History

• It is believed that the reference to a green cloth comes from an old sea tradition that that started in the 1500s. A wool green baize cloth was used as a table covering by the Royal Navy, and in Captains quarters as a deck covering.
  
  

Significance

• The significance of the green cloth was addressed in the Articles of War and the Laws of Oleron. It was mentioned that if an argument or disagreement arose between the crew and the master of a ship, before doling out any punishment he should remove the tablecloth three times as a warning.
  
  

Misconceptions

• In the early days of the U.S. Navy, the usual setting for a Captain's Mast was on the weather deck near the ship's mainmast. Today, a Mast is held at a time and place set by the commanding officer.
  
  

Further Insight

• Stories have been passed down by servicemen noting that when a person went to Captain's Mast, the table the Captain sat behind always had a green felt table cloth on it. Higher ranking officers always sat on the opposite side of the table.