%PDF-1.3 The Grand Lodge was founded shortly after George I, the first Hanoverian king of the Kingdom of Great Britain, ascended to the throne on 1 August 1714 and the end of the first Jacobite rising of 1715.. Officially, the Grand Lodge of England was founded in London on St. John the Baptist's day, 24 June 1717, when four existing Lodges gathered at the Goose and Gridiron Ale-house in St. Paul's . hb```BVG ea8 P}+/m The presiding officer votes along with all the other members, although she is never allowed to cast a tie-breaker in a ballot vote. These elections happen in the end of the year to elect the following years leadership team. endstream Can't interrupt a speaker who has the floor or a member making a nomination, Requires a majority vote (except the motion to close nominations, which requires a two-thirds vote), Can be reconsidered if it's a negative vote to reopen nominations. A newly raised Master . In Kentucky, the individual is normally sent a certified letter. This may be done by the Master, under a provision of the bye-laws giving him the authority, or on his own responsibility, in which case he is amenable to the Grand Lodge for the correctness of his decision. 13 0 obj endobj Also, military lodges in foreign countries, often perform business meetings on the EA degree. In Freemasonry, a brother's word is of paramount importance, so revealing the secrets of the ceremonies and rituals within the lodge after reciting the Masonic Oath is not permitted. Each officer and member, before voting, must exchange the Your group's rules and customs determine when floor nominations are accepted. Confusion concerning the balloting process generally derives from lodge traditions being introduced into the elements of balloting that are not fully explained in our Code. Masonic Lodges, Masonic Organizations, and Youth Orders may conduct in-person meetings and events in compliance with county and city restrictions, if any. Further, I don't think I have ever seen a Lodge election where there isn't some form of politics involved. The Masonic Oath is hugely significant, as it is represents a Masons' integrity and is an example of their strong bond to all other brothers within the fraternity. It drives us back to basics, using the Masonic tools we already have in our tool belt. <> At this time the 2. 3. Freemasonry's Requirements for Membership. 9. All Articles] [Masonic will advance to the altar and cast their ballot. %PDF-1.5 % endobj The report of the nominating committee is usually given under "special orders." If members question the validity of an election or the procedure in taking the vote, a member should make a motion to recount the votes within a reasonably brief time after the president announces the election outcome. When the nominations stop, the chair just declares nominations closed after making sure that no more nominations are forthcoming. ", SW: "Clear (dark) in the West, Worshipful. ), Members rarely make a motion to close nominations because it's never in order to make this motion as long as anyone wants to make a nomination. A poor meeting achieves the opposite results. A member can rise and decline the nomination during the nominating process. Blogs] [Links] We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. endobj Nominations don't have to be seconded, but it's not out of order for members to second a nomination to signal their endorsement. Talks] [Masonic %PDF-1.5 The Code has two primary chapters that describe the process of voting in subordinate lodges. 1. The above procedure is repeated for each position or Depending on your organization and the decisions being made, balloting may take place during a meeting, or polls may be open during polling periods including times when no meeting is in progress. %%EOF endstream endobj 34 0 obj <>>>/Metadata 18 0 R/Pages 31 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 35 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Rotate 0/Type/Page>> endobj 36 0 obj <>stream The Senior Deacon presents the ballot for examination endobj When the secretary mails the members a notice about the nomination and election meeting, the letter can include a request that members who do not wish to be considered for office notify the secretary in writing. :7YA/gOwNw|\g[u|I}?F. ", WM: "Fair (cloudy) in the South, clear (dark) in the You must log in or register to reply here. Apply a check mark to indicate the choice wherever . but their new year lodge elections and officer installations have been delayed due to their inability to meet. Section 3. endobj APPOINTMENT. )GT?=Sk8&o9sU|$gv}~3H'>}3DReeZCZ2HN7.WadE-lUG|1pU]d. Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. However, we open the Lodge on the 3rd then call to refreshment, invite everyome in, after the ceremony the WM closes without form. When holding ballot elections, you have two procedural options: Nominations for all offices conclude before any balloting begins. 3. Since it is the obligation of every brother of the WM: "The brethren of ____________ Lodge No. Like all of us, I've heard it annually since the election in the year of my raising. The Worshipful Master orders the Wardens to take <> <> Enter your official identification and contact details. We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. %`y`aSW2.9]!BBI endobj If a person is elected to two different positions, she can either choose which office to accept or serve in more than one position, if that's allowed. ballot drawer is empty and that there are both white balls and black 9 0 obj The motion to have a vote for a particular office recounted needs a second, is not debatable, and takes a majority vote to adopt. Or, members can also finish the election at the next regular meeting if the meeting falls within a quarterly time period. If you have only two candidates and the vote is a tie, you repeat the balloting until one candidate receives a majority. endobj places. salute with the Worshipful Master. Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of 2 0 obj The assembly then votes again on the other office. Join us as we strive to make good men better by teaching universal values through the use of geometry and architecture metaphors. [What is Freemasonry] [Leadership of Freemasonry, nor webmaster nor those of any Motions to close nominations are usually unnecessary because the nomination process simply continues until no one wishes to make further nominations. % 263 0 obj <>stream ;D[{cv,#(145:n') Same in NM amd OR. At the Worshipful Master s order the Stewards distribute the ballots for the first position to be voted upon. /Rotate 0 >> <> However, it disadvantages candidates who lose an election for a position decided earlier and then can't serve a different position. My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. [What is New] or opinion No candidate whose application has 1.01 Charter: This Lodge exists by virtue of a Charter, dated 20th day of January, 1892 from the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Florida, and is located in the City of Clearwater, in the County of Pinellas, in the State of Florida. % <> altar.". [Feedback]. If a marked ballot is folded together with a blank ballot, the marked ballot counts as one legal vote, and the blank ballot is considered scrap paper. Your members may wind up voting for Mr. Low as the compromise candidate. Only one (1) official website per Lodge will be recognized by the Grand Lodge and linked to by the Grand Lodge of Georgia's website. The election process may be the easiest part of deciding who handles a particular job in the organization. %PDF-1.7 % AUTHORITY. endobj Masonic Etiquette Summary: Masonic etiquette is simply the rules of good manners which make lodge meetings pleasant for everyone. Introduction. New Jersey checking in. ojx&^ 64>"> |&`mkG l[o;5``ek l[;5zk Vhp 5Pq_t.Z1lhp3M \H{Tl nF$UkavOv1nT#-`mkp;m ~l 3ohG nF_..}$38~?g}z+O}?.]7?"kR7tFWo'E^ "EJ*F/'NPTAT,4)/ItJl8KgHC#unG &;iL-;G[_gC 6{-sMIa{vN_CwNeCE +]`7)$k,2? Any blue lodge that does not hold annual election of officers is considered irregular by most Grand Lodges. The requirement for election by ballot is a majority, and a candidate has no obligation to withdraw just because he polls low numbers. The Worshipful Master What it all means: A Worshipful Master simply depicts a deity or one in authority who is held in honor and considered as an honorable man. A late-arriving member can vote only with other members' consent by majority vote. If the ballot vote decides an election, you're instructed to write the name of the nominee of your choice on your ballot. The person who gets the most votes may not have a majority of the votes. [Articles] [Masonic Ballot counters present during the voting should be carefully instructed in their duties and should be able to explain to other members how to use the machine. Robert's Rules sets out several methods of making nominations for positions: An organization can nominate candidates in several ways: This method is used whenever the membership wants to rely on the presiding officer to recommend candidates but also wants to reserve for itself (or its designee, such as the board of directors) the approval of the nominee. The position of Worshipful Master in the East occupies the most exalted position within the lodge. Only MMs vote. in Season 1, episode 2 of Lodge 49 on AMC, our hero Dud (Wyatt Russel) tells Blaise (David Pasquesi) "You'd have more people if the membership fee wasn't so high.". 33 0 obj <> endobj * In Tennessee, the only time you open an EA or FC lodge is to confer those degrees. - "The qualifications necessary are, that the candidate should be true and trusty, of good repute, held in high estimation amongst the fraternity, skilled in Masonic knowledge, and moreover a lover of the Craft; he . A properly planned and executed meeting results in good participation. In this case, the members must vote again until one candidate receives a majority vote. One vote against the petitioner generally rejects him. Decision Making For Dummies. If the motion is adopted, the assembly can adjourn before the vote is announced if it has another meeting scheduled. been rejected by a Lodge shall again be proposed within six months after BALLOTING and LODGE ELECTIONS Excerpt from the Report of The Discipline Committee - Our 2014 Proceedings - Page 96: "The Committee also had its attention drawn to instances of irregular balloting procedures being of lodges. A parade of misfortunes had culminated by forcing potato planter Fred Jensen to stop his cross-country dash 85 miles short of his destination. He or she should present it to the assembly to decide what to do with the vote - whether to count it and toward what name to credit the vote. The committee must carefully review the eligibility requirements for each office and see that the nominees meet these requirements. JavaScript is disabled. Join a brotherhood of over 2,000,000 men of all ages, from all races, religions, and countries, and from all walks of life. election of officers in April each year. No one should be nominated without his or her consent because, if elected, the person may decline to serve and members will have to hold another election. Also, members rarely move to close nominations because, whenever no further nominations are offered, the chair usually just declares, "Hearing no further nominations, nominations for the office of [name the office] are closed.". 