CHANGE IN CHAPTER BY LAWS

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BY LAWS OF CHAPTER, No:

1.   PLACE AND DATES OF MEETING

The Chapter shall meet at the   and shall hold regular convocations on the at such hour as the Principals shall direct.

2.   ELECTION AND INSTALLATION MEETINGS

The Three Principals, two Scribes, Treasurer, Principal Sojourner and two assistant Sojourners shall be elected by ballot at the regular Convocation in . The other Officers permitted by Royal Arch Regulation 48 may also be elected. The Installation of the Principals Elect and investiture of Officers shall take place at the regular Convocation in .
[NOTE:- A Chapter may by annual resolution under Royal Arch Regulation 48 give authority to the Principals Elect to appoint the rest of the Officers, with the exception of the Treasurer and (subject to para.5 of Rule 48) the Janitor. Such authority cannot be given by By-law]

3.   ELECTION OF JANITOR

Subject to provisions of Royal Arch Regulation 48, the Janitor shall be elected by show of hands at the regular convocation in .

4.   CHAPTER COMMITTEE (see note 1)

The Chapter Committee shall consist of the Principals, Past Principals of (and in) the Chapter, two Scribes, Treasurer, Principal Sojourner, and Companions, to be appointed annually by the Chapter at the regular convocation in each year. shall form a quorum. This Committee shall consider and report to the Chapter on all proposals for membership and on any matters specially referred to it by the Chapter.

5.   AUDIT COMMITTEE AND ANNUAL ACCOUNTS

The Audit Committee shall consist of members* of the Chapter who shall be elected annually by the Chapter at the regular convocation in . The accounts shall be made up to in each year and shall be presented to the Chapter, duly audited, at the regular convocation in #. A copy of the accounts and of the Audit Committee's certificate that all balances have been checked and that the accounts have been audited shall be sent to all members with the summons convening the convocation.
*A small number (say two or three) is strongly recommended.
# Not later than the convocation after the date to which the accounts are made up.

6.   FEES AND ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION

The Exaltation fee shall be , joining fee and re-joining fee , such fees to be exclusive of subscription. In addition to these fees the candidate shall pay to the Chapter such registration fees as are payable to Grand Chapter and if applicable, Provincial Grand Chapter, together with any tax thereon, and the candidate shall before becoming a member be informed of the total amount due. The annual subscription (except for non-dining or country membership as provided for in By Law No.7) (see note 2) due and payable in advance on the first day of + shall be of such amount as the Chapter shall from time to time decide by resolution after notice on the summons at the previous regular convocation. The Scribe E’s services shall be deemed equivalent to payment of subscription.
The visitor's fee at dinners shall be such an amount that the Chapter shall from time to time decide by resolution after notice on the summons at the previous regular convocation.
Any member whose subscription is unpaid for months shall be liable to be excluded from the Chapter, after due notice, in accordance with Rule 181 Book of Constitutions. **
+   Subscriptions must be made payable on the first day of a specific month, e.g. 1st January and not simply “in January”.
** Minimum period three months, maximum period one year; see rules 145 and 181 Book of Constitutions.

7.   NON-DINING OR COUNTRY MEMBERSHIP

Any member who, for any reasons acceptable to the Chapter, is not in a position to enjoy the privileges of the Chapter regularly, may, on written application to the Scribe E and by resolution of the Chapter, be considered a non-dining or country member and shall pay a subscription annually in advance on 1st # of such less amount than that provided for in By Law No.6 as the Chapter shall from time to time decide by resolution after notice on the summons at the previous regular convocation. When attending the Chapter and dining such member shall pay the current visitor’s fee (see notes 2 & 3).
#  see note under By-Law 6

8.   ADMISSION OF CANDIDATES

The admission of candidates for exaltation and joining shall be regulated by the provisions of Royal Arch Regulations 65 to 69. On the ballot for a candidate for exaltation or joining black ball(s) shall exclude.

9.   TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

Any member desirous of terminating his membership of the Chapter shall tender his resignation in writing to the Scribe E, or orally in open Chapter, in accordance with Rule 183, Book of Constitutions, and he shall be entitled to the Certificate mentioned in Royal Arch Regulation 70, stating the circumstances in which he left the Chapter. Should he at any future time wish to rejoin, he shall be subject to the rules relating to joining members.

10.  PAYMENT FROM CHAPTER FUNDS

Payment of any sum exceeding if for other than ordinary purposes, may be made only by resolution of the Chapter, of which notice has been given on the summons, except in a case of emergency, when such payment may be authorised by the First Principal and reported to the Chapter at the next regular convocation.

11.  AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

Except as otherwise required by Rule 141, Book of Constitutions, amendment of these By Laws or of any of them may be made only in the following manner:-

(a) Notice of motion in writing stating the precise amendment or amendments proposed shall be given in open Chapter at a regular convocation.
(b) The Motion shall be set out on the summons for the next regular convocation or for an Emergency convocation summoned for the purpose, and shall at such meeting be put to the Chapter.
(c) A resolution for amendment, of which notice shall have been given as aforesaid, shall be carried if a majority of the members voting shall vote in favour of it but it shall not be effective until approved by the Grand Superintendent and if not substantially in accordance with the model by-laws issued from time to time on behalf of the First Grand Principal, by the First Grand Principal also.


DATE PASSED IN CHAPTER  _______________________ 

Signed  ____________________________________________ First Principal

Signed  ____________________________________________ Scribe E.

Approved by the M.E. Grand Superintendent

Signed  ____________________________________________ Provincial Grand Scribe E.

Date    ___________________________

Should there be any objection to the introduction of a Candidate for Exaltation, or a Companion for joining, it is recommended that such objections be mentioned privately to the First Principal or Scribe E, who may communicate with the proposer and give him the opportunity of withdrawing his candidate.

N.B. The numbers of the Rules in the Royal Arch Regulations and Book of Constitutions given above are as they appear in the 2005 edition.

 

Notes

  1. Forming a committee is a domestic matter and, while the principal officers are obviously necessary, the inclusion of ‘Past Principals of’ or ‘of and in the Chapter’ may be omitted or their number restricted, e.g. two ‘of’ and one ‘in’. Other members should only be included if the Chapter considers them essential. The most effective committee is often small.
  2. If the subscription is exclusive of dining fees the reference to non-dining should be deleted from clauses 6 and 7. The relevant paragraph should read:-
    ‘The annual subscription due and payable in advance on 1st ____ and exclusive of dining fees, shall be of such amount as the Chapter shall from time to time decide by resolution, after notice on the summons at the previous regular convocation. The fees for members and visitors at dinners shall be such amounts as the Chapter shall from time to time decide by resolution, after notice on the summons at the previous regular convocation.’
    As an alternative to the last sentence above, and if appropriate, the wording may be amended to: ‘The fees for members and visitors for dining ‘shall be at cost’’. The members can be informed of the dining fee by a separate note included with the summons for each convocation.
  3. While Royal Arch Regulation 48 allows for the Scribe E’s services to be equivalent to payment of subscription, this is an option for the Chapter to adopt.
  4. If Clause 6 is amended as shown above, the last sentence of Clause 7 should refer to the ‘current dining fee’.

Last updated: 14 November, 2006