Oration by the Provincial Grand Chaplain
Given at the ceremony to dedicate the Provincial Standard at Hertfordshire Installed Mark Masters Lodge No 1121
I remember hearing a story once of a university student who consistently wore the same T-Shirt every day. Emblazoned in large letters across his back were the letters B-A-I-K (but no I-E on the end! [Reference W Bro Peter Baikie - Worshipful Master of 1121]) After several months, one of the university professors could stand it no longer and said to the student ‘I have looked at the letters on your T-Shirt for several months and I cannot even guess what they stand for. Please tell me’. The student looked at the professor and said ‘It stands for Boy Am I Konfused’
When I first learnt of this special occasion for the dedication of a Provincial Standard, my first reaction was to ask ‘ What is the difference between a standard and a banner?’
There is an obvious physical difference I thought, the banner is suspended from a horizontal pole, and the standard is hung from a vertical pole. But are there any significant heraldic differences I wondered.
According to my Chambers dictionary
A banner is a square flag bearing a coat of arms: a military symbol; a flag bearing some device often carried on two poles, used in processions; a military standard.
So a banner can be a standard.
A standard is a flag or military symbolic figure on a pole marking a rallying point.
So a standard is a flag.
A Flag is a piece of bunting with a design used as an emblem for military or naval purposes. Signalling, decoration, display propaganda - a banner.
So according to my dictionary, a banner can be a standard - a standard can be a flag and a flag can be a banner - which is where we just started.
Boy am I confused.
It doesn’t help matters when you consider that at some Provincial meetings the banner is carried in by the standard bearer!
Some of you will be aware that I am a member of the Salvation Army and one of its symbols is a flag which is generally called a standard. But just to add confusion, it is often referred to as a banner. There is a Craft Lodge that meets at Clerkenwell, made up primarily of Salvationists and the name of the Lodge is ‘Standard’. They have their own banner and on it is a Salvation Army Standard. We seem to be going around in circles here!
Fundamentally, medieval flags may be classified in two categories, the Banner and the Standard. The Banner was a personal flag of nobility and knighthood whereas Standards lent themselves to a more military application when, over time, it became impossible for large retinues to follow the relatively small single rectangular banner (twice as high as they were wide) of senior commanders.
The Banner is usually fixed to a traverse bar painted or embroidered with arms of its bearer, its size denoting rank in a proportional manner. Often they were fringed with the principal metal and colour of the arms but not, it seems, until late in the period. Most banners were square or nearly so, while others were elongated. Heralds determined that flags of specific lengths should be prescribed to the different ranks of nobility. Although these rules may not have been strictly adhered to, here are the rankings prescribed:
King-five feet square
Prince or duke-four feet square
Marquess, Earl, Viscount, or Baron-three feet square
baronet to knight bachelor-2 feet square or less
The Standard was a military flag which served as a mustering point and rallying flag for respective retinue during campaigns and tournaments. It contains only crests, badges, mottoes or livery colours and ornaments and not personal arms as with a banner. Actually and to add to the confusion, according to one source of heraldry, that which we now call The Royal Standard - is actually a banner..
Back in my childhood Sunday School days, when the annual trip was to a seaside resort, someone would take a flag and it would be displayed prominently so that if ever we got lost, we could look for the flag and that would be our meeting point.
In medieval times, many men fighting in battle would have been illiterate, but they would know the standard of their baron or lord and that would be their own rallying point.
So there was I getting totally confused on what was a standard and its initial use was to avoid confusion.
Of course the word ‘Standard’ has meanings other than heraldic. My Chambers dictionary defines it as ‘An established or accepted model, a principle of behaviour or morality, a criterion, a definite level of excellence.
In the Salvation Army Hymn Book there is a song that contains the line
In a world of shifting values there are standards that remain.
I am not sure if I agree with that - perhaps it would be more correct to say
In a world of shifting values there are standards that should remain.
How many facets of life and morality which were considered unthinkable perhaps 20 years ago are now accepted as the norm. Whenever two people or factions of differing views reach agreement, then there must be compromise, and in many instances it means a lowering of our standards.
Membership in Masonry has always been a universally recognised badge of honour. Its emphasis has always been on character. The fundamental Masonic teachings are love of God, loyalty to country, a high standard of personal morality, and a belief in the universal brotherhood of man. In the life of a Mason, these fundamental teachings reach out through participation and support in church and community life. Masonic men find an inner peace and contentment when they are contributing to the well-being, growth and support of the church of their choice.
Masonry promotes the concept of a high standard of morality and urges its members to live up to those standards.
Being human, from time to time there are those who let the side down but that does not mean we should not have standards. I have a great concern that standards should be maintained and without wishing to sound in any way "holier than thou" let me say that I squirm in my seat when sometimes I hear risque stories or the inappropriate use of the name of the Deity. There is no place in Masonry for such things and we must always be on our guard against them.
We have inherited from the founders of Masonry a rich tradition of dignity, decency and ethical standards. It is our responsibility in this age to maintain those standards and pass them on untarnished to future generations.
Today we dedicate the Standard for the Province of Hertfordshire, and may it ever remind us of the moral standards which we as Mark Master Masons strive to achieve.
Michael J Watts, PAGSwdB, Provincial Grand Chaplain
Given at St. Albans on 5th November 2002
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