masonic lodge election proceduremegan stewart and amy harmon missing
This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United x`TU?5%BBH*5XHRjD5IPJ@Z"MDE]sm.Cs)}{n/JFtZ_!ms6g:8_\Xt hq[gGBqvZ(}%p&N"4t 4b2hEs endobj << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << /Cs1 7 0 R )GT?=Sk8&o9sU|$gv}~3H'>}3DReeZCZ2HN7.WadE-lUG|1pU]d. 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. The secretary repeats the vote after recording it, to ensure accuracy. My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. The Committee on Masonic Education and Information of . These Masonic rituals represent three degrees which are taken in sequence. Masonic Lodges, Masonic Organizations, and Youth Orders may conduct in-person meetings and events in compliance with county and city restrictions, if any. First, the Entered Apprentice Degree, second, the Fellow Craft Degree and finally, the Master Mason Degree. the vote. I guess that would depend on the jurisdiction. 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. Decision Making For Dummies. 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. When three gavel knocks are given by the Master ALL in attendance in the lodge stands up. Each officer and member, before voting, must exchange the In this case, the members must vote again until one candidate receives a majority vote. ;D[{cv,#(145:n') The person who gets the most votes may not have a majority of the votes. The requirement for election by ballot is a majority, and a candidate has no obligation to withdraw just because he polls low numbers. Secretarys table and put the ballots into one of the hats. This method gives voters an idea of the group's preferences without holding an actual election. Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be elected. Work on making your brothers become better friends. A person can nominate himself or herself. 5 0 obj Procedure for Contempt: CHAPTER 101: Restoration after Suspension or Expulsion: CHAPTER 102: It's never proper to drop the candidates receiving the lowest vote totals from a ballot unless they withdraw voluntarily. The above procedure is repeated for each position or endobj Ballot voting is the preferred voting method in situations in which knowing how all the members voted isn't desirable. Ballot voting is by far the surest way to allow for the free expression of the will of the membership. 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. collect the ballots and place the hats with the ballots at the 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. If the bylaws specifically address this situation, members should follow the bylaws. mistake.". endobj The "lex non scripta," or unwritten law of Freemasonry is derived from the traditions, usages and customs of . been rejected by a Lodge shall again be proposed within six months after endobj It's never in order to vote Yes or No (or For or Against) a candidate when electing persons to office. 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. At this time the If something doesn't quite add up, a member should question it during the meeting. 1 0 obj %PDF-1.5 % You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you're petitioning. 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. A member has the right to vote until the polls are closed. shall be immediately retaken, when, if a blackball again appears, the [Feedback]. All business is done in a MM lodge. WM: "The brethren of ____________ Lodge No. <> Nominations are now open from the floor. 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. 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. 7. Nominees do not have to leave the room during the nominations, when the vote is taken, or when the vote is counted. WM: "You will present the ballot to the officers and When called on to give the report, the chairman of the nominating committee states the nominations for each office. Past Masters of ____________ Lodge No. Further, I don't think I have ever seen a Lodge election where there isn't some form of politics involved. The minutes may say, for example, "Eric Olson was elected to the board for two years. The position of Worshipful Master in the East occupies the most exalted position within the lodge. These elections happen in the end of the year to elect the following years leadership team. The Secretary announces the results of the vote, a Same in NM amd OR. may use different methods of electing officers. NOTE: This is only a suggested procedure. Sometimes the committee is revived to make nominations to fill vacancies. Development] [Education] [Masonic cubes in the box. All Articles] [Masonic so presented that each officer and member shall cast his ballot By transfer of membership, maintaining continuous membership, and 4. 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. It is possible that because of a mistake in counting the ballots, or another procedural mistake, someone can be declared elected to office when he or she did not receive the majority votes. 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. Business meetings are held on the EA degree in European lodge. As Masons, we hone our skills to apply their use, improving ourselves daily. The bylaws should not tie the hands of the committee to find more than one person to fill each slot; the committee should find the best candidate for each office. Some Lodges have their bills paid automatically each month electronically, such as for utilities and telephones for example. State which position is open for election or re-election, and invite members of the organization to come forward with their nominations for the position. 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 a portion or all of the petition(s) reread? _____ cast their ballot?" The Authorities for Masonic Law. A parade of misfortunes had culminated by forcing potato planter Fred Jensen to stop his cross-country dash 85 miles short of his destination. <>>> it to the Master who inspects the ballot box making sure that the If the motion is adopted, the assembly can adjourn before the vote is announced if it has another meeting scheduled. *(cM YiVo~r049>Kwz,8*#]qVLB`l:HM\7Gj#?