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Dual/plural memberships. Should Masons be able to join multiple lodges?

Dual/Plural memberships


  • Total voters
    78

cemab4y

Premium Member
I am in Alexandria VA, for a short break. I will be heading back to the roof of the world, soon.
 

RedTemplar

Johnny Joe Combs
Premium Member
First, let me state that having membership in multiple lodges should be a masonic privilege. However, if a man can afford to belong to 4 or 5 lodges, why are dues a paltry $50-$100 per year? There are many lodges that are barely staying afloat. I realize this is probably another topic,but one thought leads to another and I just want to see all our lodges properly taken care of. Again, brothers, join as many lodges as you are able.
 

Benton

Premium Member
First, let me state that having membership in multiple lodges should be a masonic privilege. However, if a man can afford to belong to 4 or 5 lodges, why are dues a paltry $50-$100 per year? There are many lodges that are barely staying afloat. I realize this is probably another topic,but one thought leads to another and I just want to see all our lodges properly taken care of. Again, brothers, join as many lodges as you are able.

That's an excellent point, brother. Never really thought about that connection, but it's certainly worth bringing up.
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
Agreed!

However, I don't suspect the brethren who join various lodges are the brethren in question. These folk are usually the ones willing to invest time and money into the fraternal endeavors. It's the knife and fork committee membership that does most of the complaining when touched by lodge leaders or grand lodge for a few more dollars. Of course the Pareto Analysis 80-20 rule is a natural law of the universe.

The Red Man has a good point though. I guess it is only human nature to receive more than you give. Probably the main reason we have another universal law covering the topic.
 

Steve Cumbie

Registered User
First, let me state that having membership in multiple lodges should be a masonic privilege. However, if a man can afford to belong to 4 or 5 lodges, why are dues a paltry $50-$100 per year? There are many lodges that are barely staying afloat. I realize this is probably another topic,but one thought leads to another and I just want to see all our lodges properly taken care of. Again, brothers, join as many lodges as you are able.

Brother Red

Once again I agree with you.

Problem is we have some Brother who think they are helping these other Lodges but are really hurting their Lodges and some cases their family

I seen so many Brothers join some smaller Lodges so they might keep their doors open yet never attend any meetings.

Then when their dues come up instead of demitting they go expelled for non-payment.

My thoughts are if you want to be a plural member buy an Endowment and help that Lodge years down the road.

In saying what I said about buying a Endowment does not mean in anyway stop supporting your Lodges .

We are the life lines for the Lodges. In years past I have always tried to pay dues to my Home Lodge (120.00 per year) it may have been 10.00 per month but I made an effort to do it. The main reason is that 51% are in Endowed at my home lodge and it is well known that we have not been getting any monies off our Endowments for awhile. Got a little this year.
 

Brother JC

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
I'm glad I can be a member of both of my Lodges, as they are very different animals, and I enjoy the discourse of each. Supreme Architect willing, I'll be accepted into a third soon.

Someone mentioned a Brother being the WM in one Lodge, and JW in another. While you can be an Officer in two (or more) Lodges in NM, you can not be Master or Warden in more than one. The main reason for this (I believe) is voting within Grand Lodge. They don't want anyone to have more than one vote.
 

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
So far I've stuck with my mother lodge, but I'm probably going to affiliate with a couple more over the summer. Where I'm at there are lodges all over the place - and many have unique flavors. There is Holland #1 downtown that I visit for esoteric training and know a bunch of the fellas there. There is Gray where I was raised in a courtesy degree. Lorenzo De Zavala which is still mostly a Hispanic crowd where I can work on my Spanish over the meal. Or Spring lodge where they have the best cooking I've ever seen. Or a whole list of lodges where some of my favorite people (some of which are from this website) are in the West, East, or sitting as Secretary...something like 10 on my list.

