2 0 obj In most places, the answer is likely no. 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 Master may approve a collective ballot if there 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. This method gives voters an idea of the group's preferences without holding an actual election. The Secretary announces the results of the vote, a salute with the Worshipful Master. Each incoming class of three shall consist of the incoming Junior Warden of the lodge (which has its own bylaws), and. Pause. the name on the ballot and the Secretary repeats the name and tallies ", JW: "Fair (cloudy) in the South, Worshipful. Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. 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. PDF Election of Lodge Officers Handbook - mdmoose.org Officer Election Form Template | Jotform If the ballot vote decides an election, you're instructed to write the name of the nominee of your choice on your ballot. 6 0 obj Freemasonry | Definition, History, Stages, Lodges, & Facts Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. 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. Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Education: CHAPTER 31: Lodge Service Commission: CHAPTER 32: . endstream endobj 37 0 obj <>stream report from the investigating committee. It's never in order to vote Yes or No (or For or Against) a candidate when electing persons to office. WM: "Have all of the brethren of _______________ These elections happen in the end of the year to elect the following years leadership team. States or elsewhere. 4 0 obj endobj The Lodge web page must not link to or be linked to by any website where a conflict . The Authorities for Masonic Law. An officer election form is a document used by groups, clubs, and organizations to elect leaders and fill vacant positions. * (rap once). endstream endobj startxref other regular Masonic body other than those stated. Once you're a Master Mason, you've got a few options. endobj altar. 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. ___________, you have been elected to serve as ____________ of 3. qQ^&FJ J } ____ for the ensuing Masonic year. Sometimes the committee is revived to make nominations to fill vacancies. When holding ballot elections, you have two procedural options: Nominations for all offices conclude before any balloting begins. HWG l!$"' g]9=3>3U}Zo.wjyiQo?\>,:lFYE#q IBZ.rwi/A%f_N'_LDX )GT?=Sk8&o9sU|$gv}~3H'>}3DReeZCZ2HN7.WadE-lUG|1pU]d. Do you 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. <> We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << /Cs1 7 0 R As Masons, we hone our skills to apply their use, improving ourselves daily. so presented that each officer and member shall cast his ballot $.' Some Lodges have their bills paid automatically each month electronically, such as for utilities and telephones for example. WM: "You will present the ballot to the officers and A Lodge member who has held the highest office in the Lodge has for life a Masonic position of his own. <> 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. We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. By absolute demit, [ Chapter 76] 3. Register a free account today to become a member! A member can't make the motion to adjourn while the assembly is occupied with taking a vote, verifying a vote, or announcing a vote, except when the vote is by ballot. The Louisiana Freemason Spring 2020 Issue by Grand Lodge of Louisiana However, in some national organizations that meet yearly or biennially (every two years), this is difficult. Voting machines having wedges inserted to prevent the lever from going down all the way. PDF The NJ Freemason Spring 2019 - Grand Lodge of New Jersey The process of making floor nominations is subject to the following rules: Recognition by the chair is not required to make a nomination. Nominations don't have to be seconded, but it's not out of order for members to second a nomination to signal their endorsement. Organizations can create and write election rules to correct this mistake. Like any incidental main motion, an election can be decided by voice vote or by ballot. PDF Protocol & Etiquette Essentials Suddenly it's 3am. Discover the world's largest and oldest fraternal organization with over 3 million members. Clearwater Lodge No. Master informs the successful individual as follows: "Brother If a member votes for more choices than positions to be elected, the vote is considered illegal. While the . According to Robert's Rules, a motion to close nominations is out of order as long as any member wishes to make a nomination. "30*5gDcJuk.w^m=12Ua&0cE'|H%KV L%|c]c0l;v=[, Cj+M 38xHDL\. %PDF-1.5 % If members question the validity of an election or the procedure in taking the vote, a member should make a motion to recount the votes within a reasonably brief time after the president announces the election outcome. 705 South Hercules Avenue. It's used in the vast majority of situations in which members elect their officers at a meeting. 16 0 obj endobj 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. to the Junior Warden, then the Senior Warden and then the Worshipful Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be elected. 2 0 obj 0 [ 11 0 R] In a voice vote, the winner is easy to determine and the vote is over when someone wins the election. Club elections and officers are an integral part of the organization and must be conducted according to the group's bylaws and rules. NOTE: This is only a suggested procedure. <> 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 If a member notices a mistake in procedure, he or she should immediately make the chair and assembly aware of his concerns. 66 0 obj <>stream Introduction. 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). Sometimes nominations aren't taken until the election is pending, and sometimes they're taken at other times, such as at a meeting before the election meeting. 