unprovable folklore, the fact remains that long before man discovered the art of stone masonry and clay bricks - he built his homes and halls of straw and sticks. In the whole of recorded history, man has used straw and sticks to build and that continues even in the modern age of steel and concrete.

Ancient drawings show the bundling of straw and lashing of sticks to build homes, halls, furniture, transport and many other necessary things. In those ancient records we find illustrated many of the rituals passed down and practiced in modern TOSS Circles. Across the world as boys become men, they learn the arts preserved by TOSS although they do so in other organizations that teach knots, lashings and other skills. It is as men in search of meaning and moral lessons that these skills first learned in adolescence take on greater depth through the ritual and symbols of TOSS.

It cannot be known with certainty when TOSS truly began as it predates all written records. We do know that, by decree, it was made a requirement that all men joining TOSS after 1724 had to first be Freemasons. This was expanded in 1837 to allow any Odd Fellow. Both organizations provide a foundation of esoteric learning beneficial to the continuation of learning. To complete the development of man, one needs both the lessons of now and those of eternity.

Our Name
Many people often ask why an Order that has existed since before written history would be called "Temporary". The use of that term is not in relation to the Order itself, which has existed since the dawn of man and will go on for as long as man walks the Earth. It is in relation to the lessons of the Order illustrated by straw and sticks. The joys of this life are but temporary and like straw and sticks are carried away by the winds of time. Most people are familiar with the children's story, derived from ancient teachings, of the three little pigs. In the story, their "homes" of straw and sticks are "blown down" by the wolf before they finally safely reside in a "home" of brick. That story is derived from the moral lessons of earthly needs and pleasures verses spiritual ones maintained in TOSS.

Organization
The local organizational unit is a TOSS Circle. The circle has always been a symbol of unity and the use of the circle in TOSS ritual also illustrates the name. Each Circle has a leader, but the title of that officer is different in different regions as defined by the customs of that area. There is no permanent structure higher than a local TOSS Circle. From time to time, Circles may choose to send a representative to form a temporary combined TOSS Circle to tackle matters for the common good, such as the development of this website. Once the purpose for the combined TOSS Circle has been accomplished, the Circle is broken and each man returns to his own local Circle.

In TOSS, it is the ritual lessons and fellowship that are the essential elements of the organization rather than its structure. As representing the temporary needs of life rather than the permanent needs of spirit, it has no larger purpose than to each man within his Circle.