Sporrans and Aprons

[keepoffgrass]

Hi guys,

Its been a while since my last post. Its been pretty crazy since the new year and just havent been around that much. I have a question for the Freemasons amoung us.

Im a pretty new Mason. Im going in for my F.C. degree next week. I believe I'm the only kilt wearer at my lodge (its a really small lodge) and I was wondering how you guys wear your aprons while wearing a sporran. Do you move your sporran to the side? Do you wear it under your apron? That may work for some sporrans, but not all. Do you just not wear a sporran? How do you all handle it? Any advise would be great. Thanks guys Good to see ya all again.

[James MacMillan]

If you have a bulky sporran, as mine usually is for causual attire, I remove it or slide it off to one side or even slightly to the rear.

If it is slim, as when my jacket or coat has enough pockets to allow for less things in the sporran, I leave it in front and put the apron over top.

When in formal attire, my present sporrans are slender and also deep enough that I also leave them on and put the apron on over top.

It really comes down to a judgement call, depending on appearance. It's always easy enough to remove the sporran and lay it on the floor or a seat beside you if it makes too much bulk under the apron.

I envy you seeing the ritual of the Fellowcraft degree for the first time. The staircase lecture is one of my favorites!

[keepoffgrass]

thanks Bro. Most of my sporrans I think I can wear under, I have a full mask artic fox tho that I'll have to wear to the side, its a bit bulky.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

As I recall at my son's Lodge in Edinburgh most of the gents slide their sporran to the side

[Donnie]

Man, You make me want to start attending lodge again. I was raised in Louisiana, and haven't been to a lodge meeting since I moved to North Carolina! Pay attention (I don't really see how you wouldn't) and enjoy your Fellowcraft!

[keepoffgrass]

Man, You make me want to start attending lodge again. I was raised in Louisiana, and haven't been to a lodge meeting since I moved to North Carolina! Pay attention (I don't really see how you wouldn't) and enjoy your Fellowcraft!

My Entered Apprentice degree was great, tho I was way under dressed. I was new and no one told me everyone would be tuxed up. My lodge is small and really casual for the most part, so I didn't know they would be in formal wear. For this one, my coach told me to wear just a decent shirt, no tie, and maybe a sport coat, and a pair of slacks or a kilt. So now I'm trying to figure out what to wear for this one. I was going to wear my clan tank, an argyle jacket,black vest, wing tip shirt, and black bow tie. But i guess they aren't going for formal on this one.

I have the advantage of having another Bro. going threw his FC too. I'm going first tho, so I'll be able to watch him go threw the process and catch anything that I may have missed on my turn. I'm glad my lodge is small, everything seem much more personal than what Ive heard about the larger lodges.

[Aracos mac Domhnaill]

I'm past master of my mother lodge (Greenleaf #117, Cornish, ME in 2000), but I wasn't a kilt wearer until 2003 so I never wore a kilt in lodge until last year.

I'm helping out the new Master and have taken on the chair of SW of Mt. Moriah (my affiliate) Lodge this year and Wednesday we have a MM degree. It is finally warm enough here in Maine for comfortable kilt wear, so the JW and I both will be kilted. I, in my new Stillwater HW Black 'shadow tartan' and he in his belted plaid. (My several UK Mockers don't seem as formal to me as the HW wool Stillwater.)

We are in a very rural location and some of the brothers just don't see kilts as an appropriate attire at all, much less for a more formal degree work night. Oh well, they need to remember that it is supposed to be the internal qualifications of a man, rather than the external that are important to Masonry.

I've been thinking about the sporran question too. I think I'll end up wearing my small Buzz Kidder sporran and that likely off to the side or in the chair next to me. The JW plans on wearing his sporran over his apron. While I've seen this done, it doesn't seem 'right' to me and wearing any sporran under the apron, sounds uncomfortable.

I do hope that you enjoy your FC degree and many long years in the Craft, my brother. I often present the last lecture and the charge for the FC degree. Even more so than the MM, I find the FC degree to be the most richly meaningful work for me.

