Patience

[michael john]

On October 1st I submitted my petition, paid my dues and was interviewed. Now I received an e mail today with the secretary asking why I didn’t put down references. I was told during the interview that I didn’t have to put any down. It’s 3 weeks and I feel as if there’s not progress that has been made. Is this regular or am I impatient?

 

[dfreybur]

The clock of Masonry ticks once per month. This is regular and you are impatient. Pretty much all of us were at that point.

 

[CLewey44]

On October 1st I submitted my petition, paid my dues and was interviewed. Now I received an e mail today with the secretary asking why I didn’t put down references. I was told during the interview that I didn’t have to put any down. It’s 3 weeks and I feel as if there’s not progress that has been made. Is this regular or am I impatient?

Sounds like not everyone was on the same page and a communication breakdown. The guys that said not to fill that in were either misinformed or assuming which we all know what that can do. I'm sure it was an honest mistake and they will never be in as big a hurry as the petitioner.

 

[michael john]

I just see other posts and see how fast they get accepted and receive their first degrees.

Thank you all for your responses.

 

[David612]

If it helps- it was 6 month for me from my petition to my initiation.

 

[Brother JC]

What lodge are you petitioning?

 

[dfreybur]

I just see other posts and see how fast they get accepted and receive their first degrees.

Thank you all for your responses.

The absolute soonest between submitting a petition and being voted on is one month. It's almost as common to take two. And that doesn't count taking a few months to get to know a candidate enough to know if he is sincere. All of this slowness is deliberate for many reasons and all of us remember being in a rush when we were going through the process.

If it's on the form, fill it out. What someone says never outranks what a form says.

 

[Keith C]

Totally normal.

This "Interview" was it prior to your petition being submitted? If so, the recommend who had you fill out the petition were in error if they did not have you fill it out completely. The petition reaching the Secretary incompletely what he really should have done was kick it back to the first line signer to get him to get you to fill it out fully. Calling you directly was above and beyond his duties and he was doing you a favor and likely trying to get everything in order for the petition to be read at the next stated meeting. If he had not done this it would have delayed the process a full month. So instead of impatience try to see it as a favor that is actually expediting the process.

 

[Warrior1256]

The absolute soonest between submitting a petition and being voted on is one month.

One lunar month here, 28 days.

 

[Keith C]

One lunar month here, 28 days.

Ours is one Masonic Month. Meaning the time between monthly Stated Meetings. The petition must be read and a Committee of Inquiry appointed at a Stated Meeting and the Petition can not be balloted until the following Stated Meeting at the soonest. We do not have more than one Stated Meeting a month.

 

[Bill Lins]

Ours is one Masonic Month. Meaning the time between monthly Stated Meetings. The petition must be read and a Committee of Inquiry appointed at a Stated Meeting and the Petition can not be balloted until the following Stated Meeting at the soonest. We do not have more than one Stated Meeting a month.

It's the same under GLoTX.

 

[Bloke]

On October 1st I submitted my petition, paid my dues and was interviewed. Now I received an e mail today with the secretary asking why I didn’t put down references. I was told during the interview that I didn’t have to put any down. It’s 3 weeks and I feel as if there’s not progress that has been made. Is this regular or am I impatient?

Impatient. At a minimum it will take 3 months to join here, with Dispensation from the Grand Master to ballot and initiate at the same meeting, without that it generally takes at least 4 months. I had a beer with a Entered Apprentice on Thursday, he applied in Dec 2017 and was Entered in May 2018. Our next applicant started in May 2018 and will not become a Freemason until this December. Others are right - esp if the lodge is meeting once per month - there is a monthly cycle.

Here, I cannot ballot for you until I have received four written references as to your good character - so my suggestion is just be patient and supply the info the Secretary asks for...

 

[Lightlife]

On October 1st I submitted my petition, paid my dues and was interviewed. Now I received an e mail today with the secretary asking why I didn’t put down references. I was told during the interview that I didn’t have to put any down. It’s 3 weeks and I feel as if there’s not progress that has been made. Is this regular or am I impatient?

Relax, the process takes time. In my jurisdiction the petition must be read at the next stated communication (which may be as much as a month if you submit right after a stated) and an investigating committee appointed. The soonest a vote can be taken is at the next stated communication (another month) provided that the investigating committee has completed the investigation and returned a recommendation. Masonry is a family and we don't adopt members lightly.

 

[CLewey44]

Masonry is a family and we don't adopt members lightly.

That is certainly the rhetoric and intent but unfortunately it is not always practiced....

 

[Glen Cook]

That is certainly the rhetoric and intent but unfortunately it is not always practiced....

I liked the post because it was correct, but I didn’t really like it. Truth hurts.

 

[CLewey44]

I liked the post because it was correct, but I didn’t really like it. Truth hurts.

I shake my head sometimes when I meet some "brothers".

 

[Warrior1256]

That is certainly the rhetoric and intent but unfortunately it is not always practiced....

I liked the post because it was correct, but I didn’t really like it. Truth hurts.

I shake my head sometimes when I meet some "brothers".

I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes it seems quantity is given preference over quality.

 

[Lightlife]

That is certainly the rhetoric and intent but unfortunately it is not always practiced....

It is practiced by me Brother.

 

[dfreybur]

That is certainly the rhetoric and intent but unfortunately it is not always practiced....

I've met plenty of families that are more dysfunctional than our own Brotherhood. My expectations are attuned to those experiences. But I was raised in a pretty good family and have been to pretty good lodges so my hopes are attuned to those experiences.

 

[dfreybur]

Ours is one Masonic Month. Meaning the time between monthly Stated Meetings. The petition must be read and a Committee of Inquiry appointed at a Stated Meeting and the Petition can not be balloted until the following Stated Meeting at the soonest. We do not have more than one Stated Meeting a month.

So depending on the month that might be either 4 or 5 weeks because nearly all lodges meet on a specific day of the week like "First Tuesday unless that falls on a national holiday, then second Tuesday". Or "Last Friday unless that is when Grand Lodge is in session, then second last Friday". Given the details of those statements it's remotely possible for a "lodge month" to be 3 or 6 weeks if you are careful enough to pick the wrong month.