While I was waiting for my X Marks cap badge to arrive I received a kind offer from thescot of a pewter Masonic cap badge as he is now wearing a silver badge and he thought I might get some use out of it. Well, it has arrived before the X Marks badge and here is photographic proof that it happened:





Now if I can just find an artificial sprig of acacia or some forget-me-not I'll have the perfect Masonic plant badge.

For those who do not know, acacia, for reasons not explainable here, symbolizes the immortality of the soul for Freemasons, so it is an important emblem of The Craft.

The use of forget-me-not as a Masonic emblem dates to Nazi Germany. Among other groups, Hitler persecuted the Masons. Lodges were driven underground and Masons were afraid to wear, with good reason, the normal sorts of Masonic emblems, such as rings and lapel pins, that would help to identify each other. Many started to wear a small sprig of forget-me-not in the button hole of their lapel and nowadays you can purchase enameled lapel pins to commemorate that persecution.

Thanks, Jim. I doff my bonnet to you, my Brother.

Up next - the X Marks badge with dandelion plant badge.

Regards,

Brian