[James MacMillan]

My Entered Apprentice degree was great, tho I was way under dressed. I was new and no one told me everyone would be tuxed up. My lodge is small and really casual for the most part, so I didn't know they would be in formal wear. For this one, my coach told me to wear just a decent shirt, no tie, and maybe a sport coat, and a pair of slacks or a kilt. So now I'm trying to figure out what to wear for this one. I was going to wear my clan tank, an argyle jacket,black vest, wing tip shirt, and black bow tie. But i guess they aren't going for formal on this one.

I have the advantage of having another Bro. going threw his FC too. I'm going first tho, so I'll be able to watch him go threw the process and catch anything that I may have missed on my turn. I'm glad my lodge is small, everything seem much more personal than what Ive heard about the larger lodges.

The tuxedos, that the Lodge Officers wear, serve two very important purposes.

First and most important it allows the Brothers present to show respect for the degree that they are exemplifying. They have worked many long hours to get every word as correct as possible. They want you to know that it is a solemn and serious process.

Second, it gives the officers a small form of distinction to show that they are part of the whole; that they are serving their Lodge by becoming officers in the first place.

It is also important to realize that they know that not everyone has a tuxedo or PC, or what-have-you. They want you to be comfortable! That is the most important part. I wasn’t there at your initiation, but I will bet every cent that I own that no one made you feel bad because you dressed the way you did. They want your mind to be free and learn from the ritual…that is the whole purpose of the degree – it is a learning experience. If you showed up in jeans and t-shirt, you would still have been accepted with open arms.

A good rule of thumb is to dress respectfully. If pressed for a choice - Wear clothes that match the clothes of the other, non-officers in attendance. By all means ask your coach or mentor what you should wear, but I feel very confident that he will say much the same thing as you are now reading.

Every Lodge is different and the same equally. Some Lodges adopt a different “uniform” for their degrees. I have seen Lodges in Hawaii and the South Pacific where every officer was in the same print of loose fitting tropical “Hawaiian” shirts. I have also seen Lodges where everyone was in grey slacks and blue blazers.

During your degrees, casual, “business” attire will serve you well.

Do not feel embarrassed about what you wore to your initiation! We care about the internal, not the external aspects.

[James MacMillan]

The JW plans on wearing his sporran over his apron. While I've seen this done, it doesn't seem 'right' to me

I agree!!!

[keepoffgrass]

The tuxedos, that the Lodge Officers wear, serve two very important purposes.

First and most important it allows the Brothers present to show respect for the degree that they are exemplifying. They have worked many long hours to get every word as correct as possible. They want you to know that it is a solemn and serious process.

Second, it gives the officers a small form of distinction to show that they are part of the whole; that they are serving their Lodge by becoming officers in the first place.

It is also important to realize that they know that not everyone has a tuxedo or PC, or what-have-you. They want you to be comfortable! That is the most important part. I wasn’t there at your initiation, but I will bet every cent that I own that no one made you feel bad because you dressed the way you did. They want your mind to be free and learn from the ritual…that is the whole purpose of the degree – it is a learning experience. If you showed up in jeans and t-shirt, you would still have been accepted with open arms.

A good rule of thumb is to dress respectfully. If pressed for a choice - Wear clothes that match the clothes of the other, non-officers in attendance. By all means ask your coach or mentor what you should wear, but I feel very confident that he will say much the same thing as you are now reading.

Every Lodge is different and the same equally. Some Lodges adopt a different “uniform” for their degrees. I have seen Lodges in Hawaii and the South Pacific where every officer was in the same print of loose fitting tropical “Hawaiian” shirts. I have also seen Lodges where everyone was in grey slacks and blue blazers.

During your degrees, casual, “business” attire will serve you well.

Do not feel embarrassed about what you wore to your initiation! We care about the internal, not the external aspects.

Thanks Brother. That was definately the way it was. I didnt feel embarrassed or anything, just a bit out of place compaired to the rest of them. I talked to my coach, and he just said, nice shirt, no tie, slacks or a kilt, and a sport jacket if I like. So thats what I'll do. I work a kilt to lodge for my first actual lodge meeting, I'll wear one on Wednesday for my degree.

Thanks Brotheres for all the advise! Most likely I'll slide my sporran to the side when kilted at lodge