705 South Hercules Avenue. If a member votes for fewer choices than positions to be elected, the vote is legal and those votes count. This method of nominations is based on the principle of allowing all voters to make nominations for all offices by completing a nominating ballot. endobj Premier Grand Lodge of England - Wikipedia The person who gets the most votes may not have a majority of the votes. If lodge functions go smoothly, it is the Master who takes the credit. That job belongs to the presiding officer, who reads the report again to the members, concluding with a formal declaration of the result. After the person elected to office assumes the position, it is too late to nullify an illegal election. Freemasonry | Definition, History, Stages, Lodges, & Facts Or, members can also finish the election at the next regular meeting if the meeting falls within a quarterly time period. endobj When holding ballot elections, you have two procedural options: Nominations for all offices conclude before any balloting begins. 2 0 obj West and bright (black) in the East. Don't implement a new process to 450 lodges until it is . Or, they can tell members publicly that they do not have a nominee for a certain office; this allows members to volunteer. Voting Is A Masonic Principal: Part I - Midnight Freemasons In balloting on a petition for affiliation, if one blackball 6. PDF Guidance Notes for Lodge Secretaries in Hertfordshire 1 0 obj 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). 8. << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << /Cs1 7 0 R Lindale Masonic Lodge: 200 W. Margaret Street, Lindale, TX 75771 Main Location The HUB: 304 E. Ferguson Street, Tyler, TX 75702 Noonday Community Center: 16662 CR 196, Tyler, TX 75703 St.. 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. Only MMs vote. (After June 15, individual counties and cities could choose to continue their own meeting limitations, in which case those limitations would continue in force.) Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. . Voting by ballot enables a member to vote for a candidate not formally nominated by writing in a name a write-in vote. ), 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. I /8ZzeL%kxF~/a&MBkd/cK"zBARqG(/%:}4Q;l@)R^M,s;p Rx P~DV(GR,&Gj;v}yh/5F3ibD,eZJ Masonry doesn't care about your worldly wealth or social position. Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of 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. 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.". One vote against the petitioner generally rejects him. 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. 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. An officer election form is a document used by groups, clubs, and organizations to elect leaders and fill vacant positions. 0 The brother responds. 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. 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. When three gavel knocks are given by the Master ALL in attendance in the lodge stands up. The presiding officer can continue presiding, even if he or she is one of the nominees for the office. visiting brother take his place so that the tiler may cast his The main advantage here is that it allows members to consider the election results of one office before proceeding to the election of another office. If you have only two candidates and the vote is a tie, you repeat the balloting until one candidate receives a majority. 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. Grand Master's Decisions on Masonic-Sponsored Meetings and Events cubes in the box. Taking nominations by mail is basically the same as taking nominations by ballot. 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. It's never proper to drop the candidates receiving the lowest vote totals from a ballot unless they withdraw voluntarily. The election of lodge officers is an annual event, specified in the lodge bylaws. To help with the Masonic experience at Lodge meetings, you were allowed to open on any degree, and use the Chamber << /Im1 11 0 R >> >> A properly planned and executed meeting results in good participation. When called on to give the report, the chairman of the nominating committee states the nominations for each office. First, the Entered Apprentice Degree, second, the Fellow Craft Degree and finally, the Master Mason 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. 1. Because fraud does happen in the election process, members need to be alert and watchful of the election process. [What is New] Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. accept?" If members haven't used the machine before, it may be wise to show them how to use it the day before the election. PDF INFORMATION ON MASONIC TRIALS - The Grand Lodge of Mississippi F & A Two top hats are placed on the kneeling pad at foot of altar. In Texas, per Art. 5 0 obj ByLaws - Clearwater Lodge No. 127, F&AM <> If you become a Free Mason, you will: Join both the oldest and the largest fraternity in the world. 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. endstream A late-arriving member can vote only with other members' consent by majority vote. By transfer of membership, maintaining continuous membership, and 4. Grand Secretary "Stuff" Information for Lodge Secretaries - December Often the extra ballot comes from someone who has entered the assembly but has not signed in to the meeting. However only Masters can vote. altar.". If not, Brother <> Robert's Rules of Order, Nominations And Elections - Westside Toastmasters Do you In this case, the members must vote again until one candidate receives a majority vote. Lodge Officers Manual - Masonic Grand Lodge of Maine Suggested Procedure For Electing Lodge Officers. Master. Because this form of voting favors one candidate over another based on the order of nomination, you should avoid using it except in mass meetings or when there's no serious contest for the office and a ballot is not required. Adam is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and is employed as a Senior Manager of International Tax in Latrobe, PA. Discover the world's largest and oldest fraternal organization with over 3 million members. %%EOF In Europe, it takes often a year, to advance per degree. 