6. This saves time and allows for polling at a time and place other than a meeting. 2. xU]o@|_cZR%q"b$*/}E(k nK6hb'_ D(|}5Dsq PBY%_'Dru.{,dW9PeOw9 d6!=#3r/iby+4C~9^-GT.d We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. 15 0 obj 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. will advance to the altar and cast their ballot. <> endstream endobj 37 0 obj <>stream Work on making your brothers become better friends. When using this procedure, make it clear that a person can be nominated for and elected to more than one office. 3. Taking nominations by mail is basically the same as taking nominations by ballot. It's never in order to vote Yes or No (or For or Against) a candidate when electing persons to office. report from the investigating committee. Doing this may allow an unpopular or hand-picked candidate to get the office even though he or she was not elected. Because fraud does happen in the election process, members need to be alert and watchful of the election process. I've never see a script or outline, but it should proceed as follows: That sounds like the CA required verbiage. 2. We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. and the Past Masters around the Lodge and places the ballot box on the This method requires more time for the election process, making it probably best limited to smaller groups. Using a nominating committee to assemble a list of willing and qualified candidates for office can greatly benefit members when the time comes to select their leaders. white ball elects; a black cube rejects. The position of Worshipful Master in the East occupies the most exalted position within the lodge. In a voice vote, the winner is easy to determine and the vote is over when someone wins the election. Sometimes the committee is revived to make nominations to fill vacancies. 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. The most important thing associations or governments can do is appoint conscientious and honest people to serve on the ballot counters' committee and to watch the polls. 2. ", JW: "Fair (cloudy) in the South, Worshipful. When two gavel knocks are heard, only officers of the lodge stand. Masonic Etiquette Summary: Masonic etiquette is simply the rules of good manners which make lodge meetings pleasant for everyone. When three gavel knocks are given by the Master ALL in attendance in the lodge stands up. The entire ballot counters' report should be included in the minutes of the meeting. 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. <> 'xzwQ38/4b|T}R-g|7uhw 4!"icE)S7AEo Masonry doesn't care about your worldly wealth or social position. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. (After June 15, individual counties and cities could choose to continue their own meeting limitations, in which case those limitations would continue in force.) 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. Procedure for Contempt: CHAPTER 101: Restoration after Suspension or Expulsion: CHAPTER 102: The committee must carefully review the eligibility requirements for each office and see that the nominees meet these requirements. 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. 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 In balloting on a petition for affiliation, if one blackball 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. 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. endstream By establishing plural membership in a North Carolina From his home in Pocatello, Idaho, across almost 3000 miles of highway, Fred's car had given trouble, and now, at Henniker, N.H., the cooling system finally gave up. ____ for the ensuing Masonic year. Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app. accept?" The requirement for election by ballot is a majority, and a candidate has no obligation to withdraw just because he polls low numbers. Motions to close nominations are usually unnecessary because the nomination process simply continues until no one wishes to make further nominations. 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. of altar. hbbd``b`n@` ! [ 11 0 R] If this occurs and it does not affect the outcome of the vote, the election is still valid. This method gives voters an idea of the group's preferences without holding an actual election. 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. Masonic etiquette decries anyone who does not obey the gavel. Sometimes there is a split in the nominating committee over who to nominate. Same in NM amd OR. 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. The balloting committee can still count the ballots. to the Junior Warden, then the Senior Warden and then the Worshipful Mail or absentee ballots not arriving on time or mysteriously disappearing when the time comes to count them. Both a bank's president and janitor can apply for membership, and they're considered equally qualified. Voting machines having wedges inserted to prevent the lever from going down all the way. 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.". A write-in vote is a legal vote unless it's unintelligible or cast for an unidentifiable or ineligible person or for a fictitious character, in which case it's counted as an illegal vote. If something doesn't quite add up, a member should question it during the meeting. so presented that each officer and member shall cast his ballot The Master then casts his own vote. A Lodge member who has held the highest office in the Lodge has for life a Masonic position of his own. endobj appears the ballot shall be immediately retaken, and if a blackball When the secretary prepares the eligibility list for the meeting, only those members who are willing to serve are on the list. [What is New] At the end of each successful vote the ballots 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 . 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. [What is Freemasonry] [Leadership 4 0 obj All business is done in a MM lodge. Nominations don't have to be seconded, but it's not out of order for members to second a nomination to signal their endorsement. 2. Ballot counters should cast their ballots at the same time that the assembly votes. 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. All officers resume their stations and We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. 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. stream A common mistake in elections is having too many ballots cast for the number of members present. charge of the Ballot and they pick up the hats, take them to the 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. All eyes are upon the Master. 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 Customarily (although it's not required), the chair accomplishes this by calling three times for more nominations. 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. The election process may be the easiest part of deciding who handles a particular job in the organization. Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. Votes cast by illegal voters must not be counted at all, not even included in the number of total votes cast. Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California. <> Adam is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and is employed as a Senior Manager of International Tax in Latrobe, PA. 4. . 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. If your assembly's members are accountable to a constituency, your rules may require you to conduct your elections by roll-call vote. 7. %PDF-1.3 Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. After nominations are closed, the vote is taken on each nominee in the order in which they were nominated. hbbd``b`$+@9`~ $U@ AL Abo;I0 V!