Hello Everyone,
I was just wondering if you are a mason attending monthly meetings is it required you wear a tuxedo? From what understand a tuxedo is required of just lodge officers. Correct? Also if you are a member of the lodge attending a monthly meeting but not a officer what must you wear? A sports coat with a tie? Just was curious. Thanks.
Dress code seems to be a matter of preference at the Lodge level; I suggest asking what is customary for your particular Lodge.
In my Lodge (and a neighboring Lodge I’ve attended), a sport jacket and a tie seem quite sufficient for anyone except officers, who invariably wear a tuxedo.
In Massachusetts (The Mass Grand Lodge is the sponsor of this site) it is required that all officers wear tuxedos. As a non-officer, tradition is dark suits with ties, although it is not mandatory. I think that the lodge should strive for some unity, so if officers are wearing full formal wear, the least the non-officers can do is wear a suit. I’m not a big fan of guys showing up to lodge with short sleeve shirts and clip-ons, but hey…at least they came to lodge. :)
I visited a lodge in Hawaii once, and the whole lodge wore aloha shirts with the lodge name on them. No tuxes, so it totally depends on lodge and region.
As with so much of Masonic protocol and custom, there are huge variations. In most lodges in the Eastern part of the country, tuxedos for the officers and coats & ties (either business suit or sports jacket and good slacks) for the other members are the norm, although no one will be refused entrance who comes in a polo shirt. No one has yet come to my lodge in jeans and tee shirt, so I don’t know what we would do.
However, within the last 20 years there were one or two lodges in Baltimore where the officers wore tails; they have since given this up in favor of tuxedos; but the Grand Lodge officers wear tails at the most formal of occasions, tuxedos for slightly less formal ones (like ordinary visitations to lodges). In Pennsylvania, tails are required for the WM and wardens and for anyone who will be sitting in one of those chairs for the evening, tuxedos for the other officers; suits de rigueur for members. Incidentally, when tails are worn, they are with black tie and vest, not white, except for the D.C Grand officers, who wear white tie & vest with tails.
I’m told that in many London lodges, everyone, members and officers, wear white tie and tails.
That’s the one end of the spectrum. The other end goes through white dinner jackets for officers in Fla. (master generally wears a panama hat), down to rural lodges in the south and west where members and officers wear almost anything, including bib jeans, master in baseball cap.
Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternity, and the dress codes vary all over the spectrum. There are lodges for motorcyclists, and they meet outdoors, wearing “bike-leathers”. In rural Kentucky, members wear bib overalls, and muddy work boots. In Texas, the worshipful master wears a Stetson (expensive!) cowboy hat. In Afghanistan, the military Freemasons wear BDU (Battle-dress utility) uniforms, and the civilians wear jeans/dockers.
I suggest that you inquire at your lodge, and find out what the dress code/practices are at the lodge. When you visit a lodge, you should inquire also.
As Cemab4y stated it is different were ever you happen to live . I happen to be one of those Ky Masons in a rural country lodge . Most all of us are farmers on top of our regular jobs . We have little time to get home from work and tend to the horses , cattle or crops then put on airs and get all gussied up in a tux . Now most all of us do take the time to put on slacks and a collared shirt as we rush through a shower and get dressed running out the door , but if you jump off the tractor and come to lodge in bibs or jeans and your work boots (which I have had to do several times , hay doesn’t bale and put itself in the barn before the rain comes on it’s own ), we will not hold that against you either .
At my Lodge there isnt any “set” rule as to what is considered proper but the unwritten rule is if you would feel comfortable wearing it to church then its probably ok…....... we have had Brothers in shorts….to work clothes,which I have had to do…coming straight from work to the Lodge before going home…..we also have a few that wear slacks and a tie….mostly its just slacks and a collared shirt…kinda like you would see at a golf club. I would like to go visit a Lodge that is more along the formal attire…just to see how much of a difference the “vibe” is…..I have read some info by PHA guys and they are very formal….its interesting to hear about how different Lodges function….but still we all meet on the level….tux or bibs…all the same in the end.
At my Lodge there isnt any “set” rule as to what is considered proper but the unwritten rule is if you would feel comfortable wearing it to church then its probably ok…....... we have had Brothers in shorts….to work clothes,which I have had to do…coming straight from work to the Lodge before going home…..we also have a few that wear slacks and a tie….mostly its just slacks and a collared shirt…kinda like you would see at a golf club. I would like to go visit a Lodge that is more along the formal attire…just to see how much of a difference the “vibe” is…..I have read some info by PHA guys and they are very formal….its interesting to hear about how different Lodges function….but still we all meet on the level….tux or bibs…all the same in the end.
