The title says it all . This happened in the OES , but ties back to the lodge . I was giving the AP address to new candidates , when I noticed other brothers in the Chapter clearing their throats and shaking their heads at me and laughing . So I stopped giving the lecture and asked what was the problem , the Worthy Patron was laughing and said " Well you made it half through the EA Apron Lecture , so do you want to finish or get back to the OES lecture ? " . Part of the AP's address is worded very closely to our Apron Lecture , so when I came to that part , my brain switched gears on me .
This didn't happen in lodge but in refectory afterwards. In anticipation of my taking the office of Chaplain I was asked to say grace before we ate, anyway I started to say grace and then I paused for a time of reflection before carrying on, anyway just as I started on the second part of the prayer I heard everyone respond to the prayer, I looked around and the WM said to me "Typical Freemasons, you hesitate for a second and they finish it off for you!' Not too major but very really embarrassing nonetheless!
Hmm. How do I share this without revealing esoteric work? Well, I'll give it a try. I was raised in June and in November of that same year was installed as Senior Deacon. Quite a jump, but I'm good at degree work. Anyhow, during one of my first stated meetings as Senior Deacon, it also turned out to be the official visitation of the Grand Master. During closing, with the Grand Master seated in the East, mind you, the work came to the part where the Master asked where the Junior Warden could be found. My mind blanked, big time. I struggled for a moment, opened my mouth, pointed a finger and said: "Over there, Worshipful Master." The entire Lodge (including the GM) erupted into laughter. Strangely, the GM and I became very good friends.
That's hilarious! I'm sure that's happened to everyone at one point or another. Thanks for sharing, I certainly got a chuckle for the day!
For me...in 1980 I was SD. Two of my closest friends in life (and still are) were being raised on a Saturday night. Well...we open the lodge and there is an alarm at the door.... "The Grand Master of Masons in North Carolina is about to enter" no notice at all. Talk about the pucker factor going WAY up! As it turns out, the GM and his wife were visiting one of our members in town. His wife and the brother's wife were college roommates. So, he found out we were having a third and decided to make an official visit. If I recall correctly, we pulled it off without a hitch!
I prepared a canidate for his master this past sat. I released him to the Sr. Deacon 2 min later i realized I for got his apron.
If the candidate was going for his Master degree, he should have thought to put his apron on. It just goes to show that stuff happens...
I have seen that done more times than I care to count . So do not feel bad . You get back there , you have many different things going on and you are trying to keep everything lined out and sometimes you just forget . I once was setting in as Acting Master for a FC degree and had the Master set in as SS and he did the same thing . When they broght the candidate in , I looked over at him and asked "did you forget something ?" , his answer "No " and then I asked him "Are you positive you didn't forget anything ?" , again with the same answer so I pointed to the candidate and then stood up and pointed to my apron , he slaps his forehead and was off and running to retrieve an apron .
Boneheaded mistakes I was acting as Senior Deacon for an Initiation and after Receiving the candidate, started around the lodge for the circumambulation, forgetting I was supposed to conduct him to the center of the lodge...
I was at a lodge installation last month and a brother doing the working tools made an amusing slip.... " we apply these morals to our tools"!!! oops
Our JW was sitting in the East the first stated in May. Recently I have let my hair grow to match my sons. My hair generally takes the shape of a afro but because of my diverse ancestry [sp] I can make it morph with hair product. Anywho when it came time to close he looked directly at me (the JD) and called me the Treas. and the JW when he finally settled back to his rit. he exclaimed "Sorry, I was distracted by the hair." I then told him the "cracking a joke at the JD's expense is the last care..."
