Hats are a practical piece of clothing for protection from the elements. Rain, snow, sleet, sun, etc..
Hats are not needed indoors as the building is supposed to protect you from that. Construction helmets/hardhats being the exception to this. Given the condition of some masonic lodges, that might be a tradition to start.
From a manners background, traditional European culture demands removal of hats when indoors to show respect to the owners of the building. Coming from the tradition that a man's home or business is his castle, and in that place, he is king, and you don't conceal your brow before the king. This, I think neatly explains why the lodge master can still wear a hat..
Of course, most of us know that there is a strong Jewish influence in masonry and traditional Jews always wear hats when walking more than four cubits (a tradition arising from Exodus 28:36–38 and Shabbat 118b to acknowledge the presence of God. Aaron in particular never led a ceremony without a hat. Aaron is of course a masonic figure as well.
There are many traditional styles of Jewish hats from the minimalist yamulke/kippah to the big round fully furred streimel/spodik and the moderate round fedora (also popular among the Christian Amish) or tall fez traditionally worn by Moroccan jews but these days common among our own shriners.
Myself, I prefer in winter a traditional north-west hat called a tinners hat because the miners and loggers that made Seattle usually used tin roofs on their cabins. Tinners hats are basically an oiled canvas waterproof fedora. Seattle based Filson company makes the best example. In summer I like an Australian style duster. Similar to an American cowboy hat, but with a lower crown and a floppier brim. I find they don't catch the wind as badly and are easier to keep on my head in gusts than American style cowboy hats.
Long story short, the tradition i think is about a mix of Jewish divine respect and European manners.
I don't think the style matters at all but top hats were all the rage in America and England for a very significant time period of masonic growth and somehow hung on within the fraternity even after the fad died out among everyone else.
Why did the fad die? Beaver became so scarce from overharvesting by the late 1800's that only extremely wealthy people could afford a real beaver pelt hat. As a wildlife biologist and professional in the modern furbearer management industry I can go into great detail on that subject but won't right now. Regardless, masonry may have hung on to that symbol of wealth longer because it was a sign of its prosperity into the mid 20th century.
I know how you can get a new real beaver pelt top hat if you really want one. It will cost about $750. Sourcing a large beaver pelt is easy as I am treasurer of the WA state trappers association. Proper construction of the hat is harder. There aren't many people with the right skills these days, but I have contacts.
As I was approaching my time in the East, I went through a similar dilemma of trying to decide what type of hat I would wear. Worshipful Masters before me had worn opera hats, top hats, a beret and a bowler. None of those fit my personality. Being practical, I decided on a hat that I could wear beyond my time in the East and enjoy wearing it. I settled on a black Stetson. I was able to wear it for about 6 months before we closed our lodges. I, like MW Cameron, lack a natural covering of hair on my head. I too enjoy wearing hats but have become rather particular about the hats that I don.
I have always wondered why Brothers wears a hat in a lodge he has not been installed as master, because when a Master is installed he is told " I now seat you in the Oriental Chair, and cover you with that distinction which, in this Lodge, it is your privilege alone to wear.
My choice of hat for my installation was heavily influenced by the TV show breaking bad. At my first meeting, I donned my Heisenberg Hat (1940s style porkpie), put on a pair of black sunglasses, and announced "I am the one who knocks" before rapping the gavel for the first time.
When I Presided over Tenino Lodge No. 86 in 1999 and 2009, I wore a “coonskin hat.” At first, I did indeed receive some static from some of the old-timers who thought I was being a joker where I shouldn’t be, but I informed them of three reasons why I was wearing this “hat,”
1. Tenino was on the Oregon Trail, as well as their annual festival being Oregon Trail Days. The hat is, in a way, a nod to that old trader history of the town.
2. I bought the hat at the gym of Centralia College, where I received two degrees in 1994. Their mascot is the Trailblazer, hence the “coonskin” style of the hat. It’s a nod to my college.
