Dual Lodge Membership

[Derinique Kendrick]

This doesn't pertain to me, but it is just a question I am asking out of curiosity. Is there a purpose for dual lodge membership? I guess what I am trying to ask is, what would be some of the reasons a brother joins multiple lodges.

 

[Ripcord22A]

Funny you should ask that...i was wondering the same thing....however there are different circumstances at play. I am a member of both a blue lidge amd Scottish Rite valley in Oregon and NM. Oregon is where i joined the Craft and will always maintain my membership there, even if I dont return. When the Army moved me to NM i joined here. The reason being so i could take part in more then just sitting in lodge. Whem the Army Moves me again I will demit from both lodge and valley here as I never plan to return here to live ever again. Where I move to I will join there and demit when I leave.
What i dont understand is when a brother joins multiple lodges in the same town.

Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app

 

[MRichard]

This doesn't pertain to me, but it is just a question I am asking out of curiosity. Is there a purpose for dual lodge membership? I guess what I am trying to ask is, what would be some of the reasons a brother joins multiple lodges.

I believe we refer to it as plural membership. You can join as many lodges as you want to the best of my knowledge. Each lodge is different. You might have a small lodge with a few members and then you might have a big lodge in large city with many members.

Some lodges are rather specific in the type of members they want. Some might be more social. Each lodge is different.

 

[hanzosbm]

Some lodges have something going on several times a week. Pancake breakfasts, stated meetings, degrees, social clubs, ritual practice, etc. Others have one stated meeting per month and go dark for a few months out of the year. If you lived in an area where the lodges only got together 9 times a YEAR, that might not be enough for you. But if you joined several different ones, together they might keep you as active as you'd like.
Or, I've got friends in Lodge A and friends in Lodge B and I enjoy the company of both, I think I'll go to both. Or, as Brother MRichard pointed out, Lodge A is social and Lodge B focuses on philanthropy and Lodge C hosts a great discussion on Masonic topics. I like all three of those aspects but can't find them all in any one lodge.
There's a number of different reasons.

 

[Derinique Kendrick]

Funny you should ask that...i was wondering the same thing....however there are different circumstances at play. I am a member of both a blue lidge amd Scottish Rite valley in Oregon and NM. Oregon is where i joined the Craft and will always maintain my membership there, even if I dont return. When the Army moved me to NM i joined here. The reason being so i could take part in more then just sitting in lodge. Whem the Army Moves me again I will demit from both lodge and valley here as I never plan to return here to live ever again. Where I move to I will join there and demit when I leave.
What i dont understand is when a brother joins multiple lodges in the same town.

Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app

Your case is very understandable. I happen to like that perspective. I now have this to take into consideration as this case may be the same for a lot of the other brothers as well.

 

[Derinique Kendrick]

I believe we refer to it as plural membership. You can join as many lodges as you want to the best of my knowledge. Each lodge is different. You might have a small lodge with a few members and then you might have a big lodge in large city with many members.

Some lodges are rather specific in the type of members they want. Some might be more social. Each lodge is different.

Yes, that is what I meant, just worded it differently. But seeing that each lodge is different, wouldn't it just be best to just choose which lodge worked for you the best instead of joining both. Make sense?

 

[Derinique Kendrick]

Some lodges have something going on several times a week. Pancake breakfasts, stated meetings, degrees, social clubs, ritual practice, etc. Others have one stated meeting per month and go dark for a few months out of the year. If you lived in an area where the lodges only got together 9 times a YEAR, that might not be enough for you. But if you joined several different ones, together they might keep you as active as you'd like.
Or, I've got friends in Lodge A and friends in Lodge B and I enjoy the company of both, I think I'll go to both. Or, as Brother MRichard pointed out, Lodge A is social and Lodge B focuses on philanthropy and Lodge C hosts a great discussion on Masonic topics. I like all three of those aspects but can't find them all in any one lodge.
There's a number of different reasons.

