I can certainly appreciate the mindset and situations such as Brother "Rescue51" endured, and the comments made by Brother Bill_Lins77488.......In no way would I nor any Brother in my Lodge diminish the efforts of a Brother who has work, family, or Military obligations. These are things that are discovered during the Investigation process, and of course, that EA's sponsor would be the FIRST but certainly not the only Brother who would and should check on and encourage a good Man through his degree work. I am not familiar with GLoT law, as I am a Prince Hall GLoT member. However, I have observed only a few subtle differences in ways and means of accomplishing the same objective we both share-----fostering relationships with Men who aspire to become members of our Brotherhood. I was expressing my sentiments toward Bro. Bowden's question of how to deal with LAZY EA's, not Brothers with legitimate obligations. We had an EA in this current class who did not show the initiative of working toward becoming proficient with his Degree Work. His sponsor expressed concerns to the proper Officers in the Lodge, and like mentioned in a few posts above, the EA was spoken with, and Brothers expressed their expectations. We even allowed other members of his class to speak with him privately in their own manner, and they did the same. Brothers called him at home, checked on him regularly, and he would always claim that "things were getting better". There was no improvement in meeting attendance, memory work, and all we seemed to get were excuses. So, when proficiency testing came up, the other two members of the class scored well, and he did not. He was informed that he would not be eligible for Passing at that time, and that he would have to re-petition for any subsequent advancement, and we encouraged him to continue his studies. He never returned. This is an example of a time when Brothers should not beg nor continually lecture a Man about improving his study habits, or adjusting his priorities. We were never made aware of any LIFE obligations, work issues, or any other issue which may have inhibited this Man's progress. We do not make a habit out of shunning Men who are making honest, good faith efforts, or who have legitimate LIFE obligations; My post was directed in response to any Man who is not doing his very best to become a Master Mason, the way each of us did----perseverance, investment of time, and HARD WORK..............I am happy that Brothers can dialogue on this issue in a respectful and Brotherly manner..........I have also taken notes from the more experienced and well-informed Brethren who posted responses.....thanks for the LIGHT! Bro Vincent C. Jones, Sr., Bayou City Lodge #228, PHA, Houston, Texas