The three-line layout
Every personalized piece in the shop is engraved from the details you type into the personalization box at Etsy checkout. The text is typeset in the layout shown on the listing and spelling-checked against your entry before production, but there is no separate proof to approve, so the wording is yours to get right. The format that works on every piece, from a whiskey glass to a slate plaque, is three lines: the name, the Lodge, and one more line for the office or the date.
| Line | What goes there | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | His name, as he signs it at Lodge | Bro. James R. Whitfield |
| 2 | Lodge name and number | Singleton Lodge No. 7 |
| 3 | Office and year, or the occasion and date | Worshipful Master 2026 |
Line one: the name
Use the name he uses at Lodge, which may not be the name on his driver’s license. If the Lodge calls him Jim, engrave Jim. Honorifics are optional and vary: “Bro.” is safe everywhere; “W. Bro.” or “Worshipful Brother” is for a Past Master or sitting Master; “R.W.” and above are Grand Lodge ranks and should only be used if you know he holds one. When in doubt, use the name alone.
Line two: the Lodge
Write the Lodge exactly as it appears on its own letterhead or website. Some Lodges write “No.” before the number, some write “#”, some nothing at all. Follow the Lodge’s own letterhead, and be consistent across an officer line. If the Lodge name is long, drop “Lodge” rather than abbreviate the name: “Mount Vernon No. 22” reads better than “Mt. Vernon Ldg. No. 22.”
Line three: the occasion
- Raising: “Raised 14 March 2026” or “Master Mason 2026.” Not both.
- Installation: the office and the year of the term: “Worshipful Master 2026,” “Senior Warden 2026,” “Secretary 2026.”
- Past Master: “Worshipful Master 2025” names the year served; “Past Master 2025” names the year he stepped down. The first is the safe choice.
- Anniversary: “Est. 1876” under the Lodge name, or “150th Anniversary 2026.”
- Family gift: the date alone, or nothing. A glass with a name and a Lodge needs no third line.
Fitting the piece
A whiskey or wine glass has room for about twenty characters a line. The slate plaque takes about thirty and a fourth line if you need it. The charcuterie board and journal sit between the two. Polos and towels are embroidered with the Lodge name and number under the emblem, one or two lines, and take no third line. Every personalized listing shows a photo of the engraving in place, so the proportions are visible before you order.
Common mistakes
- The wrong Lodge number. Check it against the Lodge’s own letterhead, not memory.
- All capitals. The engraving is set in the font shown on the listing; mixed case reads better on glass.
- Two occasions on one piece. “Raised 2024 · Senior Deacon 2026” crowds a glass. Give one piece per occasion.
- A title he has not held. See the etiquette guide.
If the layout is unusual, a long Lodge name, a title in another language, or a fourth line, message the shop on Etsy before ordering and it can be checked first. For an officer line, send every name in one message; the Lodge orders guide has the template.
