Explain the process of demitting and joining a new lodge

A Master Mason demits—or resigns—from a lodge by voluntarily requesting the termination of his membership, provided he is in good standing and free from unpaid dues or pending disciplinary charges 2. Upon the lodge accepting his resignation, he receives a demit, which serves as a certificate of good standing and a formal release from lodge dues 12.

While an individual brother holds the right to demit at his own pleasure 2, historical regulations prohibit a group of members from demitting simultaneously without a dispensation from the Grand Master, a rule intended to prevent mass resignations from disrupting or dissolving a lodge 2. A demitted Mason becomes unaffiliated; while he remains bound by the general moral obligations of the Order, he forfeits rights specific to lodge membership, such as voting, regular visiting, claiming pecuniary aid from a lodge, or receiving a Masonic burial 1.

To join a new lodge, the Mason petitions for affiliation or joining. Before the ballot for election is held, a joining candidate must produce his Grand Lodge Certificate and a certificate of good standing (clearance certificate) from every lodge of which he is or has been a member, as specified by the United Grand Lodge of England. The applicant must be proposed and seconded in open lodge, have his details printed on the lodge summons, and undergo a ballot prior to election, according to procedures outlined by the United Grand Lodge of England.

Historically, joining a lodge required the unanimous consent of the members present under the General Regulations of 1721 1. Modern practice under English jurisdiction permits election provided no more than three adverse ballots are cast, though individual lodges retain the right to require unanimity in their bye-laws 1.