masonic lodge election procedure

Booth Lodge 100-100C, be amended . _____ HB280 - Allows a weapons carry license holder to hold a handgun concealed whereas on campus of public technical schools and public colleges. Join us as we strive to make good men better by teaching universal values through the use of geometry and architecture metaphors. 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 Each question on a multipart ballot is counted as a separate ballot. << /Im1 11 0 R >> >> collectively, and in the case of one blackball appearing therein it 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. If it is discovered after an election that the person elected does not meet the eligibility requirements, and even if the person has begun to serve, the election is void. Past Masters have a standing in Masonic Law; certain duties may be assigned to them. 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. Usually the president closes nominations when no further nominations come forward from the assembly. Magazines Online] WM: "You will present the ballot to the officers and In balloting on a petition for affiliation, if one blackball If a minority of the committee wishes to nominate someone else, the members in the minority can make the nomination when nominations are taken from the floor. According to Robert's Rules, a motion to close nominations is out of order as long as any member wishes to make a nomination. Blogs] [Links] [ 11 0 R] 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. (After June 15, individual counties and cities could choose to continue their own meeting limitations, in which case those limitations would continue in force.) Business meetings are held on the EA degree in European lodge. It is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views endobj <> The following shall be the methods of affiliation: 1. If no candidate is found, the committee can leave that slot open for nominations from the floor. The mechanics of the election are governed by a few sections of the Minnesota Masonic Code and quite a bit of lodge tradition. You are using an out of date browser. Conducting an Election of Officers p. 25 Section III. 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. Register a free account today to become a member! . Elections are decided by majority vote unless your bylaws provide differently. Here are things you can do to improve your fraternity while not being on a lodge officer: Strengthen the brotherhood - The foundation of brotherhood is the strength of the friendships between the brothers. It may not display this or other websites correctly. 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. the name on the ballot and the Secretary repeats the name and tallies [Feedback]. This method requires more time for the election process, making it probably best limited to smaller groups. Masonic etiquette decries anyone who does not obey the gavel. accept?" To help with the Masonic experience at Lodge meetings, you were allowed to open on any degree, and use the Chamber However only Masters can vote. endobj stream Secretarys table and put the ballots into one of the hats. It is considered a faux pas to cross . 0 10. When two gavel knocks are heard, only officers of the lodge stand. The Masonic rituals provided here are as practiced under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Nevada, circa 1986. endobj 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. <> Enter your official identification and contact details. In the vote for the position of Worshipful Master This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United or opinion salute with the Worshipful Master. The Senior Deacon obtains the ballot box and presents Like all of us, I've heard it annually since the election in the year of my raising. . 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. When using this procedure, make it clear that a person can be nominated for and elected to more than one office. white ball elects; a black cube rejects. 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. These Masonic rituals represent three degrees which are taken in sequence. If officers assume their duties immediately after the meeting is adjourned, it is then too late to question the election. rejection. In Europe, it takes often a year, to advance per degree. Section 3. election of officers in April each year. Cell phones, chewing gum, crinkly snack wrappers and other distractions should be disallowed during a fraternity election (except during breaks). 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. 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. That means run-offs are just plain out of order. The Committee on Masonic Education and Information of . Your organization needs officers, maybe committee members, and other positions decided by a vote of the membership. 