jonesvilletexas
Premium Member
These commandments of Dress were issued in a UGLE lodge in England in the middle of the 1980's, what do you think about this?
Masonic Commandments According to St Georges Lodge By becoming a Freemason, you have left behind the heresy of antinomianism. You now know that we all need a few rules by which to lead our lives. Masons are made for order, not chaos but an order of the proper sort.Paradoxically, we do not want to be suppressed, yet we also know instinctively that anarchy would probably be the worst suppression of all. Moses came down from the mountain with the tablets on which were written The Ten Commandments. In St. George’s Lodge we are rather more modest, so to those new members who have asked for some guidance about the proper way in which a Freemason can maintain a decent appearance in a world which can be depressingly indifferent to standards of the sartorial sort. We therefore humbly offer our own version of The Ten Commandments.
( I ) THOU SHALT WEAR TAILORED This is the first and Great Commandment. Whether it is for his suits, his shirts or his shoes, a Freemason’s first priority should be to wear bespoke. There are no short cuts in the world of true bespoke. Bespoke can therefore never be cheap. It is realised, of course, that the vagaries of life mean that some who would very much like to obey this commandment are prevented from doing so by financial constraints. They are urged to remember that one good bespoke lodge suit (or one pair of bespoke shoes) is worth a whole wardrobe (or boot room) of inferior items. Dark lounge is the appropriate dress for members up to Provincial rank. Dark morning dress with a black short jacket, black waistcoat and stripes is worn by members of Provincial Grand rank and above.
( II ) THOU SHALT WALK ONLY ON LEATHER Sneakers are for casual wear: they are not fit for lodge. Nor do we countenance those shoes which, at an indifferent glance, look passable – but which have soles made from synthetic material. Freemasons should wear leather shoes, preferably the Gibson, with leather soles. Brogues are meant for country day-wear and similarly, patent leather shoes are intended for formal wear. Footwear, including stockings, should be black. If you have trouble keeping your stockings up, consider the use of suspenders.
( III ) THOU SHALT WEAR A COLLAR AND TIE To dress without effort is to dress without respect for one’s fellow man. To wear a collar with a tie means that decisions have been made and time has been spent in making one’s appearance smart, for example choosing the correct knot to complement the style of collar. Even a plain black tie has many variations in cut and weight of material. Such discipline is a habit that promotes social grace.
( IV ) THOU SHALT HAVE SMART HAIR Americans call the parting in the hair ‘the part’. Frenchmen call it ‘la raie’. Italians call it ‘la riga’. The widespread disappearance of the parting has gone almost unremarked. It should have been the cause of outrage and protest. Why has it gone? Is it the laziness of barbers? A parting requires work to maintain, for it is the making of order where there is inclined to be indiscipline. Its presence now denotes a person who cares about tradition and about propriety. However, no matter how you style your hair, it should always be well groomed.
( V ) THOU SHALT WEAR CUFF-LINKS A buttoned cuff on a gentleman’s shirt is a miserable, squalid thing, suggestive of the ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude. Cuff-links can be valuable or relatively cheap, but they are essential if a Mason is to be smartly dressed. It is not essential to have a double cuff but when buying a shirt, you should check for button holes for cuff-links.
( VI ) THOU SHALT WEAR BRACES Trousers can only be kept at the correct height by braces. Nothing is more dispiriting than the sight of trousers sagging at the waist and horribly crumpled at the shoe.
( VII ) THOU SHALT NOT WEAR UNPOLISHED SHOES Unpolished shoes are a disgrace to GAOTU and to man. The polishing of shoes can be positively therapeutic. Requiring concentration and a modest expenditure of energy, but no thought, it enables the mind to rest and find comfort. And the result is truly satisfying. Scuffed, badly-maintained shoes denote laziness and unreliability in the wearer. Always take the time to remove laces. Be sure to polish into the welt and also under the instep between sole and heel.
( VIII ) THOU SHALT NOT WEAR UNFASTENED CUFF BUTTONS Every gentleman should have working cuff buttons on his jacket. But to leave any of them un-buttoned – one supposes, to impress the observer with the quality and/or expense of the garment being worn – is unconscionably vulgar. It is sartorial boasting and must not be done.
( IX ) THOU SHALT NOT BE LATE No attribute has done more to exhibit bad manners than lateness. The Freemason always takes time to make time to be on time.
( X ) THOU SHALT NOT CHEW MINTS I am very sorry indeed that this unpleasant subject has to be mentioned. But the chewing of extra-strong mints has become an epidemic which is disfiguring freemasonry everywhere. It makes its practitioners appear moronic and it even results in the defilement of our temple by litter-louts. A freemason who is worthy of the name does not chew mints.
