Annual Lodge Church Service

**###KILTEDKIWI###** · 21st September 08, 01:57 PM

While it is true, wearing a kilt is a form of appreciation of our European heritage, it has evolved into much more than that. Wearing a kilt today is a style of dress. It is a versatile garment. No other single piece of clothing can go from casual dress to business attire to formal attire. When worn with the appropriate accessories and the correct demeanor, a man in a kilt can go just about anywhere (with only a light travel bag.)

I totally agree with this, and find it to be a grand statement.

Unfortunately, its seems that the poeple of NZ have forgotten where they have come from, now in saying that, I'm a Kiwi first and foremost, but I am also very proud of my heritage.
In the approx 150 years that NZ has been a country, we have distanced our selves from our own heritage / ancestary, like it was supposed to be shunned.
where wearing a kilt is looked upon as if the wearer is some form of eccentric or wierdo (but it is okay for others to wear flaxskirts and lavalava's etc)...for example:

In the several instances that i have worn my kilt to formal situtations (balls, weddings etc), i have been on the recieving end of some, well to put it politely, uneducated comments, such as,
"Why are you wearing that?"
"Give us a highland fling"
"why are you wearing that if you were not born in Scotland"
etc etc etc.

And even a gem of a line, from a cashier at a casino when i went to get my parking validated after the ball, - "check this guy out, what a fruit"( i believe he thought i was out of ear shot).

Fortunately for me, I am a very stoic and self assured man (however I keep my patience in a little jar in a little pocket of the smallest fruit fly in history, if ya catch my drift), and care little for what the plebians string together as crude sentences from their gapping pie holes, and would wear only a fig leaf, if I thought i could get a rise out of someone...

Wait, what was my point? ah yeah...

Oh yeah here it is:

That although the attire may be correct, unfortunately people's opinion of masculinity, and what they deem appropriate, is jaded by some form of blanket guilt of colonisation...(or something to that effect).

Fortunately the bro's of the lodge are not like that...

Phil

**Amoskeag** · 21st September 08, 05:16 PM

Oh Yeah, You should wear it! Here in NH we have a ruling about wearing irregular?, I'm not certain that that is the exact word, clothing while conferring the degrees. I raised my best friend kilted, in front of the DDGM during his visitation and he thought it was great. I wear it a lot in Lodge.

As an aside, the story behind my friend is pretty cool. We went to a Scottish festival in Gould, Quebec. I ran into a brother Mason who I had never met before and struck up a conversation with him. My buddy had always ribbed me a little about belonging to that funny old group of stuffy old guys but when he saw me, in his words, "Meet someone for the first time and act as if you were old friends", he decided that there was something to this Masons thing after all. He'll be Master of his Lodge next year!

Anyway that's why I wore the kilt that day. as it turned out we had a bro. from Ayrshire who was wearing pants!

And he did a kilt check on me!

All in all it was a fantastic day

Wear it with pride and don't worry about being too flashy or showy. I really think most folks will appreciate it.
Bob

ps I brought Kielbasa and Sauerkraut for the pot luck...go figure!?!

**Oldhiker** · 21st September 08, 06:09 PM

Lodge Alba in Seattle is a kilted lodge
http://albalodge315.org/index2.htm

we meet 4 times a year

**###KILTEDKIWI###** · 21st September 08, 08:25 PM

Lodge Alba in Seattle is a kilted lodge
http://albalodge315.org/index2.htm

I take that the lodge wasn't closed tyled...thats great that a camera was allowed into the lodge, that wouldn't happen here. looks like a good night was had by all.

"Meet someone for the first time and act as if you were old friends"

Thats one of the greatest thing that i enjoy about it.

**auld argonian** · 21st September 08, 08:57 PM

I'll tell ya'...hearing some of those overheard insults that you experienced makes me think that I've been insulted so many times in my own life even before I took to the kilt that I'm like an old prize fighter and I hardly even feel the punches anymore. Good on ya for not letting the barstards get ya down. Don't ever let it happen. I went to an event this past Friday and someone actually asked me why I showed up in "costume". I went all chilly cold and very patiently explained that it wasn't "costume" but rather a form of dress that I feel is both appropriate and comfortable. Suddenly Mr. Cocky got all conciliatory...thus is the power of the kilt.

And my best to those fellas who posted the photos of their Lodge activities...they look great. Not a member myself but their dress does bestow a certain dignity to their proceedings.

Best

AA

**randal** · 21st September 08, 09:33 PM

I've just moved and of course changed lodges. I've been kind of "feeling" things out and my fellow brothers seem OK with my wearing a kilt to the lodge. I certainly wouldn't wear a PC to a regular lodge meeting (even if I did own one) but certainly an Argyle. However, that's here in Oregon.

AF&AM
Aurora Lodge #59
Reedsport, Oregon

**###KILTEDKIWI###** · 22nd September 08, 01:30 PM

Went to a rehersal last night, and plainly stated:
"any of you bu&gers have a problem with me wearing me kilt on Sunday?"
With the resounding no and we hope do it was all decided in 2 seconds...

I went to an event this past Friday and someone actually asked me why I showed up in "costume"

why is it the misconception that a man in a kilt is in costume...that really gets me goat up...

**###KILTEDKIWI###** · 22nd September 08, 03:37 PM

Scotty have ya seen this,

sorry don't quite know how to hyperlink things here yet.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/c...266/index.html

**kiltedmapleleaf** · 22nd September 08, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by randal

I've just moved and of course changed lodges. I've been kind of "feeling" things out and my fellow brothers seem OK with my wearing a kilt to the lodge. I certainly wouldn't wear a PC to a regular lodge meeting (even if I did own one) but certainly an Argyle. However, that's here in Oregon.

AF&AM
Aurora Lodge #59
Reedsport, Oregon

Officers in our lodge wear tuxedos so wearing a PC is just the scottish version