Understandable, in fact I like the idea. But, why not just hold membership in the one lodge you enjoy the most, and just VISIT or affiliate the others that you like?

 

[MRichard]

Yes, that is what I meant, just worded it differently. But seeing that each lodge is different, wouldn't it just be best to just choose which lodge worked for you the best instead of joining both. Make sense?

Hazosbm stated it better than me. I only belong to one lodge now but it is quite a good distance from me. I am also interested in looking at some lodges closer in the foreseeable future. I could actively be a member of several lodges as long as there was no conflicts with meeting times. I will be looking for something different if I affiliate with another lodge (s).

 

[Sprout]

It might be to help another lodge from loosing there charter.

Sent from my SM-G900V using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app

 

[Derinique Kendrick]

What i dont understand is when a brother joins multiple lodges in the same town.

Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app

Ditto!

 

[Derinique Kendrick]

It might be to help another lodge from loosing there charter.

Sent from my SM-G900V using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app

That's a good reason.

 

[Derinique Kendrick]

Hazosbm stated it better than me. I only belong to one lodge now but it is quite a good distance from me. I am also interested in looking at some lodges closer in the foreseeable future. I could actively be a member of several lodges as long as there was no conflicts with meeting times. I will be looking for something different if I affiliate with another lodge (s).

I am starting to get it better now from an active service standpoint.

 

[Derinique Kendrick]

But if it's merely for fellowship purposes, why not just visit when you can? @MRichard

 

[MRichard]

It might be to help another lodge from loosing there charter.

Sent from my SM-G900V using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app

This is a good point. This is how some of the smaller lodges survive. They may not want to merge or go dark permanently.

 

[hanzosbm]

But, why not just hold membership in the one lodge you enjoy the most, and just VISIT or affiliate the others that you like?

Well, ongoing visitation is (at least in the jurisdictions I'm familiar with) a bit of faux pas. It's like always showing up to other people's parties and eating their food without putting in. Being a guest from time to time is fine, but you've got to be careful not to overstay your welcome. As far as affiliation vs dual membership...what's the difference?

 

[MRichard]

But if it's merely for fellowship purposes, why not just visit when you can? @MRichard

Technically, you are only supposed to visit a limited # of times before affiliating. @Bill_Lins77488 would know for sure. It is not just fellowship. You are looking for something different. Some guys visit alot of lodges each month all over the state. They are looking for fellowship. Especially if they retired.

 

[MRichard]

I think dual means another jurisdiction. Not sure. Plural is more than one in your jurisdiction.

 

[Derinique Kendrick]

Well, ongoing visitation is (at least in the jurisdictions I'm familiar with) a bit of faux pas. It's like always showing up to other people's parties and eating their food without putting in. Being a guest from time to time is fine, but you've got to be careful not to overstay your welcome. As far as affiliation vs dual membership...what's the difference?

as far as the affiliation vs dual membership, if it's the same thing pardon me. I figured affiliation would pretty much be the same as visiting more than actually holding membership in another lodge. I get your point to an extent though. If that is the case, when you visit (in another post I mentioned from time to time or when you want to, not necessarily each and every meeting night) let the WM or whomever know when you plan to come and arrange to contribute to the meal so that that idea of coming eating without putting in doesn't come up.

 

[Derinique Kendrick]

I think dual means another jurisdiction. Not sure. Plural is more than one in your jurisdiction.

I'm not sure. The word I was looking for when I started this thread was indeed plural, I realized that after you mentioned it. Dual may or may not even be a real term. Like I said, I don't know much about it.

 

[Derinique Kendrick]

Technically, you are only supposed to visit a limited # of times before affiliating. @Bill_Lins77488 would know for sure. It is not just fellowship. You are looking for something different. Some guys visit alot of lodges each month all over the state. They are looking for fellowship. Especially if they retired.

For clarification, If affiliating means actually joining that lodge pardon me as I didn't exactly know the usage of the term in that sense. But if its the same as visiting, you can't limit an amount a time someone else visits another lodge, can you?