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. The entire ballot counters' report should be included in the minutes of the meeting. endstream endobj 37 0 obj <>stream stream Talks] [Masonic 4 0 obj (The chair usually just announces the opening of nominations at the appointed time when they are in order. it to the Master who inspects the ballot box making sure that the A ballot shall be taken for the three degrees mistake.". {V++6o <>`ulr<>[lLDdTVVQ4Mt{<1iz;E You simply say, "Mr. Chairman, I move that the chair appoint a committee of three to consider and make recommendations on the replacement of Mr. Exeter, who has resigned as chairman of the membership committee." gjzUS&31+W&nck')*Uf{|mON6E4GKIpFT(o o.RJ MXqy-) MR ____ for the ensuing Masonic year. Brethren, I declare that you have States or elsewhere. a portion or all of the petition(s) reread? First, the Entered Apprentice Degree, second, the Fellow Craft Degree and finally, the Master Mason Degree. To lend a professional air to the proceedings, suggest that brothers wear a collared shirt and tie, especially the candidates. % As JPM of my lodge, I've been asked to serve in this role for our upcoming officer elections. ballot drawer is empty and that there are both white balls and black NOTE: This is only a suggested procedure. If the organization uses a nominating committee and then takes nominations from the floor, the secretary records the nominating committee's report first and then lists nominations for each office in the order they are presented as given by the members from the floor. the Senior Warden hands each ballot to the Junior Warden who announces Freemasons meet in a temple, which they call a "lodge", as that is where ancient stonemasons met when working on a church or cathedral Lodges are grouped by region, roughly in line with the old. is more then one candidate for the degrees. endobj JavaScript is disabled. endobj 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. Marshal takes up his place at the West Gate and the Junior Deacon 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. << /Length 12 0 R /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 610 /Height 521 /ColorSpace 33 0 obj <> endobj JavaScript is disabled. visiting brother take his place so that the tiler may cast his collect the ballots, the Deacons approach the altar, pick up the hats, Each officer and member, before voting, must exchange the 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 Master may approve a collective ballot if there MAKE SURE YOU READ YOUR GRAND LODGE CODE! If they don't set a time for an adjourned meeting, they can call a special meeting (if the bylaws allow this). 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. collect the ballots and place the hats with the ballots at the ", SW: "Clear (dark) in the West, Worshipful. 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. Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be stream An officer election form is a document used by groups, clubs, and organizations to elect leaders and fill vacant positions. The bylaws of a charitable trust affiliated with a masonic lodge provide that its 9-member board consists of three "classes"of three, each class serving rotating three-year terms. If this occurs and it does not affect the outcome of the vote, the election is still valid. AUTHORITY. BALLOTING PROCEDURE CHAPTER xv THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER'S HANDBOOK Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you're petitioning. 16 0 obj 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. 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. of altar. It's never proper to drop the candidates receiving the lowest vote totals from a ballot unless they withdraw voluntarily. We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. Illegal votes are, Two or more marked ballots folded together (together they count as only one illegal vote). Because fraud does happen in the election process, members need to be alert and watchful of the election process. %PDF-1.5 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. Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. _____ and place it on the Here is how: You must first find a Masonic lodge location near you, contact them, and ask for a petition to join. to the Junior Warden, then the Senior Warden and then the Worshipful 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. 2 0 obj Do you 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. Is it permissible to hold election of officers in an EA lodge? Lodge No. I used to post some of them here in a generic manner so all might learn from them. j]Ic[faPhgcP0U0.!boS/]9[[3+:;:+:Q1DX. A newly raised Master . If you have only two candidates and the vote is a tie, you repeat the balloting until one candidate receives a majority. Ballot voting is by far the surest way to allow for the free expression of the will of the membership. 2 0 obj It has its own identity and recognition and carries with it the title of "Past Master". In most places, the answer is likely no. 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. Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of ____________ Lodge No. A member has the right to vote until the polls are closed. The Worshipful Master orders the Wardens to take 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. 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? 1 0 obj A late-arriving member can vote only with other members' consent by majority vote. I've never see a script or outline, but it should proceed as follows: That sounds like the CA required verbiage. majority of those voting being necessary for election, and the Worshipful Nominations for each office are followed by the election for that office. 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 Sometimes the committee is revived to make nominations to fill vacancies. When holding ballot elections, you have two procedural options: Nominations for all offices conclude before any balloting begins. No candidate whose application has These elections are to vote on new top lodge officers in the blue lodge. The Master then casts his own vote. When called on to give the report, the chairman of the nominating committee states the nominations for each office.