7. All business is done in a MM lodge. ", WM: "How in the West, Brother Senior Warden? If anyone is elected, and it is discovered after the election that the person is not eligible, the election of that officer is null and void. From his home in Pocatello, Idaho, across almost 3000 miles of highway, Fred's car had given trouble, and now, at Henniker, N.H., the cooling system finally gave up. Work on making your brothers become better friends. << /Length 12 0 R /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 610 /Height 521 /ColorSpace One example occurs if a person is elected and then resigns, the office is considered vacant, and the president or board fills it by appointment instead of having another election. After nominations are closed, the vote is taken on each nominee in the order in which they were nominated. so presented that each officer and member shall cast his ballot These Masonic rituals represent three degrees which are taken in sequence. If an elected candidate declines the office after he or she is elected and after the meeting has adjourned, another election needs to take place, if at all possible. Clearwater Lodge No. Nominations are taken for successive offices in the order they're listed in the bylaws. endobj ballot closed." Chairman of Nominating Committee: Madam President, the nominating committee submits the following nominations: for president, Alex Shaw; for vice president, Bianca Fernandez; for secretary, Raymond Platt; and for treasurer, Donna Agnese. <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Your organization needs officers, maybe committee members, and other positions decided by a vote of the membership. mistake.". Sometimes nominations aren't taken until the election is pending, and sometimes they're taken at other times, such as at a meeting before the election meeting. If your bylaws don't require you to conduct an election by ballot, and if candidates are unopposed or there's no major contest for an office, you can save time with a simple voice vote (or viva voce). collect the ballots and place the hats with the ballots at the Only MMs vote. This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United If a member is elected and not present and has not previously said that if elected he or she will serve, someone should call the member to see if he or she will accept the office. visiting brother take his place so that the tiler may cast his Nominees do not have to leave the room during the nominations, when the vote is taken, or when the vote is counted. Jump to content The Official RONR Q & A Forums programs and procedures of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, a Masonic District and their Lodge. 10. Mail or absentee ballots not arriving on time or mysteriously disappearing when the time comes to count them. Masonic Lodge Officer Duties For Their Term in Office: 1 Year Appointed Lodge Officer Positions: The other officers, which include the Senior Deacon, Junior Deacon, Senior Steward, Junior Steward, Marshal, Tiler and Chaplain are appointed positions by the Worshipful Master. 'xzwQ38/4b|T}R-g|7uhw 4!"icE)S7AEo It is important to remember that once someone is elected, the election can't be rescinded unless there is some provision for it in the bylaws. REG. A person can nominate himself or herself. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Jewels of Masonic Secretary The Secretary's official duties include issuing the summons (a formal notice of an impending meeting, with time, date and agenda), recording meeting minutes, completing statistical returns to the Grand Lodge, and advising the Worshipful Master on matters of procedure. That job belongs to the presiding officer, who reads the report again to the members, concluding with a formal declaration of the result. _____ stream He is ultimately responsible for every other lodge officer and their duties, every lodge committee, ritual and degree work, Masonic education, social functions, fundraisers, District and Grand Lodge liaison, Trestle Board communication, etc. 587 ___________, you have been elected to serve as ____________ of Election of Master and Treasurer 36 Exclusion under Rule 181 Procedures to be carried out 31,32 Files To be kept 5 Foreword 2 Forms Grand Lodge 5 Grand Rank Procedure 33 Hall Stone Jewel When it can be worn 18 Honorary Membership Disabilities, Election, Status 13 Installation Night Toast 19 Leaflets Information 5 elected. Development] [Education] [Masonic I've never see a script or outline, but it should proceed as follows: That sounds like the CA required verbiage. a portion or all of the petition(s) reread? Taking nominations by mail is basically the same as taking nominations by ballot. The balloting committee can still count the ballots. << /Im1 11 0 R >> >> majority of those voting being necessary for election, and the Worshipful Booth Lodge 100-100C, be amended . 2. Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Education: CHAPTER 31: Lodge Service Commission: CHAPTER 32: . In counting the votes, the balloting committee must not confuse a majority vote with the highest number of votes. 