3. This hat, unlike any of the others in the building, actually fit my head nicely. I’d rather be wearing a coonskin that actually fit than a top hat that was several sizes too small.
Unfortunately, I can’t find that hat, although I think It’s in my storage box with my other hats, so it doesn’t become dusty. I honestly don’t remember how much I wore a head covering during my third term as Worshipful Master 3 years ago in Centralia, since none of their top hats fit either. People must have had smaller heads back in the early 20th Century.
I am glad that Worshipful Masters in this era are understanding that they are not bound to the Top Hat as the only option to wear for their term in the East.
In my Lodge, as well as other Lodges in my district, we do some degree work in costume. Some of those costumes include head coverings. Therefore, for those sections of degree work, multiple numbers of Masons are wearing ‘hats.’ A great majority of the Brothers involved fully understand the costume nature of those hats, and generally regard the Crown that the Presiding Officer in the East is wearing as the “covering” in the sense of the word used in this thread.
I'll never forget the night I was first brought to light and the first thing I saw was VWB Dean Quigley standing before me in a top hat. It kind of reminded me of the Monopoly man and I couldn't restrain myself. I giggled.
I'm not a fan of top hats. When I was in the East I wore a nice looking black fedora. $17 at Target. From a few feet back it looked like it was worth a lot more. Then there was the time I conferred the Fellowcraft degree in July in a Lodge with no a/c, so I broke out my fairly nice Panama hat.
I read a book years ago that explained a lot about Masonry, sort of a '60s version of Freemasonry for Dummies. The author explained that our tradition of having the Master wear a hat came from the lodges of the operative Masons. They met at the end of the day, often outside, and the Master was in the East. So the sun was in his eyes and that's why he wore a hat. If that's true (and you can't put stuff in books unless it's true) then it shows how easy it is for us Speculative types to find symbolism in something.
Neither my mother jurisdiction in Europe nor my present jurisdiction - Ontario - has such a "tradition" of wearing a hat in the East. Visiting England and Scotland a few years ago... I didn't see any hats there either.
I must assume, this must be an American "innovation" (LOL).
Actually, I like hats, and I have a few but we don't wear them in the lodge.
There are other options than a hat. A white powdered wig would be well in British tradition. In Tenino we have a beanie cap with a propeller on top. I'm sure Mrs. Bailey would find that acceptable. LOL
I myself found a 7 3/4 Victorian felt hat at a Steam Punk Convention and although it was a little beyond my budget at the time I went ahead and bought it anyway. It's not easy to find a 7 3/4 hat. It is one of the few hats which fits both Clayton and myself. I love to wear it outside of Lodge.
On one occasion I wore it while walking around the the cemetery by Olympia Lodge and with my black suit and top hat I soon was referred to as the "Undertaker". LOL
Another time I wore it to a tea party that the OES was having and in the social room. Of course that event led to my being named "The Mad Hatter". LOL Mad Hatter's disease was related to the mercury they used to process the felt in those types of hats.
Another option I the feathered headdress WB Rico wears for Commandry. That would definitely make Mrs. Bailey laugh.
On one occasion at Tenino Lodge, WM Joel Lockwood was visiting and we exchanged hats and my top hat came down over his eyes and his hat made me look like Oliver Hardy of Laurel and Hardy. We had a picture taken with the swapped hats in the East.
When I often went to have lunch or dinner and at the Sunday sing along of old favorite songs with Manley at Sharon Care I would always bring my Top Hat which was a big hit with that generation.
I love taking my top hat to church and have it on the pew beside me. My black suit and top hat is a stark contrast to the casual wear many wear to church these days.
I enjoyed your thoughts, Most Worshipful. To me it is a combination of what your wife won't giggle at and what you feel comfortable wearing. I tried on a many fedoras and several top hats and it looked all wrong. I settled on a bowler. Here in Idaho, there is a tradition that a brother who is a hatter in the small river running town of Salmon makes a custom hat for each new Grand Master for them to wear during their term. Their name is embossed in gold letters inside the hat band.
