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. Nominations don't have to be seconded, but it's not out of order for members to second a nomination to signal their endorsement. 4 0 obj This method requires more time for the election process, making it probably best limited to smaller groups. On the Approaching Election to the Masonic Chairs It may not display this or other websites correctly. If a member votes for more choices than positions to be elected, the vote is considered illegal. 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. The Senior Deacon closes the lid on the ballot. The only way you can vote against a candidate is to vote for another person. % How to Join a Freemason Lodge - dummies When counting ballots, ballot counters need to keep a few key points in mind: Blank votes are treated as scrap paper and don't count at all. Nominees do not have to leave the room during the nominations, when the vote is taken, or when the vote is counted. Balloting must continue until a candidate receives a majority. Sometimes there is a split in the nominating committee over who to nominate. 6. <> Robert's Rules for Conducting Elections - dummies 127. 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. 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. $.' Every lodge is incorporated and required to have corporate officers. some brother of the Lodge other than the Secretary should tally and A member may for indecorous or unmasonic conduct be excluded from a single meeting of the lodge. the vote. Masonic politics is typically at its ugliest during elections when Brothers are charged with un-Masonic conduct for "electioneering." I find this all rather amusing as I believe our process for electing officers is far from perfect. elected. At this time the 5 0 obj [What is Freemasonry] [Leadership Two top hats are placed on the kneeling pad at foot If members adjourn before an election is complete, they should set the time for an adjourned meeting to finish the election. <> If a person has been nominated to more than one office and is elected to two offices, he or she can choose which office he or she wants. The Master then casts his own vote. 6 0 obj %PDF-1.3 The Master may approve a collective ballot if there Achieve this by asking them to hang out with you. The main advantage here is that it allows members to consider the election results of one office before proceeding to the election of another office. Here is how: You must first find a Masonic lodge location near you, contact them, and ask for a petition to join. At the end of each successful vote the ballots 2. )Cv`3!VOYe%K]'d4'kH&]x*"W.L+P|WUyl>TlUTZZh=7wE%4 DoH+5%Y+*:*2*&^Ol\Td4G]:^[DdVXQn*mNI#]Vv?v:]W6x H|z=|-!q1 oF?$Ul(V1C:[jhDe4nsl65gpr'fKuo2a0$T$W.6 ` 5SR_? Like any incidental main motion, an election can be decided by voice vote or by ballot. 6 Y~0 0@ 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. A properly planned and executed meeting results in good participation. altar.". <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> The Closely Guarded Secrets of the Masonic Lodge - Freemasons Community If you have a nominating committee in place, ask this group to declare their nominee for a specific officer role. Doing this may allow an unpopular or hand-picked candidate to get the office even though he or she was not elected. Register a free account today to become a member! This method gives voters an idea of the group's preferences without holding an actual election. 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. 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. 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. 4. 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. 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.". Another problematic practice to watch out for is nominating someone for office who is not eligible. Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be A motion to open nominations, when made by a member, is usually a motion to reopen nominations after they have been closed. 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." - "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 . 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 :7YA/gOwNw|\g[u|I}?F. Your members may wind up voting for Mr. Low as the compromise candidate. The secretary places all nominations in the minutes. When the next meeting begins, the first order of business is to hear the report of the balloting committee and for the presiding officer to announce the vote that was taken at the previous meeting. Persons serving on the committee can be nominated for office. It is the duty of every member present to vote, Yes, every year Masonic Lodges do have elections. 7 0 obj After nominations are closed, the vote is taken on each nominee in the order in which they were nominated. 'xzwQ38/4b|T}R-g|7uhw 4!"icE)S7AEo 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. The Anti-Masonic Party in the United States : 1826-1843 - Google Books ___________, you have been elected to serve as ____________ of endobj names. These could lead The Constitution is clear on the proper procedure When nominations are taken from the floor or when a nominating ballot is used, a good practice is to provide the members with an eligibility list so that they are not nominating people who will not be able to serve. The Committee on Masonic Education and Information of . The Politics of Freemasonry | Freemason Information Motions to close nominations are usually unnecessary because the nomination process simply continues until no one wishes to make further nominations. masonic lodge election procedure - shinecreditandfinance.com Join a brotherhood of over 2,000,000 men of all ages, from all races, religions, and countries, and from all walks of life. After the brethren have cast their ballots. The Code has two primary chapters that describe the process of voting in subordinate lodges. It is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views %%EOF Locals file for May 6 city, school board elections; many unopposed When it comes to ballot elections, your election isn't complete until a position is filled, and a position is never filled until a candidate receives the threshold number of votes required for election. cubes in the box. Robert's Rules of Order, Nominations And Elections - Westside Toastmasters collectively, and in the case of one blackball appearing therein it If a member leaves one part blank, the votes entered on the other questions still count. 