All Articles] [Masonic This requires secretaries (and possibly grand secretaries if different jurisdictions) to get involved, but is a somewhat common occurrence. Elections are decided by majority vote unless your bylaws provide differently. The position of Worshipful Master in the East occupies the most exalted position within the lodge. This example is based on moving to have nominations by committee, but the form is essentially the same for any of the methods. It will take you step by step through the election process, help you to identify your responsibilities during each step, and provide suggestions to make your job easier. )GT?=Sk8&o9sU|$gv}~3H'>}3DReeZCZ2HN7.WadE-lUG|1pU]d. 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. If anyone is elected, and it is discovered after the election that the person is not eligible, the election of that officer is null and void. Nominations are taken for successive offices in the order they're listed in the bylaws. announce the results of the vote. Club elections and officers are an integral part of the organization and must be conducted according to the group's bylaws and rules. 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. _____ cast their ballot?" States or elsewhere. A member may for indecorous or unmasonic conduct be excluded from a single meeting of the lodge. appears the ballot shall be immediately retaken, and if a blackball [Articles] [Masonic endobj In this case, the members must vote again until one candidate receives a majority vote. In most cases, the threshold is a majority of the votes cast. other regular Masonic body other than those stated. names. 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. Lodge Election Procedures "Worshipful Master (WM) or Preceding Officer" 1. Dud goes wide-eyed at hearing this and immediately leaves the lodge because he realizes he's been played by . A poor meeting achieves the opposite results. All business is done in a MM lodge. If not, the members can vote again during that meeting for another candidate. 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. 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. If an EA is not attending, it is the option of the WM as to which lodge will be opened. JFIF C 1. Business meetings are held on the EA degree in European lodge. 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). 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. Ballot voting is by far the surest way to allow for the free expression of the will of the membership. 15 0 obj It drives us back to basics, using the Masonic tools we already have in our tool belt. In Europe, it takes often a year, to advance per degree. mistake.". 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. In Texas, per Art. The Master then casts his own vote. 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. 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. xWMo1#[YO !T6T=D9Jhnwv5ofm4_0Vgu=_|[~jC5}YWyYWw45lv4~JS'AdQiewV?=few_Xu9pTX(*HYfh5Y2Q=[6(ao)\\O 9|b|+x Up % ZDEpV`,QI8.3mb'Vs5cAZ!X^S"W7FZ$%W8Fh,)Jrt $^JG{vxGVW9Z;-*r4b@fSM(o/ ?-vz}J=Pu&NC\H#^SKUvN)A@+a)eU"PvrNLsi;:~8J8 9 (The chair usually just announces the opening of nominations at the appointed time when they are in order. Decision Making For Dummies. 1. In the vote for the position of Worshipful Master A member can't make the motion to adjourn while the assembly is occupied with taking a vote, verifying a vote, or announcing a vote, except when the vote is by ballot. 8. accept?" Because this form of voting favors one candidate over another based on the order of nomination, you should avoid using it except in mass meetings or when there's no serious contest for the office and a ballot is not required. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. ", WM: "How in the West, Brother Senior Warden? When the next meeting begins, the first order of business is to hear the report of the balloting committee and for the presiding officer to announce the vote that was taken at the previous meeting. 4[>56[Wbz ; ~D.Lf Y`S=#A.%* ^Ckk8a)W=Lt!z3 EHDG}S?#&,y$OAYNOQ kKl_B ? New Jersey checking in. it to the Master who inspects the ballot box making sure that the Past Masters of ____________ Lodge No. 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. If a member is not present to choose which office he or she wants to serve, the members vote on which office they want him or her to serve. <> Depending on the Grand Lodge, this can be anywhere from 18 to 25. Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. ____ for the ensuing Masonic year. Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. The Authorities for Masonic Law. 8 0 obj or opinion 2. other regular Masonic body other than those stated. 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 secretary prepares the eligibility list for the meeting, only those members who are willing to serve are on the list. and the Past Masters around the Lodge and places the ballot box on the *(cM YiVo~r049>Kwz,8*#]qVLB`l:HM\7Gj#?#PV(F"y@f4 @hbe2q&8%RYcM`uU;ap10n 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. In Tennessee, the only time you open an EA or FC lodge is to confer those degrees. 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. 