Greetings….  I just stood my EA catechism tonight and (according to the brethren) I nailed it word for word! 

Here in Virginia, you can be initiated an EA, passed to FC, and raised a MM without doing your catechism (i.e.  the alternative method).  But once you’re a MM, you WILL be required to recite your catechisms soon after.

Anyway, tonight was my night, and my mentor and I went right through it, just like we have dozens of times before, reciting the EA catechism.  The whole lodge broke into an applause when we were done.  Wow… what a great feeling of pride, friendship, and brotherly love!

Next up, I have to start learning the FC catechism.  Then after that, I want to do the MM catechism.  To others who have never done their catechism, or are just getting started, it is a lot of hard work, but you will never forget it.  I love being a part of Freemasonry! :-)

Congratulations, brother!

Congrats

While is sounds like an interesting alternative method, what happens if you move to a new state and have not finished reciting one of the degrees? Do you [like the military] get “reduced in rank” equal to what your lodge has passed your last catechism. Or do you simply inform the new lodge that you need to finish the memory work as if you never changed lodges?

And how do you even pronounce “catechism”
katchism?
katch-ism?
kate-chism?
caw-chism?
cawch-ism?

KAT-eh-kizm

Moving to a new state is not really a big deal—most grand lodges in the US recognize each other.  There is a little bit of paperwork/phone calling involved.

1.  First locate a Lodge in your new area.  Explain your situation and that you’d like to finish your degree work through them.  The term is “courtesy work”—the new lodge is technically finishing your education for your original lodge.

2.  The two lodges will exchange the appropriate paperwork.  This is the point where a disorganized lodge can get hung up, so make sure you keep in contact with the lodge’s secretaries.

3.  The new lodge will finish your degree work, picking up right where you left off.  Keep in mind there are differences between states…you could find that the EA degree in your new area is quite different from the EA you experienced.  It’s actually quite interesting to see the differences.

4.  Once your MM degree is completed you are considered a full member of your original lodge (“mother lodge”).  Depending on where you’ve moved this may no longer be suitable for you, because you can only vote or hold office in a Lodge where you are a member—meaning you will always have the limited rights of a visitor in your new hometown’s lodge.  You will most likely decide to join your new local lodge as well (become a “dual member” of two states).  Some men decide after a time to withdraw their membership to the Mother Lodge (a “Demit”), but many men continue to support both institutions throughout their lifetime.

Thanks for the clarification.