OK, so I’ll admit it, I’ve got Aprons on the brain…
Masonic Aprons run the gamut from rounded to square, from ornate pieces of art to plain white Lambskin. Antiques to new creations.
What do you like?
What have you worn with pride?
Do you have a favorite maker?
Is there an Apron design you would like to own in the future?
What provision have you made for your Aprons after you have passed? Related to that, have you visited the beautiful Apron Memorial in Grand Mound Washington?
I’ve worn each of the different aprons, as I progressed through the line, with pride. I think the proudest I’ve ever been was when I was given my plain white apron in my initiation. Although trying to keep the flap up was sometimes trying, I was proud to have become a Mason. As RW Cameron discussed in his Saturday topic of money, I feel that when a newly initiated Brother is given his apron, it should be lamb skin and come in a case. A brother should wear his lamb skin apron to lodge, not keep it tucked away, only to be brought out again at the Brother’s funeral, if it can be found. Although I am still the Master of my lodge, I recently received my PM apron due in part to the logistics of living a fair distance from the jurisdiction now. When the apron arrived, I was at first very exited to have received it, having completed two years as the pandemic Master, but now I find myself just wanting to wear my plain white apron with the pride I had when I was first made a Mason.
I'll be back with some more thoughts later, but before then I wanted to mention that we talked about Lodge loaner aprons on our Emeth zoom gathering last night. Specifically, replacing them with the temporary disposable paper aprons sometimes used at large events for folks who forget their own.
It seems to me that a Lodge providing those instead of cloth loaner aprons would have at least two advantages: 1. They would undoubtedly be more sanitary. 2. They would certainly encourage people to bring their own aprons with them to Lodge. It is hard to see any downside.
I do agree that the plain cotton loaner aprons are an eyesore, but it's understandable if brothers don't want to wear their presented lambskin or white leather apron. They place such a high value on it, and that they want to keep it spotless. I had mentioned previously, mine is safely tucked away in my safe, I think I've only worn it a few times, for masonic funerals. I had bought online a traveling apron, white with blue edging and the S&C in the middle. It has since been replaced with a rather pretentious but beautiful PM apron that my lodge (the SW) bought for me).
I've told my daughter what to do when I pass, and I gave her my safe combination. I really should put it in writing though.
I am completely against the ban on apron sizes or designs. I know, every year the brothers keep voting resolutions being presented that allow for the rounded corner (old time) designs. I think it's a great idea that one lodge in particular wants to hold a once a year period meeting where everyone wears clothing more appropriate to the oldie times, including historical representative aprons. I honestly don't see the harm in it, and actually love the fact that someone wants to honor their history and the history of the fraternity. There are too many people resistant to change.
The past 3 years we have tried to hold a White Apron night. 2019, snowed out meeting and now 2020 and 2021 we have the Pandemic. I'm going to move it to later in the year.
I will still wear my Lambskin apron for events other then funerals.
I don't feel that a little dirt on the apron is a bad thing. After all we are Craftsmen.
OK, I will start with the obvious in the most friendly manner, If as you say, "I’ve got Aprons on the brain", you might consider Brother that you might be wearing it wrong. LOL.
My White apron shares my apron case with my Past Master's apron. Both have a special meaning to me. One reminds me of whence I came and the the other reminds me of how far I've gone on my Masonic journey.
The Apron Lecture clearly states three times that the white Apron should be worn.
1) "it is hoped that you wear this emblem with equal pleasure to yourself and honor to the Fraternity."
2) "cry it t the SW i t W wh wl tc y hw t wr it as an EAM" ( we are all EAM's)
3) "In ts mnr y wr wr yrs as an EAM"
I have therefore never understood the concept of stashing it away in a closet somewhere. Since being installed as Secretary of Lodges 13 times since August 13, 2013 my white apron has a couple of ink marks on it. I wear both aprons with equal pleasure to myself and honor to the Fraternity.
I joined in 1982 and was given a real leather apron. I became WM of my original lodge in 1989 and was gifted a simple PM’s apron and a simple case. Since that period I’ve kept both of my aprons in that flat case and I wear my first apron at funerals because we are supposed to wear plain white aprons. I love it because it has my dates written in ink inside the flap, so I know the exact dates I received my degrees. It’s very special to me.
