MASONIC BUTTON COVERS
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The Massachusetts Masonic Protocol Manual goes into great detail about the proper attire
for Lodge, District and Grand Lodge Officers, specifically with regards to the Tuxedo:
"The proper attire for Lodge officers is a single or double breasted, black tuxedo with a black bow tie (or bow tie adopted by the Lodge), and black cummerbund or black vest. Proper attire with a double-breasted coat is that it is never left unbuttoned or open. Some Lodges may require their officers to wear full evening dress (tails).
Shirts should be white with a flat pleated or plain white front and lay down collar and plain or French cuffs. Wing or tab collars, colored shirts, frilly lace, ruffles and colored piping are not appropriate. Suspenders of any appropriate design or color are optional. Wing collars on tuxedo shirts are only acceptable with full evening dress (tails). Shoes should be black with black socks."
Enter the Masonic Button Cover
One thing that isn't included in this manual is the subject of 'studs or buttons'. That's actually a good thing, as the internet also seems to be rather divided on the subject, but almost all agree that studs are the 'more formal' and 'more classy' option.
However, anyone who's had to do some 'Ruffian Lifting' in the Master Mason Degree will likely have experienced the situation where a tuxedo stud pops out, opening the shirt. This comes from the tuxedo being intended as a suit of leisure and social activity, rather than work. However, all masons know that all manner of work may be done while wearing black tie attire: setting the lodge up or down, serving dinner, and aforementioned 'Ruffian Lifting' being simply a few examples.
Therefore, shirt buttons offer the most secure form of closure, but also lack the panache and classiness of tuxedo studs.
Masonic Button Covers allow for the use of tuxedo shirts(and in a pinch white non-tuxedo shirts) with plain buttons for secure closure, all while not sacrificing the more interesting appearance of shirt studs.
By being placed over the buttons, they actually increase the effective 'surface area' of the button, preventing it from being pulled back through its hole during moments of peak dynamic activity. The variety of Masonic Button Covers also allows the wearer to maintain several sets, one for each appropriate event or organization (Blue Lodge, York Rite, Scottish Rite, Shrine, etc). The variety is so large that over a dozen masons could wear S&C Button Covers, but such that no two of them have the exact same design.
CUT TO THE CHASE!!!
My part in this little story comes in out of a desire to present a set of District Deputy Grand Master styled Masonic Button Covers to a newly appointed DDGM of my home district..............and failing.............miserably. Now I'm a nerd who takes some pride in his 'Google-fu', and usually can scour the internet such that if it's there, I can find it eventually. In this case, I didn't get very far.
Go ahead and google "DDGM Button Covers" or similar phrases. You'll not find many examples. After a not-very-short search, I was able to find out why. One of the many masonic regalia companies, The Harry Klitzner Company, produced directly or ordered large batches of a very large number of the masonic button covers(especially in MA, because it was located in Rhode Island). From what I have been informed, they also sold them wholesale to a few other vendors. Unfortunately, Klitzner closed, and while those button covers are still available on the new site set up for the remaining regalia they have, I've asked several times over the years, and they just don't have any more DDGM ones. I also checked the other regalia vendors who purchased some wholesale from Klitzner, and they're sold out too.
I take pride my Google-Fu, but I also take pride in not letting a little thing like 'They don't make them anymore' become a reason to give up, especially when a gift to a good friend who received a great honor of being the GM's personal representative was at stake. So I took my searches to find button cover makers in general, and after a little narrowing, found one specifically marketing masonic style button covers on Alibaba. I asked about their ability to do the 'crosshatch' design on the cover, which used on all the Klitzner button covers, but to duplicate that would have been very difficult and extremely expensive for a small batch order, so I went for a full-cover-diameter design(instead of the smaller size you see in the picture above).
OK, now I have the means to produce them, but I can't just tell them "something like this" and point to a low res image. I needed vector art. Thankfully, I just happened to meet a brother(who I'll leave anonymous here until/unless he wants me to list his name) during the day I took my Council Degrees One Day Class. During a break I talked by my idea to a few guys there, that I had found a maker, but needed a graphic artist to help me recreate the DDGM logo, and like a good brother he said "I can help with that". We worked on many iterations, using pictures of the older button style, and after some research, I found the exact 'Grand Lodge Purple'. Not unsurprisingly, it's listed as 'Royal Purple' in some places(and for a double illuminati reference, it's hex code is #663399), which I matched to a very near Pantone 527c. So now with the appropriate art and color, I worked with the vendor and made an order of 100 pieces to test.
And the result wasn't half bad!
I showed them to several Past DDGM friends, and they liked them quite a bit. Some of those guys were also Past Pillar Grand Lodge Officers too(PDGM, PSGW, PJGW), and asked if I could make button covers for their positions as well. I went back to the previously mentioned Brother Graphic Artist, and with several pictures and rounds of discussion and test versions, we came to a great set, and I put those in for order, along with a bunch more of the DDGM covers.
And I think this result was pretty good too!
So like the DDGM jewel, same purple and gold, but this time with a wreath composed of a sprig of acacia and an ear of wheat, as the Grand Constitutions says the emblems should be circumscribed with.
(and yes I know, the Grand Constitutions say DDGM's emblems also should have that wreath, but the DDGM emblem is complicated enough that to make it smaller to accommodate the wreath would make it hard to see without an uncomfortably close inspection. Also, for the DDGM button cover, I was attempting to mimic the original design exactly, which had no wreath, and only realized later the wreath was part of the emblem)
I'm hoping to eventually make a set of District GM Button Covers, and if the GM is willing a set of GM/PGM Button Covers as well, when I have more spare time to devote to this. Time will tell, and if I do end up making that work, I'll update this page.
The Grand Pillar Grand Officer sets I handed off to the very kind Past Grand Pillar Officer Brethren who volunteered to pay for the cost of those button covers, so if you're a newly minted or past MA Grand Pillar Officer and you haven't yet received a set, let me know and I'll pass the request along to them.
For DDGMs, though, I have many sets available(and any money I get from this will flow back into either Masonic Projects or Masonic Charities).
If you are interested in getting a DDGM Button Cover Set(either for yourself or as a gift for an incoming or past DDGM),
fill out the form below and I'll contact you.
Picture: Klitzner DDGM Button Covers
Note the 'crosshatch' pattern beneath the emblem.
This pattern was used on all Klitzner button covers.
Picture: My version of DDGM Button Covers
The color difference is due to several factors: inconsistent colors on the old button covers, and different colors appearing under different types of light(sunlight, fluorescent, etc), etc.
So instead of trying to match the original butt cover's color, I instead based the purple on the color of the Grand Lodge Officer Aprons and jewel ribbons.
Picture: DDGM and Grand Pillar Button Covers