Wear the Apron in Everything We Do

 

Wear the Apron in Everything We Do

By Tom Nash, Grand Marshal

Grand Lodge of Iowa

 

You now stand as a just and upright Mason, and I give it you strictly in charge, ever to walk and act as such. This is our first instruction as a Mason. Perhaps one of the most overlooked parts of the Ritual.

When we are in lodge, we all should be following the rules of conduct of the lodge. We should be subduing our passions and treating each other with Brotherly Love. Even in disagreement, Masons should be able to remain respectful towards each other. We all wear the Apron, We are all brothers.

When the apron comes off, when we are conducting business outside the lodge, are we still remembering the lessons of the First Degree? Many Masons are proud of the Fraternity. They wear the square and compasses on shirts, hats, jackets, car windows, tattoos, and social media. We like to think we are representing the Fraternity in a good light. But are we? Are we being rude to people, cutting them off in traffic, arguing on social media, or any other numerous things that might give Masonry a bad name? With the political season in full swing, there are many passions guiding the discourse in the country. People disagree, that is unavoidable in human nature.

As Masons we are taught certain tenets and maxims that teach us to be respectful of the opinions of others, even if we disagree. There are plenty of examples of people or organizations that seek to foster such strife in the world. Masonry is not one of them.

 

The Grand Lodge came up with a set of guidelines for social media postings a few years ago. They are found on the Grand Lodge webpage. Here is an excerpt.

 • A Mason should conduct himself with the same courtesy he would in front of the general public.

 • As a Mason, he must be aware that his postings are a permanent record; therefore, his conduct may influence the world with a positive or negative opinion about him personally and about the organizations to which he belongs.

• A Mason should never use disparaging comments, profanity, etc. when posting; including, but not limited to, graphic, video, and audio recordings.

• A Mason should not post “ritual” or “tyled” information.

• Masonic pages are to be supportive of the organization and its members, promote upcoming events, discuss past events, video sharing, and discussion of times of fellowship and promotion of Masonic bodies.

• A Mason should not use social media to obtain personal advantage in promoting political, religious or business activities by targeting other Masons.

 • A Mason should not use social media to contact other Grand Jurisdictions unless you are a member of that jurisdiction. Remember that all inter-jurisdictional communication is, by Masonic protocol, conducted by and between Grand Lodge offices.

 • No discussion or other information regarding to an application, background, or investigation of an applicant is ever appropriate or condoned.

• There should never be discussion regarding the ballot on a candidate.

• Nothing should ever be written or discussed relative to the business of a Lodge or of any discussions/actions which have occurred behind Tyled doors.

• Information about lodge or district social activities must comply with the Grand Lodge regulations already in place for them (for example no reference to alcohol or games of chance).

• Masons should advise a brother if something he has posted is improper within the framework of our Grand Constitution, Rules and Regulations, etc.

 

Ultimately, your actions as a Mason online should promote the highest standards of morality and integrity. You should always be mindful of the penalties as described in the Grand Constitution relating to trial, suspension, and/or expulsion for any un-Masonic behavior. Posting a comment related to the Fraternity and then posting a disparaging comment about a social or political stance can easily be misconstrued by readers that your stance is representative of Masonry and all Masons. Remember that the public and members of the Masonic Fraternity are reading your posts online.

When we take off the apron, that is the most important time to remember the lessons of our ritual, for that is what building our spiritual temple is all about. The image we project to the non-mason does indeed have an effect on the whole Fraternity. Peace and harmony is the strength and support of all societies. Respectful discourse is more important than any social issue, for when you become disrespectful, you harm yourself, and possibly Masonry as a whole. 

Remember, Live the Ritual, whether you

Special Note of Thanks

I would personally like to thank the Author Grand Marshal Tom Nash and the Grand Lodge of Iowa for granting me permission to print this nicely thought out piece.