Kyle Gonzalez
Registered User
Good afternoon everyone,
I need some advice, but first Ill give you a little background.
I joined the lodge around the age of 21 (im 32 now). I started in New York, but then moved to Kansas due to being in the military. After some inquiries from the Masonic lodge there, I decided to take up membership with their lodge. Shortly after, I was discharged from the military and moved back to Michigan. Once there, I took up membership at a lodge in my hometown. Heres where the problems start.
First, I think the path I was guided down was probably not the best approach. When moving from my home lodge that I was raised in, I signed the paperwork for Kansas, and stopped paying dues in New York. (to be fair, I was young and under the impression that I no longer needed to pay dues since I "transferred"). When going from Kansas to Michigan, under the impression that it was the correct thing to do, I took the same approach. This meant that in the end, I was only paying dues in Michigan.
Shortly after taking up membership, I fell on hard times (no job and homeless). I was unable to afford dues, so I stopped paying. Everything seemed hopeless at the time.
Fast forward several years, I attended and graduated college and took up residency in yet another state. Now that I am in a good financial position, I am able to afford to get back in (i was VERY active in the past. Sat in chairs, conferred degrees, etc). I spoke with a local lodge and was instructed to get right with one of the lodges i've attended. This was in November. So I started with Michigan since that was the last lodge I attended. However, even with the dues card and number on it, i was finally told two months later that they can't find me and to get right with my home lodge in New York.
I finally got in touch with them after multiple attempts, and its looking like I may be waiting several more months before reinstatement would occur (having to wait over the course of multiple communications for voting and whatnot).
*breathe* Ok, so heres where I need the advice. Although its starting to look like it may be possible to get back in, it looks like itll take several more months. I am very eager, and ive already been working on this for several months. I have several friends who'd like to join and I can vouch for, but, you know, I have to get right first.
Another option was pitched my way. Once I heard it, my heart sank as i've worked so hard to not only accomplish and finish blue lodge, but york rite as well. But this other option, is to start all over here in Kentucky. As a MM and Knight Templar, to hear that I would have to restart as an EA is a heartbreaking option. I cant say that everything about that option is bad, because doing it that way will give me a much needed refresher. But I can get that simply by studying, so..... I'm sure that my fellow brothers can understand the dilemma and how having to go back through the degrees all over again would feel. To add to it, not being able to attend meetings until you obtain something that you've already obtained. To be fair, I'd totally jump on this option if all three degrees were conferred in a day, but that doesnt appear to be the case.
Ok, so for all those that skipped to the bottom to get to the point, I joined the Lodge, fell on hard times, but am now square with my personal affairs and want to rejoin. Do I wait several months to be reinstated as an MM from my home lodge, or should I just suck it up and restart from Day 0? Why?
Any advice would be helpful
I need some advice, but first Ill give you a little background.
I joined the lodge around the age of 21 (im 32 now). I started in New York, but then moved to Kansas due to being in the military. After some inquiries from the Masonic lodge there, I decided to take up membership with their lodge. Shortly after, I was discharged from the military and moved back to Michigan. Once there, I took up membership at a lodge in my hometown. Heres where the problems start.
First, I think the path I was guided down was probably not the best approach. When moving from my home lodge that I was raised in, I signed the paperwork for Kansas, and stopped paying dues in New York. (to be fair, I was young and under the impression that I no longer needed to pay dues since I "transferred"). When going from Kansas to Michigan, under the impression that it was the correct thing to do, I took the same approach. This meant that in the end, I was only paying dues in Michigan.
Shortly after taking up membership, I fell on hard times (no job and homeless). I was unable to afford dues, so I stopped paying. Everything seemed hopeless at the time.
Fast forward several years, I attended and graduated college and took up residency in yet another state. Now that I am in a good financial position, I am able to afford to get back in (i was VERY active in the past. Sat in chairs, conferred degrees, etc). I spoke with a local lodge and was instructed to get right with one of the lodges i've attended. This was in November. So I started with Michigan since that was the last lodge I attended. However, even with the dues card and number on it, i was finally told two months later that they can't find me and to get right with my home lodge in New York.
I finally got in touch with them after multiple attempts, and its looking like I may be waiting several more months before reinstatement would occur (having to wait over the course of multiple communications for voting and whatnot).
*breathe* Ok, so heres where I need the advice. Although its starting to look like it may be possible to get back in, it looks like itll take several more months. I am very eager, and ive already been working on this for several months. I have several friends who'd like to join and I can vouch for, but, you know, I have to get right first.
Another option was pitched my way. Once I heard it, my heart sank as i've worked so hard to not only accomplish and finish blue lodge, but york rite as well. But this other option, is to start all over here in Kentucky. As a MM and Knight Templar, to hear that I would have to restart as an EA is a heartbreaking option. I cant say that everything about that option is bad, because doing it that way will give me a much needed refresher. But I can get that simply by studying, so..... I'm sure that my fellow brothers can understand the dilemma and how having to go back through the degrees all over again would feel. To add to it, not being able to attend meetings until you obtain something that you've already obtained. To be fair, I'd totally jump on this option if all three degrees were conferred in a day, but that doesnt appear to be the case.
Ok, so for all those that skipped to the bottom to get to the point, I joined the Lodge, fell on hard times, but am now square with my personal affairs and want to rejoin. Do I wait several months to be reinstated as an MM from my home lodge, or should I just suck it up and restart from Day 0? Why?
Any advice would be helpful