The use of banners, standards or ensigns is of very ancient origin. Carvings and paintings on the walls of Egyptian tombs show that such things were carried in processions many thousands of years ago. The Israelites therefore, at the time of their exodus from Egyptian bondage, would have been well accustomed to the practice, and when they encamped in the wilderness of Sinai, as we read in the second chapter of the Book of Numbers, they were told:
    "Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of his father’s house."
    Thus began a custom which has existed right down to the present day, for later developments of the standard or ensign have been the Roman Eagle, the blazons of the orders of Chivalry, and the flags and colours of all nations.
    Now the banners set up by the children of Israel had three especial purposes: first they were a means of identification. Any Israelite – or indeed any enemy – approaching the camp from the east and seeing a standard bearing the device of a lion would know immediately that here were the tents of the tribe of Judah; similarly the device of an ox in the west would indicate the tribe of Ephraim, and so on.
    Secondly, the banner was a rallying point: in time of battle, in distress, or merely at the end of a hard day’s work, the banner became the signal to every member of the tribe or company that here they would find their patriarch or captain, and so it became a focus of loyalty for all.
    Thirdly, there has always been a certain mystical quality about a banner which sets it apart as something sacred. It may be said to have marked the peculiar relationship between the tribe and God, and for this reason banners have always been consecrated or dedicated at special ceremonies.
    Many centuries have passed since the Israelites encamped in the wilderness, but still these three especial purposes apply to the banners of Freemason’s Lodges; for first of all they are a means of identification. Banners vary in shape and size, and although some have very little differences between them, yet no two banners are exactly alike, for even if two have the same appearance and even the same name, yet no two have the same number, and thus every banner is unique.
    Secondly, the banner, when placed in a prominent position near the Master, acts as a rallying point for members of the lodge. One of the prayers which is often used at banner dedications refers to "all who gather beneath its shadow", thus reminding us of our common loyalty to the lodge and to one another.
    Thirdly, the consecrated banner becomes a sacred symbol of our relationship to the great Architect of the universe. Just as the badge with which each of us is invested is meant to remind the individual Brother of the important duties he has solemnly engaged to observe, so the banner reminds us of our corporate duty to uphold the ancient landmarks of the Order and so to give honour and glory to the Most High.
    One further thought: there comes a time when a banner wears out. Being made of fragile material, subjected to changes of temperature and occasionally to rough handling, it will eventually need to be replaced, but not – I stress this – not thrown away. The old banner should be preserved in a glass case or given some other protection as a reminder of past glories. Signs and symbols pass away, but the truths which they represent live on for ever.