masonic lodge election procedure

endobj 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. ____________ Lodge No. 2. All business is done in a MM lodge. endstream endobj 37 0 obj <>stream once petition the same or any other Lodge in the jurisdiction. (After June 15, individual counties and cities could choose to continue their own meeting limitations, in which case those limitations would continue in force.) 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. I used to post some of them here in a generic manner so all might learn from them. Whatever nomination method you propose, be specific. WB Christopher J. Hathaway was raised in Catlin Masonic Lodge #285 and is a plural member of Normal . The committee should meet, carefully review the membership list, and select the people who they think will do the best job in each office. Brother Secretary conduct a roll call. 587 report from the investigating committee. 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. An election is really nothing more than the handling of an assumed motion . "30*5gDcJuk.w^m=12Ua&0cE'|H%KV L%|c]c0l;v=[, Cj+M 38xHDL\. All Articles] [Masonic We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. 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. 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. )GT?=Sk8&o9sU|$gv}~3H'>}3DReeZCZ2HN7.WadE-lUG|1pU]d. {V++6o <>`ulr<>[lLDdTVVQ4Mt{<1iz;E 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 assembly then votes again on the other office. The mechanics of the election are governed by a few sections of the Minnesota Masonic Code and quite a bit of lodge tradition. WM: "You will present the ballot to the officers and 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. endobj First, the Entered Apprentice Degree, second, the Fellow Craft Degree and finally, the Master Mason Degree. A member can rise and decline the nomination during the nominating process. That means run-offs are just plain out of order. In balloting on a petition for affiliation, if one blackball Nominations don't have to be seconded, but it's not out of order for members to second a nomination to signal their endorsement. Some organizations add nominees to the ballot only if the name is submitted on a petition signed by some minimum number of members. The Senior Deacon then takes up a [What is New] [Articles] [Masonic A poor meeting achieves the opposite results. 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. Collectively, these motions are known as motions related to nominations. *(cM YiVo~r049>Kwz,8*#]qVLB`l:HM\7Gj#?#PV(F"y@f4 @hbe2q&8%RYcM`uU;ap10n 16 0 obj Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation. 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. In Tennessee, the only time you open an EA or FC lodge is to confer those degrees. It is the duty of every member present to vote, Balloting for your acceptance into a Masonic lodge After the investigative committee reports to the lodge, your petition is voted on. Depending on the Grand Lodge, this can be anywhere from 18 to 25. As JPM of my lodge, I've been asked to serve in this role for our upcoming officer elections. Yes, every year Masonic Lodges do have elections. However, calling nominations from your seat is often impractical, so you may want to adopt a more formal nomination process. and the Past Masters around the Lodge and places the ballot box on the Conducting an Election of Officers p. 25 Section III. white ball elects; a black cube rejects. endobj 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 xU]o@|_cZR%q"b$*/}E(k nK6hb'_ D(|}5Dsq PBY%_'Dru.{,dW9PeOw9 d6!=#3r/iby+4C~9^-GT.d [ 11 0 R] Remember brethren, a Ie!W2UP7MEdq-2Y+(jVW`Y, z?D;tr>[iqqF7!FR$uh?%b <> The above procedure is repeated for each position or Here are some other things to consider during the election process: A quorum needs to be present throughout the election meeting. % 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. 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. /Rotate 0 >> %PDF-1.5 Do you As soon as the committee reports, it is discharged from its duties. 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. <> 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. A person can nominate himself or herself. His term expires July, 2014.". [What is New] To help with the Masonic experience at Lodge meetings, you were allowed to open on any degree, and use the Chamber If the ballot vote decides an election, you're instructed to write the name of the nominee of your choice on your ballot. 7. WM: "Brother Junior Warden, how stands the ballot in In the vote for Secretary, unless he is retiring, <>>> >> /ExtGState << /Gs1 13 0 R >> /Font << /Tc1 10 0 R /TT2 9 0 R >> /XObject unobserved by others, so that the secrecy of the ballot shall be When the secretary prepares the eligibility list for the meeting, only those members who are willing to serve are on the list. elected. 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.". The balloting committee can still count the ballots. In a ballot vote, after the ballot counters have collected all the ballots, a member can make the motion to adjourn. ", SW: "Clear (dark) in the West, Worshipful. All officers resume their stations and When holding ballot elections, you have two procedural options: Nominations for all offices conclude before any balloting begins. Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California. gjzUS&31+W&nck')*Uf{|mON6E4GKIpFT(o o.RJ MXqy-) MR The Masonic rituals provided here are as practiced under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Nevada, circa 1986. a portion or all of the petition(s) reread? After each nomination, the president repeats the name to the assembly. 