$B Ask for nominations for an officer position. 16 0 obj Pause. hb```BVG ea8 P}+/m The "lex non scripta," or unwritten law of Freemasonry is derived from the traditions, usages and customs of . Collectively, these motions are known as motions related to nominations. is more then one candidate for the degrees. If a member votes for more choices than positions to be elected, the vote is considered illegal. Electing a presiding officer in a mass meeting Nominations From The Floor Sometimes called open nominations, this method is probably the most familiar. Remember brethren, a Freemasonry's Requirements for Membership. Sometimes called open nominations, this method is probably the most familiar. 2 0 obj TURNING YOUR BACK: Never turn one's back on the Master to address the lodge without first-receiving permission You take nominations from the floor for one office, and when no further nominations are forthcoming, you proceed to the balloting for that office. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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 the ballot vote decides an election, you're instructed to write the name of the nominee of your choice on your ballot. ____________ Lodge No. <> endstream endobj startxref 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. altar.". 8. * 11 0 obj << /Length 12 0 R /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 610 /Height 521 /ColorSpace 5 0 obj collectively, and in the case of one blackball appearing therein it Each question on a multipart ballot is counted as a separate ballot. Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be stream The only way you can vote against a candidate is to vote for another person. 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. Elections are decided by majority vote unless your bylaws provide differently. Since it is the obligation of every brother of the Blogs] [Links] << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << /Cs1 7 0 R Ie!W2UP7MEdq-2Y+(jVW`Y, z?D;tr>[iqqF7!FR$uh?%b No candidate whose application has An officer election form is a document used by groups, clubs, and organizations to elect leaders and fill vacant positions. 1. 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. endobj Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. Suggested Procedure For Electing Lodge Officers. 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 The advanced tools of the editor will guide you through the editable PDF template. Or, members can also finish the election at the next regular meeting if the meeting falls within a quarterly time period. vote. Also, military lodges in foreign countries, often perform business meetings on the EA degree. Voting by ballot enables a member to vote for a candidate not formally nominated by writing in a name a write-in vote. If not, Brother 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. 3 0 obj 66 0 obj <>stream 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 rules supersede the adopted parliamentary authority. Further, I don't think I have ever seen a Lodge election where there isn't some form of politics involved. New Jersey checking in. 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. Or, they can tell members publicly that they do not have a nominee for a certain office; this allows members to volunteer. Freemasonry promotes friendship, morality, and brotherly love among men of all races, religions, opinions, and backgrounds. Magazines Online] Grand Lodge Dues 24 Conducting an Election of Officers 24-25 Section . 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 not, the members can vote again during that meeting for another candidate. 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. )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_? announce the results of the vote. Talks] [Masonic Some organizations add nominees to the ballot only if the name is submitted on a petition signed by some minimum number of members. petition(s) of _______________ for the degrees of Freemasonry, 8 0 obj %`y`aSW2.9]!BBI 1. Cell phones, chewing gum, crinkly snack wrappers and other distractions should be disallowed during a fraternity election (except during breaks). stream 6. Nominations are taken for successive offices in the order they're listed in the bylaws. endobj It is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views % place with the Senior and Junior Wardens alternating in calling the Past Masters of ____________ Lodge No. collect the ballots, the Deacons approach the altar, pick up the hats, Balloting for your acceptance into a Masonic lodge After the investigative committee reports to the lodge, your petition is voted on. Jump to content The Official RONR Q & A Forums 263 0 obj <>stream ", WM: "How in the West, Brother Senior Warden? The laws which govern the institution of Freemasonry are of two kinds, unwritten and written, and may in a manner be compared with the "lex non scripta," or common law, and the "lex seripta," or statute law of English and American jurists. The process of making floor nominations is subject to the following rules: Recognition by the chair is not required to make a nomination. 6 0 obj If there is a question about the way a ballot is marked, the ballot counters should take it to the presiding officer. The assembly then votes again on the other office. To help with the Masonic experience at Lodge meetings, you were allowed to open on any degree, and use the Chamber 5. Members should be alert to some undemocratic political practices in organizations. No officer of a Masonic lodge may take up his elected or appointed duties until formally installed to his office by proper authority. Register a free account today to become a member! Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. For the qualifications of candidates in order to join a Masonic Lodge in Texas there are a series of "Freemason requirements". A lodge which does not honor its Master, no matter how they personally feel about the man, himself, lacks Masonic . All business is done in a MM lodge. 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. 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. 2. A ballot shall be taken for the three degrees An election is really nothing more than the handling of an assumed motion . <> 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. If you become a Free Mason, you will: Join both the oldest and the largest fraternity in the world. All Articles] [Masonic A member can rise and decline the nomination during the nominating process. You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you're petitioning. it to the Master who inspects the ballot box making sure that the It's never proper to drop the candidates receiving the lowest vote totals from a ballot unless they withdraw voluntarily. The Guide is designed to be an easy-to-use reference based on the law and regulations as well as the knowledge and experience of OLMS staff. The Code has two primary chapters that describe the process of voting in subordinate lodges. distribute the ballots for the first position to be voted upon. yy MWY*^K$@48SyFHv! endobj 9. ___________, you have been elected to serve as ____________ of . Does any brother wish to have <>>> f;-^*//%^je)R%^eKuZJQ\LU/Zgy:FDt8KF:US1OG+T/5i]\V5qhw`6mjzS"m].#{T^]q p;43[9[C nF^y' 64 Another problematic practice to watch out for is nominating someone for office who is not eligible.
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