• Men and boys should always remove their hats when entering a building, whether a restaurant, home, classroom, theater, Church facility, etc. Hats are removed when indoors, with the exception of places that are similar to public streets—hallways, lobbies, elevators (nonresidential), etc.
• Elevators in a public building (in which there are no apartments) are considered public areas. Gentlemen should remove their hats and hold them in their hand when a lady enters an elevator in an apartment complex or hotel—any building that can be considered a dwelling. Hats can be put back on in the corridor. A public corridor is like a street, but an elevator in a hotel or apartment complex has the character of a room in a house. There, a gentleman removes his hat when in a lady’s presence.
• Men should remove their hats when indoors—women do not have to, unless it is a rain hat.
• Always position the tag covering the sweatband seam at the back of the head.
• For women, a dressy hat need not be removed when inside. However, a hat worn strictly for keeping warm should be removed.
• Hats should be removed for the performance of a national anthem. A woman may leave her hat on indoors or during the performance, unless the hat is considered unisex, such as a baseball cap—in which case, women should follow the same guidelines as for men.
• Hats should be removed for funeral processions, the passing of the Flag, and outdoor weddings, dedications, and photographs.
• Removed hats should be held so that only the outside—never the lining—is visible.
• When putting something on the hatband, the following applies: Anything put on the band of a woman’s hat must be on the right side. Anything on a man’s hatband must be on the left side.
• Also, in recent years, it has become “fashionable” among males to wear baseball caps backward. Although this may seem to be a harmless trend having no social ramifications, it is generally a symbol—popularized by gangs—of non-conformity and rebellion, and should not be practiced by youth who are trying to live God’s Way.
To many, these guidelines may seem old-fashioned, out-dated or extreme. But this is merely due to the fact that such rules represent a code of conduct and a way of life that society has drifted away from—with most people today focusing simply on their own concerns. As a young person growing up in God’s Church, seek to set the right and proper example, and extend to others the care, concern and courtesy that you yourself appreciate receiving (Luke 6:31), even in small things.