As you can see, sashes do not always carry the above information. Their colour will tell you more. If a sash bears the letters “K.O.M.” then the Grand Council one will be blue as illustrated;  if it is red it is a G.L.E. sash. If the letters are “R.O.H.” then the Grand Council version is purple and the G.L.E. one pale blue. Aprons and cuffs carry the same colours. K.O.M. stands for Knight, Order of Merit and R.O.H. for Roll of Honour. The first mentioned is the Third and highest Degree in Buffaloism, but a further and even higher award of the Roll of Honour follows it.

Often there are Certificates, some large, some smaller, executed in many ways from elaborate to single coloured and relatively plain. The basic rule however still applies - somewhere it will state either “Grand Council” or “Grand Lodge of England” or “Grand Surrey Banner” or some title to guide you further. The one shown is a Grand Council Initiation Certificate. In the Grand Lodge of England this particular Certificate is known as a “Parchment” and in the Grand Council as an “Emblem”.

All of this is simply a beginning - an outline to guide your research. It does not pretend to be a comprehensive guide to every artefact that you may discover - but it may help you to save a few telephone calls to the wrong people. Above all, have fun, and good luck with your discoveries!