CHANGE IN LODGE BY LAWS

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BY-LAWS of the  LODGE No. 

1.   PLACE AND DATES OF MEETING

The Lodge shall meet at the  and shall hold regular meetings on the at such hour as the Master shall direct.

2.   ELECTION AND INSTALLATION MEETINGS

The Master and the Treasurer shall be elected by ballot at the regular meeting in . The Master Elect shall be installed at the regular meeting in .

3.   ELECTION OF TYLER

Subject to provisions of Rule 113, Book of Constitutions, the Tyler shall be elected by show of hands at the regular meeting in .

4.   LODGE COMMITTEE

The Lodge Committee shall consist of the Master, Wardens, Past Masters of (and in ) {see Note 1, below} the Lodge, Treasurer, Secretary and other members to be elected annually by the Lodge at the regular meeting in . This Committee shall consider and report to the Lodge on all proposals for membership and on any matters specially referred to it by the Lodge. members of the Committee shall form a quorum.

5.   AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Audit Committee shall consist of members {see Note 2} of the Lodge who shall be elected annually by the Lodge at the Regular meeting in . The Accounts shall be made up to the last day in in each year and shall be presented to the Lodge, duly audited, at the regular meeting in  {see Note 3}.
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 meeting.

6.   FEES AND ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION

The initiation 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 Lodge such registration fees as are payable to Grand Lodge and if applicable, Provincial Grand Lodge, 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) due and payable in advance on the first day of shall be of such amount as the Lodge shall from time to time decide by resolution after notice on the Summons at the previous regular meeting {see Note 4}. The Secretary's services shall be deemed equivalent to payment of subscription. The visitor's fee at dinners shall be such an amount as the Lodge shall from time to time determine by resolution after notice on the summons at the previous regular meeting. The Master shall have the privilege of inviting guest(s) to each dinner free of the visitors fee. Any member whose subscription is unpaid for {see Note 5} shall be liable to be excluded from the Lodge, after due notice, in accordance with Rule 181, Book of Constitutions.

7.   NON-DINING OR COUNTRY MEMBERS

Any member who, for any reasons acceptable to the Lodge, is not in a position to enjoy the privileges of the Lodge regularly, may, on written application to the Secretary and by resolution of the Lodge, be considered a non-dining or country member and shall pay a subscription annually in advance on , of such less amount than that provided for in By Law No.6 as the Lodge shall from time to time decide by resolution after notice on the summons {see Note 6}. When attending the Lodge and dining such member shall pay the current visitor’s fee.

8.   ADMISSION OF CANDIDATES

The admission of candidates for initiation and joining shall be regulated by the provisions of Rule 157 to 166, Book of Constitutions. On the ballot for a candidate for initiation or joining black ball (s) shall exclude.

9.   TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

Any member desirous of terminating his membership of the Lodge shall tender his resignation in writing to the Secretary, or orally in open Lodge, in accordance with Rule 183, Book of Constitutions, and he shall be entitled to the Certificate mentioned in Rule 175, Book of Constitutions, stating the circumstances in which he left the Lodge. Should he at any future time wish to rejoin, he shall be subject to the rules relating to joining members.

10.  PAYMENTS FROM LODGE FUNDS

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

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 Lodge at a regular meeting.
(b)   The Motion shall be set out on the summons for the next regular meeting or for an Emergency meeting summoned for the purpose, and shall at such meeting be put to the Lodge.
(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 Provincial Grand Master on behalf of the Grand Master and if not substantially in accordance with the model by-laws issued from time to time on behalf of the Grand Master, by the Grand Master also.


DATE PASSED IN LODGE

Signed:  ______________________________________ Worshipful Master

Signed:  _______________________________________ Secretary

Approved by the R.W.Provincial Grand Master

Signed:  _______________________________________ Provincial Grand Secretary

Date:     ____________________________

Should there be any objection to the introduction of a Candidate for Initiation, or a Brother for joining, it is recommended that such objections be mentioned privately to the Master or Secretary who may communicate with the proposer and give him the opportunity of withdrawing his candidate.

(NB The numbers of the rules in the Book of Constitution 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 Masters of’ or ‘of and in the Lodge’ may be omitted or their number restricted, e.g. two ‘of’ and one ‘in’. Other members should only be included if the Lodge considers them essential. The most effective committee is often small.
  2. A small number (say two or three) is strongly recommended.
  3. Not later than the third meeting after the date to which the accounts are made up.
  4. Subscriptions must be made payable on the 1st day of a specific month. If the subscription is exclusive of dining fees the reference to non-dining should be deleted from clauses 6 and 7. The paragraph beginning ‘The annual subscription…. etc should then read:-
    ‘The annual subscription due and payable in advance on ………and exclusive of dining fees, shall be of such amount as the Lodge shall from time to time decide by resolution after notice on the summons at the previous regular meeting. The fees for members and visitors at dinners shall be such amounts as the Lodge shall from time to time decide by resolution after notice on the summons at the previous regular meeting.’
    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 meeting.
    While Rule 104 (c), Book of Constitutions, allows for the Secretary’s services to be equivalent to payment of subscription, this is an option for the Lodge to adopt as is the provision for the Master’s privilege to invite guests at the Lodge’s expense.
    If clause 6 is amended as shown above the last sentence of clause 7 should refer to the ‘current dining fee’.
  5. Minimum period three months, maximum period two years see Rules 145 and 181 B.of Cs.

Last updated: 14 November, 2006