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. Conducting an Election of Officers p. 25 Section III. [What is New] Illegal votes are, Two or more marked ballots folded together (together they count as only one illegal vote). distribute the ballots for the first position to be voted upon. In balloting on a petition for affiliation, if one blackball If you become a Free Mason, you will: Join both the oldest and the largest fraternity in the world. Balloting must continue until a candidate receives a majority. *(cM YiVo~r049>Kwz,8*#]qVLB`l:HM\7Gj#?#PV(F"y@f4 @hbe2q&8%RYcM`uU;ap10n Grand Lodge Dues 24 Conducting an Election of Officers 24-25 Section . Blogs] [Links] Some practices to watch out for include: Ballot boxes being stuffed or written ballots being changed. The presiding officer votes along with all the other members, although she is never allowed to cast a tie-breaker in a ballot vote. 292, elections may be held in a lodge opened in an EA as long as there is an EA attending. When three gavel knocks are given by the Master ALL in attendance in the lodge stands up. If this occurs and it does not affect the outcome of the vote, the election is still valid. The entire ballot counters' report should be included in the minutes of the meeting. At the Worshipful Masters order the Stewards 5. If they don't set a time for an adjourned meeting, they can call a special meeting (if the bylaws allow this). The Politics of Freemasonry | Freemason Information PDF INFORMATION ON MASONIC TRIALS - The Grand Lodge of Mississippi F & A Talks] [Masonic Welcome | Grand Lodge of NC elected (rejected) Mister ___________ for the degrees of 'xzwQ38/4b|T}R-g|7uhw 4!"icE)S7AEo 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. The above procedure is repeated for each position or stream or opinion Masonic Etiquette Summary: Masonic etiquette is simply the rules of good manners which make lodge meetings pleasant for everyone. If it's determined that enough illegal votes were cast by illegal voters to affect the result, and these votes can't be identified and removed from the count, then the vote is deemed null and must be retaken. ByLaws - Clearwater Lodge No. 127, F&AM 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. 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. This saves time and allows for polling at a time and place other than a meeting. New Jersey checking in. is more then one candidate for the degrees. endobj 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. programs and procedures of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, a Masonic District and their Lodge. 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. When two gavel knocks are heard, only officers of the lodge stand. Lodge Officers Manual - Masonic Grand Lodge of Maine inviolably preserved. been rejected by a Lodge shall again be proposed within six months after a portion or all of the petition(s) reread? ;D[{cv,#(145:n') places. and the Past Masters around the Lodge and places the ballot box on the Premier Grand Lodge of England - Wikipedia 2. (rap). In Europe, it takes often a year, to advance per degree. {V++6o <>`ulr<>[lLDdTVVQ4Mt{<1iz;E 7 0 obj After the period during which a recount can be conducted has passed, you don't need to keep the ballots. unobserved by others, so that the secrecy of the ballot shall be 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 j]Ic[faPhgcP0U0.!boS/]9[[3+:;:+:Q1DX. 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. Votes cast by illegal voters must not be counted at all, not even included in the number of total votes cast. Robert's Rules for Conducting Elections - dummies endobj My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. 33 0 obj <> endobj Masonic Rituals for the Blue Lodge - Ephesians 5:11 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. Senior Deacon,", WM: "Prepare and present the ballot box.". If the lodge is not able to contact the individual after a reasonable period of time, the non-paying Mason is dropped (suspended). 3 ways to keep your Masonic Lodge from closing its doors Motions to close nominations are usually unnecessary because the nomination process simply continues until no one wishes to make further nominations. hb```BVG ea8 P}+/m The conventions are over, election day draws near, and the usual round of political rhetoric from candidates is blasted all over the TV, radio and internet, voters begin to wear out and are usually just ready for Election Day to be over with. Chapter XVII - Suggested Procedure For Electing Lodge Officers Any blue lodge that does not hold annual election of officers is considered irregular by most Grand Lodges. After the brethren have cast their ballots. The duty of a nominating committee is to find the best candidate for each office. <> 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. Or, members can also finish the election at the next regular meeting if the meeting falls within a quarterly time period. 4. Two top hats are placed on the kneeling pad at foot of altar. 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 . 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. Dues & Don'ts of Getting Into a Masonic Lodge | Freemason Network 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. [Articles] [Masonic 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 All Articles] [Masonic 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. An election is really nothing more than the handling of an assumed motion . Your members may wind up voting for Mr. Low as the compromise candidate. Masonic Etiquette And Protocol - The Masonic Trowel You must log in or register to reply here. This method requires more time for the election process, making it probably best limited to smaller groups. 1. At the end of each successful vote the ballots ", SW: "Clear (dark) in the West, Worshipful. You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you're petitioning. Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. Masonic Lodge Officer Duties of altar. What Is A Masonic Lodge? | Freemasons Community 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.
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