I have Found some masonic paraphernalia; Can you tell me about it?

Frequently, a member of the public will find some Masonic Apparel when they are at a family members house; the answer is usually "... oh yes, your grandfather was a freemason; that is his apron"; this usually gets them wondering about this Paraphernalia & their relative/friend who owned it.
Then, after a time, They then ask "what the Heck does all this mean?"

Unfortunately, unless you have friends who are Masons, you will not get an answer...

So What the Heck does all this Masonic stuff mean?
Masonic paraphernalia is deeply symbolical; the fact that your family member/friend was a mason shows that he was a good man & he valued the company of other good men. The differing pieces of Paraphernalia signify differing aspects of his Masonic Career.

There were some Masons at my Grand fathers Funeral; What was that about?
In the past, being a Member of a Masonic Lodge (like so many things) was a highly guarded secret; in some cases, children didn't know that their father was a member of a lodge; thus, some people get a shock when a group of Masons mourn together at a funeral - many of whom are unknown to the family at the time. As a member of a Masonic Lodge, we remember our fellow Freemasons in a dignified Masonic ceremony (referred to as a Lodge of Sorrow/Mourning). You would have seen some of his fellow masons paying their respects to a dear friend, be assured that they will miss him deeply also.

I have Found some masonic paraphernalia; Can you tell me about it?
Yes. Quite frequently, members of a family find out that their Father/Grandfather/Uncle/Close Friend was a Mason when they see the Familiar Square & Compass symbol, or the light blue apron.

What Does all this Masonic Stuff mean?

If you would like a Mason to take a look at your items & tell you what they meant, please come along to our Lodge with your Item (preferably on a practice night) & we will happily assist you where we can

Be assured; these Items are the personal property of your loved one & are now yours. We will not take them from you when we appraise them & you will take them away with you as a memento of your loved one.

Be aware that in the past, there were many other non-masonic Lodges operating around the Central West of NSW; including the Oddfellows, The Buffalos, The Foresters to name but a few. Many of these orders have paraphernalia that is similar to a Freemasons, but we must point out that they are different bodies with different governing rules; that being said, we may be able to point you in the right direction.

My Grandfather/Uncle/Father was a Mason; Can you tell me more about his Masonic Career?
Possibly, In this case if he was not a member of Lodge Canoblas Lewis, we may not know all that much about him. We can assist by pointing you to the enquiries area of the United Grand Lodge of NSW & ACT - UGL NSW ACT.

I have My Fathers Masonic Apron; What do I do with it?
Keep it! I have seen some framed on the walls of "the Man-Cave", Whilst others have just been a keepsake. It is yours after all.

However, this is not all you can do; If you are a man, may I suggest that you contemplate joining our lodge? Hopefully you would enjoy freemasonry as much as He did & having his apron would certainly be a nice part of your masonic journey. If you let us know in advance that you are interested in joining, we can give you information on joining on the night.

If you are the daughter of a Mason; do you have a Husband, a Son, a Nephew, or a dear Friend that would benefit by joining our Lodge? If so bring them along with the apparel to meet us; for many men, having deeply personal masonic Apparel adds to the meaning of Masonic ceremonies

The Final Unashamed Plug:
If the hitherto undiscovered presence of a Freemason in your Family has sparked your interest in the Craft; why not come along, see what your family member was up to & join in?
We are sure that you will find it as fun & rewarding as your family member did.

So Mote it Be!