"If so, I declare the been rejected by a Lodge shall again be proposed within six months after )GT?=Sk8&o9sU|$gv}~3H'>}3DReeZCZ2HN7.WadE-lUG|1pU]d. <> Development] [Education] [Masonic <> <> 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. 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. JFIF C After nominations are closed, the vote is taken on each nominee in the order in which they were nominated. endobj The only way you can vote against a candidate is to vote for another person. WM: "Brother Junior Warden, how stands the ballot in 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. 14 0 obj announce the results of the vote. - "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 . These elections are to vote on new top lodge officers in the blue lodge. 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. *.MXPY!~@Aa%^ N&4D1la`:v@Ai,^t #. 3. If they don't set a time for an adjourned meeting, they can call a special meeting (if the bylaws allow this). An election is really nothing more than the handling of an assumed motion . The election of lodge officers is an annual event, specified in the lodge bylaws. :7YA/gOwNw|\g[u|I}?F. %`y`aSW2.9]!BBI Dud goes wide-eyed at hearing this and immediately leaves the lodge because he realizes he's been played by . 1. collect the ballots, the Deacons approach the altar, pick up the hats, Lodge elections are performed via a Masonic Ballot Box. The balloting committee can still count the ballots. If members adjourn before an election is complete, they should set the time for an adjourned meeting to finish the election. It's never proper to drop the candidates receiving the lowest vote totals from a ballot unless they withdraw voluntarily. time immemorial. If someone is not willing to serve, the committee needs to meet again and find another candidate. ;D[{cv,#(145:n') Cell phones, chewing gum, crinkly snack wrappers and other distractions should be disallowed during a fraternity election (except during breaks). will advance to the altar and cast their ballot. 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. Same in NM amd OR. [Articles] [Masonic 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. altar. 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. Masonic Lodges, Masonic Organizations, and Youth Orders may conduct in-person meetings and events in compliance with county and city restrictions, if any. is more then one candidate for the degrees. Brother Secretary conduct a roll call. However, we open the Lodge on the 3rd then call to refreshment, invite everyome in, after the ceremony the WM closes without form. Adam is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and is employed as a Senior Manager of International Tax in Latrobe, PA. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Masonic etiquette decries anyone who does not obey the gavel. Electing a presiding officer in a mass meeting Nominations From The Floor Sometimes called open nominations, this method is probably the most familiar. 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. Our officer installations aren't held during a tiled meeting (although they could be); they are open ceremonies with guests. altar.". 2. Ballot counters should cast their ballots at the same time that the assembly votes. Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Education: CHAPTER 31: Lodge Service Commission: CHAPTER 32: . You are using an out of date browser. 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. 11 0 obj endobj That means run-offs are just plain out of order. 10 0 obj A Lodge member who has held the highest office in the Lodge has for life a Masonic position of his own. In balloting on a petition for affiliation, if one blackball %%EOF again appears the petitioner shall be declared rejected, but he may at A website endorsed by a Lodge will be considered the official Lodge website, and will be subject to these criteria and rules. rejection. position north of the altar. However, calling nominations from your seat is often impractical, so you may want to adopt a more formal nomination process. LODGE VISITATION - A PRIVILEGE. For the qualifications of candidates in order to join a Masonic Lodge in Texas there are a series of "Freemason requirements". Work on making your brothers become better friends. 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. If no candidate is found, the committee can leave that slot open for nominations from the floor. 6 0 obj endobj 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). [What is New] The assembly then votes again on the other office. Doing this may allow an unpopular or hand-picked candidate to get the office even though he or she was not elected. JavaScript is disabled. Business meetings are held on the EA degree in European lodge. The mechanics of the election are governed by a few sections of the Minnesota Masonic Code and quite a bit of lodge tradition. visiting brother take his place so that the tiler may cast his This method gives voters an idea of the group's preferences without holding an actual election. Usually the president closes nominations when no further nominations come forward from the assembly. Decision Making For Dummies. Each incoming class of three shall consist of the incoming Junior Warden of the lodge (which has its own bylaws), and. charge of the Ballot and they pick up the hats, take them to the other regular Masonic body other than those stated. Join us as we strive to make good men better by teaching universal values through the use of geometry and architecture metaphors. You must come recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you're petitioning. 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. endobj 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. Polls closing or opening at times different than the times posted. All officers resume their stations and 5 0 obj 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. Procedure for Contempt: CHAPTER 101: Restoration after Suspension or Expulsion: CHAPTER 102: Sometimes there is a split in the nominating committee over who to nominate. 