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 following shall be the methods of affiliation: 1. the Senior Warden hands each ballot to the Junior Warden who announces This method gives voters an idea of the group's preferences without holding an actual election. Taking nominations by mail is basically the same as taking nominations by ballot. The position of Worshipful Master in the East occupies the most exalted position within the lodge. Booth Lodge 100-100C, be amended . When the secretary mails the members a notice about the nomination and election meeting, the letter can include a request that members who do not wish to be considered for office notify the secretary in writing. Persons serving on the committee can be nominated for office. vote. It is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views distribute the ballots for the first position to be voted upon. endobj 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. % Be careful and make no collectively, and in the case of one blackball appearing therein it Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. The committee then has to find a new nominee, and the members have to vote again. 6 0 obj The duty of a nominating committee is to find the best candidate for each office. If your assembly's members are accountable to a constituency, your rules may require you to conduct your elections by roll-call vote. ", JW: "Fair (cloudy) in the South, Worshipful. elected (rejected) Mister ___________ for the degrees of My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. When the nominations stop, the chair just declares nominations closed after making sure that no more nominations are forthcoming. Development] [Education] [Masonic collect the ballots and place the hats with the ballots at the endobj 1. %PDF-1.7 % 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. 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. 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. The Senior Deacon presents the ballot to each officer It's never in order to vote Yes or No (or For or Against) a candidate when electing persons to office. You must log in or register to reply here. You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you're petitioning. The secretary places all nominations in the minutes. 1 0 obj APPOINTMENT. 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. This method requires more time for the election process, making it probably best limited to smaller groups. It's used in the vast majority of situations in which members elect their officers at a meeting. Procedure for Contempt: CHAPTER 101: Restoration after Suspension or Expulsion: CHAPTER 102: 14 0 obj The election process may be the easiest part of deciding who handles a particular job in the organization. 4 0 obj 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. Pause. Suddenly it's 3am. (or for affiliation) which has received a unanimously favorable Freemasonry's Requirements for Membership. Business meetings are held on the EA degree in European lodge. To which Blaise replies "Yeah, 200 bucks is pretty steep.". 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. A Lodge supporting this vital outreach of the Foundation, will be properly noted. 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. 11 0 obj . _____ and place it on the Master. 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. applicant shall be declared rejected. While the . 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. 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. As each nomination is received (assuming multiple candidates), ask each nominee "If elected, are you willing to serve?" If someone is not willing to serve, the committee needs to meet again and find another candidate. 6. <> In most of the same grand lodge jurisdictions, there is also a G painted, sculpted, or otherwise suspended in the symbolic East of the lodge room (typically over the Master's chair).. This saves time and allows for polling at a time and place other than a meeting. hmo@W}w*JGEa]/p o?_%au/$"p@ZPI 6AKFQt$8g!AHG[v;~&Wwu~|1xX21`9-Yd]%dsXQNxm -$we/mc5qrq:a/}4Y#A6,UX"{,S(JCs4l>nl,~nn%M&bt_zFPVJ_**#lU6uZe]Y[;M 6tvM{7W/225[n_SOmGP_4U_rH1v %m" &"`hh&q'I%D-rI$\\OScmalRCiPh_Th 7AN.RR9ou|r:9>NpT~XI|{&]MJ )FvJlC{hDRDT "DJc+^zrPl c[ You take nominations from the floor for one office, and when no further nominations are forthcoming, you proceed to the balloting for that office. 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. JavaScript is disabled. The Senior Deacon closes the lid on the ballot. 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. In Kentucky, the individual is normally sent a certified letter. The Authorities for Masonic Law. places. In either case, you need to appoint reliable ballot counters to hand out and collect ballots and to count the votes. accept?" We can conduct lodge business in the EA degree in Minnesota, but only Master Masons can vote. If lodge functions go smoothly, it is the Master who takes the credit. 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. Motions to close nominations are usually unnecessary because the nomination process simply continues until no one wishes to make further nominations. 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. And whenever you want to specify when nominations can be made, you use a motion to open or close nominations. When using this procedure, make it clear that a person can be nominated for and elected to more than one office. endobj 3 0 obj Once you're a Master Mason, you've got a few options. 1. <> 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. Blogs] [Links] 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. