Here on Emeth, we have on a number of occasions, discussed the importance of providing our Candidates with high quality lambskin or white leather Aprons.
Some of my recent reading has brought to mind more questions about the Aprons we provide.
My Lodge, like I think many Lodges, provides an Apron to our newly obligated Brother during his initiation ceremony. Following the meeting, we take it back from him, not in order to use it for another man, but to hold it in the office. We bring it back out for his Fellowcraft Degree, but then again take it. It doesn’t become ‘his’ to take home with him until after his Master Mason Degree.
I’ve always kind of wondered why we do this. There doesn’t seem to be an practical reason for it.
At our most recent First Degree I heard a Brother tell our new Brother that the Lodge was taking it back so that he didn’t need to remember to bring it for his FC Degree. It doesn’t seem likely that a man excited to receive his next Degree would actually forget his apron, but that was the explanation given.
In any event, as I wrote above, I’ve never quite understood this. But I’ve never paid too much attention to it either.
Then I read the following:
“The Masonic Apron is an emblem of innocence, and symbolical of that white robe of spotless purity in which all who enter the realms of bliss must be arrayed. It’s presentation to a candidate is a solemn and significant act, and hence nothing pertaining to the ceremony should have even the appearance of insincerity.
Apropos to this the Grand Lodge of Iowa says:
‘When any Lodge presents a newly-initiated brother with a lambskin or white leather apron, and takes it away from him five minutes afterwards, to give to somebody else, or to be laid up among the archives of the lodge, it cheats, wrongs, and defrauds him. It is a poor rule that won’t work both ways. Moreover the real Mason would prize such a gift above all subsequent honors, and more fully appreciate the lesson it teaches. The honest presentation should be the invariable practice in every Lodge.’”
-As reported in the Voice Of Masonry, Volume 15, 1877
So the question is, are Lodges that ‘hold’ a new Mason’s apron for him as he goes through the Degrees harming his experience?
Should we give him his Apron, as his own property, when we say we do in the Entered Apprentice Degree?
Is there any truly valid reason to hold his Apron for him in the ‘archives of the Lodge?’
What is the very best practice when it comes to this, what will best serve to communicate to our brand new Brother that he truly has become a part of Legendary Freemasonry? That he has joined himself to a Legendary Brotherhood?
Mine was taken back after I was initiated, no reason was given. Unfortunately the Lodge "misplaced" it, possible gave it to another candidate or it was just lost. I corrected this while progressing through the chairs so that this would not happen again.
In my jurisdiction, the “culture” is to present the newly initiated brother with his apron as a badge of a Freemason. We then tell him, to put it away and never wear it again until his death, when it will be placed on his coffin. Personally, I don’t understand what sense that makes. We give the initiate the most coveted emblem of a Mason and then tell him to replace it throughout his Masonic career, with a used, wrinkled, yellowing cloth, which has been worn by numerous other people. In my opinion, that lambskin is his to wear proudly at every meeting, as a reminder that he possesses and is worthy of the most valued badge that a Mason could ever have. When that apron is placed on the coffin of the brother, at his funeral, it should be well worn, showing how he had labored, throughout his life to improve himself in Freemasonry.
"Yours to keep" seems pretty straight forward. I guess we could argue that that line, like so much of our ritual is just an allegory, but allegories should be explained, especially one so personal as what is presented as a gift. Same for the working tools.
I think in many lodges, it is a sign of poverty of the lodge. They can't afford to give a man an apron to keep because their initiation fees are too low to pay for it and their dues are to low to give any gifts at all. Thus it needs to be reused.
It's a shameful practice to give a gift then take it back.
This is an interesting topic. It's even worse, that in the lodges I've belonged to, the presented apron doesn't get used in the FC and MM degrees at all. The secretary just keeps it in his drawer until he pays his dues and signs the bylaws. Instead, the candidate wears those crappy cloth aprons.
I think Graeme sort of answered a question that's been bugging me about aprons in the UK. I watched the freemasons six part documentary done by the BBC, and in it, the candidate bought his own set of aprons. My question was, well, does the lodge in the UK actually give a white leather apron, if the candidate buys his own? I gather the answer is - yes and no. They present it, but don't give it. My only question then would be do they do the apron lecture, or something similar, if they are not actually giving him an apron?
