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. 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. Illegal votes cast by legal voters count toward the total votes cast, but they don't count for any individual choice or candidate. collect the ballots and place the hats with the ballots at the Grand Lodge Dues 24 Conducting an Election of Officers 24-25 Section . Balloting must continue until a candidate receives a majority. 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. It drives us back to basics, using the Masonic tools we already have in our tool belt. Secretarys table and put the ballots into one of the hats. 7 0 obj 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. Same in NM amd OR. 66 0 obj <>stream However, it disadvantages candidates who lose an election for a position decided earlier and then can't serve a different position. At the Worshipful Master s order the Stewards distribute the ballots for the first position to be voted upon. 'xzwQ38/4b|T}R-g|7uhw 4!"icE)S7AEo accept?" These elections are to vote on new top lodge officers in the blue lodge. Register a free account today to become a member! 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). 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. That job belongs to the presiding officer, who reads the report again to the members, concluding with a formal declaration of the result. [ 11 0 R] altar.". % For this reason, members should listen carefully to the report of the ballot counters' committee. time immemorial. If they don't set a time for an adjourned meeting, they can call a special meeting (if the bylaws allow this). A lodge which does not honor its Master, no matter how they personally feel about the man, himself, lacks Masonic . In determining how long to hold the ballots before destroying them, your main consideration is the possibility of needing a recount. Apply a check mark to indicate the choice wherever . Masonic politics is typically at its ugliest during elections when Brothers are charged with un-Masonic conduct for "electioneering." I find this all rather amusing as I believe our process for electing officers is far from perfect. 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. 2 0 obj WM: "Have all of the brethren of _______________ BALLOTING PROCEDURE CHAPTER xv THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER'S HANDBOOK Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. By absolute demit, [ Chapter 76] 3. endobj 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. Once you're a Master Mason, you've got a few options. Only MMs vote. Doing this may allow an unpopular or hand-picked candidate to get the office even though he or she was not elected. endobj Votes cast by illegal voters must not be counted at all, not even included in the number of total votes cast. 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 If this occurs and it does not affect the outcome of the vote, the election is still valid. Robert's Rules on elections are very straightforward after what is often a politically charged prequel of nominating and campaigning. A member may for indecorous or unmasonic conduct be excluded from a single meeting of the lodge. gjzUS&31+W&nck')*Uf{|mON6E4GKIpFT(o o.RJ MXqy-) MR After nominations are closed, the vote is taken on each nominee in the order in which they were nominated. <> endobj We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. position north of the altar. Illegal votes are, Two or more marked ballots folded together (together they count as only one illegal vote). inviolably preserved. 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. Every lodge is incorporated and required to have corporate officers. << /Im1 11 0 R >> >> 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. shall be immediately retaken, when, if a blackball again appears, the The secretary places all nominations in the minutes. Marshal takes up his place at the West Gate and the Junior Deacon If something doesn't quite add up, a member should question it during the meeting. should be destroyed. 6. The assembly then votes again on the other office. other regular Masonic body other than those stated. A poor meeting achieves the opposite results. To lend a professional air to the proceedings, suggest that brothers wear a collared shirt and tie, especially the candidates. altar. Sometimes there is a split in the nominating committee over who to nominate. 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. Two top hats are placed on the kneeling pad at foot of altar. All officers resume their stations and All Articles] [Masonic . We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. endstream endobj startxref *.MXPY!~@Aa%^ N&4D1la`:v@Ai,^t #. f;-^*//%^je)R%^eKuZJQ\LU/Zgy:FDt8KF:US1OG+T/5i]\V5qhw`6mjzS"m].#{T^]q p;43[9[C nF^y' 64 West and bright (black) in the East. A properly planned and executed meeting results in good participation. While the . Ie!W2UP7MEdq-2Y+(jVW`Y, z?D;tr>[iqqF7!FR$uh?%b This saves time and allows for polling at a time and place other than a meeting. Polls closing or opening at times different than the times posted. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. As each nomination is received (assuming multiple candidates), ask each nominee "If elected, are you willing to serve?" 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. 12 0 obj ), 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. 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. 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." You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you're petitioning. <> the name on the ballot and the Secretary repeats the name and tallies 4. Your members may wind up voting for Mr. Low as the compromise candidate. [What is New] At the Worshipful Masters order the Stewards His term expires July, 2014.". 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. 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. _____ and place it on the the South? %PDF-1.5 % Business meetings are held on the EA degree in European lodge. