Proficiency after demitting to a different state

[hanzosbm]

Several years ago I moved from Kentucky to California and am now visiting some local lodges with the idea of possibly joining one here. We all know that there are slight differences in proficiencies and degree work from state to state and if I were to demit to a lodge here, I think it would ideal to learn the California ritual.
My question is, how many of you have demitted to a different state and what steps did you go through (if any) to learn their way of doing things? Did you go back through the degrees? Go to weekly study sessions? And did you find it easier or more difficult than your first proficiency?

 

[Ripcord22A]

I didn't demit, but I'm a dual member in Oregon abd now New Mexico. What I've done is got a ritual book and attend meetings. In NM the floor work isn't in the book so i just pay attention during opening closing and degrees

 

[pointwithinacircle2]

When I went from Michigan to Maryland all I needed was a statement of good standing from my old Lodge before affiliating with a Lodge in my new state.

 

[dfreybur]

Once you've been raised and presented your proficiencies there is no need to do them again. Nor is there need to go through your degrees again. Those are only required if you come in from a clandestine lodge.

After I left California I settled in Illinois (stops in two states in between). I affiliated without demitting. Then I learned Illinois ritual and went through the line again. I don't ever plan on demitting from either jurisdiction.

Now that we settled in Texas I affiliated here as well. Now I'm learned a third version of the ritual.

 

[hanzosbm]

Thank you for that, dreybur.
Truth be told, I'm not sure if I'll demit or not (that was probably poor wording). Did you have any trouble with learning different versions? I'm very interested in what it will be like. In Kentucky, every MM is given a Monitor that has 99.99% of the degrees, opening and closing ceremonies, and everything else written out in plain English. Even going through the degrees, we were given printed versions of the catechisms to study from with only the grips, words, and tokens omitted. I believe California uses a cipher book for some information and it is mouth to ear for the rest. I've never learned to even read cipher and have only ever seen one cipher book (a brother from Texas showed me his once). I'm really looking forward to it all, but it feels a bit daunting as well.

 

[MRichard]

You don't have to demit. You can become a dual or plural member of a lodge long as you are in good standing. Even if you are not, you can probably get reinstated. Up to you.

 

[dfreybur]

"In Kentucky, every MM is given a Monitor that has 99.99% of the degrees, opening and closing ceremonies, and everything else written out in plain English"

I found it easier to learn with a cipher than plain text. It takes some amount of mouth to ear and repeating aloud to be able to read the cipher so maybe that's why. It's strange that at practices many knew that the cipher parts were easier to learn yet in the practice we would get to a monitorial portion and just say "monitorial" because we could always read it and repeat it on our own. Maybe that's because with the monitorial parts it was allowed to repeat them aloud with non-Masons present.

"Did you have any trouble with learning different versions?"

I found it harder to learn the second version than to learn the first. The first time I was writing on a blank slate using cipher and the necessary amount of mouth to ear to understand the cipher. The second time it was like I was using a different color chalk writing changes using written out with blanks for a few secret words. Now that I'm learning a third version it's just one more and not harder any more.

I have no idea how these two factors work together - Cipher - easier. First time - easier. Monitorial - harder. Second time - harder. Cipher - easier. Third time easier.

That's for the entire ritual going through the line. I did not work to relearn the Illinois or Texas ritual. If you were to try to go through one of my proficiencies with me right now my responses would be a mash or at least two versions as a side effect of learning the rest of the ritual.

 

[hanzosbm]

I completely understand what you mean. We had brothers in our lodge from all over the place and many would freely admit "okay, get ready for some Michigan ritual" or something to that effect. Most of the time, not a big deal. Every now and then things would be off just enough to create a hiccup. For instance, without going into specifics, one brother's ritual question prompted for a single response whereas the other brother's ritual answer gave two. Kinda left the first brother trying to figure out where to go from there.
Another point of interest, as I am returning to the Craft, I took a bit of time to really read over the Monitor. In the past, I had read my small portions as the SD and a few other parts, but strangely, I never actually read the full ritual. I was completely blown away. First, because of how differently the ritual was actually performed from what is written. The wording is quite a bit different and I think parts that are not written out become confusing when it is difficult to put into a completely different context. Secondly, I was astonished at how much of the second and third parts of the EA ritual were left out. Portions are noted as being optional, but I couldn't believe how much more there really was that I had never experienced. I feel like I'm starting back at the beginning in some respects.

 

[Glen Cook]

I' didn't dimit, but I went through the chairs in England. I'm not a whiz kid like SOME people, and never would have learned it but for a clear txt.

 

[Warrior1256]

I' didn't dimit, but I went through the chairs in England. I'm not a whiz kid like SOME people, and never would have learned it but for a clear txt.

Same here.