This rather forbidding painted roll-up shade was probably used by a Masonic Knights Templar Commandery to help instruct candidates during their ritual. The Knights Templar evoke the Crusades of the Middle Ages in their ritual story, but they were first conferred in Boston in 1769. This fraternity requires the member to have Christian beliefs, in contrast to all other Masonic groups that only require the member to believe in a higher power. The Knights Templar use the skull and crossbones as a central emblem and include a representation on their aprons. They became known for their striking black-and-white uniform regalia with plumed hats, swords, and epaulettes. The local commanderies performed marching drills and competed at their Triennial Conclaves, which took place in alternating locations. The shade suggests a clear symbolic message: the skeleton reminds members of their mortality and the shield marked “fidelity” reminds them of a virtue worth fighting for.