And then there are the lodges in my hometown of Del Rio, or my birthplace in Uvalde, or where I went to High School in Galveston, or around where I was stationed in Ft. Hood. All of which I'd be happy to dish out dues to if I was able, just to support Masonry there.

The problem is narrowing down which ones to affiliate with that don't have schedule conflicts with your other Masonic travels, and not spreading yourself too thin. And bein able to afford it :)

But the ability to affiliate with other lodges is one of the coolest parts about this whole business, to me. It sorta makes visiting other lodges like an adventure - you never know which one you visit might wind up being a place where you decide to put down serious roots.

I think though for affiliation I think probably 3 or 4 is probably about the limit of how much even a fella without kiddos like me could really contribute to in a meaningful way to. And I can't, personally, imagine sitting as a line officer in more than one - but I know a couple good men who manage it.

But if a man wants to contribute to the cause, either by dues or an endowment, to a bunch of lodges - heck, I think thats just great. The world needs more Freemasonry, in my opinion.
 

baruchhc

Registered User
Here in Texas, plural lodge memberships area permitted. As long as a Brother can afford to pay the dues for multiple lodges, he should be able to belong to as many lodges as he pleases.

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dfreybur

Premium Member
Here in Texas, plural lodge memberships area permitted. As long as a Brother can afford to pay the dues for multiple lodges, he should be able to belong to as many lodges as he pleases.
I'm a life member (called endowed member in Texas except the price was higher) in two lodges. Plus an honorary member (very close to what a life member is in Texas except they don't have to pay an extra per capita for me) in another. I'm clearly in favor of dual/plural memberships.

Last night I was at an OV where endowed memberships were discussed. I was amazed at how low the minimum price is and at how many lodges charge that minimum price. I asked if there's any problem buying additional endowed memberships for deceased members or 50 year members. I figure that would be the way to go. If an endowed membership is 1/3rd or 1/4th the price I expect there's sense in buying 3-4 of them at a single lodge if I can afford it. There's even an advantage to that - When it comes to finances I have good years and bad years. Send in the price of another endowed membership in a good year.

Before the OV last night I had thought in terms of buying an endowed membership in a new lodge in a good year. I'll eventually do that with Tranquility Lodge and/or Lodge of Research but my thinking about craft lodges changed last night.
 

vangoedenaam

Premium Member
Re: Dual/plural memberships. Should Masons be able

In the Netherlands we have a system called 'buitenlid' where you have a limited membership in other lodges than your own for a much reduced fee. I dont think ppl can actually fully join more than one lodge as a full member. But im not sure about it. And since you can visit other lodges as much as you like and join the masonic work there, whats the point?


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Browncoat

Registered User
Re: Dual/plural memberships. Should Masons be able

What do YOU think? Should masons be able to join multiple lodges? If a man is a "snowbird", and spends six months a year in New Hampshire, and the winters in Florida, should he be able to join lodges in both states? If a mason is deployed overseas for a number of years, should he be able to join the lodge in the foreign country, as a full member, and keep his home membership as well?

I see nothing wrong with any of that.

The main issue for me would be voting at the local level. You should only be able to vote or hold office in your home/mother Lodge.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
Re: Dual/plural memberships. Should Masons be able

In the Netherlands we have a system called 'buitenlid' where you have a limited membership in other lodges than your own for a much reduced fee.

MWPHGLofTX has "affiliate" membership similar to that. I hold "honorary" membership in Lombard 1190 GLofIL similar to that. In GLofTX there is a "life" membership that works similar to that. Variations on a theme.

I dont think ppl can actually fully join more than one lodge as a full member. But im not sure about it.

All three of my jurisdictions allow dual/plural/multiple affiliation. I have no idea what percentage of jurisdictions in the world only allow single affiliation.

And since you can visit other lodges as much as you like and join the masonic work there, whats the point?

