If a member leaves one part blank, the votes entered on the other questions still count. His term expires July, 2014.". We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. 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. Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. However, we open the Lodge on the 3rd then call to refreshment, invite everyome in, after the ceremony the WM closes without form. xU]o@|_cZR%q"b$*/}E(k nK6hb'_ D(|}5Dsq PBY%_'Dru.{,dW9PeOw9 d6!=#3r/iby+4C~9^-GT.d 3 0 obj the vote. Same in NM amd OR. 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. so presented that each officer and member shall cast his ballot 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. Freemasonry's Requirements for Membership. The above procedure is repeated for each position or WM: "Brethren, you have heard read the will advance to the altar and cast their ballot. 2017 2 PREFACE This Manual has been assembled to enable Brethren to better understand the laws, customs, programs and procedures of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, a Masonic District and their Lodge. 33 0 obj <> endobj endobj $.' [Feedback]. endobj <> 1. The process of making floor nominations is subject to the following rules: Recognition by the chair is not required to make a nomination. {V++6o <>`ulr<>[lLDdTVVQ4Mt{<1iz;E The person who gets the most votes may not have a majority of the votes. It may not display this or other websites correctly. BALLOTING PROCEDURE CHAPTER xv THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER'S HANDBOOK Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. Start on time, prepare and follow an agenda, be decisive and impartial, abide by the Constitution and By-laws of your lodge, the rules of order, and finally, always end on time. Voting machines having wedges inserted to prevent the lever from going down all the way. /Rotate 0 >> To lend a professional air to the proceedings, suggest that brothers wear a collared shirt and tie, especially the candidates. endobj hb```BVG ea8 P}+/m If the organization uses a nominating committee and then takes nominations from the floor, the secretary records the nominating committee's report first and then lists nominations for each office in the order they are presented as given by the members from the floor. Sometimes there is a split in the nominating committee over who to nominate. hbbd``b`$+@9`~ $U@ AL Abo;I0 V!$B programs and procedures of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, a Masonic District and their Lodge. <> . States or elsewhere. Balloting for your acceptance into a Masonic lodge After the investigative committee reports to the lodge, your petition is voted on. However, calling nominations from your seat is often impractical, so you may want to adopt a more formal nomination process. 16 0 obj A lodge which does not honor its Master, no matter how they personally feel about the man, himself, lacks Masonic . It drives us back to basics, using the Masonic tools we already have in our tool belt. In a ballot vote, after the ballot counters have collected all the ballots, a member can make the motion to adjourn. 3. Apply a check mark to indicate the choice wherever . Once you're a Master Mason, you've got a few options. and the Master may oblige him to do so. This example is based on moving to have nominations by committee, but the form is essentially the same for any of the methods. 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 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. Nominations don't have to be seconded, but it's not out of order for members to second a nomination to signal their endorsement. This method requires more time for the election process, making it probably best limited to smaller groups. AUTHORITY. All officers resume their stations and At the end of each successful vote the ballots Senior Deacon,", WM: "Prepare and present the ballot box.". vote. 6. or opinion (or for affiliation) which has received a unanimously favorable If you have only two candidates and the vote is a tie, you repeat the balloting until one candidate receives a majority. 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. The ballots are tallied very much like an election ballot, and the report becomes the list of nominees for each office. Ballot counters should cast their ballots at the same time that the assembly votes. <>>> Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. <> Ie!W2UP7MEdq-2Y+(jVW`Y, z?D;tr>[iqqF7!FR$uh?%b APPOINTMENT. report from the investigating committee. 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. <> HB280 - Allows a weapons carry license holder to hold a handgun concealed whereas on campus of public technical schools and public colleges. endstream endobj 37 0 obj <>stream distribute the ballots for the first position to be voted upon. takes up his place at the tilers door. Is it permissible to hold election of officers in an EA lodge? 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. WM: "The brethren of ____________ Lodge No. and the Past Masters around the Lodge and places the ballot box on the 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. endobj The "lex non scripta," or unwritten law of Freemasonry is derived from the traditions, usages and customs of . distinctive apron has been designated by the Grand Lodge is present at a Masonic meeting or communication, he may wear the apron so designated. All business is done in a MM lodge. If counting ballots takes some time, it is best for the assembly to take a recess instead of adjourn. 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. Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Education: CHAPTER 31: Lodge Service Commission: CHAPTER 32: . WM: "Have all of the brethren of _______________ 11 0 obj 4. 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 Introduction. Each question on a multipart ballot is counted as a separate ballot. ^. 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. Do you Lodge No. Whatever nomination method you propose, be specific. The report of the nominating committee is usually given under "special orders." Only MMs vote. Suddenly it's 3am. These elections happen in the end of the year to elect the following years leadership team. Masonic Etiquette Summary: Masonic etiquette is simply the rules of good manners which make lodge meetings pleasant for everyone. 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. In a voice vote, the winner is easy to determine and the vote is over when someone wins the election. Dud goes wide-eyed at hearing this and immediately leaves the lodge because he realizes he's been played by . If the motion is adopted, the assembly can adjourn before the vote is announced if it has another meeting scheduled. A common mistake in elections is having too many ballots cast for the number of members present. of Freemasonry, nor webmaster nor those of any Does any brother wish to have yy MWY*^K$@48SyFHv! x`TU?5%BBH*5XHRjD5IPJ@Z"MDE]sm.Cs)}{n/JFtZ_!ms6g:8_\Xt hq[gGBqvZ(}%p&N"4t 4b2hEs 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. A decision on how long to keep them can be made at the meeting when the vote takes place, or a short retention period for ballots can be adopted as a standing rule. As Masons, we hone our skills to apply their use, improving ourselves daily. hbbd``b`n@` ! it to the Master who inspects the ballot box making sure that the Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. If they don't set a time for an adjourned meeting, they can call a special meeting (if the bylaws allow this). Some Lodges have their bills paid automatically each month electronically, such as for utilities and telephones for example. 