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pdf version of by-laws
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Members of Provincial Grand Lodge 1. The Provincial Grand Lodge shall consist of all Mark Master Masons who are subscribing members of a Lodge on the Provincial Roll. 2. This collective body shall be styled "The Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of London". The Officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of London shall have precedence within the Province in the same order as laid down for the Officers of Mark Grand Lodge Annual Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge 3. (i) The Provincial Grand Lodge shall meet annually at a time and place within the Province, to be fixed by the Provincial Grand Master, at which the election of the Provincial Grand Treasurer and the appointment of the Provincial Grand Officers shall take place, The Provincial Grand Lodge may also be summoned at other times by the direction of the Provincial Grand Master. Brethren who are not members of the Provincial Grand Lodge may be present at these meetings by permission of the Provincial Grand Master, provided they are Mark Master Masons and subscribing members of a Lodge under a Constitution recognised by Mark Grand Lodge, but they shall not be allowed to vote on any resolution, nor to address Provincial Grand Lodge, without permission of the Provincial Grand Master. (ii) All matters of business to be brought under the consideration of Provincial Grand Lodxge by any member shall be made know previously to the Provincial Grand Secretary, in writing, at least sixty clear days prior to the meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge. (iii) No other matter except as stated on the agenda and (ii) above shall be discussed in Provincial Grand Lodge without the express permission of the Provincial Grand Master. 4. A summons with notice of the time and place of the Provincial Grand Lodge, shall be sent by the Provincial Grand Secretary; to arrive at least thirty days previous to such meeting, except in cases of emergency, when notice shall be given as soon as circumstances will permit, to each active Provincial Grand Officer, and sufficient copies to the Secretary of every Lodge on the Provincial Roll for distribution to each subscribing member. 5. All motions and resolutions adopted at the Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge, shall require no further confirmation. 6. Whenever it shall be deemed expedient to hold a Festival in connection with any meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge, no portion of the expenses attending the same shall be defrayed out of the funds of the Provincial Grand Lodge, except by the special authority of the Provincial Grand Master. 7. Every Brother on his appointment to office in the Provincial Grand Lodge shall pay a fee as follows:-
The Fee of Honour shall be due and payable on acceptance of appointment and no Brother shall assume the rank and clothing of his Office until the day of Investiture. When a Brother who shall have paid the fee of one of the higher offices in his Provincial Grand Lodge shall be appointed to a lower, he shall not be called upon to pay the fee attached to the lower; and on promotion of any Officer from a lower to a higher office in this Provincial Grand Lodge he shall pay the difference only (if any) between the fee due on appointment to the lower and that due on appointment to the higher office. 8. The clothing proper to his office shall be provided be each Officer presenting himself for Investiture. The Jewels to be worn by the Officers of the Year shall be supplied by and shall at all times remain the property of the Provincial Grand Lodge. The Jewel shall be signed for in the Provincial Jewel Book by the receiving Officer and he shall be responsible for its safe-keeping until it is returned to Provincial Grand Lodge. 9. (i) The Furniture and all other property of this Provincial Grand Lodge, shall be in the care of the Provincial Grand Inspector of Works for the time being, who shall maintain a proper inventory of the same. (ii) The Furniture and Property of this Provincial Grand Lodge shall be properly insured for the full current replacement value. 10. The Executive Committee shall comprise the Provincial Grand Master, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, the Assistant Provincial Grand Masters, the Provincial Grand Senior and Junior Wardens, the Provincial Grand Treasurer, the Provincial Grand Registrar, the Provincial Grand Secretary and the Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies. Not more than three additional members may be co-opted to the Executive Committee from time to time by the Provincial Grand Master to serve during his pleasure. The Provincial Executive Committee shall have the power to order payments of Accounts and other disbursements. 11. The Provincial Grand Master, Past Provincial Grand Masters, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Past Deputy Provincial Grand Masters, Assistant Provincial Grand Masters, Past Assistant Provincial Grand Masters, Provincial Grand Wardens, Treasurer, Registrar, Secretary, Director of Ceremonies, and Grand Charity Stewards, together with three elected Past Masters from Lodges in the Province, shall form the Committee of General Purposes, which shall have the power deal with all matters affecting the Order within the Province which may arise between the Meetings of Provincial Grand Lodge. The Committee shall meet at such times and places as the Provincial Grand Master or, in his absence the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, or in his absence the Senior Assistant Provincial Grand Master (if any), shall decide, and at least once in every year, three members to form a quorum. The Chair shall be taken by the Member present who shall be highest in rank or in case of equality, then in seniority of appointment to office. In the event of an equality of votes the Chairman shall give a second or casting vote. The Provincial Grand Master may co-opt from time to time additional members to the Committee to serve during his pleasure. 12. Two Auditors shall be elected by the members of Provincial Grand Lodge at the Annual Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge, as promulgated in By-Law 3 above. 