In Kentucky, Alcohol has been forbidden during refreshment for many decades. Personally, I would be delighted to see a rule change, and the moderate use of alcohol return to refreshments. In Brother George Washington’s day, when the lodge adjourned for refreshment, they would pass the jug around. In nearly all foreign countries, alcohol is served during refreshments. The National Grand Lodge of France has a full bar, in the basement of the headquarters building. Lodges in Russia and England and other countries often meet in taverns.
Very interesting information. That is neat how all the lodges in different states and countries do things differently when it comes to attire worn at meetings but in the end they all meet for the same reasons.
In Kentucky, Alcohol has been forbidden during refreshment for many decades.
MacB40 - 18 August 2010 06:32 AM
We have little time to get home from work and tend to the horses , cattle or crops then put on airs and get all gussied up in a tux .
So let me get this straight….you smell like farm animals, and WE’RE the ones who are putting on airs? Sounds like I’d prefer the air in our lodge room smelling like scotch to the air you’d be puttin on! :)
OK, I’M TOTALLY JOKING AROUND!
I love the diversity in this fraternity, and I’m sure it is nice to not have to get gussied up for a meeting! Heck, I love it when we get dispensation so that we DON’T have to wear tuxes and can just wear a regular suit!
Brother Madore….. I can not answer that question you pose while quoting me…I am from just north of the Commonwealth of Kentucky…I am in the Hoosier State…Indiana. But I do like a cold beer every now and then….
In Kentucky, Alcohol has been forbidden during refreshment for many decades.
MacB40 - 18 August 2010 06:32 AM
We have little time to get home from work and tend to the horses , cattle or crops then put on airs and get all gussied up in a tux .
So let me get this straight….you smell like farm animals, and WE’RE the ones who are putting on airs? Sounds like I’d prefer the air in our lodge room smelling like scotch to the air you’d be puttin on! :)
OK, I’M TOTALLY JOKING AROUND!
I love the diversity in this fraternity, and I’m sure it is nice to not have to get gussied up for a meeting! Heck, I love it when we get dispensation so that we DON’T have to wear tuxes and can just wear a regular suit!
I see you have never worked on a farm , working around farm animals does not equate to smelling like them . It’s not like we are wrestling with them . I assure you , no one smells like farm animals . But I take no offense either way , I am proud to be a farm boy and you couldn’t pay me to live in the city , any city .
As for the alcohol I would rather smell a well aged Ky. bourbon , Wild Turkey straight up preferably , than scotch . See , diversity .
I see you have never worked on a farm , working around farm animals does not equate to smelling like them . It’s not like we are wrestling with them . I assure you , no one smells like farm animals . But I take no offense either way , I am proud to be a farm boy and you couldn’t pay me to live in the city , any city .
Actually, I grew up in Maine and assisted in birthing my first calf when I was 5 years old, and I have spent plenty of time around livestock. Like I said, I was TOTALLY joking about smelling like farm animals. Not a day goes by that I don’t try to plot a way to give up my paycheck and move back to the country.
MacB40 - 18 August 2010 02:50 PM
As for the alcohol I would rather smell a well aged Ky. bourbon , Wild Turkey straight up preferably , than scotch . See , diversity .
As for this, I can’t disagree, except to say that since almost all scotch is aged in used KY bourbon barrels, it isn’t much of a stretch.
Either at lodge in tails and a tophat or bibbed dungarees and your second best t-shirt, at least we go to lodge, right?
I see you have never worked on a farm , working around farm animals does not equate to smelling like them . It’s not like we are wrestling with them . I assure you , no one smells like farm animals . But I take no offense either way , I am proud to be a farm boy and you couldn’t pay me to live in the city , any city .
Actually, I grew up in Maine and assisted in birthing my first calf when I was 5 years old, and I have spent plenty of time around livestock. Like I said, I was TOTALLY joking about smelling like farm animals. Not a day goes by that I don’t try to plot a way to give up my paycheck and move back to the country.
MacB40 - 18 August 2010 02:50 PM
As for the alcohol I would rather smell a well aged Ky. bourbon , Wild Turkey straight up preferably , than scotch . See , diversity .
As for this, I can’t disagree, except to say that since almost all scotch is aged in used KY bourbon barrels, it isn’t much of a stretch.
Either at lodge in tails and a tophat or bibbed dungarees and your second best t-shirt, at least we go to lodge, right?
Oh , I understand you were joking , and I took no offense . And I agree , at least we get to go to lodge .
It seems we were both about the same age when we aided in birthing our first calves .