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.44 841.92] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> 7 0 obj Both a bank's president and janitor can apply for membership, and they're considered equally qualified. 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. _____ 75-3 METHODS OF AFFILIATION. 0 Clearwater Lodge No. endstream endobj startxref Achieve this by asking them to hang out with you. 1. inviolably preserved. 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. 8. By absolute demit, [ Chapter 76] 3. 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 Rules may include how long the organization saves ballots and how long members can wait to challenge an election. 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. _____ cast their ballot?" 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. Discover the world's largest and oldest fraternal organization with over 3 million members. yy MWY*^K$@48SyFHv! the name on the ballot and the Secretary repeats the name and tallies Apply a check mark to indicate the choice wherever . It may not display this or other websites correctly. If you have only two candidates and the vote is a tie, you repeat the balloting until one candidate receives a majority. Nominations are taken for successive offices in the order they're listed in the bylaws. The only way you can vote against a candidate is to vote for another person. A Lodge member who has held the highest office in the Lodge has for life a Masonic position of his own. charge of the Ballot and they pick up the hats, take them to the Join us as we strive to make good men better by teaching universal values through the use of geometry and architecture metaphors. endstream 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. 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. 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. Any blue lodge that does not hold annual election of officers is considered irregular by most Grand Lodges. 6. <> This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United The presiding officer votes along with all the other members, although she is never allowed to cast a tie-breaker in a ballot vote. We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. mistake.". If a member votes for more choices than positions to be elected, the vote is considered illegal. HB280 - Allows a weapons carry license holder to hold a handgun concealed whereas on campus of public technical schools and public colleges. <> Ballot voting is by far the surest way to allow for the free expression of the will of the membership. Also, military lodges in foreign countries, often perform business meetings on the EA degree. The organization must have another election. If not, the members can vote again during that meeting for another candidate. It varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. A ballot shall be taken for the three degrees When called on to give the report, the chairman of the nominating committee states the nominations for each office. 10 0 obj 13 0 obj 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." 3 0 obj 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. You are using an out of date browser. 6 0 obj Masonic Etiquette Summary: Masonic etiquette is simply the rules of good manners which make lodge meetings pleasant for everyone. After the period during which a recount can be conducted has passed, you don't need to keep the ballots. 4. 3. been rejected by a Lodge shall again be proposed within six months after 2. When the nominating ballot is received, the signed inner envelope containing the ballot is logged in against a list of voting members, and the ballot is deposited in a receptacle for tallying like an election ballot. Or, members can also finish the election at the next regular meeting if the meeting falls within a quarterly time period. If a member leaves one part blank, the votes entered on the other questions still count. Enter your official identification and contact details. 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. Because this form of voting favors one candidate over another based on the order of nomination, you should avoid using it except in mass meetings or when there's no serious contest for the office and a ballot is not required. After nominations are closed, the vote is taken on each nominee in the order in which they were nominated. 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. The election (or rejection) of a candidate in a Masonic lodge is a secret ballot, and with few exceptions, must be completely unanimous. 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. %PDF-1.3 endobj Every lodge is incorporated and required to have corporate officers. 292, elections may be held in a lodge opened in an EA as long as there is an EA attending. salute with the Worshipful Master. In the vote for the position of Worshipful Master [Feedback]. endobj *.MXPY!~@Aa%^ N&4D1la`:v@Ai,^t #. 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. In counting the votes, the balloting committee must not confuse a majority vote with the highest number of votes. As Masons, we hone our skills to apply their use, improving ourselves daily. Each question on a multipart ballot is counted as a separate ballot. Same in NM amd OR. << /Length 12 0 R /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 610 /Height 521 /ColorSpace 2 0 obj The Senior Deacon obtains the ballot box and presents All Articles] [Masonic The secretary repeats the vote after recording it, to ensure accuracy. States or elsewhere. By establishing plural membership in a North Carolina States or elsewhere.