#PV(F"y@f4 @hbe2q&8%RYcM`uU;ap10n 8 0 obj Freemasonry (or Brother __________for affiliation)." This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United It is the duty of every member present to vote, 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. <> 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. Master informs the successful individual as follows: "Brother When the nominations stop, the chair just declares nominations closed after making sure that no more nominations are forthcoming. At the Worshipful Master s order the Stewards distribute the ballots for the first position to be voted upon. <> applicant shall be declared rejected. 1. (The chair usually just announces the opening of nominations at the appointed time when they are in order. 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. The committee then has to find a new nominee, and the members have to vote again. Join a brotherhood of over 2,000,000 men of all ages, from all races, religions, and countries, and from all walks of life. 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. 10. TURNING YOUR BACK: Never turn one's back on the Master to address the lodge without first-receiving permission 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. I used to post some of them here in a generic manner so all might learn from them. Club elections and officers are an integral part of the organization and must be conducted according to the group's bylaws and rules. If you have only two candidates and the vote is a tie, you repeat the balloting until one candidate receives a majority. [What is Freemasonry] [Leadership % New Jersey checking in. The election process may be the easiest part of deciding who handles a particular job in the organization. If not, the members can vote again during that meeting for another candidate. After the brethren have cast their ballots. 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 Senior Warden hands each ballot to the Junior Warden who announces <> MAKE SURE YOU READ YOUR GRAND LODGE CODE! If officers assume their duties immediately after the meeting is adjourned, it is then too late to question the election. Nominations are taken for successive offices in the order they're listed in the bylaws. of Freemasonry, nor webmaster nor those of any The Master may approve a collective ballot if there HB280 - Allows a weapons carry license holder to hold a handgun concealed whereas on campus of public technical schools and public colleges. 33 0 obj <> endobj We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. 8. "If so, I declare the 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. 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. 13 0 obj BALLOTING PROCEDURE CHAPTER xv THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER'S HANDBOOK Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. No officer of a Masonic lodge may take up his elected or appointed duties until formally installed to his office by proper authority. 234 0 obj <> endobj Nominations for each office are followed by the election for that office. After nominations are closed, the vote is taken on each nominee in the order in which they were nominated. Voting machines having wedges inserted to prevent the lever from going down all the way. If no candidate is found, the committee can leave that slot open for nominations from the floor. 705 South Hercules Avenue. After the period during which a recount can be conducted has passed, you don't need to keep the ballots. Ie!W2UP7MEdq-2Y+(jVW`Y, z?D;tr>[iqqF7!FR$uh?%b <> If lodge functions go smoothly, it is the Master who takes the credit. <> That means run-offs are just plain out of order. In Texas, per Art. 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 . << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> report from the investigating committee. 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. 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. 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. Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be Masonry doesn't care about your worldly wealth or social position. % Marshal takes up his place at the West Gate and the Junior Deacon Register a free account today to become a member! The Senior Deacon presents the ballot to each officer And whenever you want to specify when nominations can be made, you use a motion to open or close nominations. Persons serving on the committee can be nominated for office. An officer election form is a document used by groups, clubs, and organizations to elect leaders and fill vacant positions. <> This ceremony, revised in 2013 relies heavily on the work of the prolific Masonic author and commentator, Robert Macoy who first set it down in 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. The committee should meet, carefully review the membership list, and select the people who they think will do the best job in each office. The Code has two primary chapters that describe the process of voting in subordinate lodges. 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. places. If the lodge is not able to contact the individual after a reasonable period of time, the non-paying Mason is dropped (suspended). Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. Because fraud does happen in the election process, members need to be alert and watchful of the election process. endobj Brother Secretary conduct a roll call. f;-^*//%^je)R%^eKuZJQ\LU/Zgy:FDt8KF:US1OG+T/5i]\V5qhw`6mjzS"m].#{T^]q p;43[9[C nF^y' 64 You are using an out of date browser. Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California. 