Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire

Amalgamation / Closure of Lodges

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS                           

1. My Lodge is in difficulty due to falling numbers, how do we contact an Amalgamation Co-ordinator so that we can discus the options open to us?

Answer:
The initial enquiry and request should be made from the Lodge to the APGM via your District Chairman; a co-ordinator will then be appointed and the Provincial Secretariat advised by the APGM.

2. Can we amalgamate with a Lodge in another District?

Answer:
Yes, but the negotiations must involve the APGM’s for both Districts who will appoint a single co-ordinator acceptable to all parties.

3. Does the older Lodge become the first named in the new name for the Lodge?

Answer:
Not necessarily. For example, when Corinthian Lodge No 3767 (the Daughter Lodge) joined St John’s Lodge No 221 (the Mother Lodge) the members of both Lodges were agreeable to the name and number of the “new” Lodge becoming Corinthian Lodge No 221. This shows that whilst the larger Lodge, Corinthian, was willing to amalgamate in order to preserve its Mother Lodge it was also anxious to preserve its identity in the form of its name.

4. Does the size of membership, e.g. a stronger Lodge, assume the role of the dominant partner?

Answer:
Not necessarily. Please see the answer above. In some cases the mother-daughter relationship must be acknowledged and in all cases careful consideration should be given to the age of the Warrants and the prestige of the lower number.

5a. Chains:
Does the amalgamated Lodge adopt one WM’s chain or could they be worn on alternate evenings, similarly with the WM’s apron etc.?

Answer:
The WM should only wear the collor and chain of the Receiving Lodge. The chain of the Closing Lodge could be worn at the same time by the IPM, provided the relevant Lodge Collar Jewels are attached.

5b. Chains:
When three or more Lodges amalgamate into a fourth receiving Lodge can the WM’s collars of the closed Lodges be worn by the IPM and the Senior and Junior Wardens?

Answer:
Yes, provided the relevant Lodge Collar Jewels are attached.

6a. Past Masters:
Should the respective PM's be assimilated into some pecking order, likewise Master Masons who may be in office and working their way towards the chair of K.S?

Answer:
Yes. They should be taken strictly in date order for the combined membership of both merging Lodges i.e. date of Initiation for MM’s and date of Installation for IPM’s, irrespective of which Lodge.

6b. Past Masters:
Are they each able to celebrate anniversaries that they have may have reached had they remained separate (e.g. Lodge A – 48 years, Lodge B – 95 years – so in two years time the new Lodge will celebrate the Lodge A’s Golden Jubilee and in five years time the new Lodge will celebrate the B’s Centenary)?

Answer:
No. Henceforth they can only celebrate the anniversaries of the Receiving Lodge – hence the greater importance of careful consideration under item 3 above. The constituent Lodge may “unofficially” acknowledge the more important anniversaries of the “former” Lodge(s) e.g. Centenaries and the like, by a special private dinner or some such event. Personal 50th’s and 60th’s would be unaffected, provided the individual Mason’s membership of the Craft and Province remained uninterrupted.

7. Will matters of ritual and Lodge procedure have to be agreed by the members?

Answer:
Yes. This should be negotiated in a generous spirit of “give-and-take” so that the nuances of ritual dear to both parties can continue to be observed where practical and provided they do not cause needless controversy. [If agreement cannot be reached on any particular "oddity" – which is very unlikely – stick to the ritual as written]. At the same time, opportunity could be taken to clear away any inexplicable “tradition” introduced by some long forgotten DC, that now merely causes irritation and bewilderment, especially to young newcomers.

8. Would the new Lodge assume responsibility for the widows and other dependant’s, etc., of all amalgamated Lodges?

Answer:
Yes: This would be expected of them and they should treat the Closing Lodge’s widows precisely the same as their own. To acknowledge this, the Closing Lodge should be prepared to transfer some or all of their Good Works Account to the Receiving Lodge [bearing in mind that henceforth the joining members will be making their contributions to the combined Good Works Account, in the same way as the original members]. The Almoner of the Receiving Lodge will need to write to the in-coming widows to explain carefully the new situation. It is recommended that a member of the Closing Lodge, preferably their former Almoner, accompanies him on his first visits.

9a. Honours:
Could the Province be slightly more generous through it’s honours policy via Petitions, Discretionary Collars and Promotions?

