The "High Sign" or Grand Masonic Hailing Sign of Distress

A phrase or gesture which is only to be used in extreme circumstances is the Grand Masonic Hailing Sign of Distress, or "High Sign". A Masonic defendant in court or "caught in the pinch" might bury his head in his hands and cry, "Oh Lord, my God, is there no help for the widow's son?"

The gesture which can accompany this is for the mason to raise his arms over his heads in a "hands up" fashion and then lower them in three distinct stages pivoting his arms at the elbows until they are perpendicular to the ground keeping his palms down.

Any Mason seeing this gesture or hearing these words is oath bound to do anything possible to save the other Mason from danger, up to, but not including, the loss of his own life.