INFORMATION FOR SECRETARIES OF LODGES—continued
Joining Members The particulars to be given on the summons are set out in Rule 164. Members joining from another Constitution must take the obligation set out in Rule 163. Every Candidate for joining membership must produce his Grand Lodge Certificate and a clearance certificate from each Lodge of which he is or has been a subscribing member the clearance certificate, together with the Brother’s Grand Lodge Certificate, is to be handed to the Master before the Ballot is taken. As a Fellow craft and Entered Apprentice do not have a Grand Lodge Certificate they may only become joining members with special approval from the Grand Secretary. Please discuss this with the Provincial Grand Secretary. Proposals and Ballots for joining members must be at Regular Meetings only. Lodge Property An inventory of the property of the Lodge should be taken annually and signed by the incoming Master. Master The Secretary should be in very close contact with the Master of the Lodge. On the day named in the By-Laws for the election of Master, the Secretary must be prepared with a list of subscribing members who have served the office of Master or Warden which must be read previous to the Election.
Meetings Every meeting prescribed by the By-Laws must be summoned and held on the proper day except as provided for in Rule 139. To issue the summons to every member seven clear days before the appointed day of meeting and forward copies to the Provincial Grand Master, the Deputy and Assistant Provincial Grand Masters and to the Provincial Grand Secretary. Minutes In recording proceedings the Minutes should commence as follows: ‘The Lodge was opened in due form with solemn prayer’. The Lodge being thus opened. the Minute of the last Regular and any intervening Emergency Meeting are read, confirmed and signed by the Master. If the Lodge is further opened, the degrees are to be distinctly state, similar records made as to closing, and finally, it must be recorded that the Lodge was closed in due form. The Minutes, as a record of the business of the Lodge, should be drawn up concisely; reference can be made to the various ceremonies, with the names of those Officers taking part therein, but nothing should appear in contravention of the Book of Constitutions. The Lodge Minute Book must be properly bound. It is not in order to use a loose leaf Minute Book.
The Minutes of Regular Meetings cannot be read at a Lodge of Emergency and no business except that named in the summons can be transacted there at (Rule 140). According to Rule 144, the names of all members and visiting Brethren present at a meeting shall be recorded in the Minute Book. Past Masters & Brethren The Provincial Grand Secretary should be kept fully informed on the change of any Past Master or Brother. Provincial Grand Ranks All Offices in Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Lodge are ‘Grand’. Works like ‘Deputy’ or ‘Assistant’ should precede ‘Grand’,e.g. PAGDC or PPrAGDC. Quarterly Communications The Secretary should closely study the proceedings of Grand Lodge and, at the appropriate meetings, draw the attention of the Lodge to the proceedings of Grand Lodge. Grand Lodge will indicate those parts of the Proceedings recommended to be read in Lodge. It is suggested that an item ‘To report on proceedings of Grand Lodge’ should appear on the summons. Resignation A member may resign his membership either by notice in writing to the Secretary or orally in Lodge (Rule 183). Returns To the Grand Secretary and Provincial Grand Secretary: a return of Master, Wardens and Past Masters to be forwarded immediately after the Installation Meeting. Without it the registers of Grand Lodge, which show the names of members who are entitled to attend Grand Lodge, cannot be made up, and Brethren may consequently be refused admission by the scrutineers. Moreover, those Brethren will be disqualified from voting in the Provincial Grand Lodge. ANNUAL RETURNS OF MEMBERS To the Grand Secretary: a list of all subscribing members with annual dues payable made up to the last day of March, June, September or December, in date order of their admission or readmission into the Lodge. To the Provincial Grand Secretary: a similar list at the end of the year for which the Annual Subscription is payable. Every name that appeared upon the previous return must be accounted for when a member ceases to subscribe, the cause, whether it be by resignation, death or exclusion,must be stated in the next return. Forms for Grand Lodge Returns and Books of Constitution are to be obtained from the Grand Secretary. Royal Arch Chapter As the Royal Arch Chapter is part of English Freemasonry, this Degree should be kept before the notice of all Brethren.
AMENDMENTS TO LODGE BY-LAWS Amendments to Lodge By-Laws should be made in accordance with the recommendations of Grand Lodge's Model By-Laws, copies of which may be obtained from the Provincial Office. Continued……….
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