Answer:
No. Fewer Lodges mean fewer honours to share around. However, with the strict date order contemplated in item 4 there should be no likelihood of preference creeping in.  Nevertheless, it should be clear that all may have to wait just a little longer [either for progression through the Lodge Offices to the Chair, or for Provincial honours].  Promotions in Provincial honours should be governed by merit and are never guaranteed.
To celebrate the merger of two or more Lodges, the Amalgamation Unification Ceremony, is designed to emphasise the “one-ness” after the coming together. It is a symbolic kind of re-birth whereby all the members of the newly formed body are equal in their unity. Thus, when the ceremony is being planned, care must be taken that as many members of the Lodges involved participate and that the Offices of the ‘new’ Lodge are shared between them. This is particularly important where there are Junior Brethren to ensure that those from both sources are properly progressed. This is where the “engagement period” is so important, since it gives the opportunity for the assessment of individual strengths and potentials to take place. Any hint of “us” and “them” must be avoided and rapidly stopped if in danger of arising.

9b. What happens about future recommendations for Provincial honours or promotions?

Answer:
Problems in this area should not materialise in practice. Due to reduced numbers, many members of one or all Lodges will probably already be Provincial Officers, or they wouldn’t need to merge. A combined list of PM’s from both sources showing which month / year they went through the Chair should readily define seniority in time, assuming all other factors are equal. A similar list of Provincial Officers will equally show time-seniority, when promotions are considered and the same system can be used for MM’s “going up the ladder”. “Buggins Turn” is not the criterion – work done, commitment and dedication to Freemasonry features large.

10a. Officers of the continuing Lodge:
What happens to the Master and the Elected Treasurer of the continuing / receiving Lodge?

Answer:
The Installed Master and the Elected Treasurer of the receiving Lodge must continue in office until the next Installation. If members of the Closing Lodge were also members of the Receiving Lodge, then appropriate recommendations could then be made at the business meeting when the elections for Master and Treasurer are made for the ensuing year.

10b. What happens to the other Officers?

Answer:
Substitutions may be made in all other offices equally between all sources. This must all be done carefully and by agreement, particularly to facilitate the progress of Junior Masons through the offices. Avoid, if possible, interruption to this progress unless accepted by the Brother concerned.

10c. Which WM becomes Master of the combined Lodge?

Answer:
The WM of the surviving Lodge i.e. the Lodge whose number continues, regardless of whether the name is amended or not. It is NOT the Master of the Lodge whose Warrant is to be erased. That is because the Book of Constitutions is quite clear that only the current SW [or if he is not available, the current JW] may succeed the Master in the event of death or resignation. Once he is a member of the surviving Lodge, however, there would be nothing to prevent the Master of the surrendering Lodge being elected as the next Master, at the next business meeting.

11. For Brethren transferring from one Lodge to another, when does membership of the receiving Lodge commence and that of the surrendering Lodge end?

Answer:
Membership transfers with the vote of acceptance into the receiving Lodge. Therefore, duality of membership will continue until the closing Lodge is erased by United Grand Lodge, or the members subscription year ends - which ever occurs first. Quite often this can be after the closing Lodge has held its final meeting and effectively ceased to operate. Resignation letters from the surrendering Lodge will not, therefore, be necessary. By careful timing, however, it should always be possible to ensure that no transferring Brother finds himself having to pay double dues for the year in question..

12. By Laws
Which By Laws must we adopt?

Answer:
The By Laws of the receiving Lodge must, of course, continue. Therefore, proposals to change the By- Laws of the receiving Lodge (i.e. dates of meeting, name of Lodge, etc.) must be run concurrently with the proposed notice of motion and the further notice of motion regarding the amalgamation.

13. Installations
Which Installation date must we adopt?

Answer:
Provided that the appropriate resolutions are made and the By Laws accepted by all parties, the date of Installation can be changed to suit all members.

14. Honorary Members
Can we accept Honorary Members from closing Lodges.

Answer:
Honorary Members of the Closing Lodges can, of course, be transferred to the Receiving Lodge, although they will need to be subject to an election by the Receiving Lodge.

15a.
A copy of the Amalgamation Ceremony is available on the Secretariat Web site.

15b. Where should the Amalgamation Ceremony take place?

Answer
The venue must be sufficiently large enough to accommodate the ceremony and the many anticipated members and guests.

15c. At what time should the Amalgamation ceremony take place?

Answer
The time of ceremony is determined by the Provincial Grand Secretary, after consultation with the Deputy Provincial Grand Master and the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies.

15d. Amalgamation Ceremony:
Are there any guidlines for the style / content of the Lodge summons for the Amalgamation Ceremony?

Answer
Templates for the Lodge Summons, programmes and toast lists etc. will be included in the administrative documentation.

15e. Will there be any Rehearsals for the Amalgamation Ceremony?

Answer
The date, time and place of the rehearsals will be determined by the Provincial Director of Ceremonies, in consultation with the Receiving Lodge’s Director of Ceremonies.

Further questions will undoubtedly arise. The solutions to them can be similarly discussed and recorded for future reference. In this way we will build up a “reference bank” for the future, based on firm experience.

If you have any observations or any further questions please email them to
secretariat@eastlancsmasons.org.uk

Provincial Grand Secretary


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