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Demits

Ripcord22A

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
I know that this is gonna very jurisdiction by jurisdiction, maybe even lodge to lodge but my question is...If a member demits due to a move, joins another lodge then moves back to the area he demitted from does he have to petition the lodge all over again or is there like a reinstatement type deal?
 
dfreybur

dfreybur

Premium Member
If a Brother demits he's no longer a member. If a Brother demits he's still a Brother. Both apply whether he demits to another lodge or if he just goes to open status.

Whatever the process is for affiliation, that's the process he would need to go through. Having previously been a member of that lodge the steps are likely to happen faster and more smoothly but all the steps will need to be done.

As you suggest what those steps are vary jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
 
Ripcord22A

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
dfreybur said:
If a Brother demits he's no longer a member. If a Brother demits he's still a Brother. Both apply whether he demits to another lodge or if he just goes to open status.

Whatever the process is for affiliation, that's the process he would need to go through. Having previously been a member of that lodge the steps are likely to happen faster and more smoothly but all the steps will need to be done.

As you suggest what those steps are vary jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
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Thanks! That's what I assumed. It was just the wonderings of a Bored Freemason at work!..lol....maybe I could turn that in to a blog....
 
Bloke

Bloke

Premium Member
jdmadsenCraterlake211 said:
I know that this is gonna very jurisdiction by jurisdiction, maybe even lodge to lodge but my question is...If a member demits due to a move, joins another lodge then moves back to the area he demitted from does he have to petition the lodge all over again or is there like a reinstatement type deal?
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Here, as above, he needs to submit a "joining member" application and prove he is (or was when he left the Craft) in good standing (his dues were paid). Vote here is by show of hands for a joining member. (Candidates for Freemasonry done by secret ballot, elections for officers done via ballot paper if more than one candidate for an office or else they are simply declared )
 
Companion Joe

Companion Joe

Premium Member
The real key to that whole scenario is don't demit from one lodge before becoming a member in another. You demit AFTER you have joined the other lodge. It makes the process a whole lot smoother.
 
Glen Cook

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Companion Joe said:
The real key to that whole scenario is don't demit from one lodge before becoming a member in another. You demit AFTER you have joined the other lodge. It makes the process a whole lot smoother.
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Indeed, I've seen a Demitted member fail the ballot in another lodge.
 
dfreybur

dfreybur

Premium Member
The Traveling Man said:
If you demit, but never join another Lodge, are you still considered a Mason? Is there an expiration to the demit?
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In most jurisdictions you end up on "open demit". No accrual towards a 50 year pin. Limited number of visits with the purpose of deciding if you will affiliate. Exact details vary but that's the pattern.

No idea if you die in that state if you get a masonic funeral. One of my jurisdictions suggests that we conduct the ceremony first and look up standing second just in case. I don't think that's a standard policy.
 
The Traveling Man

The Traveling Man

Registered User
After checking my book I see that once you demit, you become Unaffiliated. Regardless of his present residence, a Brother holding a Demit may, within 12 months from the date on which the Demit was issued, petition for re-affiliation in the issuing lodge. The Demit, together with current dues, must accompany the Petition for Affiliation. The petition must take the same course as any other Petition for Affiliation.

If an Unaffiliated Brother petitions a Lodge and is rejected, his demit is returned to him and he remains an Unaffiliated Mason (with no expiration), as long as he continues to petition a Lodge at least once a year.

If an Unaffiliated Brother doesn't petition any Lodge within 12 months, he is afforded all of the disabilities of a suspended Mason.

In addition, no Unaffiliated Mason, residing within the Jurisdiction of a Lodge, shall have the privilege of visiting the same Lodge more than three times, and can't visit a Lodge more than once if it is beyond the Jurisdiction of which he may be a resident.

While there is no mention of Masonic funerals for a demitted Brother, if a valid demit constitutes good standing then it would make sense that he would be entitled to a funeral.
 
Warrior1256

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
The Traveling Man said:
After checking my book I see that once you demit, you become Unaffiliated. Regardless of his present residence, a Brother holding a Demit may, within 12 months from the date on which the Demit was issued, petition for re-affiliation in the issuing lodge. The Demit, together with current dues, must accompany the Petition for Affiliation. The petition must take the same course as any other Petition for Affiliation.

If an Unaffiliated Brother petitions a Lodge and is rejected, his demit is returned to him and he remains an Unaffiliated Mason (with no expiration), as long as he continues to petition a Lodge at least once a year.

If an Unaffiliated Brother doesn't petition any Lodge within 12 months, he is afforded all of the disabilities of a suspended Mason.

In addition, no Unaffiliated Mason, residing within the Jurisdiction of a Lodge, shall have the privilege of visiting the same Lodge more than three times, and can't visit a Lodge more than once if it is beyond the Jurisdiction of which he may be a resident.

While there is no mention of Masonic funerals for a demitted Brother, if a valid demit constitutes good standing then it would make sense that he would be entitled to a funeral.
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Excellent info! Thanks Brother. I'm going to check up on this with the Kentucky Grand Lodge.
 
