Past Master Aprons

[Keith C]

I find this very interesting.

Here in PA for Blue Lodge, only Past Masters, Past District Deputy Grand Masters (who have served a full 6 years Term) and Past Grand Masters get a "Past" apron and jewel and Past Secretaries, Grand Secretarioes & Past Treasurers, Grand Treassures who have served for a given number of years (which I can't recall) get a past Jewel.

Past Grand Wardens who drop out and do not get to Grand Master do not get any recoginition, nor do any Past Appointed Officers.

 

[Chris H]

Yes, it’s quite different here. About 6 years after the chair you qualify for provincial rank if you tick the right boxes: regular attender at lodge and LoI, good at the work, charitable, visit other lodges in the province etc. There seem to be about 40 active ranks, which is far too few for the numbers that qualify, so most go straight to past. Apart from the collar jewel, the regalia is exactly the same between active and past of the same rank. Not totally sure how that works with past Assistant Prov Grand Masters etc, but they are usually UGLE grand officers by then so they wear their grand lodge stuff as it outranks the provincial. Can’t find the Essex list, but this is Middlesex’s, very similar as far as I can tell:

Craft Provincial Appointments and Promotions - Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex

Congratulations to everyone being Appointed or Promoted to Provincial Grand Lodge. Please see below links to:- – 2024 Active Ranks – 2024 First Appointments – 2024 Promotions

pglm.org.uk

 

[Mike Martin]

Yes, it’s quite different here. About 6 years after the chair you qualify for provincial rank if you tick the right boxes: regular attender at lodge and LoI, good at the work, charitable, visit other lodges in the province etc. There seem to be about 40 active ranks, which is far too few for the numbers that qualify, so most go straight to past. Apart from the collar jewel, the regalia is exactly the same between active and past of the same rank. Not totally sure how that works with past Assistant Prov Grand Masters etc, but they are usually UGLE grand officers by then so they wear their grand lodge stuff as it outranks the provincial. Can’t find the Essex list, but this is Middlesex’s, very similar as far as I can tell:

Craft Provincial Appointments and Promotions - Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex

Congratulations to everyone being Appointed or Promoted to Provincial Grand Lodge. Please see below links to:- – 2024 Active Ranks – 2024 First Appointments – 2024 Promotions

pglm.org.uk

Of course it's similar but different again within the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London (MetGL) as we don't have that situation of men who haven't done the Office having a "Past" rank, in fact even those who have actually held the Office in MetGL don't get to be a "Past" something.

 

[Chris H]

Of course it's similar but different again within the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London (MetGL) as we don't have that situation of men who haven't done the Office having a "Past" rank, in fact even those who have actually held the Office in MetGL don't get to be a "Past" something.

I nearly said that London be a strange place (I’m from there .) I never quite understood what these LGR, SLGR blokes were all about. Nice chaps though. )

 

[MarkR]

As I'm sure you probably know, in the U.S., you aren't a "Past" anything unless you've actually held the active position.

 

[Bloke]

As I'm sure you probably know, in the U.S., you aren't a "Past" anything unless you've actually held the active position.

So you are saying there is no conffered rank of any sort in the Regular GLs in the United States of America (Craft) ?

 

[Nickel City Dude]

In New York State after you are installed as Master of your lodge you receive the title Worshipful Master when you complete your year as Master of the Lodge you retain the title of Worshipful Brother and are designated as a Past Master. You also receive a Past Masters apron that is white, blue and silver. If you then become a Grand Lodge officer you gain the title of Right Worshipful and receive an apron that is white, gold and purple. At the end of your term in that office you retain the title of Right Worshipful Brother and can continue to wear the apron of the office you occupied. The highest rank we have in NY is Most Worshipful which is the title of the Grand Master. A Grand Master retains the title of Most Worshipful and is also allowed to wear the apron of a Grand Master. Between the Worshipful and Right Worshipful title is the title Very Worshipful that is given to Assistant Grand Lectures and the Moderator of the School of Instruction. That apron is White, blue, silver and black. And you retain the title of Very Worshipful Brother, but I have not seen any Past AGL continue to wear the apron of AGL. That may be partly because if you are active enough in the district most advance to R. W. quickly. So, does that make it clear as mud? LOL

 

[Glen Cook]

So you are saying there is no conffered rank of any sort in the Regular GLs in the United States of America (Craft) ?

I am unaware of any. Some GLs do have Honorary PGMs.

 

[MarkR]

So you are saying there is no conffered rank of any sort in the Regular GLs in the United States of America (Craft) ?

Yes, that's correct. The only way to be a "Past Grand" anything is to have actually held that Grand Lodge office.

 

[YHWH]

Just for completeness. Under the UGLE there is no such thing as a Past Master's apron, although the term has managed to sneak into common usage. However, there is the apron of an Installed Master which is the one described above. This is worn only with the collar of the Lodge of which the IM is currently the WM or with no collar if visiting other Lodges until our initial term in the East is completed by Installing our successor. At this point the apron is complemented by a collar and jewel which define us initially as the Immediate Past Master of the Lodge and then after a further year as just a Past Master.

Should a PM visiting another lodge also use the PM collar?

 

[Winter]

I have. But only because I spent enough money on it and I like bringing it out once in a while. And it is snazzy. But usually it just hangs out in my apron case.

 

[Mike Martin]

Should a PM visiting another lodge also use the PM collar?

A Past Master under the UGLE does yes, as I explained above it shows the brethren in other Lodges that he is a Past Master rather than a Ruling Master.

 

[Bloke]

Should a PM visiting another lodge also use the PM collar?

Here, it is only WMs and Chained GL Officers and Reps who wear a collar when visiting a lodge.