THE ARCANE SCHOOLS - Fort Myers Beach Masonic Lodge No. 362

Where not otherwise provided by the Constitutions of a Grand Lodge or
the
bye-laws of a subordinate lodge, analogy would instruct us that the
ballot, on the application of Apprentices or Fellow Crafts for
advancement, should be governed by the same principles that regulate
the
ballot on petitions for initiation.
Of course, then, the vote should be unanimous: for I see no reason why
a
lodge of Fellow Crafts should be less guarded in its admission of
Apprentices, than a lodge of Apprentices is in its admission of
profanes.
Again, the ballot should take place at a stated meeting, so that every
member may have "due and timely notice," and be prepared to exercise
his
"inherent privilege" of granting or withholding his consent; for it
must
be remembered that the man who was worthy or supposed to be so, when
initiated as an Entered Apprentice, may prove to be unworthy when he
applies to pass as a Fellow Graft, and every member should, therefore,
have the means and opportunity of passing his judgment on that
worthiness
or unworthiness.
If the candidate for advancement has been rejected once, he may again
apply, if there is no local regulation to the contrary. But, in such a
case, due notice should be given to all the members, which is best done
by
making the application at one regular meeting, and voting for it on the
next. This, however, I suppose to be only necessary in the case of a
renewed application after a rejection. An Entered Apprentice or a
Fellow
Craft is entitled after due probation to make his application for
advancement; and his first application may be balloted for on the same
evening, provided it be a regular meeting of the lodge. The members are
supposed to know what work is before them to do, and should be there to
do it.
But the case is otherwise whenever a candidate for advancement has been
rejected. He has now been set aside by the lodge, and no time is laid
down
in the regulations or usages of the craft for his making a second
application. He may never do so, or he may in three months, in a year,
or
in five years. The members are, therefore, no more prepared to expect
this
renewed application at any particular meeting of the lodge, than they
are
to anticipate any entirely new petition of a profane. If, therefore,
the
second application is not made at one regular meeting and laid over to
the
next, the possibility is that the lodge may be taken by surprise, and
in