Bloke

Bloke

Premium Member
The Traveling Man said:
If you demit, but never join another Lodge, are you still considered a Mason? Is there an expiration to the demit?
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My view is once you have taken the obligation, you can never "untake it" but I see your other post - yes you become an unaffiliated brother, but still a brother..
 
The Traveling Man

The Traveling Man

Registered User
Bloke said:
My view is once you have taken the obligation, you can never "untake it" but I see your other post - yes you become an unaffiliated brother, but still a brother..
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In America it could be problematic trying to prove someone's good standing in that situation. We have dues cards here and it isn't out of the ordinary, when meeting Brothers, to show a current dues card if requested. Obviously a demitted Brother would not have one. Neither would a suspended or expelled one. So I'm not sure, in that case, how you would prove a Brothers good standing, unless he carries his demit around with him. But I guess that's an entiterely different matter.

With regards to the funeral, it doesn't seem that there would be a way to check to see if a deceased Brother has met the requirements of his demit (petitioning a Lodge at least once per year)? So, like you said, it'd be a situation where you can't untake an Obligation. Once a Brother, always.

Now what about a Brother who didn't demit, but instead resigned from Masonry altogether. Is that even possible, or would one just demit and then never petition another Lodge? How is that Brother viewed, as a Brother, or as no longer a Mason?
 
Bloke

Bloke

Premium Member
The Traveling Man said:
In America it could be problematic trying to prove someone's good standing in that situation. We have dues cards here and it isn't out of the ordinary, when meeting Brothers, to show a current dues card if requested. Obviously a demitted Brother would not have one. Neither would a suspended or expelled one. So I'm not sure, in that case, how you would prove a Brothers good standing, unless he carries his demit around with him. But I guess that's an entiterely different matter.

With regards to the funeral, it doesn't seem that there would be a way to check to see if a deceased Brother has met the requirements of his demit (petitioning a Lodge at least once per year)? So, like you said, it'd be a situation where you can't untake an Obligation. Once a Brother, always.

Now what about a Brother who didn't demit, but instead resigned from Masonry altogether. Is that even possible, or would one just demit and then never petition another Lodge? How is that Brother viewed, as a Brother, or as no longer a Mason?
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We do not have dues cards.

Funeral - if requested we will do it and dont ask questions. I know we've done them for brothers who left the Craft yet requested it.

If you resign and owe dues, it would be "that brother was not in good standing.." but dont really know. To rejoin, you need to settle the dues at your old lodge, obtain a clearance certificate before rejoining. Without a clearance cert or confirmation from a sec he is in good standing, we will not ballot for a joining member
 
The Traveling Man

The Traveling Man

Registered User
Bill_Lins77488 said:
Yes, it is possible, and one who has done so would be viewed as no longer being a Mason.
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And that would make sense. But so would what Bro. @Bloke said, you can't untake an Ob., you can't unlearn the Secrets, etc. Would you converse, Masonically, with a Brother who resigned in good standing? I was at a cousin's house before and her boyfriend approached me, let me know he used to be a Mason when he was in college (I believe their used to be a college Lodge). I didn't speak Masonically with him, and was young in Masonry. But I thought, after the fact, could I have. Then I also worked with a Brother who was a member of the Grand Lodge of Cuba 30 years ago. He left when he moved to America. We're close but we've never talked Masonically (although we do talk about Masonry, in a general sense). He's still close with his old Lodge Brothers and his mentor, who he still speaks to regularly, is the former Grand Master (current SGC of the AASR there). He's never attempted to speak Masonically with me in the 10 years that we've been close. But again, that question comes to mind, what would I do if he did try to?
 
Bill Lins

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
The Traveling Man said:
And that would make sense. But so would what Bro. @Bloke said, you can't untake an Ob., you can't unlearn the Secrets, etc. Would you converse, Masonically, with a Brother who resigned in good standing?
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No, I would not. As I stated before, any Brother who voluntarily resigns from Masonry of his own free will is no longer a Mason. A Brother who demits from his Lodge IS still a Mason. A very important distinction, as you can see.
The Traveling Man said:
I was at a cousin's house before and her boyfriend approached me, let me know he used to be a Mason when he was in college (I believe their used to be a college Lodge). I didn't speak Masonically with him, and was young in Masonry. But I thought, after the fact, could I have. Then I also worked with a Brother who was a member of the Grand Lodge of Cuba 30 years ago. He left when he moved to America. We're close but we've never talked Masonically (although we do talk about Masonry, in a general sense). He's never attempted to speak Masonically with me in the 10 years that we've been close. But again, that question comes to mind, what would I do if he did try to.
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In both cases, it depends. If the Brother demitted, one would still treat him as a Mason. If he resigned or was suspended, then one would NOT treat him as a Brother.
 
Glen Cook

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Bloke said:
....

If you resign and owe dues, it would be "that brother was not in good standing.." but dont really know...
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Difference in terms: In US Masonry, "resign" is usually taken to mean renouncing membership in the fraternity.

We take our lore from a craft. There are other professions for which one may retain the knowledge, but no longer entitled to use the professional designation, such as attorney and solicitor. One may be disbarred or stricken from the Roll. The knowledge is retained, but one is no longer a solicitor.
 
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