At his initiation every Freemason is invested with an apron consisting of a plain white lambskin and this, he is told, is the distinguishing badge of a Freemason. As he progresses in the Craft this lambskin becomes decorated and adorned with rosettes and other symbols and bordered with colour, but the white lambskin is still there and stilt represents the badge of innocence and the bond of friendship. The investing officer informs the new member that his distinguishing badge is more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle, and more honourable than the Garter or any other Order in existence. This seems rather a bold claim to make, so let us reflect on it for a while.
    The Roman Eagle is a symbol that most people are probably acquainted with: each legion of the Roman army carried a representation of this most powerful of all birds of prey, and it was revered and guarded like the regimental colours and standards of today. The Romans probably copied this from the Persians who in their turn continued a practice of the Assyrians, so it would be fair to describe the Roman Eagle as ‘ancient’, but it is certainly not as ancient as that other symbol the Golden Fleece.
    Little is really known about this rather elderly ‘lambskin’. but the legend grew up from very earliest times in Greek mythology. The story goes that a young brother and sister named Phrixus and Helle had a cruel step-mother who did everything she could to make the children unhappy. In the woods near their house lived an old ram who differed from other sheep by having two wings and a fleece not white as snow but as gold as a king’s crown.
    The children made friends with this ram and he agreed to help them to fly away to Colchis on the shores of the Black Sea. So they sat on the ram’s back and flew out across land and ocean. Unfortunately Helle fell off and was drowned in the stretch of water which became known as ‘Hellespont’ and is now called the Dardanelles.
    On arriving in Colchis young Phrixus sacrificed the winged ram – and then hung its golden fleece in a wood guarded by a dragon. Years later it became the prize sought and found by Jason and the Argonauts.
    Not much more is heard of the fleece until the fifteenth century A.D.when the ruler of Austria, well versed in Greek mythology, decided to celebrate his marriage by founding the Order of the Golden Fleece which still remains as a very high honour in Europe.
    However, the Golden Fleece and Roman Eagle are cited by us as examples of antiquity rather than of honour. Our example of honour is the Garter. This Order was founded by King Edward III who hoped to restore the chivalry and pageantry of the legendary King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
    Edward set up the headquarters of the Order at Windsor Castle, of which St.George’s Chapel is still the spiritual centre. The king himself spent little time there because he was almost continually at war with France; in fact it was in France that the delightful incident occurred that gave the Order its name.
    The story or legend describes a scene at the royal Ball held in Calais after the re-capture of that city. King Edward was dancing with one of the Court ladies when, in the middle of the room she suddenly lost one of her garters. There it lay amid titters of laughter and scorn, to the acute embarrassment of the lady. The king soon put this right by stooping down, picking up the garter and fastening it round his own leg saying ‘Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense’, usually translated as ‘Evil be to him who evil thinks’; though a better interpretation would probably be ‘Shame on anyone who has evil thoughts about this.’
    This phrase became the motto of the Order of the Garter which is still the most noble Order of the realm and the highest honour bestowed by the Sovereign, yet we solemnly declare that Freemasonry is ‘more honourable than the Garter or any other Order in existence’. This does not diminish the nobility of the Garter, but emphasises the supreme importance of honour and respect for the Truth which is one of the principles on which Masonry is founded.
    Our distinguishing badge therefore contains within itself the innocence of the lamb, the antiquity of the Golden Fleece, the dignity of the eagle and the honour of nobility. It reminds us that our ancient and honourable Institution has subsisted from time immemorial, that it is a society of worthy men, and that it has nothing to be ashamed of.
    Those who profess to despise Masonry and consider that membership of it is shameful should call to mind the words and the deeds of King Edward III, while those of us who have the privilege of membership of the Craft must always remember the final commendation in which we were told ‘If you never disgrace that badge, it will never disgrace you’.