The Twenty-Four-Inch Gauge
A measuring rule of twenty-four inches, for the twenty-four hours of the day, taught as the right division of time.
Also called: 24-inch gauge · 24 inch gauge
What it means
The first working tool a Mason is given. The operative mason used it to measure and lay out his work. The speculative lesson divides the day into three parts: a portion for the service of God and a distressed worthy brother, a portion for one's usual vocation, and a portion for refreshment and sleep.
It is the most practical instruction in the first degree, and the one most often quoted back to Masons who have joined too many bodies to attend any of them.
In context: The Working Tools of Freemasonry, Explained
Frequently asked questions
What does the Twenty-Four-Inch Gauge mean in Freemasonry?
A measuring rule of twenty-four inches, for the twenty-four hours of the day, taught as the right division of time.
Who can wear the Twenty-Four-Inch Gauge?
This is a lesson rather than a badge. It turns up on Lodge charts, prints and gifts, and owning or displaying one says nothing about rank. On a lapel most people will read it as Masonic.
Sources
Drawn from the published monitors and from what the bodies concerned publish about themselves. Nothing here comes from, or goes beyond, any obligated material.
- Thomas Smith Webb, The Freemason's Monitor; or, Illustrations of Masonry (1797)
- William Preston, Illustrations of Masonry (1772)