12 0 obj 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 Ballot voting is the preferred voting method in situations in which knowing how all the members voted isn't desirable. 587 %%EOF WM: "The brethren of ____________ Lodge No. This method requires more time for the election process, making it probably best limited to smaller groups. endstream It's used in the vast majority of situations in which members elect their officers at a meeting. _____ Some practices to watch out for include: Ballot boxes being stuffed or written ballots being changed. After the person elected to office assumes the position, it is too late to nullify an illegal election. Grand Lodge Dues 24 Conducting an Election of Officers 24-25 Section . Master informs the successful individual as follows: "Brother We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. [ 11 0 R] Freemasonry promotes friendship, morality, and brotherly love among men of all races, religions, opinions, and backgrounds. stream If your assembly's members are accountable to a constituency, your rules may require you to conduct your elections by roll-call vote. Clearwater Lodge No. His term expires July, 2014.". 6 0 obj of altar. 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. Motions to close nominations are usually unnecessary because the nomination process simply continues until no one wishes to make further nominations. hbbd``b`n@` ! If they don't set a time for an adjourned meeting, they can call a special meeting (if the bylaws allow this). 3. 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. The committee should meet, carefully review the membership list, and select the people who they think will do the best job in each office. One example occurs if a person is elected and then resigns, the office is considered vacant, and the president or board fills it by appointment instead of having another election. You must log in or register to reply here. However, it disadvantages candidates who lose an election for a position decided earlier and then can't serve a different position. If officers assume their duties immediately after the meeting is adjourned, it is then too late to question the election. You are using an out of date browser. The election of lodge officers is an annual event, specified in the lodge bylaws. 5. 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 If you had to move before you finished receiving the three degrees of the blue lodge, you'd need lodge B to perform courtesy work. A Lodge member who has held the highest office in the Lodge has for life a Masonic position of his own. You must log in or register to reply here. hb```e``b`f``cg@ ~}"S-(1I)|p(0)P5oDurCAfG3f1,-- d$WZ3bVasYf`$exq> )Zg However, calling nominations from your seat is often impractical, so you may want to adopt a more formal nomination process. endobj This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United endobj time immemorial. 2 0 obj or opinion Ask for nominations for an officer position. 1. The appointive officers of the Grand Lodge, save the Deputy Grand Secretary, shall be Masonic Lodge Election Procedure HB89 - Tightens the time frames for issuance of firearms licenses by probate judges. endobj 4 0 obj 2. If this occurs and it does not affect the outcome of the vote, the election is still valid. Illegal votes cast by legal voters count toward the total votes cast, but they don't count for any individual choice or candidate. Rules may include how long the organization saves ballots and how long members can wait to challenge an election. Work on making your brothers become better friends. %%EOF (or for affiliation) which has received a unanimously favorable 6. The presiding officer votes along with all the other members, although she is never allowed to cast a tie-breaker in a ballot vote. Masters are required to see that the ballot box is One vote against the petitioner generally rejects him. endobj Masonic etiquette decries anyone who does not obey the gavel. Nominees do not have to leave the room during the nominations, when the vote is taken, or when the vote is counted. This may be done by the Master, under a provision of the bye-laws giving him the authority, or on his own responsibility, in which case he is amenable to the Grand Lodge for the correctness of his decision. 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. Nominations for each office are followed by the election for that office. 2. To lend a professional air to the proceedings, suggest that brothers wear a collared shirt and tie, especially the candidates. This method gives voters an idea of the group's preferences without holding an actual election. You take nominations from the floor for one office, and when no further nominations are forthcoming, you proceed to the balloting for that office. 7. That means run-offs are just plain out of order. At this time the ), 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. 7 0 obj endstream endobj startxref Some Lodges of Freemasonry, nor webmaster nor those of any Your group's rules and customs determine when floor nominations are accepted. 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 unobserved by others, so that the secrecy of the ballot shall be charge of the Ballot and they pick up the hats, take them to the endobj This method is applicable when, Appointing members to committees, if specified in the motion creating the committee, or if prescribed in the bylaws, Electing a presiding officer in a mass meeting. LODGE VISITATION - A PRIVILEGE. We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. 