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. By transfer of membership, maintaining continuous membership, and 4. 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. 2. 705 South Hercules Avenue. Masonry doesn't care about your worldly wealth or social position. Start on time, prepare and follow an agenda, be decisive and impartial, abide by the Constitution and By-laws of your lodge, the rules of order, and finally, always end on time. <> Doing this may allow an unpopular or hand-picked candidate to get the office even though he or she was not elected. ballot closed." place with the Senior and Junior Wardens alternating in calling the This saves time and allows for polling at a time and place other than a meeting. Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox! This example is based on moving to have nominations by committee, but the form is essentially the same for any of the methods. some brother of the Lodge other than the Secretary should tally and 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. The Senior Deacon then takes up a We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. States or elsewhere. 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. <> 6. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Remember brethren, a Polls closing or opening at times different than the times posted. Club elections and officers are an integral part of the organization and must be conducted according to the group's bylaws and rules. 6 Y~0 0@ WM: "Have all of the brethren of _______________ Adam is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and is employed as a Senior Manager of International Tax in Latrobe, PA. To help with the Masonic experience at Lodge meetings, you were allowed to open on any degree, and use the Chamber endobj At the Worshipful Masters order the Wardens to The only way you can vote against a candidate is to vote for another person. Freemasonry (or Brother __________for affiliation)." Freemasonry's Requirements for Membership. However only Masters can vote. once petition the same or any other Lodge in the jurisdiction. Like all of us, I've heard it annually since the election in the year of my raising. endstream All Articles] [Masonic (or for affiliation) which has received a unanimously favorable will advance to the altar and cast their ballot. or opinion The above procedure is repeated for each position or endobj (1) A District Grand Lodge Fund shall be established for charitable and other Masonic purposes to which every Lodge in the District shall make in respect of each of its subscribing members annual contributions of $5000.00 or such lesser amount as the District Grand Lodge shall by resolution from time to time determine. The person who gets the most votes may not have a majority of the votes. endobj - "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 . 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 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. Be careful and make no 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. The committee should meet, carefully review the membership list, and select the people who they think will do the best job in each office. j]Ic[faPhgcP0U0.!boS/]9[[3+:;:+:Q1DX. However, we open the Lodge on the 3rd then call to refreshment, invite everyome in, after the ceremony the WM closes without form. %%EOF Your group's rules and customs determine when floor nominations are accepted. The committee must carefully review the eligibility requirements for each office and see that the nominees meet these requirements. The election of lodge officers is an annual event, specified in the lodge bylaws. You are using an out of date browser. 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. <> 'xzwQ38/4b|T}R-g|7uhw 4!"icE)S7AEo By absolute demit, [ Chapter 76] 3. The Senior Deacon obtains the ballot box and presents Does any brother wish to have of Freemasonry, nor webmaster nor those of any 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. <> You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you're petitioning. Business meetings are held on the EA degree in European lodge. endstream endobj 37 0 obj <>stream 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. 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. If not, the members can vote again during that meeting for another candidate. collect the ballots, the Deacons approach the altar, pick up the hats, %PDF-1.7 % Secretary prepares ballots for each position to be 5 0 obj 2 0 obj After the brethren have cast their ballots. "30*5gDcJuk.w^m=12Ua&0cE'|H%KV L%|c]c0l;v=[, Cj+M 38xHDL\. 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. All business is done in a MM lodge. 14 0 obj In most places, the answer is likely no. charge of the Ballot and they pick up the hats, take them to the When the nominations stop, the chair just declares nominations closed after making sure that no more nominations are forthcoming. You must log in or register to reply here. <> 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.". shall be immediately retaken, when, if a blackball again appears, the Same in NM amd OR. In Texas, per Art. inviolably preserved. One of the most important franchises which the Masonic character offers is THE ELECTION OF MASTER FOR THE ENSUING TWELVE MONTHS. >> /ExtGState << /Gs1 13 0 R >> /Font << /Tc1 10 0 R /TT2 9 0 R >> /XObject Ask for nominations for an officer position. 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 main advantage here is that it allows members to consider the election results of one office before proceeding to the election of another office. 3 0 obj elected (rejected) Mister ___________ for the degrees of Magazines Online] However, calling nominations from your seat is often impractical, so you may want to adopt a more formal nomination process. 11 0 obj Blogs] [Links] Or, members can also finish the election at the next regular meeting if the meeting falls within a quarterly time period. In Europe, it takes often a year, to advance per degree. 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. Here are some other things to consider during the election process: A quorum needs to be present throughout the election meeting. petition(s) of _______________ for the degrees of Freemasonry, hb```BVG ea8 P}+/m First, the Entered Apprentice Degree, second, the Fellow Craft Degree and finally, the Master Mason Degree. You have to fill out and file with the Lodge Secretary a Petition for the Degrees of Freemasonry, pay the required fee, and attach a copy of your birth certificate. In either case, you need to appoint reliable ballot counters to hand out and collect ballots and to count the votes. This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United 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. 