13. The Provincial Grand Treasurer shall receive all monies raised for, or payable to, Provincial Grand Lodge, and shall disburse the same in such manner as the Provincial Grand Lodge, or the Provincial Grand Master or, in his absence, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master or, in his absence the Senior Assistant Provincial Grand Master (if any), shall from time to time direct. The Provincial Grand Treasurer shall produce a Statement of and receipts and disbursements, made up to the 31st Day of August in every year, and Audited, to the General Purposes Committee when convened by the Provincial Grand Master or, in his absence the Deputy Provincial Grand Master or, in his absence the Senior Assistant Provincial Grand Master (if any). This Statement of Account to be presented to the Annual General Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge for approval and if approved a copy thereof transmitted to each Lodge within the Province. 14. (i) The Trustees of the Fund shall be the Provincial Grand Master, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master and the Treasurer (ex officio) and four other Brethren who shall be elected by Provincial Grand Lodge; (ii) One of the elected Brethren shall be designated by the Provincial Grand Master to be Chairman of the Trustees. (iii) Elected Trustees shall serve for a period of two years and shall then retire, but shall be eligible for re-election. They shall remain in office until retirement, resignation or removal by the Provincial Grand Master. Upon any vacancy of an elected member the Provincial Grand Master may appoint a new Trustee who shall remain in office until the next Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge when he shall be eligible for election; (iv) The Officers of the Fund shall consist of the Chairman of the Trustees, the Provincial Grand Treasurer and one other Trustee who shall be nominated by the Provincial Grand Master to be the Secretary of the Fund. (v) The property of the Fund shall be vested in the Trustees, but any Bank or Building Society Account or investment shall be in the name of the Fund. Any Bank, Building Society or similar account shall be operated on the signatures of any two Trustees one of whom must be the Treasurer or Secretary; (vi) The Trustees may make such regulations for the administration of the Fund or the exercise of their powers as they shall from time to time see fit. 15. The Master or Secretary of every Lodge on the Provincial Roll shall immediately after the Installation of the Master make a return to the Provincial Grand Secretary of the names of the Master newly installed, and of the Secretary of Officers appointed for the ensuing year, and shall by the 30th September in every year make a Regular Return of all Members and of the Brethren who have been Advanced up to the 31st day of August in the previous year with the dates of their Advancement; also of all the Brethren who have Joined the Lodge during that period, together with the dates of Joining and the names and numbers of the Lodges from which they Joined; and shall at the same time transmit to the Provincial Grand Secretary the fees due to Provincial Grand Lodge. Fees payable to the General Fund 16. The following fees shall be payable to the Funds of the Provincial Grand Lodge by each Lodge within the Province.
An administration fee not exceeding £3 shall be payable in respect of any application to the Grand Master for a Dispensation submitted through Provincial Grand Secretary. Each Lodge shall pay from time to time such sum as the Executive Committee shall fix as a contribution towards the cost of production and distribution of the Provincial Year Book and Newsletters. 17. Every application for Dispensation shall be made in writing to the Provincial Grand Master or, in his absence the Deputy Provincial Grand Master or, in his absence the Senior Assistant Provincial Grand Master (if any), through the Provincial Grand Secretary, stating clearly the objects thereof, and accompanied by the fee payable thereon. 18. The Master or Secretary of each Lodge shall send two copies of each Lodge Summons to the Provincial Grand Secretary. 19. Every Lodge within the Province shall send two copies of the Audited Annual Statement of the Lodge Accounts to the Provincial Grand Secretary immediately following their presentation and adoption. 20. No Lodge shall be removed from one place of meeting to another without the consent, in writing, of the Provincial Grand Master, and the sanction of the Most Worshipful Grand Master through the General Board, except in emergency by dispensation. 21. These By-Laws shall be binding on all Lodges in the Province, until the same be altered in Constitutional manner. 22. These By-Laws may be altered at any meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge held in accordance with By-Law 3 hereof. Notice of any resolution to alter the By-Laws shall be given to the Provincial Grand Secretary at least two months prior to the date of any such meeting and a Notice containing the resolution shall be sent by the Provincial Grand Secretary to the Secretary of each Lodge within the Province with sufficient copies for distribution to the know number of members of his Lodge. A simple majority of the members of the Province present at the meeting shall be required to alter these By-Laws. The Degree of Royal Ark Mariner 23. These By-Laws and Regulations of the Province shall apply save that reference to Master, Secretary, and Mark Master Mason shall in the case of the Degree of Royal Ark Mariner read the Commander, Scribe, and Royal Ark Mariner. Fees payable to the General Fund 24. The following fees shall be payable to the General Fund of the Provincial Grand Lodge by each Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners within the Province.
25. Any matter not specifically dealt with in these By-Laws and Regulations for the government of the Province and of the Degree of Mark Master Mason or Royal Ark Mariner as the case may be, shall be governed by the Constitutions and Regulations are not consistent with the Constitutions and Regulations of Mark Grand Lodge the latter shall prevail. 26. Reference in these By-Laws and Regulations to Mark Grand Lodge shall mean Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales and its Districts and Lodges Overseas. 27. These By-Laws shall be printed and a copy sent to the Master and Secretary of each Lodge within the Province. These By-Laws were adopted and approved in Provincial Grand Lodge at a meeting held at Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen Street, London WC2 on the 19th Day of November 1990. Amendments were approved at the meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge on 30th October 1991, 2nd July, 1992, 7th July, 1994, 4th July 1996, 3rd July 1997 and on 8th July 1999. These By-Laws current as at 8th July 1999.
This page last updated Thursday, 09 November 2006 Copyright © 2006, Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of London
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