While doing some research, I ran into something called the Apron Project. This is an initiative by Progressive Insurance to shine a light on people who make progress by making something a little bit better. I was struck be these words on their website:

An apron is hard work.

An apron is pride in what you do.

An apron is not quitting until you’ve made something better.

So let’s look at this from a Masonic perspective…

An apron is hard work.

Freemasonry consists of a course of moral and symbolic instruction. One lesson that you will never hear is this: “Take a seat good and faithful Brother because your work is done!” Every single lesson we learn as Masons is about some kind of important work that must be done – with self, with others, to the greater Glory of God. Nobody, ever, said that Freemasonry was a cakewalk. It is, my friends, WORK – and I think it never ends. I read someplace that life’s heaviest burden is to have nothing to carry. We have to pray for stronger backs, not lighter loads.

An apron is pride in what you do.

When you think about giants of our Craft, they shared a common trait. They set expectations for performance of which we could all be proud. They knew the work, performed it well, visited Masonically, and were accountable for the responsibilities of any office they held.

Setting expectations is a job each and every one of us can do. My sense is that we have let the standards slip in recent years and we need to raise them back up. We have been paying far too great a price for that slippage; and of course the very best way is to role model expected behavior. With the ritual, with attendance, with volunteering, with visiting and visitations, with coaching, with study and learning, with membership development, with charity – I think you get the picture.

An apron is not quitting until you’ve made something better.

We are all rough ashlars on the same journey to becoming perfect ashlars. It is well to remember, at least from an operative perspective, that a perfect ashlar is stone made ready by the hands of the workmen to be adjusted by the fellowcraft for the builders use. In other words, it is not perfect but usable. None of us will reach perfection, but we will definitely not be of use if we stop striving for perfection.

In part, that means putting into application the lessons and examples taught you by your mentors and role models, then passing those lessons and examples those who will come after you.

So here’s my question: How’s your apron?