We dont' vote on a candidate's "proficiency", as we call it; this is left up the the WM and his representative (usually the SW) who has checked out the candidate. In fact, I've only seen one proficiency in an open lodge and it surprised me. I think it's a great idea, and it gives the candidate more incentive to study.
We often check them out on the eve of - or sometimes just bere - their next degree. Normally this is not an issue in our lodge - in fact, at our last degree the SW drove the candidate down to the lodge we were visiting and checked him out in the car.
http://masonictao.blogspot.com/2006/...ry-degree.html
Last year, though, we did have an issue when a candidate had not contacted the lodge at all until the night of his MM degree - a Past Master's Degree, and the acting SW went to the prep room to check them out (we had 3) and found one young man completely clueless. He came back into lodge to report, much to the embarassment of the young man's grandfather, who came down to take a part in the degree. After some discussion, we decided to allow him to participate, but with instructions to his sponsors that he needed to make the MM proficiency before he could recieve his dues card.
I'd like to say that this had a happy ending and he's now the best ritualist and most active member. I'd
like to say that, but unfortunately he became a bit huffy about being checked out and even more so when the SW explained to him the decision. AFAIK, he hasn't been back to pick up his dues card.
This is obviously a major breakdown in communication between the candidate and his sponsors. A sponsor thought that the grandfather was handling the communication, the grandfather thought somebody esle was keeping in touch, etc.