Masonic etiquette decries anyone who does not obey the gavel. distribute the ballots for the first position to be voted upon. Do Freemasons elect their top leadership? - Freemasonry Report names. A common mistake in elections is having too many ballots cast for the number of members present. 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. the South? 4. report from the investigating committee. In Texas, per Art. 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. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. The Senior Deacon closes the lid on the ballot. cubes in the box. The Louisiana Freemason Spring 2020 Issue by Grand Lodge of Louisiana 6 0 obj Masonic Rituals for the Blue Lodge - Ephesians 5:11 The mechanics of the election are governed by a few sections of the Minnesota Masonic Code and quite a bit of lodge tradition. However, it disadvantages candidates who lose an election for a position decided earlier and then can't serve a different position. stream Sometimes called open nominations, this method is probably the most familiar. Taking nominations by mail is basically the same as taking nominations by ballot. The Code has two primary chapters that describe the process of voting in subordinate lodges. ballot drawer is empty and that there are both white balls and black <> No candidate whose application has Freemasonry promotes friendship, morality, and brotherly love among men of all races, religions, opinions, and backgrounds. and the Master may oblige him to do so. [Feedback]. inviolably preserved. endstream endobj 37 0 obj <>stream Are there any further nominations for president? salute with the Worshipful Master. [ 11 0 R] If the bylaws specifically address this situation, members should follow the bylaws. All officers resume their stations and <> Talks] [Masonic Masonic Lodges, Masonic Organizations, and Youth Orders may conduct in-person meetings and events in compliance with county and city restrictions, if any. Pause. Masonry doesn't care about your worldly wealth or social position. 2 0 obj 1 0 obj 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. Be careful and make no An officer election form is a document used by groups, clubs, and organizations to elect leaders and fill vacant positions. I /8ZzeL%kxF~/a&MBkd/cK"zBARqG(/%:}4Q;l@)R^M,s;p Rx P~DV(GR,&Gj;v}yh/5F3ibD,eZJ 234 0 obj <> endobj 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. The Senior Deacon presents the ballot for examination [What is New] The Requirements to Join a Freemason Lodge - dummies How to Conduct an Election of Officers (with Pictures) - wikiHow The "lex non scripta," or unwritten law of Freemasonry is derived from the traditions, usages and customs of . At the Worshipful Master s order the Stewards distribute the ballots for the first position to be voted upon. 14 0 R /BitsPerComponent 8 /Filter /FlateDecode >> 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. 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. MAKE SURE YOU READ YOUR GRAND LODGE CODE! % The Anti-Masonic Party in the United States : 1826-1843 - Google Books Cell phones, chewing gum, crinkly snack wrappers and other distractions should be disallowed during a fraternity election (except during breaks). This requires secretaries (and possibly grand secretaries if different jurisdictions) to get involved, but is a somewhat common occurrence. Balloting must continue until a candidate receives a majority. Past Masters have a standing in Masonic Law; certain duties may be assigned to them. - "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 . Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. Section 12: How To Run A Good Business Meeting - Masonic Grand Lodge of 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. elected. <> 2. A member can rise and decline the nomination during the nominating process. When using this procedure, make it clear that a person can be nominated for and elected to more than one office. Freemasons explain the rituals and benefits of membership 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. Conducting Local Union Officer Elections | U.S. Department of Labor Once you're a Master Mason, you've got a few options. The secretary places all nominations in the minutes. . If they don't set a time for an adjourned meeting, they can call a special meeting (if the bylaws allow this). Masonic Etiquette And Protocol - The Masonic Trowel The Secretary announces the results of the vote, a It drives us back to basics, using the Masonic tools we already have in our tool belt. other regular Masonic body other than those stated. It may not display this or other websites correctly. 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. _____ 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. The only exceptions are: (1) a newly instituted lodge, (2) one that has received written approval from the General Governor, based upon membership action, or (3) an emergency situation requiring the election to be changed or waived. 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. This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United Same in NM amd OR. <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> The Committee on Masonic Education and Information of . ), 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. [Articles] [Masonic Since it is the obligation of every brother of 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. 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. When two gavel knocks are heard, only officers of the lodge stand. 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. 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 member has the right to vote until the polls are closed. Another problematic practice to watch out for is nominating someone for office who is not eligible. ballot closed." 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. Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California. To help with the Masonic experience at Lodge meetings, you were allowed to open on any degree, and use the Chamber _____ and place it on the In counting the votes, the balloting committee must not confuse a majority vote with the highest number of votes. 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. vote. Lodge No. Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. A website endorsed by a Lodge will be considered the official Lodge website, and will be subject to these criteria and rules. 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. 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. Freemasonry's Requirements for Membership. 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. A ballot shall be taken for the three degrees endobj Apply a check mark to indicate the choice wherever . 11 0 obj election of officers in April each year. 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. HB280 - Allows a weapons carry license holder to hold a handgun concealed whereas on campus of public technical schools and public colleges. )GT?=Sk8&o9sU|$gv}~3H'>}3DReeZCZ2HN7.WadE-lUG|1pU]d. ", JW: "Fair (cloudy) in the South, Worshipful. When counting ballots, ballot counters need to keep a few key points in mind: Blank votes are treated as scrap paper and don't count at all. Election of Master and Treasurer 36 Exclusion under Rule 181 Procedures to be carried out 31,32 Files To be kept 5 Foreword 2 Forms Grand Lodge 5 Grand Rank Procedure 33 Hall Stone Jewel When it can be worn 18 Honorary Membership Disabilities, Election, Status 13 Installation Night Toast 19 Leaflets Information 5 takes up his place at the tilers door. The Closely Guarded Secrets of the Masonic Lodge - Freemasons Community One vote against the petitioner generally rejects him. so presented that each officer and member shall cast his ballot PDF The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ohio - Freemason The Authorities for Masonic Law. Further, I don't think I have ever seen a Lodge election where there isn't some form of politics involved. 4[>56[Wbz ; ~D.Lf Y`S=#A.%* ^Ckk8a)W=Lt!z3 EHDG}S?#&,y$OAYNOQ kKl_B ? This saves time and allows for polling at a time and place other than a meeting. LODGE VISITATION - A PRIVILEGE. Premier Grand Lodge of England - Wikipedia If you have only two candidates and the vote is a tie, you repeat the balloting until one candidate receives a majority. 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. Lodge Election Procedures "Worshipful Master (WM) or Preceding Officer" 1. Doing this may allow an unpopular or hand-picked candidate to get the office even though he or she was not elected. If the committee does its job well, the membership can enjoy some basic assurance that the candidates nominated have at least expressed interest in the job, have agreed to serve, and are qualified for the offices for which they're nominated. 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.". 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. The Politics of Freemasonry | Freemason Information again appears the petitioner shall be declared rejected, but he may at Brethren, I declare that you have This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United time immemorial. . At the Worshipful Masters order the Wardens to Some practices to watch out for include: Ballot boxes being stuffed or written ballots being changed. And whenever you want to specify when nominations can be made, you use a motion to open or close nominations. PDF Election of Lodge Officers Handbook - mdmoose.org That job belongs to the presiding officer, who reads the report again to the members, concluding with a formal declaration of the result. Lodge Website Criteria | Grand Lodge of Georgia, F. & A.M.