1. You can use a ballot vote to decide either a motion or an election: If the ballot vote decides a motion, the question is clearly stated by the chair, and you're instructed to mark your ballot Yes or No (or For or Against). x`TU?5%BBH*5XHRjD5IPJ@Z"MDE]sm.Cs)}{n/JFtZ_!ms6g:8_\Xt hq[gGBqvZ(}%p&N"4t 4b2hEs A website endorsed by a Lodge will be considered the official Lodge website, and will be subject to these criteria and rules. This method is applicable when, Appointing members to committees, if specified in the motion creating the committee, or if prescribed in the bylaws, Electing a presiding officer in a mass meeting. the vote. 6. 2. A lodge which does not honor its Master, no matter how they personally feel about the man, himself, lacks Masonic . Lodge Trustees and Charity Foundation become available for you and published in the members only area of our web site so that you know how Grand Lodge and its organizations are spending your money and conducting their business. If the committee does its job well, the membership can enjoy some basic assurance that the candidates nominated have at least expressed interest in the job, have agreed to serve, and are qualified for the offices for which they're nominated. Are there any further nominations for president? Members then vote on a candidate to fill the remaining office. In most places, the answer is likely no. Achieve this by asking them to hang out with you. Customarily (although it's not required), the chair accomplishes this by calling three times for more nominations. 6. If the lodge is not able to contact the individual after a reasonable period of time, the non-paying Mason is dropped (suspended). Crossing the G. In most grand lodge jurisdictions, rituals call for an altar to be placed in the center of the lodge room holding the respective Volume of Sacred Law. I guess that would depend on the jurisdiction. 3 0 obj Whatever nomination method you propose, be specific. endstream It is possible that because of a mistake in counting the ballots, or another procedural mistake, someone can be declared elected to office when he or she did not receive the majority votes. endobj When the nominating ballot is received, the signed inner envelope containing the ballot is logged in against a list of voting members, and the ballot is deposited in a receptacle for tallying like an election ballot. A ballot shall be taken for the three degrees "30*5gDcJuk.w^m=12Ua&0cE'|H%KV L%|c]c0l;v=[, Cj+M 38xHDL\. Grand Lodge Dues 24 Conducting an Election of Officers 24-25 Section . Take security measures to protect the privacy of the nominating ballot; each member is instructed to fold his or her ballot inside a signed envelope and mail it back in an outer envelope. some brother of the Lodge other than the Secretary should tally and My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. The Guide is designed to be an easy-to-use reference based on the law and regulations as well as the knowledge and experience of OLMS staff. Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be <>>> At the Worshipful Masters order the Wardens to Adam is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and is employed as a Senior Manager of International Tax in Latrobe, PA. xWMo1#[YO !T6T=D9Jhnwv5ofm4_0Vgu=_|[~jC5}YWyYWw45lv4~JS'AdQiewV?=few_Xu9pTX(*HYfh5Y2Q=[6(ao)\\O 9|b|+x Up % ZDEpV`,QI8.3mb'Vs5cAZ!X^S"W7FZ$%W8Fh,)Jrt $^JG{vxGVW9Z;-*r4b@fSM(o/ ?-vz}J=Pu&NC\H#^SKUvN)A@+a)eU"PvrNLsi;:~8J8 9 This method gives voters an idea of the group's preferences without holding an actual election. When the secretary prepares the eligibility list for the meeting, only those members who are willing to serve are on the list. HWG l!$"' g]9=3>3U}Zo.wjyiQo?\>,:lFYE#q IBZ.rwi/A%f_N'_LDX endobj If not, Brother A motion to close nominations is usually not necessary unless it is apparent that members are nominating people just to honor them, and that the nominees have no intention of serving. The Lodge web page must not link to or be linked to by any website where a conflict . %PDF-1.5 All eyes are upon the Master. or opinion cubes in the box. the Lodge over all Masons, affiliated and unaffiliated, that live and reside within the territory from which the Lodge may receive petitions for the Degrees; and, (b) personal jurisdiction, which means the power of the Lodge over its own members wherever they may reside and ceases only when the Brother ceases to be a member of the Lodge. . It is considered a faux pas to cross . endobj Every lodge is incorporated and required to have corporate officers. In a ballot vote, after the ballot counters have collected all the ballots, a member can make the motion to adjourn. Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. Annual Meeting Election and Installation of Officers Annual Past Masters Night Symbolic Degree Refresher Application Avouching Back to Lodge Night Bringing Freemasonry to the Attention of Profane Correspondence Dress Entering an Opened Lodge Examination of Visitors Example Sheet - Lodge Programs General Grand Honors The ballots are tallied very much like an election ballot, and the report becomes the list of nominees for each office. The only exceptions are: (1) a newly instituted lodge, (2) one that has received written approval from the General Governor, based upon membership action, or (3) an emergency situation requiring the election to be changed or waived.
