The Plumb, The Square, The Level

Introduction

Summary of officer's jewels

The Plumb

As an adjective term, "plumb" refers to a line or feature that is perfectly vertical. "Plumb" being vertical is the counterpart to the horizontal plane that of "level". In order to ensure effective load-bearing capacity, floors must be perfectly level whilst the vertical elements such as columns, pillars, and uprights must be perfectly plumb.

The traditional tools for determining plumb are the "plumb bob" and the carpenter's level.

The plumb bob is the oldest, simplest, and still one of the best tools for establishing plumb. It consists of a round or teardrop weight hanging at the end of a string or line. Gravity ensures that the string or line is perfectly horizontal and this can be compared to the upright structure under construction or consideration.

In Freemasonry, "The Plumb is a symbol of uprightness of conduct. By understanding the Plumb, a Mason is to judge his Brothers by their own standards and not [by] those of someone else. When the Plumb line is thought of in this way, it becomes a symbol of an upright life and of the conscience by which each person must live."

ref: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7156001/

The Plumb is the working tool and symbol of the Junior Warden in the lodge.

The Square

Actual use/function in architecture and symbolic representation and meaning

The Level

Actual use/function in architecture and symbolic representation and meaning

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