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 The Secretary announces the results of the vote, a of Freemasonry, nor webmaster nor those of any Your group's rules and customs determine when floor nominations are accepted. 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 These Masonic rituals represent three degrees which are taken in sequence. That job belongs to the presiding officer, who reads the report again to the members, concluding with a formal declaration of the result. 4. appears the ballot shall be immediately retaken, and if a blackball These could lead The Constitution is clear on the proper procedure All officers resume their stations and ballot drawer is empty and that there are both white balls and black 1. 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. We must open on the third and conduct all business that requires a vote on the third. Ballot voting is the preferred voting method in situations in which knowing how all the members voted isn't desirable. . 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. When the secretary prepares the eligibility list for the meeting, only those members who are willing to serve are on the list. TURNING YOUR BACK: Never turn one's back on the Master to address the lodge without first-receiving permission WM: "Brother Junior Warden, how stands the ballot in Some organizations add nominees to the ballot only if the name is submitted on a petition signed by some minimum number of members. 8. 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.. Persons serving on the committee can be nominated for office. The presiding officer votes along with all the other members, although she is never allowed to cast a tie-breaker in a ballot vote. JavaScript is disabled. Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app. Grand Lodge Dues 24 Conducting an Election of Officers 24-25 Section . It has its own identity and recognition and carries with it the title of "Past Master". 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. Balloting for your acceptance into a Masonic lodge After the investigative committee reports to the lodge, your petition is voted on. The balloting committee can still count the ballots. 263 0 obj <>stream endobj altar.". JavaScript is disabled. The advanced tools of the editor will guide you through the editable PDF template. The following shall be the methods of affiliation: 1. It is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views Talks] [Masonic 6 0 obj 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. :7YA/gOwNw|\g[u|I}?F. 3. 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. If members adjourn before an election is complete, they should set the time for an adjourned meeting to finish the election. applicant shall be declared rejected. Ballot counters should cast their ballots at the same time that the assembly votes. If not, Brother 13 0 obj The minutes may say, for example, "Eric Olson was elected to the board for two years. 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. You must log in or register to reply here. Annual Meeting Election and Installation of Officers Annual Past Masters Night Symbolic Degree Refresher Application Avouching Back to Lodge Night Bringing Freemasonry to the Attention of Profane Correspondence Dress Entering an Opened Lodge Examination of Visitors Example Sheet - Lodge Programs General Grand Honors 1. The election process may be the easiest part of deciding who handles a particular job in the organization. Register a free account today to become a member! HWG l!$"' g]9=3>3U}Zo.wjyiQo?\>,:lFYE#q IBZ.rwi/A%f_N'_LDX ), 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. Are there any further nominations for president? 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. If someone is not willing to serve, the committee needs to meet again and find another candidate. To which Blaise replies "Yeah, 200 bucks is pretty steep.". unobserved by others, so that the secrecy of the ballot shall be When using this procedure, make it clear that a person can be nominated for and elected to more than one office. 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. The Master may approve a collective ballot if there 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. x=o6 bP+SR[H7\AE>Dz- ^=(pH{'OE5Y%?jUMi?OOVy5'Vx_u5'ur|GY,*'yEL -R@$S0.SHdrV&g_;F0PJ1:|GXqNg 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. In Kentucky, the individual is normally sent a certified letter. endobj Mail or absentee ballots not arriving on time or mysteriously disappearing when the time comes to count them. 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. Robert's Rules on elections are very straightforward after what is often a politically charged prequel of nominating and campaigning. As each nomination is received (assuming multiple candidates), ask each nominee "If elected, are you willing to serve?" . After the person elected to office assumes the position, it is too late to nullify an illegal election. endobj <> A newly raised Master . 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. * As Masons, we hone our skills to apply their use, improving ourselves daily. The requirement for election by ballot is a majority, and a candidate has no obligation to withdraw just because he polls low numbers. 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. 292, elections may be held in a lodge opened in an EA as long as there is an EA attending. A member of the committee should then be designated to call each nominee to see if he or she is willing to serve if elected. * (rap once). It may not display this or other websites correctly. That means run-offs are just plain out of order. 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. In counting the votes, the balloting committee must not confuse a majority vote with the highest number of votes. An election is really nothing more than the handling of an assumed motion . places. time immemorial. If no candidate is found, the committee can leave that slot open for nominations from the floor. yy MWY*^K$@48SyFHv! Taking nominations by mail is basically the same as taking nominations by ballot. Masters are required to see that the ballot box is ^. Cell phones, chewing gum, crinkly snack wrappers and other distractions should be disallowed during a fraternity election (except during breaks). It may not display this or other websites correctly. If you have a nominating committee in place, ask this group to declare their nominee for a specific officer role. A common mistake in elections is having too many ballots cast for the number of members present. ;J @*Ix~6ia 023X85i=%/v')^KkHaQaA {DCAH ' 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. It varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. 