As for my own opinion of the matter - I have attended several masonic funerals, and I don't recall the family ever providing the man's original apron, we've always provided it for the service, which we take back with us. Mine is still rolled up in it's cardboard tube sitting in my safe so it doesn't get dirty or misplaced. I have a couple aprons, a travelling MM apron (blue border and S&C) and my PM apron (gaudy and pretentious lol). The first I bought, the second was presented to me when I left the east. I think most people never wear their white leather apron, perhaps thinking (like I do) that I don't want it to get dirty, maybe as some sort of Dorian Gray thing. I do think too much is made of it's "Pure and spotless surface" during the EA degree that makes folks feel they need to keep it tucked away and not used.
Aug 5, 2022·edited Aug 5, 2022Liked by Cameron M. Bailey
So the question is, are Lodges that ‘hold’ a new Mason’s apron for him as he goes through the Degrees harming his experience? I believe it does!
Should we give him his Apron, as his own property, when we say we do in the Entered Apprentice Degree? Absolutely!
Is there any truly valid reason to hold his Apron for him in the ‘archives of the Lodge? No!
What is the very best practice when it comes to this, what will best serve to communicate to our brand new Brother that he truly has become a part of Legendary Freemasonry? That he has joined himself to a Legendary Brotherhood?
I believe we need to give the apron to our new EA to get him to start forming the responsible behavioral habit of carrying his apron to Lodge. This starts the cementing of our Brotherhood and the belonging to his Lodge. In my Karate culture, when a karateka, passes his Black Belt test he become a Shodan (Shodan (初段), literally meaning "beginning degree," is the lowest black belt rank in Japanese martial arts and the game of Go.) Many Black Belts wear their original Black Belt until the belt becomes White. This is a living proof testament that the Karateka has consistently worn it for decades and has faithfully practiced his craft. I believe an EA’s apron needs to achieve that status of use.
Aug 5, 2022·edited Aug 5, 2022Liked by Cameron M. Bailey
This is coming out of left field, but it’s a question that I bears asking.
I attended a stated meeting at a lodge within my district, and it was a rather busy night. They had balloting, election of officers, and other matters that required a vote.
Now, I have been in many lodges conferring a first degree, and one of the admonishments given after the lecture is that the new brother can’t vote until he was a master mason. This lodges secretary however, made mention that the EA could vote on, say, the accepting the treasurers report. That was news to me, so I spent the afternoon scanning the Washington masonic code for any rules about voting.
In the wmc, only master masons can vote on the election of officers.
In a different section covering balloting on the petition for the degrees, all members must vote.
Since technically I can see the balloting for the degrees to also cover master masons since an EA and FC aren’t members until raised and signed the bylaws.
So in those two instances, the non master masons can’t vote. But they apparently can vote for anything else, including accepting a treasurers report, or any other manner of lodge business. So, I think again, we’re perpetuating a falsehood, simply because that’s what they were taught, not by actually knowing the code.
Thoughts? How many other brothers were taught this when they joined?
Mine was taken back after I was initiated, no reason was given. Unfortunately the Lodge "misplaced" it, possible gave it to another candidate or it was just lost. I corrected this while progressing through the chairs so that this would not happen again.
In my jurisdiction, the “culture” is to present the newly initiated brother with his apron as a badge of a Freemason. We then tell him, to put it away and never wear it again until his death, when it will be placed on his coffin. Personally, I don’t understand what sense that makes. We give the initiate the most coveted emblem of a Mason and then tell him to replace it throughout his Masonic career, with a used, wrinkled, yellowing cloth, which has been worn by numerous other people. In my opinion, that lambskin is his to wear proudly at every meeting, as a reminder that he possesses and is worthy of the most valued badge that a Mason could ever have. When that apron is placed on the coffin of the brother, at his funeral, it should be well worn, showing how he had labored, throughout his life to improve himself in Freemasonry.
In my jurisdiction the EA and FCF aprons belong to the lodge and a candidate for the third degree buys his own apron.
This is done so if there are visiting EA or FCF there is an apron for them to wear.