I think visiting is for short term travel, affiliation is for relocation. In an era when many men relocate more than a couple of times in their career it's possible to build up a number of memberships. If I ever move to a jurisdiction that only allows single affiliation I will visit as long as I live there - I have no plans to ever give up my current life/endowed memberships in the lodges I am also PM.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
Re: Dual/plural memberships. Should Masons be able

I see nothing wrong with any of that.

Snowbird status - The most recent time I was to Illinois GL (2012) our GM held snowbird membership in Alabama and asked the Alabama GM (his GM in that sense) to be a keynote speaker. As Illinois has cross attended with PHA for many years and Alabama does not recognized I rather liked the comic aspect of the combination.

Deployment status - For 2 years mid 2002 to mid 2004 we lived in Seattle metro. I affiliated with a Washington lodge while we were there. It's the only lodge I've ever demitted from so far because I was not yet life/endowed member when we had to relocate again for work. That's in addition to lodges where I am life/endowed plus PM or honorary member.

The main issue for me would be voting at the local level. You should only be able to vote or hold office in your home/mother Lodge.

To me the simple approach is the traditional cable tow of 50 miles from the member's domicile. I now live close to my Texas lodge so I could serve if my wife approved. As I now live much more than 50 miles from my Illinois and California lodges I should not be able to hold office in them.

There are many members of Illinois lodges who live just across the border in Indiana, Wisconsin and Missouri. As they are not Illinois residents they can not serve in Illinois offices (other than certified ritual instructors). There is a regular stream of proposals to allow them to serve. They always get voted down. I figure they live within the traditional 50 mile cable tow of their lodges so they should be able to serve their GL in any office. But so far that phrasing has not been suggested by brothers who do the paperwork process to get to the GL floor.
 

Browncoat

Registered User
Re: Dual/plural memberships. Should Masons be able

I don't see how being a multi-member would really hurt anything. If a guy has the time and/or financial means to support it, then more power to him.

There are some who, frankly, would do this solely to hold chairs for the reason of being self-important. Title acquisition syndrome and seeing how far they can expand their power, influence, and crony base. No sense in beating around that bush.
 

Brother JC

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
Re: Dual/plural memberships. Should Masons be able

My Mother Lodge is 1,100 miles away. If I go back to visit, I can vote (if there is a vote called), but that's the extent of it.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
Re: Dual/plural memberships. Should Masons be able

I dont think ppl can actually fully join more than one lodge as a full member. But im not sure about it. And since you can visit other lodges as much as you like and join the masonic work there, whats the point?
The reason I hold multiple affiliations is to help support my Lodges financially. I could have just visited them as I wanted to, but they've treated me so well that I wanted to help support them.
 

crono782

Premium Member
Re: Dual/plural memberships. Should Masons be able

This is purely out in left field, but I like the idea of being a member of only ONE lodge, your home lodge and able to be a "patron" of other lodges. Pretty much the same thing allowing you vote and all the other rights, but kinda reinforces the loyalty to your first home. I know, the idea is completely without precedent, but it sounds cool, more like a guild, hah.
 

Txmason32

Registered User
Re: Dual/plural memberships. Should Masons be able

Can you hold office if you don't affiliate

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dfreybur

Premium Member
Re: Dual/plural memberships. Should Masons be able

Can you hold office if you don't affiliate

I take it you don't mean sitting a chair pro-tem. I've done that on my first visit to some lodges. Once even to my first visit to any lodge in that jurisdiction (They liked the slightly different wording of the SW work when I recited it. Low turn out that meeting, chuckle).

California specifically allows Tiler and Harpist to be visiting brothers. Apparently because they are not popular positions and some lodges pay them so it can be a hobby that pays for itself. So far that's the only exception I've heard of. In my other jurisdictions all installed officers do need to be paid members.

My wife has pointed out that being an honorary member of Lombard 1098 GLofIL (called life member in Texas) means I could not be installed. That kept me from going through the line in yet another lodge. Honorary members don't get a bill for dues.
 
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