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Achieve this by asking them to hang out with you. Note: Prior to opening elections, the WM will go over prerequisites, eligibility, exceptions, nominations, limitations and procedures in accordance with Lodge By Laws and the ACGL Code, sections 2.21 through 2.29. A parade of misfortunes had culminated by forcing potato planter Fred Jensen to stop his cross-country dash 85 miles short of his destination. 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. Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California. Balloting for your acceptance into a Masonic lodge After the investigative committee reports to the lodge, your petition is voted on. The above procedure is repeated for each position or 13 0 obj * (rap once). 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. Is it permissible to hold election of officers in an EA lodge? 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. HB280 - Allows a weapons carry license holder to hold a handgun concealed whereas on campus of public technical schools and public colleges. Fund raising is underway. 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. A newly raised Master . The brother responds. All Articles] [Masonic 4 0 obj Masonic etiquette decries anyone who does not obey the gavel. 5 0 obj The person who gets the most votes may not have a majority of the votes. Nominations are taken for successive offices in the order they're listed in the bylaws. The ballots are tallied very much like an election ballot, and the report becomes the list of nominees for each office. 127. 587 The minutes may say, for example, "Eric Olson was elected to the board for two years. qQ^&FJ J } majority of those voting being necessary for election, and the Worshipful 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. Masonic Lodges, Masonic Organizations, and Youth Orders may conduct in-person meetings and events in compliance with county and city restrictions, if any. 4 0 obj (The chair usually just announces the opening of nominations at the appointed time when they are in order. All eyes are upon the Master. The committee then has to find a new nominee, and the members have to vote again. 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. Whatever nomination method you propose, be specific. ;J @*Ix~6ia 023X85i=%/v')^KkHaQaA {DCAH ' 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. These Masonic rituals represent three degrees which are taken in sequence. 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. 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. Each officer and member, before voting, must exchange the <> WM: "Brother Junior Warden, how stands the ballot in Sometimes the committee is revived to make nominations to fill vacancies. 0 AUTHORITY. Same in NM amd OR. a portion or all of the petition(s) reread? However, in some national organizations that meet yearly or biennially (every two years), this is difficult. An officer election form is a document used by groups, clubs, and organizations to elect leaders and fill vacant positions. 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. If electronic machines are used for voting, they should be programmed so that each segment of the ballot is treated as if it were a separate ballot. Both a bank's president and janitor can apply for membership, and they're considered equally qualified. 6 0 obj 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. It is considered a faux pas to cross . First, the Entered Apprentice Degree, second, the Fellow Craft Degree and finally, the Master Mason Degree. If officers assume their duties immediately after the meeting is adjourned, it is then too late to question the election. 3. It's used in the vast majority of situations in which members elect their officers at a meeting. The Master may approve a collective ballot if there The committee should meet, carefully review the membership list, and select the people who they think will do the best job in each office. endobj %PDF-1.3 <> In a ballot vote, after the ballot counters have collected all the ballots, a member can make the motion to adjourn. You are using an out of date browser. After the brethren have cast their ballots. "30*5gDcJuk.w^m=12Ua&0cE'|H%KV L%|c]c0l;v=[, Cj+M 38xHDL\. 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. To which Blaise replies "Yeah, 200 bucks is pretty steep.". Elections are decided by majority vote unless your bylaws provide differently. This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United << /Type /Page /Parent 3 0 R /Resources 6 0 R /Contents 4 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] Every day , before I retired, I would receive a wide variety of questions and comments from Constituent Lodge Secretaries and other officers, many of which are quite applicable to other lodges. By establishing plural membership in a North Carolina 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. other regular Masonic body other than those stated. 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. 