Hats are a practical piece of clothing for protection from the elements. Rain, snow, sleet, sun, etc..
Hats are not needed indoors as the building is supposed to protect you from that. Construction helmets/hardhats being the exception to this. Given the condition of some masonic lodges, that might be a tradition to start.
From a manners background, traditional European culture demands removal of hats when indoors to show respect to the owners of the building. Coming from the tradition that a man's home or business is his castle, and in that place, he is king, and you don't conceal your brow before the king. This, I think neatly explains why the lodge master can still wear a hat..
Of course, most of us know that there is a strong Jewish influence in masonry and traditional Jews always wear hats when walking more than four cubits (a tradition arising from Exodus 28:36–38 and Shabbat 118b to acknowledge the presence of God. Aaron in particular never led a ceremony without a hat. Aaron is of course a masonic figure as well.
There are many traditional styles of Jewish hats from the minimalist yamulke/kippah to the big round fully furred streimel/spodik and the moderate round fedora (also popular among the Christian Amish) or tall fez traditionally worn by Moroccan jews but these days common among our own shriners.
Myself, I prefer in winter a traditional north-west hat called a tinners hat because the miners and loggers that made Seattle usually used tin roofs on their cabins. Tinners hats are basically an oiled canvas waterproof fedora. Seattle based Filson company makes the best example. In summer I like an Australian style duster. Similar to an American cowboy hat, but with a lower crown and a floppier brim. I find they don't catch the wind as badly and are easier to keep on my head in gusts than American style cowboy hats.
Long story short, the tradition i think is about a mix of Jewish divine respect and European manners.
I don't think the style matters at all but top hats were all the rage in America and England for a very significant time period of masonic growth and somehow hung on within the fraternity even after the fad died out among everyone else.
Why did the fad die? Beaver became so scarce from overharvesting by the late 1800's that only extremely wealthy people could afford a real beaver pelt hat. As a wildlife biologist and professional in the modern furbearer management industry I can go into great detail on that subject but won't right now. Regardless, masonry may have hung on to that symbol of wealth longer because it was a sign of its prosperity into the mid 20th century.
I know how you can get a new real beaver pelt top hat if you really want one. It will cost about $750. Sourcing a large beaver pelt is easy as I am treasurer of the WA state trappers association. Proper construction of the hat is harder. There aren't many people with the right skills these days, but I have contacts.
As I was approaching my time in the East, I went through a similar dilemma of trying to decide what type of hat I would wear. Worshipful Masters before me had worn opera hats, top hats, a beret and a bowler. None of those fit my personality. Being practical, I decided on a hat that I could wear beyond my time in the East and enjoy wearing it. I settled on a black Stetson. I was able to wear it for about 6 months before we closed our lodges. I, like MW Cameron, lack a natural covering of hair on my head. I too enjoy wearing hats but have become rather particular about the hats that I don.
I have always wondered why Brothers wears a hat in a lodge he has not been installed as master, because when a Master is installed he is told " I now seat you in the Oriental Chair, and cover you with that distinction which, in this Lodge, it is your privilege alone to wear.
My choice of hat for my installation was heavily influenced by the TV show breaking bad. At my first meeting, I donned my Heisenberg Hat (1940s style porkpie), put on a pair of black sunglasses, and announced "I am the one who knocks" before rapping the gavel for the first time.
When I Presided over Tenino Lodge No. 86 in 1999 and 2009, I wore a “coonskin hat.” At first, I did indeed receive some static from some of the old-timers who thought I was being a joker where I shouldn’t be, but I informed them of three reasons why I was wearing this “hat,”
1. Tenino was on the Oregon Trail, as well as their annual festival being Oregon Trail Days. The hat is, in a way, a nod to that old trader history of the town.
2. I bought the hat at the gym of Centralia College, where I received two degrees in 1994. Their mascot is the Trailblazer, hence the “coonskin” style of the hat. It’s a nod to my college.
