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blackballed

daviddenboer1

Registered User
suspension

From what I was told by a mm in Texas you have six months to turn in your esoteric work. After that your suspended, that might be the reasons for the black balling. I'll try to talk to my lodge secretary about lifting the suspension if there is one.
 

daviddenboer1

Registered User
profiles

One active now as there was a problem w the sites registration. The other one is deactivated so the correct info on my profile could be displayed. Sorry for the confusion...
 

Bro. Stewart P.M.

Lead Moderator Emeritus
Staff Member
Re: suspension

From what I was told by a mm in Texas you have six months to turn in your esoteric work. After that your suspended, that might be the reasons for the black balling. I'll try to talk to my lodge secretary about lifting the suspension if there is one.

That is not correct.

The GLoTX allows for 1 year time to lapse between receiving either the EA or FC degrees before "turning in the work". There can be an extension of this time per the Worshipful Master's approval.


Also as previously mentioned, once the actual obligation of the said degree is taken it is permanent even if the required work is not completed. This only applies to the EA and FC degrees.
 
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Cigarzan

Premium Member
I'll bet that petitioning a PHA lodge has a smidge to do with the blackballs. Man David, you shur got this fishin' line tangled up! Good luck.
 

David Howard

Registered User
I know it's been several years since this post was originally placed. So I do hope you got thing straightened out. I am a mason in Alabama, and I can tell you that if you are an EA and you wanted to transfer to another lodge out of state that you would have to get your original lodge's secretary to contact the Grand Lodge secretary and he would then have to contact the GL secretary of the new lodge's state which would then have to contact the new lodge's secretary giving approval before anything else could be done. It would probably have been easier if you had completed your masonic work in the original state and obtained your MM degree then transferred.

I can also tell you that in Alabama after you are initiated as an EA you have to learn the EA lesson. You then must give back that EA lesson in open lodge before your brothers. They will then vote on whether or not you were proficient in it or not. If not then you would have to work on it a little more and do it again. If so then they would schedule you to be passed to FC. Just because you turned in your EA lesson does not mean that you are a FC. You are an EA until passed to the next degree through the ritual. And once you are passed the FC cannot be removed or taken away from you.

I can also tell you that in the state jurisdiction of Alabama, you have one year to progress from EA to FC and another year to progress from FC to MM. If you do not then you have to re-petition the lodge about progression. And the lodge can say no if there are reasons for it such as lack or willingness to learn or proceed, criminal behavior, etc.

I can also tell you that once you start the masonic process at one lodge you cannot transfer to another lodge just on a whim. There are proper channels to follow and paperwork to be completed. And then you have to have permission of both lodges.
 

rpbrown

Premium Member
They can vote against your proficiency but once you go through the FC degree, you are a FC and other than suspension or being expelled from Masonry altogether, cannot be demoted back to EA.
As has been stated above, go to your WM and/or Secretary and find out what is the issue.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
This is why we give men who are petitioning the advice to wait, visit the lodge for months, get to know all the regulars by name and make sure they know yours and have a good impression of you.
This is the way that I did it.
Things don't appear very clear on all this. Doesn't appear that all is being stated unless prompted or questioned therefore makes things suspicious to me. JMO
It does sound strange.
 

skas

Premium Member
id really like to know the outcome of this. Im wondering if he didn't join a clandestine lodge

I happen to know the OP, and am an officer of the AZ lodge he's attempting to join. Unfortunately, he's still stuck in a quagmire. He is being recognized as a visiting FC and allowed to attend EA/FC ceremonies (including our stated meetings [obviously with no voting rights]); however, the advancement and demitting from his old lodge (or even allowing our lodge to complete courtesy work) seems to be an ongoing challenge. I don't know any specifics beyond that, but our brother is still stuck in limbo.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
Did the brother pay his initiation fees in full?

I had to pay 100 at investigation and then a remaining 200 before I received my EA.

We've had one class that we let slip and they were paying 100 for EA, 100 for FC and 100 for MM. They would not be allowed to take the MM degree until they paid that final 100.

It has to be a money issue if his Brethren back home are not letting him go.
 

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
I happen to know the OP, and am an officer of the AZ lodge he's attempting to join. Unfortunately, he's still stuck in a quagmire. He is being recognized as a visiting FC and allowed to attend EA/FC ceremonies (including our stated meetings [obviously with no voting rights]); however, the advancement and demitting from his old lodge (or even allowing our lodge to complete courtesy work) seems to be an ongoing challenge. I don't know any specifics beyond that, but our brother is still stuck in limbo.
I know that its probably been done but this seems like an easy fix...GM calls GM!
 

skas

Premium Member
I know that its probably been done but this seems like an easy fix...GM calls GM!

I'd be surprised if this has happened, TBH. Seems like a breach of Masonic protocol. Would probably make everyone's lives easier, but what do I know.

I somehow overlooked the clandestine question earlier. His original lodge is definitely chartered under the GLofTX, and the lodge he's been visiting in AZ is chartered under the GLofAZ. I can't speak to anything in between, but he's a good brother and a good man. I hope he can get this mess sorted out soon that we can see him raised as a MM.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
I'd be surprised if this has happened, TBH. Seems like a breach of Masonic protocol. Would probably make everyone's lives easier, but what do I know.

I somehow overlooked the clandestine question earlier. His original lodge is definitely chartered under the GLofTX, and the lodge he's been visiting in AZ is chartered under the GLofAZ. I can't speak to anything in between, but he's a good brother and a good man. I hope he can get this mess sorted out soon that we can see him raised as a MM.
Agreed!
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
They can vote against your proficiency but once you go through the FC degree, you are a FC and other than suspension or being expelled from Masonry altogether, cannot be demoted back to EA.
As has been stated above, go to your WM and/or Secretary and find out what is the issue.
Well, I certainly have never heard of being demoted, but some GLs allow objection to advancement, not just voting against profiency. Indeed, some GLs don't even have a vote on proficiency.
 
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