(or for affiliation) which has received a unanimously favorable Sometimes the committee is revived to make nominations to fill vacancies. BALLOTING PROCEDURE CHAPTER xv THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER'S HANDBOOK Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. You must log in or register to reply here. << /Length 12 0 R /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 610 /Height 521 /ColorSpace It may not display this or other websites correctly. endobj Past Masters have a standing in Masonic Law; certain duties may be assigned to them. 4. shall be immediately retaken, when, if a blackball again appears, the Taking nominations by mail is basically the same as taking nominations by ballot. f;-^*//%^je)R%^eKuZJQ\LU/Zgy:FDt8KF:US1OG+T/5i]\V5qhw`6mjzS"m].#{T^]q p;43[9[C nF^y' 64 5 0 obj When three gavel knocks are given by the Master ALL in attendance in the lodge stands up. WM: "Brother Junior Warden, how stands the ballot in Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of 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. The report of the nominating committee is usually given under "special orders." All Articles] [Masonic 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. (After June 15, individual counties and cities could choose to continue their own meeting limitations, in which case those limitations would continue in force.) <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 595.44 841.92] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Tradition holds that the Master of the lodge appoint a committee of three (usually Past Masters) to serve as a Tellers Committee. If your bylaws don't require you to conduct an election by ballot, and if candidates are unopposed or there's no major contest for an office, you can save time with a simple voice vote (or viva voce). The Master may approve a collective ballot if there 705 South Hercules Avenue. 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. In Tennessee, the only time you open an EA or FC lodge is to confer those degrees. applicant shall be declared rejected. Master informs the successful individual as follows: "Brother The only way you can vote against a candidate is to vote for another person. Only MMs vote. By signing a petition for the formation of a new lodge, [ Chapter 39] 2. APPOINTMENT. 234 0 obj <> endobj x`TU?5%BBH*5XHRjD5IPJ@Z"MDE]sm.Cs)}{n/JFtZ_!ms6g:8_\Xt hq[gGBqvZ(}%p&N"4t 4b2hEs altar. <>>> This method of nominations is based on the principle of allowing all voters to make nominations for all offices by completing a nominating ballot. 6 0 obj distribute the ballots for the first position to be voted upon. Like any incidental main motion, an election can be decided by voice vote or by ballot. 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 . Suggested Procedure For Electing Lodge Officers. In counting the votes, the balloting committee must not confuse a majority vote with the highest number of votes. 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. To which Blaise replies "Yeah, 200 bucks is pretty steep.". As Masons, we hone our skills to apply their use, improving ourselves daily. 12 0 obj First, the Entered Apprentice Degree, second, the Fellow Craft Degree and finally, the Master Mason Degree. You must log in or register to reply here. Secretarys table and put the ballots into one of the hats. As each nomination is received (assuming multiple candidates), ask each nominee "If elected, are you willing 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. yy MWY*^K$@48SyFHv! Join us as we strive to make good men better by teaching universal values through the use of geometry and architecture metaphors. 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 MAKE SURE YOU READ YOUR GRAND LODGE CODE! 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. LODGE VISITATION - A PRIVILEGE. 6. The committee should meet, carefully review the membership list, and select the people who they think will do the best job in each office. 1. programs and procedures of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, a Masonic District and their Lodge. 4 0 obj Motions to close nominations are usually unnecessary because the nomination process simply continues until no one wishes to make further nominations. At this time the Talks] [Masonic These Masonic rituals represent three degrees which are taken in sequence. Usually the president closes nominations when no further nominations come forward from the assembly. altar.". I guess that would depend on the jurisdiction. When holding ballot elections, you have two procedural options: Nominations for all offices conclude before any balloting begins. The committee then has to find a new nominee, and the members have to vote again. Voting machines having wedges inserted to prevent the lever from going down all the way. That means run-offs are just plain out of order. again appears the petitioner shall be declared rejected, but he may at After each nomination, the president repeats the name to the assembly. 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. ___________, you have been elected to serve as ____________ of Since it is the obligation of every brother of the Decision Making For Dummies. Officers Duties and Responsibilities . and the Past Masters around the Lodge and places the ballot box on the Electing a presiding officer in a mass meeting Nominations From The Floor Sometimes called open nominations, this method is probably the most familiar. hb```BVG ea8 P}+/m 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. )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_? Blogs] [Links] . endstream endobj 34 0 obj <>>>/Metadata 18 0 R/Pages 31 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 35 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]>>/Rotate 0/Type/Page>> endobj 36 0 obj <>stream 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. Yes, every year Masonic Lodges do have elections. At the Worshipful Masters order the Stewards Dud goes wide-eyed at hearing this and immediately leaves the lodge because he realizes he's been played by . You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you're petitioning. 