Sporrans and Aprons

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

. The JW plans on wearing his sporran over his apron. While I've seen this done, it doesn't seem 'right' to me.

I can't speak for your Grand Lodge, but under the rules of the Grand Lodge of Ireland nothing is allowed to be worn covering the apron. I know that in Scotland I have never seen a sporran worn over the apron, so presumably GLS has a similar rule regarding not covering the apron. In England the Grand Lodge goes so far as to mandate the wearing of the apron over their jackets to prevent anything covering the apron.

Since the apron is supposed to be more honored than the Order of the Garter, it would seem pretty obvious that it shouldn't be covered by a mere sporran. A call to you Grand Lodge Grand Secretary is probably the best way to resolve this issue. GL of Maine will tell you whether or not it is appropriate (in your jurisdiction) to cover the apron with a sporran.

Counting my Brothers in Price Hall Masonry there are over 100 Grand Lodge jurisdictions in the United States, and the regulations and ritual vary considerably state-by-state. That said, any time a Lodge or Lodge member wishes to do something "outside the norm" (for example kilts instead of dinner jackets) it's best to first check with GL. Usually the answer is "yes", but sometimes there is an excellent reason for a resounding "no" that may not be known to the general membership of our Fraternity.