‘Competition for plaid mad Masonic designers’

    

The initiatives of the Grand Lodge of New York under its new Grand Master are coming fast. The latest is a competition to design a tartan for the brethren here. The graphic above has all the info.

Tartans with Masonic meanings are not completely new. The Grand Lodge of Scotland has had its own for more than twenty years, unsurprisingly. Both the General Grand Chapter and General Grand Council in the York Rite have theirs. I bet there are others.

Design is not my field, but I hope the winning entry incorporates New York’s traditional colors: orange, white, and blue. Or maybe purple, blue, and crimson, in honor of GMHA. Nor do I wear kilts, but I’ll sport a necktie proudly. Flat cap too.

     

‘New tartan for the Cryptic Clan’

    

Not to be outdone by the Royal Arch Masons, the Cryptic Rite now advertises an official tartan for its companions. The former revealed its pattern last year, and the latter unveiled its purplish plaid today. From the Cryptic Clan publicity:

We are pleased to offer kilts and other tartan items using our registered General Grand Council tartan, woven in a 13-ounce and 80 percent wool/20 percent cotton blend. In addition to our five-yard kilt and seven-yard great kilt, we have a range of tartan kilt and dress accessories, including fly plaids, flashes, vests, cummerbunds, neckties, bowties, and pocket squares.

There also are ranges of General Grand Council Crest jewelry and accessories available to complete your kilt outfit. We are developing other items using the General Grand Council Crest that can be purchased for yourself, as gifts, or used as awards.

The items are unique to the General Grand Council and are not available anywhere else. The profits generated will be used to support CMMRF and other programs.

Twenty-six orders are needed to start production. Expect three to four months for delivery, but subsequent purchases should come faster.

I’m not a kilt guy myself, but maybe flat caps are in mind for future sales.

     

‘Royal Arch tartan unveiled’

     

Saint Andrew’s Day comes on the last day of this month, so what better time to show off the new tartan designed for Royal Arch Masonry?

I don’t wear kilts myself—I don’t have the legs to pull it off—but don’t let that stop you from sporting this duly registered pattern. I guess in time there’ll be scarves, hats, socks, and whatever made. The rule, to wear this tartan, is one must be a Royal Arch Mason affiliated with the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons International.

The Scottish Register of Tartans defines the color scheme:

The colors are symbolic of Royal Arch Masonry in the United States. Dark red represents the General Grand Chapter. Red represents the constituent chapters and members. The four yellow bands represent the four degrees in the American York Rite. The blue, purple, red, and white colors together represent the banners found in a Royal Arch Chapter.

Some of that went over my head, but it’s official and in the National Records of Scotland as of September 28.