An older family member recently passed away, and in her belongings as they were being sorted through, a wooden box was found. The family had an idea that my great grandfather was a Freemason but this box confirms it. It contained regalia that most definitely belonged to him.
Our question is, what’s supposed to happen with all the items? We just want to make sure it’s handled properly if there’s some kind of protocol. It would be great if I could PM with someone about this to see what’s supposed to happen with it all.
Hi @nnullzz -
If you wish to post pictures of the items, I’m sure somebody could tell you more about them. The pins and stuff we wear on our suits are not part of the “secret stuff” of Masonry. Some of the symbols shown might have deeper meanings to the ceremonies, so we might be vague about that.
But to answer your question, it depends a little on where you and your family member lived. There’s not any sort of protocol. You might check with a local Masonic Lodge to see if they would be interested in them. Someone would probably be happy to “geek out” a bit and talk about what you have.
They are probably like any personal memorabilia from a deceased family member. You could preserve it to remember them. Or you could sell it, but odds are most of the items only hold very little financial value. The market is saturated with dead guys’ Masonic pins.
One word of warning: I would caution against wearing it if you are not a Mason. People would come up to you and start talking to you as if you were a Mason, and you would have no idea what they were talking about. It would be awkward for everyone involved.