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? 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! f;-^*//%^je)R%^eKuZJQ\LU/Zgy:FDt8KF:US1OG+T/5i]\V5qhw`6mjzS"m].#{T^]q p;43[9[C nF^y' 64 Section 12: How To Run A Good Business Meeting - Masonic Grand Lodge of appears the ballot shall be immediately retaken, and if a blackball 4. ", JW: "Fair (cloudy) in the South, Worshipful. In the vote for Secretary, unless he is retiring, >> /ExtGState << /Gs1 13 0 R >> /Font << /Tc1 10 0 R /TT2 9 0 R >> /XObject My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. to the Junior Warden, then the Senior Warden and then the Worshipful These could lead The Constitution is clear on the proper procedure If your assembly's members are accountable to a constituency, your rules may require you to conduct your elections by roll-call vote. %PDF-1.5 Start on time, prepare and follow an agenda, be decisive and impartial, abide by the Constitution and By-laws of your lodge, the rules of order, and finally, always end on time. As JPM of my lodge, I've been asked to serve in this role for our upcoming officer elections. PDF Guidelines for Subordinate Lodge Balloting - Grand Lodge of NC 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. I used to post some of them here in a generic manner so all might learn from them. Chapter 63 covers general voting and Chapter 68 covers the secret ballot. Lodge Election Procedures "Worshipful Master (WM) or Preceding Officer" 1. <> The requirement for election by ballot is a majority, and a candidate has no obligation to withdraw just because he polls low numbers. The process of making floor nominations is subject to the following rules: Recognition by the chair is not required to make a nomination. 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. endobj At the Worshipful Masters order the Stewards Like any incidental main motion, an election can be decided by voice vote or by ballot. If you have a nominating committee in place, ask this group to declare their nominee for a specific officer role. Some Lodges have their bills paid automatically each month electronically, such as for utilities and telephones for example. applicant shall be declared rejected. [Feedback]. The election (or rejection) of a candidate in a Masonic lodge is a secret ballot, and with few exceptions, must be completely unanimous. 3 0 obj RESOLVED, that the Handbook of Masonic Law, Digest of Edicts, sec- Authors of Resolution: Bros. John F. tion on Perpetual Membership, pages Knox, Jr., P.M., W.H. %%EOF - "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 . It varies! These rules supersede the adopted parliamentary authority. The above procedure is repeated for each position or Only members entitled to vote are given ballots or are allowed to deposit ballots with a ballot counter or place them in the ballot receptacle. Persons serving on the committee can be nominated for office. takes up his place at the tilers door. Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be elected. Whenever you need to specify a way to come up with nominees, as you probably will for situations your bylaws don't cover, you use a motion related to the method of nominations. 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. 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. 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 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. Club elections and officers are an integral part of the organization and must be conducted according to the group's bylaws and rules. If they don't set a time for an adjourned meeting, they can call a special meeting (if the bylaws allow this). a portion or all of the petition(s) reread? majority of those voting being necessary for election, and the Worshipful ___________, you have been elected to serve as ____________ of ____ for the ensuing Masonic year. Application Letter To Join Masonry - Fill Out and Sign Printable PDF A Lodge member who has held the highest office in the Lodge has for life a Masonic position of his own. )Cv`3!VOYe%K]'d4'kH&]x*"W.L+P|WUyl>TlUTZZh=7wE%4 DoH+5%Y+*:*2*&^Ol\Td4G]:^[DdVXQn*mNI#]Vv?v:]W6x H|z=|-!q1 oF?$Ul(V1C:[jhDe4nsl65gpr'fKuo2a0$T$W.6 ` 5SR_? The Committee on Masonic Education and Information of . other regular Masonic body other than those stated. Two top hats are placed on the kneeling pad at foot election of officers in April each year. Some Lodges If members are voting for offices that have staggered terms or that last more than a year, the secretary should include in the minutes when the term expires. 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). << /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. ballot closed." 292, elections may be held in a lodge opened in an EA as long as there is an EA attending. A member of the committee should then be designated to call each nominee to see if he or she is willing to serve if elected. 