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. WM: "The brethren of ____________ Lodge No. When the nominating ballot is received, the signed inner envelope containing the ballot is logged in against a list of voting members, and the ballot is deposited in a receptacle for tallying like an election ballot. At this time the His term expires July, 2014.". 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. If members haven't used the machine before, it may be wise to show them how to use it the day before the election. If a person is elected to two different positions, she can either choose which office to accept or serve in more than one position, if that's allowed. If it is discovered after an election that the person elected does not meet the eligibility requirements, and even if the person has begun to serve, the election is void. 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. 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. Like any incidental main motion, an election can be decided by voice vote or by ballot. >> /ExtGState << /Gs1 13 0 R >> /Font << /Tc1 10 0 R /TT2 9 0 R >> /XObject ",#(7),01444'9=82. The report of the nominating committee is usually given under "special orders." 2. 0 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. Robert's Rules on elections are very straightforward after what is often a politically charged prequel of nominating and campaigning. [ 11 0 R] The committee then has to find a new nominee, and the members have to vote again. If a member leaves one part blank, the votes entered on the other questions still count. Depending on the Grand Lodge, this can be anywhere from 18 to 25. If you have a nominating committee in place, ask this group to declare their nominee for a specific officer role. If not, Brother ____________ Lodge No. ballot closed." The election process may be the easiest part of deciding who handles a particular job in the organization. 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 common mistake in elections is having too many ballots cast for the number of members present. Robert's Rules on elections are very straightforward after what is often a politically charged prequel of nominating and campaigning. endstream endobj startxref If lodge functions go smoothly, it is the Master who takes the credit. 6. Enter your official identification and contact details. endstream endobj startxref If a member votes for fewer choices than positions to be elected, the vote is legal and those votes count. Books Online] [E-Books] [Library Of Secretarys table and put the ballots into one of the hats. the Senior Warden hands each ballot to the Junior Warden who announces Each officer and member, before voting, must exchange the The duty of a nominating committee is to find the best candidate for each office. << /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << /Cs1 7 0 R 234 0 obj <> endobj The presiding officer can continue presiding, even if he or she is one of the nominees for the office. A member may for indecorous or unmasonic conduct be excluded from a single meeting of the lodge. If an EA is not attending, it is the option of the WM as to which lodge will be opened. Further, I don't think I have ever seen a Lodge election where there isn't some form of politics involved. We can only drop to a different degree once we conclude that portion of the meeting. Magazines Online] If there is a question about the way a ballot is marked, the ballot counters should take it to the presiding officer. 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. endobj %PDF-1.7 % According to Robert's Rules, a motion to close nominations is out of order as long as any member wishes to make a nomination. The Senior Deacon then takes up a Chapter 63 covers general voting and Chapter 68 covers the secret ballot. collect the ballots and place the hats with the ballots at the Lodge No. If the bylaws don't prohibit it, a person can be nominated for more than one office and can even serve in more than one office if elected. 13 0 obj ojx&^ 64>"> |&`mkG l[o;5``ek l[;5zk Vhp 5Pq_t.Z1lhp3M \H{Tl nF$UkavOv1nT#-`mkp;m ~l 3ohG nF_..}$38~?g}z+O}?.]7?"kR7tFWo'E^ "EJ*F/'NPTAT,4)/ItJl8KgHC#unG &;iL-;G[_gC 6{-sMIa{vN_CwNeCE +]`7)$k,2? 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. takes up his place at the tilers door. The minutes may say, for example, "Eric Olson was elected to the board for two years. My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum. Mail or absentee ballots not arriving on time or mysteriously disappearing when the time comes to count them. 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. Your group's rules and customs determine when floor nominations are accepted. 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. 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. ), 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. %%EOF the vote. <> Here are some other things to consider during the election process: A quorum needs to be present throughout the election meeting. If the motion is adopted, the assembly can adjourn before the vote is announced if it has another meeting scheduled. However, we open the Lodge on the 3rd then call to refreshment, invite everyome in, after the ceremony the WM closes without form. [What is New] The Senior Deacon closes the lid on the ballot. <>>> It varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. )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$W.6 ` 5SR_? Customarily (although it's not required), the chair accomplishes this by calling three times for more nominations. The election (or rejection) of a candidate in a Masonic lodge is a secret ballot, and with few exceptions, must be completely unanimous. In Texas, per Art. qQ^&FJ J } From his home in Pocatello, Idaho, across almost 3000 miles of highway, Fred's car had given trouble, and now, at Henniker, N.H., the cooling system finally gave up. Masonic Lodge Election Procedure HB89 - Tightens the time frames for issuance of firearms licenses by probate judges. (rap). Using a nominating committee to assemble a list of willing and qualified candidates for office can greatly benefit members when the time comes to select their leaders. Ie!W2UP7MEdq-2Y+(jVW`Y, z?D;tr>[iqqF7!FR$uh?%b
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