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. yy MWY*^K$@48SyFHv! endstream Suggested Procedure For Electing Lodge Officers. The Senior Deacon presents the ballot to each officer It may not display this or other websites correctly. Every lodge is incorporated and required to have corporate officers. After nominations are closed, the vote is taken on each nominee in the order in which they were nominated. Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be elected. Talks] [Masonic A newly raised Master . place with the Senior and Junior Wardens alternating in calling the [Articles] [Masonic stream endobj 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. distribute the ballots for the first position to be voted upon. %PDF-1.7 % 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 report of the nominating committee is usually given under "special orders." Adam is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and is employed as a Senior Manager of International Tax in Latrobe, PA. Taking nominations by mail is basically the same as taking nominations by ballot. By signing a petition for the formation of a new lodge, [ Chapter 39] 2. ^. 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. %PDF-1.5 * (rap once). Votes cast by illegal voters must not be counted at all, not even included in the number of total votes cast. 292, elections may be held in a lodge opened in an EA as long as there is an EA attending. is more then one candidate for the degrees. %PDF-1.5 % According to Robert's Rules, a motion to close nominations is out of order as long as any member wishes to make a nomination. Some organizations add nominees to the ballot only if the name is submitted on a petition signed by some minimum number of members. [What is Freemasonry] [Leadership hb```BVG ea8 P}+/m elected (rejected) Mister ___________ for the degrees of 8. Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. However, we open the Lodge on the 3rd then call to refreshment, invite everyome in, after the ceremony the WM closes without form. /Rotate 0 >> 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. At the Worshipful Masters order the Wardens to 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. 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. <> %PDF-1.5 Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of WM: "You will present the ballot to the officers and Freemasonry's Requirements for Membership. The following shall be the methods of affiliation: 1. Nominations are now open from the floor. 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 . ",#(7),01444'9=82. Sometimes the committee is revived to make nominations to fill vacancies. 2. will advance to the altar and cast their ballot. 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. <> Robert's Rules on elections are very straightforward after what is often a politically charged prequel of nominating and campaigning. <>>> gjzUS&31+W&nck')*Uf{|mON6E4GKIpFT(o o.RJ MXqy-) MR If a person has been nominated to more than one office and is elected to two offices, he or she can choose which office he or she wants. 9 0 obj . masonic lodge election procedure; shkolla viktor hygo logo October 28, 2021. masonic lodge election procedure . Section 3. Apply a check mark to indicate the choice wherever . 3 0 obj In counting the votes, the balloting committee must not confuse a majority vote with the highest number of votes. 5 0 obj Cell phones, chewing gum, crinkly snack wrappers and other distractions should be disallowed during a fraternity election (except during breaks). Chairman of Nominating Committee: Madam President, the nominating committee submits the following nominations: for president, Alex Shaw; for vice president, Bianca Fernandez; for secretary, Raymond Platt; and for treasurer, Donna Agnese. 66 0 obj <>stream When called on to give the report, the chairman of the nominating committee states the nominations for each office. <> 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 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. 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. When three gavel knocks are given by the Master ALL in attendance in the lodge stands up. altar. 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. A Lodge supporting this vital outreach of the Foundation, will be properly noted. The Worshipful Master orders the Wardens to take This method of nominations is based on the principle of allowing all voters to make nominations for all offices by completing a nominating ballot. It may not display this or other websites correctly. If the ballot vote decides an election, you're instructed to write the name of the nominee of your choice on your ballot. Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California. 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. Talks] [Masonic % Whatever nomination method you propose, be specific. The Master may approve a collective ballot if there Further, I don't think I have ever seen a Lodge election where there isn't some form of politics involved. cubes in the box. A motion to open nominations, when made by a member, is usually a motion to reopen nominations after they have been closed. 