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. A ballot shall be taken for the three degrees Premier Grand Lodge of England - Wikipedia 98% sure that it is. In this case, the members must vote again until one candidate receives a majority 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.) xU]o@|_cZR%q"b$*/}E(k nK6hb'_ D(|}5Dsq PBY%_'Dru.{,dW9PeOw9 d6!=#3r/iby+4C~9^-GT.d takes up his place at the tilers door. endobj (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. Sometimes the committee is revived to make nominations to fill vacancies. Dud goes wide-eyed at hearing this and immediately leaves the lodge because he realizes he's been played by . 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 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. 12 0 obj One of the most important franchises which the Masonic character offers is THE ELECTION OF MASTER FOR THE ENSUING TWELVE MONTHS. All eyes are upon the Master. 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. 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.. The brother responds. ^. 3 0 obj endobj %PDF-1.5 % TURNING YOUR BACK: Never turn one's back on the Master to address the lodge without first-receiving permission 3. 11 0 obj In balloting on a petition for affiliation, if one blackball First, the Entered Apprentice Degree, second, the Fellow Craft Degree and finally, the Master Mason Degree. SECRETARY FORMS AND REPORTS | Grand Lodge of Georgia, F. & A.M. Lodge elections are performed via a Masonic Ballot Box. 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. I guess that would depend on the jurisdiction. According to Robert's Rules, a motion to close nominations is out of order as long as any member wishes to make a nomination. 1. The process of making floor nominations is subject to the following rules: Recognition by the chair is not required to make a nomination. A lodge which does not honor its Master, no matter how they personally feel about the man, himself, lacks Masonic . It's used in the vast majority of situations in which members elect their officers at a meeting. The Necessity of Lodge Audits | Freemason Information j]Ic[faPhgcP0U0.!boS/]9[[3+:;:+:Q1DX. rejection. These rules supersede the adopted parliamentary authority. 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. 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. <> 33 0 obj <> endobj We can conduct lodge business in the EA degree in Minnesota, but only Master Masons can vote. Votes cast by illegal voters must not be counted at all, not even included in the number of total votes cast. Jump to content The Official RONR Q & A Forums If officers assume their duties immediately after the meeting is adjourned, it is then too late to question the election. endstream endobj 37 0 obj <>stream 3. Freemasonry, the teachings and practices of the fraternal (men-only) order of Free and Accepted Masons, the largest worldwide secret societyan oath-bound society, often devoted to fellowship, moral discipline, and mutual assistance, that conceals at least some of its rituals, customs, or activities from the public (secret societies do not 1. The best thing an organization can do is adopt rules that tell how to proceed if a member challenges an election or if a person is illegally elected to office and has begun to serve. 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. It's never in order to vote Yes or No (or For or Against) a candidate when electing persons to office. LODGE VISITATION - A PRIVILEGE. qQ^&FJ J } WM: "The brethren of ____________ Lodge No. Adam is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and is employed as a Senior Manager of International Tax in Latrobe, PA. This saves time and allows for polling at a time and place other than a meeting. Your organization needs officers, maybe committee members, and other positions decided by a vote of the membership. In writing the nomination, election, and vacancy conditions in the bylaws, the organization should make sure that if a vacancy is created early in the term of office, the vacancy is filled by election instead of by appointment, whenever possible. ",#(7),01444'9=82. PDF 2015 01 30 Installation of Officers of Local Lodges In determining how long to hold the ballots before destroying them, your main consideration is the possibility of needing a recount. 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 . and the Master may oblige him to do so. <> Ballot voting is the preferred voting method in situations in which knowing how all the members voted isn't desirable. By establishing plural membership in a North Carolina The election (or rejection) of a candidate in a Masonic lodge is a secret ballot, and with few exceptions, must be completely unanimous. The above procedure is repeated for each position or These elections happen in the end of the year to elect the following years leadership team. Development] [Education] [Masonic To which Blaise replies "Yeah, 200 bucks is pretty steep.". The Senior Deacon then takes up a The presiding officer votes along with all the other members, although she is never allowed to cast a tie-breaker in a ballot vote. altar. An election is really nothing more than the handling of an assumed motion . We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. (rap). Election of officers | My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and The Senior Deacon presents the ballot for examination By absolute demit, [ Chapter 76] 3. An officer election form is a document used by groups, clubs, and organizations to elect leaders and fill vacant positions. 3 0 obj Cell phones, chewing gum, crinkly snack wrappers and other distractions should be disallowed during a fraternity election (except during breaks). MASONIC ETIQUETTE - Correct Lodge Behavior. 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. PDF The Grand Lodge of but their new year lodge elections and officer installations have been delayed due to their inability to meet. <> hbbd``b`$+@9`~ $U@ AL Abo;I0 V!$B If they don't set a time for an adjourned meeting, they can call a special meeting (if the bylaws allow this). 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. It is important to remember that once someone is elected, the election can't be rescinded unless there is some provision for it in the bylaws. 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. appears the ballot shall be immediately retaken, and if a blackball 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. The assembly then votes again on the other office. Lodge Election Procedures "Worshipful Master (WM) or Preceding Officer" 1. Members should be alert to some undemocratic political practices in organizations. 