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. As JPM of my lodge, I've been asked to serve in this role for our upcoming officer elections. The election of lodge officers is an annual event, specified in the lodge bylaws. distinctive apron has been designated by the Grand Lodge is present at a Masonic meeting or communication, he may wear the apron so designated. 4[>56[Wbz ; ~D.Lf Y`S=#A.%* ^Ckk8a)W=Lt!z3 EHDG}S?#&,y$OAYNOQ kKl_B ? The brother responds. After the person elected to office assumes the position, it is too late to nullify an illegal election. * (rap once). 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. endobj States or elsewhere. This example is based on moving to have nominations by committee, but the form is essentially the same for any of the methods. salute with the Worshipful Master. Freemasonry's Requirements for Membership. Or, they can tell members publicly that they do not have a nominee for a certain office; this allows members to volunteer. 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. 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. Robert's Rules on elections are very straightforward after what is often a politically charged prequel of nominating and campaigning. The mechanics of the election are governed by a few sections of the Minnesota Masonic Code and quite a bit of lodge tradition. Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of [Articles] [Masonic In either case, you need to appoint reliable ballot counters to hand out and collect ballots and to count the votes. collect the ballots, the Deacons approach the altar, pick up the hats, Discover the world's largest and oldest fraternal organization with over 3 million members. His term expires July, 2014.". For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. other regular Masonic body other than those stated. If someone is not willing to serve, the committee needs to meet again and find another candidate. ____________ Lodge No. 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. Brethren, I declare that you have majority of those voting being necessary for election, and the Worshipful Grand Lodge Dues 24 Conducting an Election of Officers 24-25 Section . Organizations can create and write election rules to correct this mistake. << /Length 12 0 R /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 610 /Height 521 /ColorSpace Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation. It is considered a faux pas to cross . collectively, and in the case of one blackball appearing therein it 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. APPOINTMENT. Lodge to vote, the Master should invite the tiler in and have a If a member leaves one part blank, the votes entered on the other questions still count. Any blue lodge that does not hold annual election of officers is considered irregular by most Grand Lodges. %PDF-1.5 We can conduct lodge business in the EA degree in Minnesota, but only Master Masons can vote. 3. A Lodge supporting this vital outreach of the Foundation, will be properly noted. Your members may wind up voting for Mr. Low as the compromise candidate. %%EOF 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. 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." In Europe, it takes often a year, to advance per degree. 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 10 0 obj The Worshipful Master orders the Wardens to take JavaScript is disabled. At the Worshipful Masters order the Stewards The Senior Deacon obtains the ballot box and presents It's used in the vast majority of situations in which members elect their officers at a meeting. 6. One of the most important franchises which the Masonic character offers is THE ELECTION OF MASTER FOR THE ENSUING TWELVE MONTHS. gjzUS&31+W&nck')*Uf{|mON6E4GKIpFT(o o.RJ MXqy-) MR After the committee reports, the chair states: President: The nominating committee nominates Alex Shaw for president, Bianca Fernandez for vice president, Raymond Platt for secretary, and Donna Agnese for treasurer. 14 0 R /BitsPerComponent 8 /Filter /FlateDecode >> 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. 2 0 obj By establishing plural membership in a North Carolina This method requires more time for the election process, making it probably best limited to smaller groups. 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. [What is New] For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. In most places, the answer is likely no. Lodge No. The election (or rejection) of a candidate in a Masonic lodge is a secret ballot, and with few exceptions, must be completely unanimous. Officers Duties and Responsibilities . Don't implement a new process to 450 lodges until it is . 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. Motions to close nominations are usually unnecessary because the nomination process simply continues until no one wishes to make further nominations. The presiding officer can continue presiding, even if he or she is one of the nominees for the office. LODGE VISITATION - A PRIVILEGE. The following shall be the methods of affiliation: 1. Join us as we strive to make good men better by teaching universal values through the use of geometry and architecture metaphors. 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. 3. (After June 15, individual counties and cities could choose to continue their own meeting limitations, in which case those limitations would continue in force.) In most cases, the threshold is a majority of the votes cast. If you become a Free Mason, you will: Join both the oldest and the largest fraternity in the world. As each nomination is received (assuming multiple candidates), ask each nominee "If elected, are you willing to serve?" All Articles] [Masonic Ask for nominations for an officer position. endobj All business is done in a MM lodge. Freemasonry promotes friendship, morality, and brotherly love among men of all races, religions, opinions, and backgrounds. )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_?