# I'm trying again now in Texas



## rider.of.rohan (Jan 25, 2017)

Hi everyone. Joshua here. My story is a little confusing and I dont know what to do next. I moved to East Texas about 2 years ago from Northern California. I had petitioned to join a lodge there and was accepted but then I had to move to Texas before I got to do anything with the lodge. But now I am settled here in Texas and want to start my path at becoming the man I have wanted to be. If you all have any questions please ask I'm very open.

After becoming a firefighter I have learned what brotherhood means and what it is like to truly respect and honor a brother when it comes to that. Hopefully my journey will take me somewhere where I learn the craft and become a better man. Anything else you want to know ask away. Thanks for letting me join. 

Hope to start a petition soon I just dont know what lodge because there are two near me. And I'm confused about my California one. Maybe someone can help with that. 

Kind regards,

Joshua

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## Brother JC (Jan 25, 2017)

If you have any letters from the CA lodge you should mention them when you petition TX. If you paid any fees in CA they should have been returned to you when you told them you were moving.


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## Bloke (Jan 26, 2017)

Brother JC said:


> If you have any letters from the CA lodge you should mention them when you petition TX. If you paid any fees in CA they should have been returned to you when you told them you were moving.


Unless it was an application fee....

So Rider, to be clear and to confirm, you petitioned in Texas, and were accepted but not initiated so you never became a Freemason ? I would just find a lodge in TX and fill out their paperwork and offer that TX lodge any assistance to resolve the any issue. Out of courtesy, I would be contacting the Lodge in CA and letting them know you were grateful they accepted you but saddened that your personal circumstances prevented you from being initiated but you petitioned in good faith and want to become a Freemason and will pursue that in your new State of TX (which might have a minimal residency requirement).


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## goomba (Jan 26, 2017)

Seems reasonable to me that it will not cause you any problems.  Just be honest.  Good luck!


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## rider.of.rohan (Jan 26, 2017)

Thank you all very much. I contacted the local lodge and they need to make sure I was accepted there So I just need to contact the initial lodge I petitioned for and have them clear that I was accepted and left in good standings to move to texas

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## rider.of.rohan (Jan 26, 2017)

Bloke said:


> Unless it was an application fee....
> 
> So Rider, to be clear and to confirm, you petitioned in Texas, and were accepted but not initiated so you never became a Freemason ? I would just find a lodge in TX and fill out their paperwork and offer that TX lodge any assistance to resolve the any issue. Out of courtesy, I would be contacting the Lodge in CA and letting them know you were grateful they accepted you but saddened that your personal circumstances prevented you from being initiated but you petitioned in good faith and want to become a Freemason and will pursue that in your new State of TX (which might have a minimal residency requirement).


I have not petitioned in Texas yet and I was never accepted in California as a Mason I petitioned in California but never started my apprenticeship but I was accepted into the lodge to start my apprenticeship but then I moved here to Texas and so I want to petition for a large here but I wanted to make sure that that doesn't conflict with what went on a California

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## Bloke (Jan 26, 2017)

rider.of.rohan said:


> I have not petitioned in Texas yet and I was never accepted in California as a Mason I petitioned in California but never started my apprenticeship but I was accepted into the lodge to start my apprenticeship but then I moved here to Texas and so I want to petition for a large here but I wanted to make sure that that doesn't conflict with what went on a California
> 
> Sent from my VS990 using My Freemasonry mobile app



Do you know if the balloted for you?

Sounds like you are going about this well (and there are lots of experienced TX and USA masons  here who will chime in with more help)


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## Warrior1256 (Jan 26, 2017)

Welcome to the forum and the best of luck to you.


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## rider.of.rohan (Jan 26, 2017)

Bloke said:


> Do you know if the balloted for you?
> 
> Sounds like you are going about this well (and there are lots of experienced TX and USA masons  here who will chime in with more help)


It was about a year and a half ago. If the ballot was when they vote me in to join then yes they balloted me and was accepted. I have some people in California contacting the GLoCA and Texas people doing the same. Thanks for the help

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## dfreybur (Jan 26, 2017)

You petitioned and were balloted upon so you are the "material" of your California lodge.  Two paths -

Ask for a "Waiver of jurisdction" from your California lodge to surrender you to a different lodge.

Ask for "degrees by courtesy" then after being raised transfer your membership.

Either option takes paperwork.  Either option should be a rubber stamp approval.


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## rider.of.rohan (Jan 26, 2017)

dfreybur said:


> You petitioned and were balloted upon so you are the "material" of your California lodge.  Two paths -
> 
> Ask for a "Waiver of jurisdction" from your California lodge to surrender you to a different lodge.
> 
> ...


Thank you very much for the help. I'll make sure to bring that up. You have been a great help so far

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## Ripcord22A (Jan 27, 2017)

Where in norcal are you from?

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## rider.of.rohan (Jan 30, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> Where in norcal are you from?
> 
> Sent from my LG-H918 using My Freemasonry mobile app


I was from grass valley ca


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## Ripcord22A (Jan 30, 2017)

Grass valley? Thats not norcal maaan.  Im originally from Shasta County.....thats norcal.  Jk ill except that answer.  Drives me nuts when people from the bay area amd central valley tru to say they are from Norcal

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## dfreybur (Jan 30, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> Drives me nuts when people from the bay area amd central valley tru to say they are from Norcal



NorCal starts where SoCal ends.  Leave Santa Barbara county and you're out of SoCal.  Ask the Central folks - They don't want their own region they typically self identify as Baja California Del Norte.  Woops, I mean as part of the north.  ;^)


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## Ripcord22A (Jan 30, 2017)

Nope.  Sac and above is NorCal.  Actually Yolo county and above.  Its a whole different culture then the rest of the state.  The state of Jefferson!

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## Matt L (Jan 30, 2017)

My wife graduated from Humbolt State, that's northern CA. When we lived in Carpinteria and Oxnard I didn't consider it SOCAL. If you were south of LA that was SOCAL.


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## Ripcord22A (Jan 30, 2017)

Humbolts awesome! 

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## dfreybur (Feb 1, 2017)

All of that north-south stuff gets very relative when you consider the names Baja California Del Sur, Baja California Del Norte and Norte Americano.


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## Brother JC (Feb 1, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> Nope.  Sac and above is NorCal.  Actually Yolo county and above.  Its a whole different culture then the rest of the state.  The state of Jefferson!


Umm, geography check; Grass Valley is north of the Yolo County line...
Yolo stops around 38.8 and GV is 39.2.


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## Ripcord22A (Feb 1, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> Jk ill except that aanswer. My Freemasonry mobile app


I accepted that GV is NORCAL



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