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. <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> 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 votes for fewer choices than positions to be elected, the vote is legal and those votes count. Masters are required to see that the ballot box is Brethren, I declare that you have <> The following shall be the methods of affiliation: 1. Freemasonry (or Brother __________for affiliation)." A common mistake in elections is having too many ballots cast for the number of members present. The Committee on Masonic Education and Information of . The Senior Deacon presents the ballot for examination The "lex non scripta," or unwritten law of Freemasonry is derived from the traditions, usages and customs of . Depending on the Grand Lodge, this can be anywhere from 18 to 25. In the vote for the position of Worshipful Master stream Ask for nominations for an officer position. It has its own identity and recognition and carries with it the title of "Past Master". Magazines Online] If counting ballots takes some time, it is best for the assembly to take a recess instead of adjourn. If you had to move before you finished receiving the three degrees of the blue lodge, you'd need lodge B to perform courtesy work. Work on making your brothers become better friends. Freemasonry's Requirements for Membership. x=o6 bP+SR[H7\AE>Dz- ^=(pH{'OE5Y%?jUMi?OOVy5'Vx_u5'ur|GY,*'yEL -R@$S0.SHdrV&g_;F0PJ1:|GXqNg Rules may include how long the organization saves ballots and how long members can wait to challenge an election. By signing a petition for the formation of a new lodge, [ Chapter 39] 2. <>>> (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. If no candidate is found, the committee can leave that slot open for nominations from the floor. JFIF C 6. The motion to have a vote for a particular office recounted needs a second, is not debatable, and takes a majority vote to adopt. 3. Ballot voting is the preferred voting method in situations in which knowing how all the members voted isn't desirable. endobj % Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation. That means run-offs are just plain out of order. 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. This method requires more time for the election process, making it probably best limited to smaller groups. collect the ballots, the Deacons approach the altar, pick up the hats, %PDF-1.5 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. 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. Does any brother wish to have endobj 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. If you have only two candidates and the vote is a tie, you repeat the balloting until one candidate receives a majority. As JPM of my lodge, I've been asked to serve in this role for our upcoming officer elections. [What is Freemasonry] [Leadership << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << /Cs1 7 0 R The committee must carefully review the eligibility requirements for each office and see that the nominees meet these requirements. However, calling nominations from your seat is often impractical, so you may want to adopt a more formal nomination process. 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. In most cases, the threshold is a majority of the votes cast. The appointive officers of the Grand Lodge, save the Deputy Grand Secretary, shall be Discover the world's largest and oldest fraternal organization with over 3 million members. <> <> 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. stream The only way you can vote against a candidate is to vote for another person. 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. Register a free account today to become a member! WM: "You will present the ballot to the officers and 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. Members then vote on a candidate to fill the remaining office. distinctive apron has been designated by the Grand Lodge is present at a Masonic meeting or communication, he may wear the apron so designated. These elections happen in the end of the year to elect the following years leadership team. report from the investigating committee. . (rap). %`y`aSW2.9]!BBI vote. unobserved by others, so that the secrecy of the ballot shall be The presiding officer can continue presiding, even if he or she is one of the nominees for the office. If you become a Free Mason, you will: Join both the oldest and the largest fraternity in the world. JavaScript is disabled. salute with the Worshipful Master. endobj 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. Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app. the vote. been rejected by a Lodge shall again be proposed within six months after The report of the nominating committee is usually given under "special orders." 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. may use different methods of electing officers. Here is how: You must first find a Masonic lodge location near you, contact them, and ask for a petition to join. 246 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<75266C93CDC0804A95BB4A6C74B63ADD>]/Index[234 30]/Info 233 0 R/Length 67/Prev 302045/Root 235 0 R/Size 264/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream %PDF-1.7 % Election of Officers of a Lodge: CHAPTER 55: Installation of Officers of a Lodge: CHAPTER 56: Officers of a Lodge, Term, Resignation, and Title . 11 0 obj Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. 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 endobj Ballot counters should cast their ballots at the same time that the assembly votes. 2. This example is based on moving to have nominations by committee, but the form is essentially the same for any of the methods. Yes, every year Masonic Lodges do have elections. You take nominations from the floor for one office, and when no further nominations are forthcoming, you proceed to the balloting for that office. Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of The Secretary announces the results of the vote, a Robert's Rules on elections are very straightforward after what is often a politically charged prequel of nominating and campaigning. This method gives voters an idea of the group's preferences without holding an actual election. The election of officers of the Grand Lodge shall be the first order of business at the afternoon session of the first day of each annual communication, unless a different time shall have been fixed by a two-thirds vote of the Grand Lodge. masonic lodge election procedure; shkolla viktor hygo logo October 28, 2021. masonic lodge election procedure . If not, Brother Some organizations add nominees to the ballot only if the name is submitted on a petition signed by some minimum number of members. <> 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. REG. 1. The Authorities for Masonic Law.

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