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. collect the ballots, the Deacons approach the altar, pick up the hats, report from the investigating committee. 3. 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 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. A newly raised Master . That job belongs to the presiding officer, who reads the report again to the members, concluding with a formal declaration of the result. Ballot voting is by far the surest way to allow for the free expression of the will of the membership. The requirement for election by ballot is a majority, and a candidate has no obligation to withdraw just because he polls low numbers. Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be elected. As soon as the committee reports, it is discharged from its duties. HWG l!$"' g]9=3>3U}Zo.wjyiQo?\>,:lFYE#q IBZ.rwi/A%f_N'_LDX However, calling nominations from your seat is often impractical, so you may want to adopt a more formal nomination process. 0 You take nominations from the floor for one office, and when no further nominations are forthcoming, you proceed to the balloting for that office. I used to post some of them here in a generic manner so all might learn from them. 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. A late-arriving member can vote only with other members' consent by majority vote. [What is Freemasonry] [Leadership Or, members can also finish the election at the next regular meeting if the meeting falls within a quarterly time period. Once you're a Master Mason, you've got a few options. If your assembly's members are accountable to a constituency, your rules may require you to conduct your elections by roll-call vote. 9. Register a free account today to become a member! Each question on a multipart ballot is counted as a separate ballot. Don't implement a new process to 450 lodges until it is . 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. 8 0 obj endobj However, in some national organizations that meet yearly or biennially (every two years), this is difficult. You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you're petitioning. Ask for nominations for an officer position. 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. Nominations are taken for successive offices in the order they're listed in the bylaws. Booth Lodge 100-100C, be amended . (The chair usually just announces the opening of nominations at the appointed time when they are in order. << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << /Cs1 7 0 R of Freemasonry, nor webmaster nor those of any If members haven't used the machine before, it may be wise to show them how to use it the day before the election. endobj For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Brethren, I declare that you have 10 0 obj . 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. %PDF-1.5 While the . once petition the same or any other Lodge in the jurisdiction. The election process may be the easiest part of deciding who handles a particular job in the organization. All business is done in a MM lodge. Chapter XVII - Suggested Procedure For Electing Lodge Officers mistake.". endobj Lodge Website Criteria | Grand Lodge of Georgia, F. & A.M. If something doesn't quite add up, a member should question it during the meeting. Masonic Lodge Election Procedure > 2023 Your group's rules and customs determine when floor nominations are accepted. 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. other regular Masonic body other than those stated. 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's used in the vast majority of situations in which members elect their officers at a meeting. Master. Grand Secretary "Stuff" Information for Lodge Secretaries - December Lodge to vote, the Master should invite the tiler in and have a . If the motion is adopted, the assembly can adjourn before the vote is announced if it has another meeting scheduled. 705 South Hercules Avenue. 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. 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. ), 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. Some organizations add nominees to the ballot only if the name is submitted on a petition signed by some minimum number of members. gjzUS&31+W&nck')*Uf{|mON6E4GKIpFT(o o.RJ MXqy-) MR position north of the altar. unobserved by others, so that the secrecy of the ballot shall be This example is based on moving to have nominations by committee, but the form is essentially the same for any of the methods. Senior Deacon,", WM: "Prepare and present the ballot box.". 14 0 obj place with the Senior and Junior Wardens alternating in calling the 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.". 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 F - Clubhouse endobj Election Master/Judge parliamentary procedure - My Freemasonry x`TU?5%BBH*5XHRjD5IPJ@Z"MDE]sm.Cs)}{n/JFtZ_!ms6g:8_\Xt hq[gGBqvZ(}%p&N"4t 4b2hEs Masonic Lodge Officer Duties Welcome | Grand Lodge of NC How to Conduct an Election of Officers (with Pictures) - wikiHow ____________ Lodge No. 1. Since it is the obligation of every brother of the 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. In most places, the answer is likely no. Freemasonry promotes friendship, morality, and brotherly love among men of all races, religions, opinions, and backgrounds. In a ballot vote, after the ballot counters have collected all the ballots, a member can make the motion to adjourn. In Texas, per Art. Conducting an Election of Officers p. 25 Section III. If the bylaws specifically address this situation, members should follow the bylaws. In a voice vote, the winner is easy to determine and the vote is over when someone wins the election. If you become a Free Mason, you will: Join both the oldest and the largest fraternity in the world. West and bright (black) in the East. endobj "If so, I declare the I've never see a script or outline, but it should proceed as follows: That sounds like the CA required verbiage. 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. _____ and place it on the programs and procedures of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, a Masonic District and their Lodge. This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United As each nomination is received (assuming multiple candidates), ask each nominee "If elected, are you willing to serve?"
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