What are the responsibilities of a proposer in Freemasonry?

A member proposing a candidate for initiation is responsible for presenting the applicant's personal details to the lodge, including his full name, age, physical description, occupation or trade, and place of residence 1. The proposal must be submitted during regular lodge hours prior to the candidate's consideration, allowing the brethren adequate time to conduct a private inquiry into the candidate's moral character, reputation, and standing 14.

Historically, the proposer also carried financial obligations on behalf of the applicant. Under eighteenth-century Antient practice, the proposing brother was required to deposit a portion of the candidate's money with the lodge at the time of submission to guarantee that the applicant would attend for his initiation 1. In nineteenth-century lodge practice, local regulations sometimes held the proposing member directly liable for the candidate's initiation or degree fees should the candidate fail to pay them when due 2.

As Masonic procedure simplified, standard usage settled on requiring two lodge members to affix their signatures to the formal petition as recommenders 34. In specialized research bodies such as Quatuor Coronati Lodge, the proposer (termed an "intender") submits the candidate's credentials and an example of his literary or scholarly work to a permanent committee for unanimous approval before any proposal may be brought before the lodge 5.