Who can give a Masonic gift
Anyone. A wife, a daughter, a father who is not a Mason, a friend from work. A Brother is glad to receive a piece with the square and compasses from his family, and there is no rule, written or unwritten, that limits Masonic gifts to Masons. The only thing a non-Mason cannot do is give regalia, and that is not a rule about givers but about what regalia is.
A Lodge may give gifts too, on the nights it marks: a raising, an installation, a Past Master stepping down, a long-serving Secretary retiring. Those are presented at the festive board by the Worshipful Master or the officer whose role it is. Family gifts are given at home, and he will bring it to the next meeting anyway.
Titles are earned
This is the one rule that catches well-meaning families. A shirt, hoodie or plaque that says Past Master is only for a Brother who has served as Worshipful Master of a Lodge. Worshipful Master is only for the Brother in the chair this year. Master Mason is for any Brother who has taken the third degree. Masonic Dad is for any Mason who is a father.
If you are not sure which he is, ask him, or ask the Lodge Secretary, who will tell you without needing to know why. When in doubt, choose a piece with the emblem alone: a glass, a wallet, the classic tee. The apparel page sorts the shirts by office so the choice is clear.
Regalia is not a gift
Aprons, collars, jewels of office and Past Master’s jewels are issued by the Lodge or the Grand Lodge according to their own rules, and the style varies by jurisdiction. They are not something to buy for a Brother, and this shop does not sell them. A Past Master’s jewel comes from the Grand Lodge’s approved supplier, not from a gift shop. What this shop makes is the plaque, the polo and the glass that go alongside.
Nothing that refers to ritual
A Masonic gift shows the emblem, the Lodge name and number, an office, a date, and the phrases used in the open: So Mote It Be, Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, meet upon the level. It does not depict or quote anything from the degrees. Every piece on this site keeps to that line, and it is the reason the copy on the shirts is what it is.
Jurisdictions and the letter G
The square and compasses is used by Masons everywhere. Some jurisdictions place a letter G at the center; others do not, and the letter is not universal outside North America. The plain emblem, without the G, is appropriate for a Brother anywhere, which is why most pieces here use it. If you are buying for a Brother in a jurisdiction that uses the G and want it, message the shop before ordering.
What to avoid
- Titles he has not earned (see above).
- Anything that claims a Grand Lodge’s endorsement. This shop is independent and says so.
- Novelty pieces that mock the Craft. Humor from inside is fine; the “Beware of the Goat” tee is the oldest joke among Masons themselves. Humor from outside reads differently.
- Rings in guessed sizes. The signet ring runs 6 to 8 and is worn on the little finger; measure first or choose a piece that needs no size.
How much to spend
A Lodge gift for a raising is modest by design, since a Lodge that gives one gives it to every new Brother; twenty to sixty dollars is a sensible range. An installation plaque runs about sixty. Family gifts follow family budgets. Nobody in a Lodge is counting, and the Brother who receives an engraved glass with his name and Lodge number will use it for thirty years. The Occasions pages list the pieces for each night at each price.