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. <> 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. It is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views Past Masters have a standing in Masonic Law; certain duties may be assigned to them. >> /ExtGState << /Gs1 13 0 R >> /Font << /Tc1 10 0 R /TT2 9 0 R >> /XObject We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. JavaScript is disabled. Same in NM amd OR. takes up his place at the tilers door. Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Education: CHAPTER 31: Lodge Service Commission: CHAPTER 32: . 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. The secretary places all nominations in the minutes. The presiding officer can continue presiding, even if he or she is one of the nominees for the office. The election (or rejection) of a candidate in a Masonic lodge is a secret ballot, and with few exceptions, must be completely unanimous. "30*5gDcJuk.w^m=12Ua&0cE'|H%KV L%|c]c0l;v=[, Cj+M 38xHDL\. A member can rise and decline the nomination during the nominating process. 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. places. When holding ballot elections, you have two procedural options: Nominations for all offices conclude before any balloting begins. <> Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. However, in some national organizations that meet yearly or biennially (every two years), this is difficult. Organizations can create and write election rules to correct this mistake. Introduction. 234 0 obj <> endobj 3. WB Christopher J. Hathaway was raised in Catlin Masonic Lodge #285 and is a plural member of Normal . 4. 54 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[33 34]/Info 32 0 R/Length 100/Prev 87331/Root 34 0 R/Size 67/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream 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 a ballot vote, after the ballot counters have collected all the ballots, a member can make the motion to adjourn. Voting machines having wedges inserted to prevent the lever from going down all the way. 1. As Masons, we hone our skills to apply their use, improving ourselves daily. inviolably preserved. BALLOTING PROCEDURE CHAPTER xv THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER'S HANDBOOK Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. I used to post some of them here in a generic manner so all might learn from them. The minutes may say, for example, "Eric Olson was elected to the board for two years. If the bylaws specifically address this situation, members should follow the bylaws. If you have only two candidates and the vote is a tie, you repeat the balloting until one candidate receives a majority. visiting brother take his place so that the tiler may cast his A motion to close nominations is usually not necessary unless it is apparent that members are nominating people just to honor them, and that the nominees have no intention of serving. election of officers in April each year. endobj Lodge elections are performed via a Masonic Ballot Box. xU]o@|_cZR%q"b$*/}E(k nK6hb'_ D(|}5Dsq PBY%_'Dru.{,dW9PeOw9 d6!=#3r/iby+4C~9^-GT.d 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. 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. 3 0 obj The "lex non scripta," or unwritten law of Freemasonry is derived from the traditions, usages and customs of . 14 0 R /BitsPerComponent 8 /Filter /FlateDecode >> %`y`aSW2.9]!BBI Like any incidental main motion, an election can be decided by voice vote or by ballot. You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you're petitioning. Lindale Masonic Lodge: 200 W. Margaret Street, Lindale, TX 75771 Main Location The HUB: 304 E. Ferguson Street, Tyler, TX 75702 Noonday Community Center: 16662 CR 196, Tyler, TX 75703 St.. If members adjourn before an election is complete, they should set the time for an adjourned meeting to finish the election. Some Lodges have their bills paid automatically each month electronically, such as for utilities and telephones for example. It is the duty of every member present to vote, It's used in the vast majority of situations in which members elect their officers at a meeting. 6. For the qualifications of candidates in order to join a Masonic Lodge in Texas there are a series of "Freemason requirements". 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 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. 0 These rules supersede the adopted parliamentary authority. 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. And whenever you want to specify when nominations can be made, you use a motion to open or close nominations. ballot closed." Magazines Online] Balloting for your acceptance into a Masonic lodge After the investigative committee reports to the lodge, your petition is voted on. 16 0 obj When using this procedure, make it clear that a person can be nominated for and elected to more than one office. "If so, I declare the The requirement for election by ballot is a majority, and a candidate has no obligation to withdraw just because he polls low numbers. [What is Freemasonry] [Leadership WM: "Have all of the brethren of _______________
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