As to the proscription from WA Grand Lodge about different types of aprons, I don’t like it. I have seen some beautiful rounded aprons and from my own research, many aprons of the past were beautifully decorated.
I’ve noticed many PM aprons are quite ostentatious and in comparison, my plain PM apron is very simple, but it still conveys the same message, only in a more humble manner. I served twice as WM and enjoyed the experience, so I am very proud of that apron. I haven’t upgraded and I probably never will. I knew my ritual and performed over 30 degrees as Master during my two terms. Let’s just say that I’ve had a lot of fun and great memories in the Oriental chair and elsewhere in the lodge, including the piano bench and I think I’d like to stay there for much of the rest of my Masonic life.
I didn't get an apron of my own when I was initiated. I was lent a vinyl one during the degree work but only for degrees, and I was lent a cloth apron for all lodge functions. I served two terms as treasurer and wore the keys and sat a couple times as senior deacon and wore the sun. Buying my own for myself seems cheesy like buying myself a graduation present. I would really like to start over as an EA in a better lodge.
Going back to an earlier thread regarding the similarities of masonry and karate, I see the masonic EA apron like a karate white belt. A new student receives a white belt and in the ancient tradition it is his sweat that stains it yellow, the dirt that stains it brown, and dried blood that turns it black. The belt is never washed and the kyodon's expertise is shown in the darkness of the stains. Likewise, I think a mason should wear his white apron in all his labors in his regular vocations, his service to God and distressed brethren, widows, and orphans, and the stains and wrinkles of age and use are a fitting badge of honor to be buried with knowing that those stains are not dark in the celestial lodge but glow with righteousness.
My Lodge does have the tradition of gifting a Past Masters apron and I was lucky enough to pick out the one that I would wear with honor. The fact I visit multiple lodges I have on occasion left home without it, and without those loaner's or filling a vacant office I would have returned home with an empty feeling. The conversation has missed the "condition" of the loaner's as well as the lodge officers apron. If loaner's were really taken care of after each meeting cleaned and pressed they might not be the topic. The lodge officer's aprons need the same attention periodically. The white aprons we give to the EA are from Grand Lodge top quality?
I’ve worn each of the different aprons, as I progressed through the line, with pride. I think the proudest I’ve ever been was when I was given my plain white apron in my initiation. Although trying to keep the flap up was sometimes trying, I was proud to have become a Mason. As RW Cameron discussed in his Saturday topic of money, I feel that when a newly initiated Brother is given his apron, it should be lamb skin and come in a case. A brother should wear his lamb skin apron to lodge, not keep it tucked away, only to be brought out again at the Brother’s funeral, if it can be found. Although I am still the Master of my lodge, I recently received my PM apron due in part to the logistics of living a fair distance from the jurisdiction now. When the apron arrived, I was at first very exited to have received it, having completed two years as the pandemic Master, but now I find myself just wanting to wear my plain white apron with the pride I had when I was first made a Mason.
I'll be back with some more thoughts later, but before then I wanted to mention that we talked about Lodge loaner aprons on our Emeth zoom gathering last night. Specifically, replacing them with the temporary disposable paper aprons sometimes used at large events for folks who forget their own.
It seems to me that a Lodge providing those instead of cloth loaner aprons would have at least two advantages: 1. They would undoubtedly be more sanitary. 2. They would certainly encourage people to bring their own aprons with them to Lodge. It is hard to see any downside.
I do agree that the plain cotton loaner aprons are an eyesore, but it's understandable if brothers don't want to wear their presented lambskin or white leather apron. They place such a high value on it, and that they want to keep it spotless. I had mentioned previously, mine is safely tucked away in my safe, I think I've only worn it a few times, for masonic funerals. I had bought online a traveling apron, white with blue edging and the S&C in the middle. It has since been replaced with a rather pretentious but beautiful PM apron that my lodge (the SW) bought for me).
I've told my daughter what to do when I pass, and I gave her my safe combination. I really should put it in writing though.