2. If a member leaves one part blank, the votes entered on the other questions still count. <>>> A lodge which does not honor its Master, no matter how they personally feel about the man, himself, lacks Masonic . The advanced tools of the editor will guide you through the editable PDF template. A member shouldn't offer more than one nomination to a position if there are several seats for the same office such as for nominees to a board or a committee until all other members have had the opportunity to make nominations. Talks] [Masonic been rejected by a Lodge shall again be proposed within six months after Each question on a multipart ballot is counted as a separate ballot. WB Christopher J. Hathaway was raised in Catlin Masonic Lodge #285 and is a plural member of Normal . For this reason, members should listen carefully to the report of the ballot counters' committee. JFIF C 1 0 obj Is it permissible to hold election of officers in an EA lodge? Masonic Lodges, Masonic Organizations, and Youth Orders may conduct in-person meetings and events in compliance with county and city restrictions, if any. Election of Officers of a Lodge: CHAPTER 55: Installation of Officers of a Lodge: CHAPTER 56: Officers of a Lodge, Term, Resignation, and Title . The Senior Deacon closes the lid on the ballot. At the end of each successful vote the ballots On the Approaching Election to the Masonic Chairs 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. The Authorities for Masonic Law. Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of If counting ballots takes some time, it is best for the assembly to take a recess instead of adjourn. Chapter XVII - Suggested Procedure For Electing Lodge Officers In counting the votes, the balloting committee must not confuse a majority vote with the highest number of votes. No candidate whose application has Brethren, I declare that you have 4 0 obj The Senior Deacon presents the ballot to each officer This saves time and allows for polling at a time and place other than a meeting. <> Masonic Etiquette Summary: Masonic etiquette is simply the rules of good manners which make lodge meetings pleasant for everyone. (or for affiliation) which has received a unanimously favorable PDF The NJ Freemason Spring 2019 - Grand Lodge of New Jersey altar. 8 0 obj 10 Mistakes You Should Avoid As A Freemason - MasonicFind ^. 0 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. Booth Lodge 100-100C, be amended . Pause. endobj %PDF-1.5 % 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. 7 0 obj Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California. However, in some national organizations that meet yearly or biennially (every two years), this is difficult. Masonic Lodge Election Procedure > 2023 inviolably preserved. Same in NM amd OR. If an EA is not attending, it is the option of the WM as to which lodge will be opened. The secretary should give the committee a copy of the membership list, the bylaws, a description of the duties of each office, and the eligibility requirements. 2. Lodge Transfers : r/freemasonry - reddit 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. Clearwater Lodge No. Do Freemasons elect their top leadership? - Freemasonry Report Ie!W2UP7MEdq-2Y+(jVW`Y, z?D;tr>[iqqF7!FR$uh?%b 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. Here is how: You must first find a Masonic lodge location near you, contact them, and ask for a petition to join. A member can rise and decline the nomination during the nominating process. In Kentucky, the individual is normally sent a certified letter. 6 0 obj endobj Ballot voting is the preferred voting method in situations in which knowing how all the members voted isn't desirable. "If so, I declare the Both a bank's president and janitor can apply for membership, and they're considered equally qualified. Annual Election of Lodge Officers - Blogger 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. 'xzwQ38/4b|T}R-g|7uhw 4!"icE)S7AEo A newly raised Master . It is the duty of every member present to vote, 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. endobj WM: "Have all of the brethren of _______________ If the ballot vote decides an election, you're instructed to write the name of the nominee of your choice on your ballot. <>>> The election process may be the easiest part of deciding who handles a particular job in the organization. Nominations are taken for successive offices in the order they're listed in the bylaws. 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. No matter which procedure you use, the order in which you take up each election is the order in which the offices are listed in your bylaws. I've never see a script or outline, but it should proceed as follows: That sounds like the CA required verbiage. 14 0 obj (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. names. An election is really nothing more than the handling of an assumed motion, with the question being on whom to elect to fill a position. All Articles] [Masonic again appears the petitioner shall be declared rejected, but he may at Masonic Etiquette And Protocol - The Masonic Trowel Also, military lodges in foreign countries, often perform business meetings on the EA degree. % We can conduct lodge business in the EA degree in Minnesota, but only Master Masons can vote. Robert's Rules on elections are very straightforward after what is often a politically charged prequel of nominating and campaigning. Masters are required to see that the ballot box is (rap). 10 0 obj Master informs the successful individual as follows: "Brother Dud goes wide-eyed at hearing this and immediately leaves the lodge because he realizes he's been played by . Freemasonry's Requirements for Membership. This requires secretaries (and possibly grand secretaries if different jurisdictions) to get involved, but is a somewhat common occurrence. 9. places. Mail or absentee ballots not arriving on time or mysteriously disappearing when the time comes to count them. For the qualifications of candidates in order to join a Masonic Lodge in Texas there are a series of "Freemason requirements". If this occurs and it does not affect the outcome of the vote, the election is still valid. 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. All eyes are upon the Master. Ballot voting is by far the surest way to allow for the free expression of the will of the membership. 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.