08A Petition for Affiliation from Lodge WITHIN Florida OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW: Petition for AFFILIATION (GL606)

Transfer is from a Lodge WITHIN Florida

After a Sojourning Brother has sat in your Lodge and requests a Petition for Affiliation by Transfer of Membership (GL606), it is the responsibility of the Secretary to ensure that the process is smooth and as transparent as possible for the petitioner. The attached checklist was developed to ensure that the Secretary has a procedure that is accurate, abides by Grand Lodge requirements, is repeatable, and is a source of status for any officer who inquires as to the Petition status. In most situations, it is best to affiliate by a Transfer Certificate of Good Standing. When affiliating with a Dimit, the Brother will have a break in service between the date the Dimit was issued, and the date of being elected into membership in the new Lodge. Also, if the ballot is not favorable, then the Brother will have to state that he applied for membership in a Lodge and it was denied when he submits a new Petition for Affiliation to any Lodge. Note: a Background Check is not required for all Petitioners from a Lodge under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Florida.

It is also important to note that the Lodge Secretary is authorized to communicate directly with the Secretary of any Lodge under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Florida. All requests for Dimits, Certificates of Good Standing, and notifications of Election to a Florida Lodge, can be exchanged between the two Florida Lodges. The receiving Lodge Secretary must however, notify the Grand Lodge of Florida in writing, in addition to submitting a GL705, when the ballot is clear and the Dimit is received for the new member.

Upon receipt of the Petition, the Secretary should print a copy of the checklist and attach it to the potential member’s new folder. The attached checklists include items that the Lodge Secretary is responsible for overseeing to ensure that proper procedures are followed. It is important to record all activities so that in the absence of the Secretary, the Worshipful Master or Secretary pro tem can quickly view the status of any active Petition for Affiliation.

The file titled ‘13B Petition Status-Tracking Template.xls’ , if maintained by the Secretary, can be shared with the Worshipful Master, Lodge Instructors, and any officer inquiring about the status of candidates for the degrees and Petitions for Affiliation. It can also be beneficial for the Worshipful Master in planning dates for degrees and balloting.

It should be understood that the original, completed Petition should never leave the control of the Secretary. Information required by the Petition or Investigation Committees can be copied or a copy of the original petition can be given to these committees. (refer to 33.07, Rulings and Decisions 1954 Proc. 63) Note: Please refer to Chapter 33, Petition for the Degrees and Proceedings Thereon, in the Digest of Masonic Law. This chapter provides important information related to the Petition, the Petition and Investigation Committees, and guidelines on moving the petition through the required steps.

Jurisdictional determination of a candidate should be verified per Regulation 18.01, 18.02, 18.03, 36.02, and 41.32. The Secretary should become familiar with the Lodge Secretary’s Administrative Guide (GL 1215) and the Digest of the Masonic Law of Florida (GL 1216) to ensure that all requirements are met in processing all Petitions.

Per regulation 35.16, every member has a right to vote. Therefore the names of all Petitioners must be published in the Trestleboard to ensure that members are aware of pending balloting. By including neighboring lodges in the Trestleboard mailing, this will provide proper notice of scheduled balloting on Petitions.

The Secretary should be familiar with all aspects of processing petitions. In addition to the Digest and Administrative guide, there is also useful information in the Lodge Training Course, the Florida Masonic Monitor, Lodge Training Course Module II, and the Handbook of Recommended Floor Procedures.

To copy and customize this Overview page for your Lodge, refer to the file listed in the footnote of this page.