Brethren, I declare that you have If a member is not present to choose which office he or she wants to serve, the members vote on which office they want him or her to serve. stream 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. <> A properly planned and executed meeting results in good participation. The process of making floor nominations is subject to the following rules: Recognition by the chair is not required to make a nomination. cubes in the box. We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. A member can rise and decline the nomination during the nominating process. 'xzwQ38/4b|T}R-g|7uhw 4!"icE)S7AEo Members then vote on a candidate to fill the remaining office. MAKE SURE YOU READ YOUR GRAND LODGE CODE! 11 0 obj If there is a question about the way a ballot is marked, the ballot counters should take it to the presiding officer. Suggested Procedure For Electing Lodge Officers. collectively, and in the case of one blackball appearing therein it WM: "Have all of the brethren of _______________ 5 0 obj Rules may include how long the organization saves ballots and how long members can wait to challenge an election. You have to fill out and file with the Lodge Secretary a Petition for the Degrees of Freemasonry, pay the required fee, and attach a copy of your birth certificate. 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 75-3 METHODS OF AFFILIATION. Are there any further nominations for president? altar. The election (or rejection) of a candidate in a Masonic lodge is a secret ballot, and with few exceptions, must be completely unanimous. We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. petition(s) of _______________ for the degrees of Freemasonry, In determining how long to hold the ballots before destroying them, your main consideration is the possibility of needing a recount. % Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be elected. Usually the president closes nominations when no further nominations come forward from the assembly. white ball elects; a black cube rejects. endstream The Senior Deacon obtains the ballot box and presents In this case, the members must vote again until one candidate receives a majority vote. Elections are decided by majority vote unless your bylaws provide differently. My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. It has its own identity and recognition and carries with it the title of "Past Master". After the brethren have cast their ballots. 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. This requires secretaries (and possibly grand secretaries if different jurisdictions) to get involved, but is a somewhat common occurrence. All business is done in a MM lodge. The election of lodge officers is an annual event, specified in the lodge bylaws. Past Masters have a standing in Masonic Law; certain duties may be assigned to them. 2. shall be immediately retaken, when, if a blackball again appears, the For every expense, large or small, the Secretary is to write a voucher which is to be countersigned by the Worshipful Master and passed on to the Treasurer for payment. At the Worshipful Masters order the Stewards Nominations are taken for successive offices in the order they're listed in the bylaws. Some Lodges have their bills paid automatically each month electronically, such as for utilities and telephones for example. 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. unobserved by others, so that the secrecy of the ballot shall be All Articles] [Masonic The "lex non scripta," or unwritten law of Freemasonry is derived from the traditions, usages and customs of . Blogs] [Links] Since it is the obligation of every brother of the If a member votes for more choices than positions to be elected, the vote is considered illegal. The report of the nominating committee is usually given under "special orders." Talks] [Masonic hb```e``b`f``cg@ ~}"S-(1I)|p(0)P5oDurCAfG3f1,-- d$WZ3bVasYf`$exq> )Zg ____ for the ensuing Masonic year. A member has the right to vote until the polls are closed. If you have only two candidates and the vote is a tie, you repeat the balloting until one candidate receives a majority. 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. The bylaws should not tie the hands of the committee to find more than one person to fill each slot; the committee should find the best candidate for each office. Don't implement a new process to 450 lodges until it is . If lodge functions go smoothly, it is the Master who takes the credit. All officers resume their stations and If an EA is not attending, it is the option of the WM as to which lodge will be opened. The brother responds. First, the Entered Apprentice Degree, second, the Fellow Craft Degree and finally, the Master Mason Degree. a portion or all of the petition(s) reread? 127. %`y`aSW2.9]!BBI All business is done in a MM lodge. elected (rejected) Mister ___________ for the degrees of Dud goes wide-eyed at hearing this and immediately leaves the lodge because he realizes he's been played by . Members should be alert to some undemocratic political practices in organizations. %PDF-1.3 Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of This saves time and allows for polling at a time and place other than a meeting. It's never proper to drop the candidates receiving the lowest vote totals from a ballot unless they withdraw voluntarily. hb```BVG ea8 P}+/m 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. $.' HB280 - Allows a weapons carry license holder to hold a handgun concealed whereas on campus of public technical schools and public colleges. Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of and the Master may oblige him to do so. It is the duty of every member present to vote, Your members may wind up voting for Mr. Low as the compromise candidate. However only Masters can vote. Any blue lodge that does not hold annual election of officers is considered irregular by most Grand Lodges. 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. This method of nominations is based on the principle of allowing all voters to make nominations for all offices by completing a nominating ballot. This ceremony, revised in 2013 relies heavily on the work of the prolific Masonic author and commentator, Robert Macoy who first set it down in Masters are required to see that the ballot box is 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 . This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United Join us as we strive to make good men better by teaching universal values through the use of geometry and architecture metaphors. Another problematic practice to watch out for is nominating someone for office who is not eligible. By absolute demit, [ Chapter 76] 3. place with the Senior and Junior Wardens alternating in calling the However, we open the Lodge on the 3rd then call to refreshment, invite everyome in, after the ceremony the WM closes without form. The entire ballot counters' report should be included in the minutes of the meeting. 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.". 9 0 obj Some organizations add nominees to the ballot only if the name is submitted on a petition signed by some minimum number of members. 2017 2 PREFACE This Manual has been assembled to enable Brethren to better understand the laws, customs, programs and procedures of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, a Masonic District and their Lodge. My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. stream If members don't understand exactly how it works, the ones whose preferred candidate doesn't get voted on are likely to think something is amiss. He serves as Chairman of the Trustees of Title to the Masonic Temple and other Real Estate of the Grand Lodge, is a Trustee of the Consolidated Fund and Trustee of the Masonic Charities Fund. Two top hats are placed on the kneeling pad at foot of altar. charge of the Ballot and they pick up the hats, take them to the You must log in or register to reply here. During an election, especially when ballot counters are not trained or when candidates are running in opposition, members may become aware of mistakes or illegal procedures in collecting or counting the ballots. (1) A District Grand Lodge Fund shall be established for charitable and other Masonic purposes to which every Lodge in the District shall make in respect of each of its subscribing members annual contributions of $5000.00 or such lesser amount as the District Grand Lodge shall by resolution from time to time determine. State which position is open for election or re-election, and invite members of the organization to come forward with their nominations for the position. 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. Here are some other things to consider during the election process: A quorum needs to be present throughout the election meeting. I've never performed or even practiced the role before, though via "osmosis," should be able to piece it together to at least a minimally functional level. stream Like all of us, I've heard it annually since the election in the year of my raising. APPOINTMENT. In Kentucky, the individual is normally sent a certified letter. 16 0 obj At the Worshipful Masters order the Wardens to JavaScript is disabled. The Lodge web page must not link to or be linked to by any website where a conflict . In balloting on a petition for affiliation, if one blackball Interestingly, some years ago, Virginia implemented a dues amnesty program. Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. The Antimasonic party, whose avowed goal was the destruction of the Masonic Lodge and other secret societies, was the first influential third party in the United States and introduced the. endobj Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be
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