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. [ 11 0 R] << /Type /Page /Parent 3 0 R /Resources 6 0 R /Contents 4 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] Freemasonry (or Brother __________for affiliation)." States or elsewhere. Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be ___________, you have been elected to serve as ____________ of Sometimes the committee is revived to make nominations to fill vacancies. The Masonic rituals provided here are as practiced under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Nevada, circa 1986. charge of the Ballot and they pick up the hats, take them to the endobj 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. Or, they can tell members publicly that they do not have a nominee for a certain office; this allows members to volunteer. stream 1 0 obj Every lodge is incorporated and required to have corporate officers. After the period during which a recount can be conducted has passed, you don't need to keep the ballots. Pause. 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. If the ballot vote decides an election, you're instructed to write the name of the nominee of your choice on your ballot. 0 <> 75-3 METHODS OF AFFILIATION. 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 Each officer and member, before voting, must exchange the Illegal votes cast by legal voters count toward the total votes cast, but they don't count for any individual choice or candidate. Master informs the successful individual as follows: "Brother 3. Nominations are now open from the floor. In the vote for the position of Worshipful Master <> 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. You are using an out of date browser. Yes, every year Masonic Lodges do have elections. 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. Your organization needs officers, maybe committee members, and other positions decided by a vote of the membership. If members adjourn before an election is complete, they should set the time for an adjourned meeting to finish the election. If someone is not willing to serve, the committee needs to meet again and find another candidate. 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 election process may be the easiest part of deciding who handles a particular job in the organization. Past Masters of ____________ Lodge No. <> ",#(7),01444'9=82. These Masonic rituals represent three degrees which are taken in sequence. 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. altar. Chapter 63 covers general voting and Chapter 68 covers the secret ballot. If officers assume their duties immediately after the meeting is adjourned, it is then too late to question the election. In Texas, per Art. Decision Making For Dummies. petition(s) of _______________ for the degrees of Freemasonry, I guess that would depend on the jurisdiction. 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 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. 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. 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.". 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. (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. * (rap once). Brethren, I declare that you have The brother responds. WB Christopher J. Hathaway was raised in Catlin Masonic Lodge #285 and is a plural member of Normal . The Senior Deacon closes the lid on the ballot. Booth Lodge 100-100C, be amended . 9. 127. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app. (After June 15, individual counties and cities could choose to continue their own meeting limitations, in which case those limitations would continue in force.) Masonic etiquette decries anyone who does not obey the gavel. The advanced tools of the editor will guide you through the editable PDF template. Grand Lodge Dues 24 Conducting an Election of Officers 24-25 Section . 292, elections may be held in a lodge opened in an EA as long as there is an EA attending. Marshal takes up his place at the West Gate and the Junior Deacon Two top hats are placed on the kneeling pad at foot At this time the 705 South Hercules Avenue. [What is Freemasonry] [Leadership No officer of a Masonic lodge may take up his elected or appointed duties until formally installed to his office by proper authority. stream For this reason, members should listen carefully to the report of the ballot counters' committee. 6. By transfer of membership, maintaining continuous membership, and 4. Both a bank's president and janitor can apply for membership, and they're considered equally qualified. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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. The Committee on Masonic Education and Information of . 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. 234 0 obj <> endobj A properly planned and executed meeting results in good participation. <>>> Election of Officers of a Lodge: CHAPTER 55: Installation of Officers of a Lodge: CHAPTER 56: Officers of a Lodge, Term, Resignation, and Title . other regular Masonic body other than those stated. endobj After nominations are closed, the vote is taken on each nominee in the order in which they were nominated. 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. 2. If a member votes for fewer choices than positions to be elected, the vote is legal and those votes count. 6 Y~0 0@ Adam is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and is employed as a Senior Manager of International Tax in Latrobe, PA. We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. When the nominations stop, the chair just declares nominations closed after making sure that no more nominations are forthcoming. 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. << /Im1 11 0 R >> >> The Master then casts his own vote. j]Ic[faPhgcP0U0.!boS/]9[[3+:;:+:Q1DX. [What is New] Clearwater Lodge No. 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. 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 0 obj 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. Nominees do not have to leave the room during the nominations, when the vote is taken, or when the vote is counted. should be destroyed. A late-arriving member can vote only with other members' consent by majority vote. My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. We can conduct lodge business in the EA degree in Minnesota, but only Master Masons can vote. If there is a question about the way a ballot is marked, the ballot counters should take it to the presiding officer. In most places, the answer is likely no. A member has the right to vote until the polls are closed. Some Lodges place with the Senior and Junior Wardens alternating in calling the other regular Masonic body other than those stated. Talks] [Masonic It is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views inviolably preserved. some brother of the Lodge other than the Secretary should tally and 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? <> 2 0 obj appears the ballot shall be immediately retaken, and if a blackball 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. the South? Discover the world's largest and oldest fraternal organization with over 3 million members. may use different methods of electing officers. 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. 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. of Freemasonry, nor webmaster nor those of any Officers Duties and Responsibilities . The position of Worshipful Master in the East occupies the most exalted position within the lodge.

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