Masonic Commandments According to St Georges Lodge By becoming a Freemason, you have left behind the heresy of antinomianism. You now know that we all need a few rules by which to lead our lives. Masons are made for order, not chaos but an order of the proper sort.Paradoxically, we do not want to be suppressed, yet we also know instinctively that anarchy would probably be the worst suppression of all. Moses came down from the mountain with the tablets on which were written The Ten Commandments. In St. George’s Lodge we are rather more modest, so to those new members who have asked for some guidance about the proper way in which a Freemason can maintain a decent appearance in a world which can be depressingly indifferent to standards of the sartorial sort. We therefore humbly offer our own version of The Ten Commandments.
( I ) THOU SHALT WEAR TAILORED This is the first and Great Commandment. Whether it is for his suits, his shirts or his shoes, a Freemason’s first priority should be to wear bespoke. There are no short cuts in the world of true bespoke. Bespoke can therefore never be cheap. It is realised, of course, that the vagaries of life mean that some who would very much like to obey this commandment are prevented from doing so by financial constraints. They are urged to remember that one good bespoke lodge suit (or one pair of bespoke shoes) is worth a whole wardrobe (or boot room) of inferior items. Dark lounge is the appropriate dress for members up to Provincial rank. Dark morning dress with a black short jacket, black waistcoat and stripes is worn by members of Provincial Grand rank and above.
( II ) THOU SHALT WALK ONLY ON LEATHER Sneakers are for casual wear: they are not fit for lodge. Nor do we countenance those shoes which, at an indifferent glance, look passable – but which have soles made from synthetic material. Freemasons should wear leather shoes, preferably the Gibson, with leather soles. Brogues are meant for country day-wear and similarly, patent leather shoes are intended for formal wear. Footwear, including stockings, should be black. If you have trouble keeping your stockings up, consider the use of suspenders.
( III ) THOU SHALT WEAR A COLLAR AND TIE To dress without effort is to dress without respect for one’s fellow man. To wear a collar with a tie means that decisions have been made and time has been spent in making one’s appearance smart, for example choosing the correct knot to complement the style of collar. Even a plain black tie has many variations in cut and weight of material. Such discipline is a habit that promotes social grace.
( IV ) THOU SHALT HAVE SMART HAIR Americans call the parting in the hair ‘the part’. Frenchmen call it ‘la raie’. Italians call it ‘la riga’. The widespread disappearance of the parting has gone almost unremarked. It should have been the cause of outrage and protest. Why has it gone? Is it the laziness of barbers? A parting requires work to maintain, for it is the making of order where there is inclined to be indiscipline. Its presence now denotes a person who cares about tradition and about propriety. However, no matter how you style your hair, it should always be well groomed.
( V ) THOU SHALT WEAR CUFF-LINKS A buttoned cuff on a gentleman’s shirt is a miserable, squalid thing, suggestive of the ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude. Cuff-links can be valuable or relatively cheap, but they are essential if a Mason is to be smartly dressed. It is not essential to have a double cuff but when buying a shirt, you should check for button holes for cuff-links.
( VI ) THOU SHALT WEAR BRACES Trousers can only be kept at the correct height by braces. Nothing is more dispiriting than the sight of trousers sagging at the waist and horribly crumpled at the shoe.
( VII ) THOU SHALT NOT WEAR UNPOLISHED SHOES Unpolished shoes are a disgrace to GAOTU and to man. The polishing of shoes can be positively therapeutic. Requiring concentration and a modest expenditure of energy, but no thought, it enables the mind to rest and find comfort. And the result is truly satisfying. Scuffed, badly-maintained shoes denote laziness and unreliability in the wearer. Always take the time to remove laces. Be sure to polish into the welt and also under the instep between sole and heel.
( VIII ) THOU SHALT NOT WEAR UNFASTENED CUFF BUTTONS Every gentleman should have working cuff buttons on his jacket. But to leave any of them un-buttoned – one supposes, to impress the observer with the quality and/or expense of the garment being worn – is unconscionably vulgar. It is sartorial boasting and must not be done.
( IX ) THOU SHALT NOT BE LATE No attribute has done more to exhibit bad manners than lateness. The Freemason always takes time to make time to be on time.
( X ) THOU SHALT NOT CHEW MINTS I am very sorry indeed that this unpleasant subject has to be mentioned. But the chewing of extra-strong mints has become an epidemic which is disfiguring freemasonry everywhere. It makes its practitioners appear moronic and it even results in the defilement of our temple by litter-louts. A freemason who is worthy of the name does not chew mints.