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Article CORRESPONDENCE. Page 1 of 2 →
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Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
[ The Editor does not Jiold himself responsible for any opinions entertained hy Correspondents ' . ]
PEOVINCIAL GRAND CLOTHING , TO THE EDITOK OF THE FEE EMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Sir and Brother ,- —In your last number you have published the decision of the Board of General Purposes respecting the collars of Provincial Grand Officers , viz ., that , according to the correct reading of the Book of Constitutions ; collars of garter-blue , embroidered or plain , are only allowed to be worn by present and past Grand Officers ; and that the two distinctive collars of Provincial Grand
Officers are , for dress , ribbon of garter-blue with edging of gold lace , and for undress , the same , with a simple gold cord . With that decision I perfectly coincide . I have made some inquiries upon the subject , and have been informed that , as a body , Provincial Grand Officers have always worn either gold lace or gold cord ; and that the plain garter-blue collar has been assumed only by some Provincial Grand Officers who reside within easy access of London . The law the at 112 in the Book of Constitutionsi fol
upon subject , page , ' $ v as - lows : — " Deputy Provincial Grand Masters and other Provincial Grand Officers , present and past , wear collars of ribbon garter-blue , four inches broad ,. with narrow edging of gold lace or cord , but not bullion or fringe , or plain . " I believe that most persons would say that , according to the plain reading of that law , the decision that the Board of General Purposes arrived at is the correct one . Some Provincial Grand Officers , however , contend that the law ought to have been printed as follows : —" Deputy Provincial , & c . & c , wear collars with narrow edging of gold lace or cord , or plain , but not bullion or fringe , ,, placing the words " or plain " after the word " cord ; " and that that reading gives them the
privilege of wearing a plain garter-blue collar . Granted , for one moment , that their interpretation is the correct one , what is the result ? That itiS makes that law antagonistic to all the others that relate to Masonic clothing , the tenor of which .
is , to keep the dress of Grand Officers and Provincial Grand Officers as distinct as possible . I consider it as great an honour for a Provincial Mason to have attained rani ? : in his Provincial Grand Lodge , as for a London Brother to have received the purple in the Grand Lodge ; and I do hope , for the future , that we shall see all Provincial Grand Officers proud of the honour of wearing the distinctive clothing of their own Grand Lodges , instead of assuming that of the Grand Lodge .
I will conclude with a few words upon a subject somewhat bearing upon this question . Many Provincial Grand Officers have complained to me that they have felt it a hardship that when they attended the Grand Lodge , they should be obliged to wear the plain blue collars of their private Lodges . I must confess that I think , in courtesy and injustice , the law that prevents them from wearing their
Provincial clothing in Grand Lodge ought to be repealed . Many of these Brethren have rendered good service to the Craft in their provinces , and had they been resident in London , would , in many instances , have received office in the Grand Lodge . Their services have , however , been recognized in the provinces , and they have received high rank from the hands of their respective Provincial Grand Masters , YOL . IV . 2 A
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
[ The Editor does not Jiold himself responsible for any opinions entertained hy Correspondents ' . ]
PEOVINCIAL GRAND CLOTHING , TO THE EDITOK OF THE FEE EMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Sir and Brother ,- —In your last number you have published the decision of the Board of General Purposes respecting the collars of Provincial Grand Officers , viz ., that , according to the correct reading of the Book of Constitutions ; collars of garter-blue , embroidered or plain , are only allowed to be worn by present and past Grand Officers ; and that the two distinctive collars of Provincial Grand
Officers are , for dress , ribbon of garter-blue with edging of gold lace , and for undress , the same , with a simple gold cord . With that decision I perfectly coincide . I have made some inquiries upon the subject , and have been informed that , as a body , Provincial Grand Officers have always worn either gold lace or gold cord ; and that the plain garter-blue collar has been assumed only by some Provincial Grand Officers who reside within easy access of London . The law the at 112 in the Book of Constitutionsi fol
upon subject , page , ' $ v as - lows : — " Deputy Provincial Grand Masters and other Provincial Grand Officers , present and past , wear collars of ribbon garter-blue , four inches broad ,. with narrow edging of gold lace or cord , but not bullion or fringe , or plain . " I believe that most persons would say that , according to the plain reading of that law , the decision that the Board of General Purposes arrived at is the correct one . Some Provincial Grand Officers , however , contend that the law ought to have been printed as follows : —" Deputy Provincial , & c . & c , wear collars with narrow edging of gold lace or cord , or plain , but not bullion or fringe , ,, placing the words " or plain " after the word " cord ; " and that that reading gives them the
privilege of wearing a plain garter-blue collar . Granted , for one moment , that their interpretation is the correct one , what is the result ? That itiS makes that law antagonistic to all the others that relate to Masonic clothing , the tenor of which .
is , to keep the dress of Grand Officers and Provincial Grand Officers as distinct as possible . I consider it as great an honour for a Provincial Mason to have attained rani ? : in his Provincial Grand Lodge , as for a London Brother to have received the purple in the Grand Lodge ; and I do hope , for the future , that we shall see all Provincial Grand Officers proud of the honour of wearing the distinctive clothing of their own Grand Lodges , instead of assuming that of the Grand Lodge .
I will conclude with a few words upon a subject somewhat bearing upon this question . Many Provincial Grand Officers have complained to me that they have felt it a hardship that when they attended the Grand Lodge , they should be obliged to wear the plain blue collars of their private Lodges . I must confess that I think , in courtesy and injustice , the law that prevents them from wearing their
Provincial clothing in Grand Lodge ought to be repealed . Many of these Brethren have rendered good service to the Craft in their provinces , and had they been resident in London , would , in many instances , have received office in the Grand Lodge . Their services have , however , been recognized in the provinces , and they have received high rank from the hands of their respective Provincial Grand Masters , YOL . IV . 2 A