# I read an interesting blog today.



## ThanatosTA (Nov 27, 2012)

http://jratcliffscarab.blogspot.com/2006/06/ten-reasons-not-to-become-freemason.html

I know I said I'd stop reading stuff, but I can't help myself.  I was just trying to find out if you can change lodges after you reach the M.M. degree and came across this....


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## crono782 (Nov 27, 2012)

I don't think there is anything wrong with readig *general* information on freemasonry while you prepare. Surface details like cost of membership, "can you change lodges", etc are definitely questions you should ask as they could affect your decisions on which lodge to join. I think the general consensus is stop reading anything that deals w/ the inner workings of degrees, rituals, and the like. To answer your post, the answer that was given to me was you can join another lodge (a "plural" membership), but you pay dues to both lodges) or you can completely "demit" your membership in one to join another if the situation necessitates it. (I doubt anybody would force you to stay with a lodge 500 miles away if you had to move, hah)

EDIT: cool article btw. nice find!


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## ThanatosTA (Nov 27, 2012)

Cool, thanks for the info.  I was just wondering about that as a "what if" situation.

About the reading thing, I was totally just joking.  I've been told I have a wierd sense of humor that has gotten me in trouble in the past.  I hope I haven't done that here already 

-Scott


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## crono782 (Nov 27, 2012)

Lol, gotcha. I always forget that my voice tone/sarcsm doesn't transfer well online, hah.


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## Bill Lins (Nov 28, 2012)

crono782 said:


> you can completely "demit" your membership in one to join another if the situation necessitates it.




Just to be technical :wink: the correct term in the above example is to transfer your membership from the old Lodge to the new one. Demit means to remain a Mason but not be a member of a Lodge, i.e. an "unaffiliated" Mason.


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## Bill Lins (Nov 28, 2012)

ThanatosTA said:


> I was just trying to find out if you can change lodges after you reach the M.M. degree



Actually, you must wait until after you have passed the proficiency exam in the MM work- then you can transfer your membership if you so desire.


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## crono782 (Nov 28, 2012)

Ohhh gotcha. Pretty close!


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## Custer148 (Nov 28, 2012)

Bill_Lins77488 said:


> Just to be technical :wink: the correct term in the above example is to transfer your membership from the old Lodge to the new one. Demit means to remain a Mason but not be a member of a Lodge, i.e. an "unaffiliated" Mason.




In my jurisdiction you cannot be an "unaffiliated" Mason, you must be a member of a subordinate Lodge.  In that case if you "demit" you are no longer a Mason in the eyes of the Grand Lodge of my jurisdiction.


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## Brent Heilman (Nov 28, 2012)

In Oklahoma it is possible to be "unaffiliated" but you pays dues directly to the Grand Lodge at a rate of $100/year.


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## cemab4y (Dec 1, 2012)

Your Masonic membership is normally "transferrable", provided that the Grand Lodges of the lodge you are leaving, and the Grand Lodge of the lodge you choose to join are in communications. If you move within a jurisdiction, like from Texarkana to El Paso, you can transfer your membership. If you transfer out of state, the Grand Lodges must be in communications. Some Grand Lodges permit Masons to hold multiple memberships, both in-state, and out of state. I belong to lodges in Kentucky and Massachusetts. Best way, is to check with your lodge secretary, and contact the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge in the state you are transferring to.

I once moved to Ohio. At that time, Ohio permitted Masons to hold only one (1) lodge membership at a time. If you wanted to take out a membership in an Ohio lodge, and you were moving in from another state, your application had to be accompanied by a demit, from all of the lodges you belonged to, before your application could be accepted.

The Grand Lodge office is the best source of information in your state(s).


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