Unlike in you area our FCF and MM apron have either two or three rosettes on them, simular to England and Scotland
"Yours to keep" seems pretty straight forward. I guess we could argue that that line, like so much of our ritual is just an allegory, but allegories should be explained, especially one so personal as what is presented as a gift. Same for the working tools.
I think in many lodges, it is a sign of poverty of the lodge. They can't afford to give a man an apron to keep because their initiation fees are too low to pay for it and their dues are to low to give any gifts at all. Thus it needs to be reused.
It's a shameful practice to give a gift then take it back.
Our Lodge…the Secretary signs it and we give it to him….
We ask he bring it back for each degree.
Simple.
This is an interesting topic. It's even worse, that in the lodges I've belonged to, the presented apron doesn't get used in the FC and MM degrees at all. The secretary just keeps it in his drawer until he pays his dues and signs the bylaws. Instead, the candidate wears those crappy cloth aprons.
I think Graeme sort of answered a question that's been bugging me about aprons in the UK. I watched the freemasons six part documentary done by the BBC, and in it, the candidate bought his own set of aprons. My question was, well, does the lodge in the UK actually give a white leather apron, if the candidate buys his own? I gather the answer is - yes and no. They present it, but don't give it. My only question then would be do they do the apron lecture, or something similar, if they are not actually giving him an apron?
As for my own opinion of the matter - I have attended several masonic funerals, and I don't recall the family ever providing the man's original apron, we've always provided it for the service, which we take back with us. Mine is still rolled up in it's cardboard tube sitting in my safe so it doesn't get dirty or misplaced. I have a couple aprons, a travelling MM apron (blue border and S&C) and my PM apron (gaudy and pretentious lol). The first I bought, the second was presented to me when I left the east. I think most people never wear their white leather apron, perhaps thinking (like I do) that I don't want it to get dirty, maybe as some sort of Dorian Gray thing. I do think too much is made of it's "Pure and spotless surface" during the EA degree that makes folks feel they need to keep it tucked away and not used.
So the question is, are Lodges that ‘hold’ a new Mason’s apron for him as he goes through the Degrees harming his experience? I believe it does!
Should we give him his Apron, as his own property, when we say we do in the Entered Apprentice Degree? Absolutely!
Is there any truly valid reason to hold his Apron for him in the ‘archives of the Lodge? No!
What is the very best practice when it comes to this, what will best serve to communicate to our brand new Brother that he truly has become a part of Legendary Freemasonry? That he has joined himself to a Legendary Brotherhood?
I believe we need to give the apron to our new EA to get him to start forming the responsible behavioral habit of carrying his apron to Lodge. This starts the cementing of our Brotherhood and the belonging to his Lodge. In my Karate culture, when a karateka, passes his Black Belt test he become a Shodan (Shodan (初段), literally meaning "beginning degree," is the lowest black belt rank in Japanese martial arts and the game of Go.) Many Black Belts wear their original Black Belt until the belt becomes White. This is a living proof testament that the Karateka has consistently worn it for decades and has faithfully practiced his craft. I believe an EA’s apron needs to achieve that status of use.
Thank you for this string. I have come away from this with a completely different perspective and we’ll change our lodge’s established practice.
This is coming out of left field, but it’s a question that I bears asking.
I attended a stated meeting at a lodge within my district, and it was a rather busy night. They had balloting, election of officers, and other matters that required a vote.
Now, I have been in many lodges conferring a first degree, and one of the admonishments given after the lecture is that the new brother can’t vote until he was a master mason. This lodges secretary however, made mention that the EA could vote on, say, the accepting the treasurers report. That was news to me, so I spent the afternoon scanning the Washington masonic code for any rules about voting.
In the wmc, only master masons can vote on the election of officers.
In a different section covering balloting on the petition for the degrees, all members must vote.
Since technically I can see the balloting for the degrees to also cover master masons since an EA and FC aren’t members until raised and signed the bylaws.
So in those two instances, the non master masons can’t vote. But they apparently can vote for anything else, including accepting a treasurers report, or any other manner of lodge business. So, I think again, we’re perpetuating a falsehood, simply because that’s what they were taught, not by actually knowing the code.
Thoughts? How many other brothers were taught this when they joined?
I think I kept mine (Kennewick #153 '86) but they used the same Bible and gave it to me at my MM proficiency.