3. This hat, unlike any of the others in the building, actually fit my head nicely. I’d rather be wearing a coonskin that actually fit than a top hat that was several sizes too small.
Unfortunately, I can’t find that hat, although I think It’s in my storage box with my other hats, so it doesn’t become dusty. I honestly don’t remember how much I wore a head covering during my third term as Worshipful Master 3 years ago in Centralia, since none of their top hats fit either. People must have had smaller heads back in the early 20th Century.
I am glad that Worshipful Masters in this era are understanding that they are not bound to the Top Hat as the only option to wear for their term in the East.
In my Lodge, as well as other Lodges in my district, we do some degree work in costume. Some of those costumes include head coverings. Therefore, for those sections of degree work, multiple numbers of Masons are wearing ‘hats.’ A great majority of the Brothers involved fully understand the costume nature of those hats, and generally regard the Crown that the Presiding Officer in the East is wearing as the “covering” in the sense of the word used in this thread.
I'll never forget the night I was first brought to light and the first thing I saw was VWB Dean Quigley standing before me in a top hat. It kind of reminded me of the Monopoly man and I couldn't restrain myself. I giggled.
I'm not a fan of top hats. When I was in the East I wore a nice looking black fedora. $17 at Target. From a few feet back it looked like it was worth a lot more. Then there was the time I conferred the Fellowcraft degree in July in a Lodge with no a/c, so I broke out my fairly nice Panama hat.
I read a book years ago that explained a lot about Masonry, sort of a '60s version of Freemasonry for Dummies. The author explained that our tradition of having the Master wear a hat came from the lodges of the operative Masons. They met at the end of the day, often outside, and the Master was in the East. So the sun was in his eyes and that's why he wore a hat. If that's true (and you can't put stuff in books unless it's true) then it shows how easy it is for us Speculative types to find symbolism in something.
Neither my mother jurisdiction in Europe nor my present jurisdiction - Ontario - has such a "tradition" of wearing a hat in the East. Visiting England and Scotland a few years ago... I didn't see any hats there either.
I must assume, this must be an American "innovation" (LOL).
Actually, I like hats, and I have a few but we don't wear them in the lodge.
There are other options than a hat. A white powdered wig would be well in British tradition. In Tenino we have a beanie cap with a propeller on top. I'm sure Mrs. Bailey would find that acceptable. LOL
I myself found a 7 3/4 Victorian felt hat at a Steam Punk Convention and although it was a little beyond my budget at the time I went ahead and bought it anyway. It's not easy to find a 7 3/4 hat. It is one of the few hats which fits both Clayton and myself. I love to wear it outside of Lodge.
On one occasion I wore it while walking around the the cemetery by Olympia Lodge and with my black suit and top hat I soon was referred to as the "Undertaker". LOL
Another time I wore it to a tea party that the OES was having and in the social room. Of course that event led to my being named "The Mad Hatter". LOL Mad Hatter's disease was related to the mercury they used to process the felt in those types of hats.
Another option I the feathered headdress WB Rico wears for Commandry. That would definitely make Mrs. Bailey laugh.
On one occasion at Tenino Lodge, WM Joel Lockwood was visiting and we exchanged hats and my top hat came down over his eyes and his hat made me look like Oliver Hardy of Laurel and Hardy. We had a picture taken with the swapped hats in the East.
When I often went to have lunch or dinner and at the Sunday sing along of old favorite songs with Manley at Sharon Care I would always bring my Top Hat which was a big hit with that generation.
I love taking my top hat to church and have it on the pew beside me. My black suit and top hat is a stark contrast to the casual wear many wear to church these days.
I enjoyed your thoughts, Most Worshipful. To me it is a combination of what your wife won't giggle at and what you feel comfortable wearing. I tried on a many fedoras and several top hats and it looked all wrong. I settled on a bowler. Here in Idaho, there is a tradition that a brother who is a hatter in the small river running town of Salmon makes a custom hat for each new Grand Master for them to wear during their term. Their name is embossed in gold letters inside the hat band.