Masonic Transfer and initial signatures?

My brother had a few interesting questions for the forum. what if you petition a lodge then go away to college in another state, do you have to petition for a transfer into a new lodge? Also if you are a member of a lodge in your hometown, and are accepted in every lodge as a member, why is it then that you cannot get signatures for your initial petition for membership from members of any lodge, other then the one you are petitioning. He has family in other areas, that are members of different lodges ,but knows no one in the lodge he is petitioning, can he not get those signatures.

If you petition to join a Lodge, then for some reason fail to move through with the petition, I believe that the general rule is that you must wait six months before petitioning another Lodge.

If you petition to join a Lodge, and are accepted, but must move before taking any or all degrees, you must arrange with your Lodge secretary and the secretary of a Lodge in the area into which you've moved to have your degrees given by a Lodge other than the one that you've petitioned to. (whew! That was a complicated sentence!).

If you petition and join a Lodge, and get all three degrees there, then move, you may do what's called "petitioning for affiliation" at another Lodge, which means essentially that the other Lodge takes a ballot to see if they will accept you as a member.

If you have gotten all three degrees in any "regular" and recognised Lodge, you have a right of visitation at any Lodge in amity with your Mother Lodge, with several provisos: i) you must obey the bylaws of the Lodge which you are visiting ii) as a visitor, you may not vote on any Lodge issue or speak in debate (unless explicitly permitted to do so) iii) you must prove yourself a Mason and a member of a Lodge in amity before you are permitted to visit.

Lodges are independant entities, not members of a superstructure, and so it makes no sense to get sponsors from a different Lodge. That's like trying to use the votes of people in Ohio to get you elected governor of Washington (I'm just guessing about American political praxis... I hope I got it right.

If your brother does not know anyone in the Lodge he wishes to join, this is NOT A PROBLEM. He must contact the secretary of the Lodge, and in almost all cases, the Lodge will send out people to talk with him in depth, who will sponsor him if they are satisfied.

[edit on 30-6-2004 by AlexKennedy]