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Demitting and joining different state GL

CLewey44

Registered User
Hello Gents,

I have been on this site for quite some time now. I was raised in Oklahoma a little over three years ago. Two years ago, I moved to NY. I began the demit process in September of 2017 with the local Secretary once I found a local lodge I wanted to affiliate with. They voted on me as good to go. I received no letter from OK stating I was good for the year (2018 in order to not owe OK) and NY has not responded back yet either. Does this process typically take an entire year like this nearly? NY is headed into its 'dark' months and so I will lose another two months of time.

Bottom line is, I didn't want to have to owe dues to OK for 2018 (to have a 'good year') even though I told them I wanted to demit before Jan 1st, 2018. I have turned in my check to the local NY lodge, they voted on me in Jan/Feb timeframe and approved but now waiting on Grand Lodges to jive up. IS THIS NORMAL?? What happens December 31st of this year if NY has yet to 'accept' me even though my lodge has already. Am I no longer, technically, a Master Mason in good standing?

Very frustrated and don't want to be throwing around dues money needlessly. There is another Brother in my EXACT situation except he is demitting from another state not named Oklahoma.
 

chrmc

Registered User
The demit from a lodge an the affiliation to another lodge is usually two different things.

In Texas in order to demit you need to be current on dues, fill out the form, it's read at a stated meeting and then automatically granted (unless there's charges pending etc.). You'll usually get a form back and then any dues remaining for the year.

To affiliate with a lodge, it's again up to the GL rules, but should be a matter of you submitting the paperwork, then they may do an investigation, sometimes just vote you in.

But no, it shouldn't be that difficult a process as far as I know.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
I have heard of Brothers seeing a delay of over a year when going international but not domestic.

Unfortunately we're subject to the whims of the paperwork gods when it comes to jurisdictions. This is a part of the reason I did a life/endowed membership in my mother lodge so I would never have to worry about the timing of any demit.
 

hanzosbm

Premium Member
I think mine from KY to CA took a few weeks.

That being said, I affiliated to CA without demitting from KY (I later demitted) so that might change things.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
I agree with Bro Glen - I would be writing to your OK Sec first.

I am getting impatient because it is taking more than a month to sort out a joining member from Chile to Australia.. and we're not even corresponding in a language common to both.. it is the bane of dealing with volunteers, some are fantastic, some are not..
 

Companion Joe

Premium Member
Hindsight is 20/20, but what you should have done is affiliated with the new lodge before demitting from your previous lodge. I believe it would have gone a lot smoother, and you wouldn't have ever been in limbo.

You can't go back and undo what has already been done, but that's a good lesson for others.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
Hindsight is 20/20, but what you should have done is affiliated with the new lodge before demitting from your previous lodge. I believe it would have gone a lot smoother, and you wouldn't have ever been in limbo.

Unless either grand lodge is a single affiliation jurisdiction. Such a jurisdiction would require a demit to go with any affiliation. We I'm endowed in two of my jurisdictions I'd just endlessly visit in any single affiliation jurisdiction.
 

Companion Joe

Premium Member
Even if they are single affiliation, you could probably still get the ball rolling in the new jurisdiction before formally demitting from the old. Then, once everything is in motion, you can finalize it. It's sort of like the old employment adage: it's easier to find a job when you have a job.
 
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