masonic lodge election procedure

By establishing plural membership in a North Carolina The laws which govern the institution of Freemasonry are of two kinds, unwritten and written, and may in a manner be compared with the "lex non scripta," or common law, and the "lex seripta," or statute law of English and American jurists. 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.". ;D[{cv,#(145:n') _____ cast their ballot?" Talks] [Masonic endobj Get To Know Ohio Freemasonry's Grand Secretary | Freemason 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 If members haven't used the machine before, it may be wise to show them how to use it the day before the election. Some Lodges 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. Two top hats are placed on the kneeling pad at foot of altar. Locals file for May 6 city, school board elections; many unopposed No officer of a Masonic lodge may take up his elected or appointed duties until formally installed to his office by proper authority. - "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 . How to Conduct an Election of Officers (with Pictures) - wikiHow altar.". It's never in order to vote Yes or No (or For or Against) a candidate when electing persons to office. endobj SECRETARY FORMS AND REPORTS | Grand Lodge of Georgia, F. & A.M. Decision Making For Dummies. Votes cast by illegal voters must not be counted at all, not even included in the number of total votes cast. The Committee on Masonic Education and Information of . <> Here are some other things to consider during the election process: A quorum needs to be present throughout the election meeting. 7 0 obj 66 0 obj <>stream Club elections and officers are an integral part of the organization and must be conducted according to the group's bylaws and rules. It's used in the vast majority of situations in which members elect their officers at a meeting. Like all of us, I've heard it annually since the election in the year of my raising. The Secretary announces the results of the vote, a 1. endobj LODGE VISITATION - A PRIVILEGE. Grand Master's Decisions on Masonic-Sponsored Meetings and Events 127. "30*5gDcJuk.w^m=12Ua&0cE'|H%KV L%|c]c0l;v=[, Cj+M 38xHDL\. A website endorsed by a Lodge will be considered the official Lodge website, and will be subject to these criteria and rules. gjzUS&31+W&nck')*Uf{|mON6E4GKIpFT(o o.RJ MXqy-) MR . 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? )GT?=Sk8&o9sU|$gv}~3H'>}3DReeZCZ2HN7.WadE-lUG|1pU]d. If the bylaws specifically address this situation, members should follow the bylaws. hb```BVG ea8 P}+/m After the votes are counted, the lead ballot counter reads aloud to the membership the complete report of the vote counts but doesn't declare the result. ",#(7),01444'9=82. However, it disadvantages candidates who lose an election for a position decided earlier and then can't serve a different position. That means run-offs are just plain out of order. Chapter 63 covers general voting and Chapter 68 covers the secret ballot. 0 HB280 - Allows a weapons carry license holder to hold a handgun concealed whereas on campus of public technical schools and public colleges. Electing a presiding officer in a mass meeting Nominations From The Floor Sometimes called open nominations, this method is probably the most familiar. <> WM: "The brethren of ____________ Lodge No. hmo@W}w*JGEa]/p o?_%au/$"p@ZPI 6AKFQt$8g!AHG[v;~&Wwu~|1xX21`9-Yd]%dsXQNxm -$we/mc5qrq:a/}4Y#A6,UX"{,S(JCs4l>nl,~nn%M&bt_zFPVJ_**#lU6uZe]Y[;M 6tvM{7W/225[n_SOmGP_4U_rH1v %m" &"`hh&q'I%D-rI$\\OScmalRCiPh_Th 7AN.RR9ou|r:9>NpT~XI|{&]MJ )FvJlC{hDRDT "DJc+^zrPl c[ % and the Past Masters around the Lodge and places the ballot box on the Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. Nomination by petition is another method of nomination by mail; provisions must be made for it in the bylaws, and standard forms must be provided to candidates and electors upon request. Lodge Transfers : r/freemasonry - reddit When three gavel knocks are given by the Master ALL in attendance in the lodge stands up. That job belongs to the presiding officer, who reads the report again to the members, concluding with a formal declaration of the result. You take nominations from the floor for one office, and when no further nominations are forthcoming, you proceed to the balloting for that office. Welcome | Grand Lodge of NC These elections are to vote on new top lodge officers in the blue lodge. 3. Some Lodges have their bills paid automatically each month electronically, such as for utilities and telephones for example. Only MMs vote. If you have a nominating committee in place, ask this group to declare their nominee for a specific officer role. The following shall be the methods of affiliation: 1. 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 PDF Guidance Notes for Lodge Secretaries in Hertfordshire My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. 7. <> F powered by Dr. Stefanus Hadi, Ph.D. visit www.FLIVE.com email: club@flive.com follow Clubhouse: @stefanus send SMS Text to +1 213-749-8777 Los Angeles, California A member may for indecorous or unmasonic conduct be excluded from a single meeting of the lodge. After the committee reports, the chair states: President: The nominating committee nominates Alex Shaw for president, Bianca Fernandez for vice president, Raymond Platt for secretary, and Donna Agnese for treasurer. Election of Officers of a Lodge: CHAPTER 55: Installation of Officers of a Lodge: CHAPTER 56: Officers of a Lodge, Term, Resignation, and Title . PDF Guidelines for Subordinate Lodge Balloting - Grand Lodge of NC If it's determined that enough illegal votes were cast by illegal voters to affect the result, and these votes can't be identified and removed from the count, then the vote is deemed null and must be retaken. 