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dfreybur

Premium Member
Not here. The Proposer can be from another lodge and even Jurisdiction.. generally done for family reasons..

Fun variation. It must bring up the occasional recognition issue. Someone from Le Droit Domain signs, hilarity ensues.

My original petition had signature slots for members (of the specific lodge) and for character witnesses (who don't even need to be Brothers). I had some Prince Hall friends sign for me as character witnesses back before recognition happened and before I knew anything about recognition among jurisdictions. California is the only jurisdiction I know of that has lines for character witnesses that don't have to be Masons. Different for the sake of being different on some random topic that does not touch a landmark, happens all the time.
 

Keith C

Registered User
Here the First Line signer must be a member of the lodge being petitioned. The second line signer just must be a member of a lodge under the jurisdiction of the GLofPA. A good friend of mine from church was my 2nd line signer, although he lived locally he worked in Philadelphia and was a member of a lodge there. He did accompany me to my first dinner at my lodge and was at my degrees.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
Fun variation. It must bring up the occasional recognition issue. Someone from Le Droit Domain signs, hilarity ensues...

Not really an issue, for this purpose, a Freemason is only one in a regular recognized jurisdiction who we (UGLV) are in amity with. I've only seen it twice - and its always family members from England or Interstate - who will have a great concern with regularity. We just dont have the issues with irregular GLs which Europe and the America's have; there is only 1 other in Victoria - Le Driot Humane and even if a new Freemason does not know the details, the presence of Ladies there will ring alarm bells very loudly....
 

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
California is the only jurisdiction I know of that has lines for character witnesses that don't have to be Masons. Different for the sake of being different on some random topic that does not touch a landmark, happens all the time.
OR petitions have spots for 3 references as does NMs petition for affiliation. They don’t sign the petition the petitioner put their name and contact info like on a job application




Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Fun variation. It must bring up the occasional recognition issue. Someone from Le Droit Domain signs, hilarity ensues.

My original petition had signature slots for members (of the specific lodge) and for character witnesses (who don't even need to be Brothers). I had some Prince Hall friends sign for me as character witnesses back before recognition happened and before I knew anything about recognition among jurisdictions. California is the only jurisdiction I know of that has lines for character witnesses that don't have to be Masons. Different for the sake of being different on some random topic that does not touch a landmark, happens all the time.
UT does not require character references be Masons
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
GLoTX, on the other hand, requires the 1st & 2nd line signers ("recommenders") to be members of the Lodge petitioned and 3 other references, who must be Masons of either GLoTX or another GL with whom we are in amity.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
So it would have to someone who has sat in lodge with a member of your lodge correct?
No - just someone who could sit in lodge. The problem with this is we should not communicate Lodge to Lodge, but Grand Sec to Grand Sec, so when it happens - I need to write to my Grand Sec and my Grand Sec writes to his Grand Sec, who might have to write to his lodge, then ..... you get the idea. I've never had to do one myself, but I've seen the applications - the proposer puts down all his details, name, rank, serial number, lodge - all to try to speed it up. Last time it was a grandfather interstate - seen that twice, that seems to always moves fast - but the bros have always been "connected" at either end... the Constitution and application form is pretty silent on all this, so I guess it works by convention in the GL Sec office.. The guy we will initiate in Dec was going to be proposed from New Zealand, but it all looked too hard, so we just did it by dispensation, where GL signed off on a proposer (WM) and seconder (Sec) who do not know the candidate, but he is "proposed by dispensation"....
 

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
No - just someone who could sit in lodge. The problem with this is we should not communicate Lodge to Lodge, but Grand Sec to Grand Sec, so when it happens - I need to write to my Grand Sec and my Grand Sec writes to his Grand Sec, who might have to write to his lodge, then ..... you get the idea. I've never had to do one myself, but I've seen the applications - the proposer puts down all his details, name, rank, serial number, lodge - all to try to speed it up. Last time it was a grandfather interstate - seen that twice, that seems to always moves fast - but the bros have always been "connected" at either end... the Constitution and application form is pretty silent on all this, so I guess it works by convention in the GL Sec office.. The guy we will initiate in Dec was going to be proposed from New Zealand, but it all looked too hard, so we just did it by dispensation, where GL signed off on a proposer (WM) and seconder (Sec) who do not know the candidate, but he is "proposed by dispensation"....

In a situation like that.....couldn’t that man just come to dinner and some events a few times until someone is comfortable enough to make it happen?
 

Bloke

Premium Member
In a situation like that.....couldn’t that man just come to dinner and some events a few times until someone is comfortable enough to make it happen?
Cannot propose someone until I know him personally for more that 12 months, and the reality is I would not propose someone unless I knew him quite well... which isn't going to happen under those circumstances...
 

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
Cannot propose someone until I know him personally for more that 12 months, and the reality is I would not propose someone unless I knew him quite well... which isn't going to happen under those circumstances...

So the “2B1ASK1” isn’t a thing down under
 

Andy Fracica

Site Benefactor
Premium Member
In Indiana, the two people recommending must be members of our lodge. We require three character references but they do not have to be masons. Our lodge requires a criminal background check, which the petitioner pays for, in addition to meeting with the Investigation Committee.

It is up to the individual lodge to decide to accept or reject a petitioner with a felony.
 
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