New KStA Tartans for Thursday's Feast

All here this!  All here this!  Thursday's 2024 rendition of the annual Valley of Houston celebration of the Feast of Tishri comes with a one-time caveat.  Not only will we break bread in honor of the great deliverance of the Hebrew people from wandering the desert in search of a new home, we will also celebrate the arrival of a new beginning for our Valley Knights of St Andrew.
Thursday evening marks the unveiling of the Valley of Houston KStA’s new tartan colors.   The Valley has made the decision to switch from its original Texas Bluebonnet Tartan to The ‘Earl of St Andrew’ tartan design.  Read the details of this decision below as outlined by Sir Knight, Matt White.


Houston Valley Scottish Rite
Knights of St Andrew Earl of St Andrew Tartan and Dress Wear.
At the chartering of the Houston Scottish Rite Knights of St Andrew Order, the Texas Bluebonnet tartan was selected as the official tartan of the order.  The tartan is the official tartan of the State of Texas and was utilized by the KStA for neck ties which could be worn with khaki slacks, a navy blazer and a black glengarry as the uniform of a Houston Valley KStA ‘Sir Knight.’
With regard to tartan designs, there exist a worldwide organization which acknowledges and registers various tartan patterns submitted by their designers and creators.  An individual may ‘copyright’ a tartan design.  Many design managers – or the holders of the tartan copyrights – are easy to work with and the tartan is readily accessible for individuals, groups, and societies to utilize for large clothing and uniform items have not proven over the years to permit their design to be very accessible to the public.
With the desire to move from neckties alone to larger uniform items displaying the KSA tartan pattern, the decision was made in 2023 to investigate a replacement tartan design for the Valley of Houston which would be readily accessible for kilts and other highland wear items.  The search led to the recommendation to the Valley KSA to switch the official tartan over to the ‘Earl of St Andrew’ tartan design.  The EOSA design is familiar to the Valley membership in the since that it is primarily a blue-dominated design and pays homage to the Patron Saint of the Scottish Rite 29th Degree and namesake of the Knights of Saint Andrew Order and Chapter.
The tartan design was presented and approved by committee in early 2024.  Officers of the Valley of Houston Knights of St Andrew oversaw the production and procurement as well as measuring and ordering the new kilts from a Texas-based kilt maker utilizing the new Earl of St Andrew tartan design.
In addition to kilts, the Valley KStA officers met and agreed upon several adjunct highland wear uniform items such as sporrans, kilt pins, belt buckles, and hosiery – all reflecting masonic and Scottish heritage ideas and values. – Sir Knight Matt White

...Bonnie Prince Kevin in full regalia

Sir Knight Kevin Clingan
Preceptor
​Valley of Houston KStA

...white shirt, black tie, and vest

Sir Knight Matt White
Baliff
​Valley of Houston KStA

...tartan tie only

Sir Knight Howard Aron
Registrar
​Valley of Houston KStA

...matching regalia wear

Associated items incorporated in the Valley of Houston Knights of St Andrew regalia are:  sword and thistle, thistle sporran, and navy hose and flashes incorporated with the wearing of the tartan, jacket, kilt, vest and tie apparel.