How to wear your apron

[hanzosbm]

As some of you know, my mother lodge is in KY and I have been attending lodge in CA for some time and submitted my request for affiliation last night. This morning, an EA at a different CA lodge who works with me stepped into my office and we were chatting a bit. In the chat, he stated that he was taught that the apron is worn different for the different degrees. Mind you, he doesn't mean the typical ways laid out in the ritual, but he said that he was told that where the strings were tied varied based on degree.
Is his lodge playing a joke on him or are there some jurisdictions who practice this?

 

[Bro. Marc Houde]

It's simple in Ontario Canada. The apron for the three degrees are all different. Problem solved.

 

[dfreybur]

In California the position of the strings is not taught in any official manner. Nor in either of my other jurisdictions.

That said, if you position the strings correctly they hold your apron in the correct shape for an EA. It's not a requirement but rather a piece of pragmatic advice. You might not even need to use a pin to hold it in place.

In Illinois where it is common to have degrees with candidates together I used to be the spare deacon who escorted the extra candidate around and I showed them how to wear their apron. During the point with no spoken ritual I informed them they can make the knot on either side, that it's not required to do that, but that it ends up more comfortable and looks cooler. The touch was so popular with the candidates my lodge ended up calling me to do that even in degrees with one candidate.

So was it taught to him, or was it taught to him? ;^) The exact meaning varies even though the words are the same.

A point on wearing an apron as an FC - It is different in each of my jurisdictions. Three jurisdictions, three ways to wear an apron.

 

[hanzosbm]

Thank you, brother Freyburger. To clarify, he was taught that the location of the knot for the strings differed in each of the three degrees (one is on the left hip, one on the right hip, and one was either in the front or back, I don't recall). I definitely know what you mean regarding the EA apron, but this was different. It sounds like it's more of convention they've adopted and it has slowly morphed into 'the way'. As I'm new to this jurisdiction, I try to keep an open mind, but he keeps telling me things about symbolism taught in his lodge that seems pretty far out there. It makes me wonder how much is GLCA teaching and how much is stuff that the members of his lodge made up.

 

[Glen Cook]

None of my GLs teach this

 

[dfreybur]

To clarify, he was taught that the location of the knot for the strings differed in each of the three degrees (one is on the left hip, one on the right hip, and one was either in the front or back, I don't recall). I definitely know what you mean regarding the EA apron, but this was different. It sounds like it's more of convention they've adopted and it has slowly morphed into 'the way'.

That's definitely not official in the jurisdiction. I can believe its a local tradition in some specific lodge.

As I'm new to this jurisdiction, I try to keep an open mind, but he keeps telling me things about symbolism taught in his lodge that seems pretty far out there. It makes me wonder how much is GLCA teaching and how much is stuff that the members of his lodge made up.

California teaching is clear there IS symbolism. Reading the quarterly California Freemason magazine for two decades so far that's clear and I like that meaning is important in the jurisdiction.

I don't know what you mean by out there. If you're read my stuff and consider me out there, then out there I am and happy for it. Symbolism has meaning. Symbols tend to mean something different to every person. While there is a range of expected meanings some do take what they read into symbols to extremes. Others want narrow meanings and are fast to call meanings they don't know about out there.

I'm ready to agree they made it up, but I'm also fast to point out that I make up meaning as well. Sounds like entertainment.

 

[hanzosbm]

I don't think you're too far out there (at least not to me) and I'm all for esoteric symbolism, but I feel like there needs to be some basis for it. As an example, he told me that he was told that the orientation of the S&C were such because of some kind of symbolism about the WM receiving and hold light, etc etc. It all sounded very Divinci Code/sacred chalice to me. And seeing as how the first time the S&C are seen intertwined they are upside down from the current usage, that explanation kind of falls apart.

Don't get me wrong, at some point meaning has been assigned to all of the symbols, but something about it just struck me as a little odd.

 

[The Traveling Man]

I've heard of many different ways to wear an apron. It can be different even within the same Jurisdiction. My Lodge wears it as the ritual stipulates. I've never heard anything about the position of the strings. The officer Aprons have a clip on them so there's no string to tie. In my former Jurisdiction we had EA aprons, white aprons that were manufactured in the EA position, the flap couldn't be put down or adjusted.

 

[Dontrell Stroman]

I've heard of many different ways to wear an apron. It can be different even within the same Jurisdiction. My Lodge wears it as the ritual stipulates. I've never heard anything about the position of the strings. The officer Aprons have a clip on them so there's no string to tie. In my former Jurisdiction we had EA aprons, white aprons that were manufactured in the EA position, the flap couldn't be put down or adjusted.

Never saw those before. The flap was made pre positioned so it couldn't be adjusted ?

 

[Classical]

I could tell some stories about what we have to do to get aprons in the EA form.....

 

[The Traveling Man]

Never saw those before. The flap was made pre positioned so it couldn't be adjusted ?

If I was home I could send a pic. But here is one I found in a Google search. Its kind of like that, but a little longer and without the S&C.

 

[Companion Joe]

I will caution against discussing how aprons are worn for different degrees. At least in my state, that is ritual and not for public information.

 

[Ripcord22A]

Z

I will caution against discussing how aprons are worn for different degrees. At least in my state, that is ritual and not for public information.

Im Not sure about in my jurisdiction but I know that we do some public events and aprons are worn in the wearers degree, so that makes it kinda public, now why its worn that way is another story.

Never saw those before. The flap was made pre positioned so it couldn't be adjusted ?

In my mother lodge we have some FC ones that we use in an outdoor degree for the RUFs

 

[The Traveling Man]

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[The Traveling Man]

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[The Traveling Man]

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[The Traveling Man]

I will caution against discussing how aprons are worn for different degrees. At least in my state, that is ritual and not for public information.

My apologies. I didn't think aprons were considered a secret as it is the Badge. I tried to keep it as basic as possible. But I have noted that and will govern accordingly. . . I remember seeing another post where there were various pics posted of aprons of different degrees. Not sure if you're a moderator, but if so you may want to check it out.

 

[Ripcord22A]

@The Traveling Man looks like you glitched out there...4 identical posts....lol

 

[dfreybur]

In my former Jurisdiction we had EA aprons, white aprons that were manufactured in the EA position, the flap couldn't be put down or adjusted.

Interesting ritual variation. In my jurisdictions the candidate starts his degrees with his apron per his status at that point and is then taught the way to wear it in the degree of the degree after the obligation. The process does not include taking off his apron and replacing it with another.

 

[Bloke]

My apologies. I didn't think aprons were considered a secret as it is the Badge. I tried to keep it as basic as possible. But I have noted that and will govern accordingly. . . I remember seeing another post where there were various pics posted of aprons of different degrees. Not sure if you're a moderator, but if so you may want to check it out.

That was me ? Posting our different EA FC or MM aprons - all different in design? Dont remove it here - not secret at all. My GF could tell you and my GM (any of them!) could be standing beside her and be impressed and if someone said she should not know, we'd all laugh. I understand this is about maintaining a tyled lodge, but the apron is not what achieves that.