I am completely against the ban on apron sizes or designs. I know, every year the brothers keep voting resolutions being presented that allow for the rounded corner (old time) designs. I think it's a great idea that one lodge in particular wants to hold a once a year period meeting where everyone wears clothing more appropriate to the oldie times, including historical representative aprons. I honestly don't see the harm in it, and actually love the fact that someone wants to honor their history and the history of the fraternity. There are too many people resistant to change.
A Brother sent me the following poem appropriate to this post:
The Lambskin by Edgar Guest:
https://www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com/the-lambskin.html
While looking for a web based version of it, I ran across:
The Lambskin by DL Clements
https://theeducator.ca/the-lambskin-apron-poem/
The past 3 years we have tried to hold a White Apron night. 2019, snowed out meeting and now 2020 and 2021 we have the Pandemic. I'm going to move it to later in the year.
I will still wear my Lambskin apron for events other then funerals.
I don't feel that a little dirt on the apron is a bad thing. After all we are Craftsmen.
OK, I will start with the obvious in the most friendly manner, If as you say, "I’ve got Aprons on the brain", you might consider Brother that you might be wearing it wrong. LOL.
My White apron shares my apron case with my Past Master's apron. Both have a special meaning to me. One reminds me of whence I came and the the other reminds me of how far I've gone on my Masonic journey.
The Apron Lecture clearly states three times that the white Apron should be worn.
1) "it is hoped that you wear this emblem with equal pleasure to yourself and honor to the Fraternity."
2) "cry it t the SW i t W wh wl tc y hw t wr it as an EAM" ( we are all EAM's)
3) "In ts mnr y wr wr yrs as an EAM"
I have therefore never understood the concept of stashing it away in a closet somewhere. Since being installed as Secretary of Lodges 13 times since August 13, 2013 my white apron has a couple of ink marks on it. I wear both aprons with equal pleasure to myself and honor to the Fraternity.
I joined in 1982 and was given a real leather apron. I became WM of my original lodge in 1989 and was gifted a simple PM’s apron and a simple case. Since that period I’ve kept both of my aprons in that flat case and I wear my first apron at funerals because we are supposed to wear plain white aprons. I love it because it has my dates written in ink inside the flap, so I know the exact dates I received my degrees. It’s very special to me.
As to the proscription from WA Grand Lodge about different types of aprons, I don’t like it. I have seen some beautiful rounded aprons and from my own research, many aprons of the past were beautifully decorated.
I’ve noticed many PM aprons are quite ostentatious and in comparison, my plain PM apron is very simple, but it still conveys the same message, only in a more humble manner. I served twice as WM and enjoyed the experience, so I am very proud of that apron. I haven’t upgraded and I probably never will. I knew my ritual and performed over 30 degrees as Master during my two terms. Let’s just say that I’ve had a lot of fun and great memories in the Oriental chair and elsewhere in the lodge, including the piano bench and I think I’d like to stay there for much of the rest of my Masonic life.
I didn't get an apron of my own when I was initiated. I was lent a vinyl one during the degree work but only for degrees, and I was lent a cloth apron for all lodge functions. I served two terms as treasurer and wore the keys and sat a couple times as senior deacon and wore the sun. Buying my own for myself seems cheesy like buying myself a graduation present. I would really like to start over as an EA in a better lodge.
Going back to an earlier thread regarding the similarities of masonry and karate, I see the masonic EA apron like a karate white belt. A new student receives a white belt and in the ancient tradition it is his sweat that stains it yellow, the dirt that stains it brown, and dried blood that turns it black. The belt is never washed and the kyodon's expertise is shown in the darkness of the stains. Likewise, I think a mason should wear his white apron in all his labors in his regular vocations, his service to God and distressed brethren, widows, and orphans, and the stains and wrinkles of age and use are a fitting badge of honor to be buried with knowing that those stains are not dark in the celestial lodge but glow with righteousness.
My Lodge does have the tradition of gifting a Past Masters apron and I was lucky enough to pick out the one that I would wear with honor. The fact I visit multiple lodges I have on occasion left home without it, and without those loaner's or filling a vacant office I would have returned home with an empty feeling. The conversation has missed the "condition" of the loaner's as well as the lodge officers apron. If loaner's were really taken care of after each meeting cleaned and pressed they might not be the topic. The lodge officer's aprons need the same attention periodically. The white aprons we give to the EA are from Grand Lodge top quality?