9. <> 4 0 obj 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. Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. Lodge to vote, the Master should invite the tiler in and have a << /Im1 11 0 R >> >> to the Junior Warden, then the Senior Warden and then the Worshipful 1. The Worshipful Master orders the Wardens to take A ballot shall be taken for the three degrees Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. In balloting on a petition for affiliation, if one blackball f;-^*//%^je)R%^eKuZJQ\LU/Zgy:FDt8KF:US1OG+T/5i]\V5qhw`6mjzS"m].#{T^]q p;43[9[C nF^y' 64 ____________ Lodge No. In this case, the members must vote again until one candidate receives a majority vote. The "lex non scripta," or unwritten law of Freemasonry is derived from the traditions, usages and customs of . 3 0 obj The Senior Deacon closes the lid on the ballot. %PDF-1.5 A poor meeting achieves the opposite results. The motion to have a vote for a particular office recounted needs a second, is not debatable, and takes a majority vote to adopt. You are using an out of date browser. 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. Each officer and member, before voting, must exchange the <> Organizations can create and write election rules to correct this mistake. 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. Masonic Etiquette Summary: Masonic etiquette is simply the rules of good manners which make lodge meetings pleasant for everyone. Nominations are taken for successive offices in the order they're listed in the bylaws. 0 33 0 obj <> endobj 4. 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. vote. If you become a Free Mason, you will: Join both the oldest and the largest fraternity in the world. 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. %`y`aSW2.9]!BBI $.' 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. Nominations don't have to be seconded, but it's not out of order for members to second a nomination to signal their endorsement. % Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox! 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." should be destroyed. It's used in the vast majority of situations in which members elect their officers at a meeting. Jump to content The Official RONR Q & A Forums 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. ___________, you have been elected to serve as ____________ of 66 0 obj <>stream The election of lodge officers is an annual event, specified in the lodge bylaws. Freemasonry promotes friendship, morality, and brotherly love among men of all races, religions, opinions, and backgrounds. By signing a petition for the formation of a new lodge, [ Chapter 39] 2. [What is Freemasonry] [Leadership 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. If they don't set a time for an adjourned meeting, they can call a special meeting (if the bylaws allow this). One vote against the petitioner generally rejects him. My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. If the bylaws specifically address this situation, members should follow the bylaws. 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. 1 0 obj A late-arriving member can vote only with other members' consent by majority vote. While the . . Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. 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. A motion to open nominations, when made by a member, is usually a motion to reopen nominations after they have been closed. If the lodge is not able to contact the individual after a reasonable period of time, the non-paying Mason is dropped (suspended). A member may for indecorous or unmasonic conduct be excluded from a single meeting of the lodge. /Rotate 0 >> 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. If counting ballots takes some time, it is best for the assembly to take a recess instead of adjourn. The Lodge web page must not link to or be linked to by any website where a conflict . Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of 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. %PDF-1.5 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. Illegal votes are, Two or more marked ballots folded together (together they count as only one illegal vote). 1. 6 0 obj The presiding officer can continue presiding, even if he or she is one of the nominees for the office. The Master then casts his own vote. Members should be alert to some undemocratic political practices in organizations. Voting by ballot enables a member to vote for a candidate not formally nominated by writing in a name a write-in vote. stream *.MXPY!~@Aa%^ N&4D1la`:v@Ai,^t #. (After June 15, individual counties and cities could choose to continue their own meeting limitations, in which case those limitations would continue in force.) 11 0 obj Often the extra ballot comes from someone who has entered the assembly but has not signed in to the meeting. %PDF-1.5 % 0 [What is New] Lodge No. Is it permissible to hold election of officers in an EA lodge? white ball elects; a black cube rejects. When holding ballot elections, you have two procedural options: Nominations for all offices conclude before any balloting begins. WM: "Brethren, you have heard read the It's never in order to vote Yes or No (or For or Against) a candidate when electing persons to office. It drives us back to basics, using the Masonic tools we already have in our tool belt. In Tennessee, the only time you open an EA or FC lodge is to confer those degrees. 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. 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. ;D[{cv,#(145:n') 234 0 obj <> endobj For this reason, members should listen carefully to the report of the ballot counters' committee. If lodge functions go smoothly, it is the Master who takes the credit. Another problematic practice to watch out for is nominating someone for office who is not eligible. ", SW: "Clear (dark) in the West, Worshipful. Some practices to watch out for include: Ballot boxes being stuffed or written ballots being changed. <> In determining how long to hold the ballots before destroying them, your main consideration is the possibility of needing a recount. endobj In a ballot vote, after the ballot counters have collected all the ballots, a member can make the motion to adjourn. 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