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. 6 0 obj Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app. The Politics of Freemasonry | Freemason Information A member has the right to vote until the polls are closed. ;J @*Ix~6ia 023X85i=%/v')^KkHaQaA {DCAH ' Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. Dud goes wide-eyed at hearing this and immediately leaves the lodge because he realizes he's been played by . West and bright (black) in the East. Your group's rules and customs determine when floor nominations are accepted. You follow the same procedures for elections by ballot, as far as arriving at the point of the election is concerned, but instead of casting your vote by ballot, each member announces his vote when the secretary calls that person's name. . The Senior Deacon closes the lid on the ballot. 1. This method gives voters an idea of the group's preferences without holding an actual election. One vote against the petitioner generally rejects him. In a ballot vote, after the ballot counters have collected all the ballots, a member can make the motion to adjourn. However, we open the Lodge on the 3rd then call to refreshment, invite everyome in, after the ceremony the WM closes without form. Nominations don't have to be seconded, but it's not out of order for members to second a nomination to signal their endorsement. APPOINTMENT. REG. The Louisiana Freemason Spring 2020 Issue by Grand Lodge of Louisiana <> 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. The Necessity of Lodge Audits | Freemason Information In counting the votes, the balloting committee must not confuse a majority vote with the highest number of votes. If members adjourn before an election is complete, they should set the time for an adjourned meeting to finish the election. endobj << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << /Cs1 7 0 R This example is based on moving to have nominations by committee, but the form is essentially the same for any of the methods. As Masons, we hone our skills to apply their use, improving ourselves daily. Be careful and make no 6. Register a free account today to become a member! A late-arriving member can vote only with other members' consent by majority vote. When called on to give the report, the chairman of the nominating committee states the nominations for each office. If there is a question about the way a ballot is marked, the ballot counters should take it to the presiding officer. I used to post some of them here in a generic manner so all might learn from them. To help with the Masonic experience at Lodge meetings, you were allowed to open on any degree, and use the Chamber The way to fill out the Mason form form form online: To start the form, use the Fill camp; Sign Online button or tick the preview image of the document. Voting machines having wedges inserted to prevent the lever from going down all the way. Your organization needs officers, maybe committee members, and other positions decided by a vote of the membership. 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. 2 0 obj The Code has two primary chapters that describe the process of voting in subordinate lodges. f;-^*//%^je)R%^eKuZJQ\LU/Zgy:FDt8KF:US1OG+T/5i]\V5qhw`6mjzS"m].#{T^]q p;43[9[C nF^y' 64 of Freemasonry, nor webmaster nor those of any This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United [Feedback]. majority of those voting being necessary for election, and the Worshipful In most places, the answer is likely no. [Feedback]. hbbd``b`n@` ! This method requires more time for the election process, making it probably best limited to smaller groups. 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. After nominations are closed, the vote is taken on each nominee in the order in which they were nominated. When presenting the nominations or taking the vote for a list of offices, the president should follow the order of offices that appears in the bylaws. The report of the nominating committee is usually given under "special orders." %PDF-1.5 Freemasonry's Requirements for Membership. 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. It's never proper to drop the candidates receiving the lowest vote totals from a ballot unless they withdraw voluntarily. The only way you can vote against a candidate is to vote for another person. appears the ballot shall be immediately retaken, and if a blackball 9. Any blue lodge that does not hold annual election of officers is considered irregular by most Grand Lodges. The person who gets the most votes may not have a majority of the votes. endobj One of the most important franchises which the Masonic character offers is THE ELECTION OF MASTER FOR THE ENSUING TWELVE MONTHS. Talks] [Masonic altar. 13 0 obj Officers Duties and Responsibilities . Elections are decided by majority vote unless your bylaws provide differently. States or elsewhere. 3 ways to keep your Masonic Lodge from closing its doors F - Clubhouse report from the investigating committee. once petition the same or any other Lodge in the jurisdiction. Depending on the Grand Lodge, this can be anywhere from 18 to 25. Announce that you are about to conduct the election of Lodge officers for the ensuing Masonic year and state that you will now accept nominations for the office of WM. The ballots are tallied very much like an election ballot, and the report becomes the list of nominees for each office. <>>> endstream Because fraud does happen in the election process, members need to be alert and watchful of the election process. endobj or opinion Collectively, these motions are known as motions related to nominations. 