Wisconsin F&AM and Prince Hall have visitation. If a member of one wanted to join the other they would have to take their degrees again. Stupid.
*** WARNING *** The following is not an indictment of PHA nor the "regular" Lodge system. It's just the facts as I have observered them.
We are having many young men coming home who were Initiated, Passed and Raised in Prince Hall chartered Military Lodges overseas. These Lodges accept both black and white members. In Wisconsin, PHA Lodges are only in Milwaukee and Madison. White members, quite simply, are shunned. PHA in Wisconsin does not, to the best of my knowledge, I, P and R white petitioners. They also will not release a member for transfer by affiliation. Ergo, our Grand Lodge cannot accept a PH Mason because they cannot get documentation from PH that they're a Mason.
This is not a problem for white members. Being ostrizied by PH anyway, they have no problem going through the degrees again. But many of the black Brothers, when they find out they have to do the degrees again, think it's because of us and get pissed. I tried to get a guy a couple of months ago. The new GM tried to talk the PH GM into releasing him. No go. Several black Brothers of our Lodge tried to explain it to him, but he was too pissed. So a good man lost.
As I said, stupid.