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 *.MXPY!~@Aa%^ N&4D1la`:v@Ai,^t #. Whatever nomination method you propose, be specific. If the bylaws specifically address this situation, members should follow the bylaws. 98% sure that it is. 8. Same in NM amd OR. _____ cast their ballot?" endobj Or, they can tell members publicly that they do not have a nominee for a certain office; this allows members to volunteer. In balloting on a petition for affiliation, if one blackball 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." He serves as Chairman of the Trustees of Title to the Masonic Temple and other Real Estate of the Grand Lodge, is a Trustee of the Consolidated Fund and Trustee of the Masonic Charities Fund. If an EA is not attending, it is the option of the WM as to which lodge will be opened. When using this procedure, make it clear that a person can be nominated for and elected to more than one office. 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. Magazines Online] 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. 1. However, calling nominations from your seat is often impractical, so you may want to adopt a more formal nomination process. 11 0 obj The election process may be the easiest part of deciding who handles a particular job in the organization. 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. altar. No candidate whose application has 1. Ballot voting is by far the surest way to allow for the free expression of the will of the membership. white ball elects; a black cube rejects. endobj 127. 15 0 obj 2 0 obj 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 considered a faux pas to cross . It varies! places. 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. Collectively, these motions are known as motions related to nominations. Nominations are taken for successive offices in the order they're listed in the bylaws. (The chair usually just announces the opening of nominations at the appointed time when they are in order. This example is based on moving to have nominations by committee, but the form is essentially the same for any of the methods. Sometimes there is a split in the nominating committee over who to nominate. endobj Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Education: CHAPTER 31: Lodge Service Commission: CHAPTER 32: . 8 0 obj 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. ballot drawer is empty and that there are both white balls and black endobj All Articles] [Masonic Some Lodges 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. In most cases, the threshold is a majority of the votes cast. endobj A common mistake in elections is having too many ballots cast for the number of members present. The election of lodge officers is an annual event, specified in the lodge bylaws. 66 0 obj <>stream Achieve this by asking them to hang out with you. Here is how: You must first find a Masonic lodge location near you, contact them, and ask for a petition to join. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Balloting for your acceptance into a Masonic lodge After the investigative committee reports to the lodge, your petition is voted on. These rules supersede the adopted parliamentary authority. The process of making floor nominations is subject to the following rules: Recognition by the chair is not required to make a nomination. My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. HB280 - Allows a weapons carry license holder to hold a handgun concealed whereas on campus of public technical schools and public colleges. However, it disadvantages candidates who lose an election for a position decided earlier and then can't serve a different position. Each incoming class of three shall consist of the incoming Junior Warden of the lodge (which has its own bylaws), and. JavaScript is disabled. ", WM: "How in the West, Brother Senior Warden? x=o6 bP+SR[H7\AE>Dz- ^=(pH{'OE5Y%?jUMi?OOVy5'Vx_u5'ur|GY,*'yEL -R@$S0.SHdrV&g_;F0PJ1:|GXqNg Discover the world's largest and oldest fraternal organization with over 3 million members. unobserved by others, so that the secrecy of the ballot shall be It's never proper to drop the candidates receiving the lowest vote totals from a ballot unless they withdraw voluntarily. Is it permissible to hold election of officers in an EA lodge? This site is not an official site of any recognized Masonic body in the United report from the investigating committee. A member may for indecorous or unmasonic conduct be excluded from a single meeting of the lodge. ;D[{cv,#(145:n') This saves time and allows for polling at a time and place other than a meeting. We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. The "lex non scripta," or unwritten law of Freemasonry is derived from the traditions, usages and customs of . Ie!W2UP7MEdq-2Y+(jVW`Y, z?D;tr>[iqqF7!FR$uh?%b Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation. When called on to give the report, the chairman of the nominating committee states the nominations for each office. If members haven't used the machine before, it may be wise to show them how to use it the day before the election. xU]o@|_cZR%q"b$*/}E(k nK6hb'_ D(|}5Dsq PBY%_'Dru.{,dW9PeOw9 d6!=#3r/iby+4C~9^-GT.d A member can rise and decline the nomination during the nominating process. endobj Also, military lodges in foreign countries, often perform business meetings on the EA degree. If a member votes for fewer choices than positions to be elected, the vote is legal and those votes count. WM: "You will present the ballot to the officers and
masonic lodge election procedure