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 . 1. 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. To which Blaise replies "Yeah, 200 bucks is pretty steep.". By absolute demit, [ Chapter 76] 3. 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). [Articles] [Masonic <>>> 0 Development] [Education] [Masonic stream 2 0 obj PDF Protocol & Etiquette Essentials <> If polling is conducted outside of a meeting, members should verify their credentials with election officials when casting their votes at the polls, and members' names should be checked on a list showing who has voted. Masonic Lodge Election Procedure HB89 - Tightens the time frames for issuance of firearms licenses by probate judges. In Tennessee, the only time you open an EA or FC lodge is to confer those degrees. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The Senior Deacon then takes up a If lodge functions go smoothly, it is the Master who takes the credit. unobserved by others, so that the secrecy of the ballot shall be If members leave during the meeting so that a quorum is not present, those offices not yet elected must be put off until an adjourned meeting or until the next meeting. The Authorities for Masonic Law. Master. A properly planned and executed meeting results in good participation. 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. or opinion This requires secretaries (and possibly grand secretaries if different jurisdictions) to get involved, but is a somewhat common occurrence. 3 0 obj 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. Premier Grand Lodge of England - Wikipedia His term expires July, 2014.". Are there any further nominations for president? However only Masters can vote. of the District of Columbia Since it is the obligation of every brother of the Lodge to vote, the Master should invite the tiler in and have a visiting brother take his place so that the tiler may cast his vote. Or, they can tell members publicly that they do not have a nominee for a certain office; this allows members to volunteer. j]Ic[faPhgcP0U0.!boS/]9[[3+:;:+:Q1DX. At this time the 4 0 obj Here is how: You must first find a Masonic lodge location near you, contact them, and ask for a petition to join. No candidate whose application has You are using an out of date browser. This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United Customarily (although it's not required), the chair accomplishes this by calling three times for more nominations. In Kentucky, the individual is normally sent a certified letter. 54 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[33 34]/Info 32 0 R/Length 100/Prev 87331/Root 34 0 R/Size 67/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream The Trustees of the Charitable Foundation have authorized the "build out" of the Grand Lodge Library into the space formerly the drive through banking area. 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. The Senior Deacon obtains the ballot box and presents A write-in vote is a legal vote unless it's unintelligible or cast for an unidentifiable or ineligible person or for a fictitious character, in which case it's counted as an illegal vote. <> Election Master/Judge parliamentary procedure - My Freemasonry After the period during which a recount can be conducted has passed, you don't need to keep the ballots. %PDF-1.3 Past Masters have a standing in Masonic Law; certain duties may be assigned to them. When two gavel knocks are heard, only officers of the lodge stand. endobj %`y`aSW2.9]!BBI Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox! If a member leaves one part blank, the votes entered on the other questions still count. As each nomination is received (assuming multiple candidates), ask each nominee "If elected, are you willing to serve?" collectively, and in the case of one blackball appearing therein it 2 0 obj 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 of Freemasonry, nor webmaster nor those of any An "irregular lodge" can be described as the type of Lodge that does have a charter from a Grand Lodge, but other Grand Lodges do not recognize its Grand lodge. 14 0 obj 1. 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 practices to watch out for include: Ballot boxes being stuffed or written ballots being changed. It is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views Lodge Website Criteria | Grand Lodge of Georgia, F. & A.M. * endstream endobj startxref 1. 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. We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. Usually the president closes nominations when no further nominations come forward from the assembly. The above procedure is repeated for each position or <> The Closely Guarded Secrets of the Masonic Lodge - Freemasons Community x`TU?5%BBH*5XHRjD5IPJ@Z"MDE]sm.Cs)}{n/JFtZ_!ms6g:8_\Xt hq[gGBqvZ(}%p&N"4t 4b2hEs 9 0 obj Small technical errors, such as spelling mistakes or marking an X when a checkmark is called for, don't make a vote illegal as long as the voter's intent is discernible. The presiding officer can continue presiding, even if he or she is one of the nominees for the office. The Senior Deacon presents the ballot for examination In this case, the members must vote again until one candidate receives a majority vote. 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. (After June 15, individual counties and cities could choose to continue their own meeting limitations, in which case those limitations would continue in force.) Brethren, I declare that you have In Europe, it takes often a year, to advance per degree. 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.

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