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Article THE REVISED BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS. ← Page 4 of 4 Article THE REVISED BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS. Page 4 of 4
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The Revised Book Of Constitutions.
are charged with similar functions . Nothing , however , is said about a Past Master ; for whom provision is customarily made in our lodges , there being always , in the case of a new Lodge , some Installed Master enrolled for the office . No . 130 is constructed partly out of Art . 2 , p 62 , and partly from Art . 1 , p 76 , as will be seen from the following comparison : —
PROPOSED EDITION . " 130 . Every lodgo shall annually , at a stated period , proceed to elect its master by ballot from among those of its members
who have duly served the office of warden in a regular lodgo warranted under the English constitntion . At tho next regular meeting the first business
after the opening of the Lodge shall be the reading of the minutes of the preceding meeting , and if they be confirmed so far , at least , as relates to tho election
of master , he shall be deemed to be elected , and shall be duly installed in the chair according to antient usage . No master elect shall assume the master ' s chair
until he has been regularl y installed . Should the minutes of the election of master not be confirmed , then a summons mnst be issued for the following
regular meeting of the lodge , sotting forth that the brethren will again proceed to elect a master , and on the confirmation of the minutes of that election at the
following regular meeting of the lodge , the installation of the master shall follow . "
EXISTING EDITION . 2 ( p 62 ) . " Every lodgo shall annually elect its master . . . . by ballot , such master having regularly sewed as a warden of
a warranted lodge for one year , and , at tho next meeting after his election , when tho minutes are confirmed , ho shall be duly installed in the chair accordiue :
to antient usage . " .... 1 ( p 76 ) Previously to the installation of the master , the minutes of tho preceding meeting of tho lodge must be
read and confirmed , so far at least as to the election of the master , after which the nsual ceremonies of installation are to be performed , and no master
elect shall assume the master ' s chair nntil he shall" have been regularly installed , though he may in the interim rule the lodge . Shonld the minntes of
the election of master not be confirmed , then a summons must be issued for the following regular meeting of the lodge , setting forth that the brethren were
again to proceed to elect a master , and on the confirmation of the minntes of that election at the following regular meeting of the lodge , the installation of the master will follow . "
Speaking in general terms , the proposed rule is preferable to tho parts of rules it is intended to supersede . It brings the whole subject before the reader lucidly and in a compact form , instead of distributing it under two heads . Taking the parts of the proposed rule severally in tho
order of their occurrence , we notice , as regards the first sentence , that it fixes " a stated period " for tho election of Master , who must be chosen from among the members " who have duly served the office of warden , " not simply " of a warranted lodge , " but " in a regular lodge warranted
under the English Constitution . " This is an improvement . Under the existing law a brother who has served the office of Warden in a regular Scotch or Irish Lodge is eligible , and the limitation to English Lodges is to be commended . On the other hand , the words " for one year " in the
existing law have no place in the proposed law , which merely requires that the members from whom the Master is eligible shall have " duly " served the said office of Warden . We do not think the proposed clause , as worded , is satisfactory . There is nothing in this rule , or elsewhere , so far as we have
carried our researches , to indicate that " duly " and "in one year" have equal force . Such may be the intention of the compilers , but , in the absence of a distinct definition , " duly " may be made to bear different meanings by different brethren . We would certainly substitute for the present clause ,
" who have served the office of Warden for one year in a regular Lodge warranted under the English Constitution . " As to the next sentence , wc would suggest that it might with advantage be curtailed . The first business at every regular Lodge meeting , " after the opening of the lodge , "
is the reading and confirmation of the minutes . We would suggest it should run thus : "At the next regular meeting , if , after the opening of the Lodge , the minute , ' * of the pre - ceding meeting be confirmed so far , at least , as relates to
the election of Master , he shall be , " & c . & c . & c . The omission from the next sentence of the words " though he may in the interim rule the lodge" is necessary , as a Master continues in office until his successor has been
installed . The last sentence only calls for a note of minor importance . It will read the better if the words " of the lodge " are omitted from the phrases " for the following regular meeting of tho lodge " and " at the following regular meeting of the lodge . "
No . 131 provides for the case of " a prince of the blood royal" accepting the office of Master of a private Lodge . — See second part of Art . 1 , p 61 , with which it corresponds
The Revised Book Of Constitutions.
almost verlatm . No . 132 , " The master ' s obligation , " is Art . 2 , p 77 , and No . 133 compares with part of Art . 5 , p 78 , over which it has a decided advantage as regards sense .
REVISED EDITION . " 133 . The master is responsible for the due observance of Hie laws , by tho lodge over which ho presides . "
EXISTING EDITION . 5 ( p 78 ) " The master is res . ponsible for the due observance of the laws relating to private lodges . "
AVe see no necessity , in the proposed law , for a comma between tho words " laws " and " by . " He is responsible not " for the due observance of the laws , " whicb would be exacting too much of him , but for their due observance by the lodge over which he presides .
Nos . 134 , providing that a brother " cannot be Master of two Lodges at same time , " and 135 , defining the " period of office" he may serve continuously , need no comment . No . 136 provides for the appointment of Wardens , & c . the
election of Treasurer , and the choice of Tyler , a portion of Art . 1 , p 94 , referring to the removal of the last mentioned being incorporated with part of Art . 2 , p 62 . The proposed ancl the present rules compare thus : —
PROPOSED EDITION . " 136 . Upon his installation the master shall appoint his wardens and other officers , except the treasurer , who shall be annually elected by ballot on the
regular day of election of master , and the tyler who is to be chosen by the members of the lodge and may at any time be
removed for cause deemed sufficient by a majority of the brethren present at a regular meeting of the Lodge . "
EXISTING EDITION . 2 ( p 62 ) ... . " after which " —that is , his installation— " ha shall appoint his wardens and other officers , except the treaa . urer ; the tyler is to be chosen
by the members of the Lodge . " 1 ( p 94 ) . . . . " and may at any time be removed , for cause deemed sufficient by a majority
of the brethren present , at a regular meeting of the Lodge . "
No . 137 , as to " master and wardens to sign in grand lodge book , " is substantially the same as Art . 7 , p 78 , with the addition of the clause , " and no master , past master or warden of any London lodge shall be entitled to enter the grand lodge unless he shall have previously signed
his name in such book . " No . 138 disqualifies the master of the house at which a Lodge meets from holding office in such Lodge , except under proper dispensation , while No . 139 , " master and wardens to attend summonses , " embodies
all that relates to the subject in Art . 23 , p 69 ; Art . 8 , p 31 ; Arts . 5 and 8 , p 78 ; and Art . 30 , p 71 . No . 140—" Removal of officers "—fits with Art . 9 , p 79 , but the improvement will be more apparent if we place the two side by side .
PROPOSED EDITION . " 140 . Should the master bo dissatisfied with the conduct of any of his officers , he may lay the cause of complaint before the lodge at a regular meeting ; and
if it shall appear to the majority of the brethren present that the complaint be well founded , the master shall have power to displace such officer , and to appoint
another . If a vacancy shall occur in any office other than that of treasurer or tyler , the master shall appoint a brother to serve such office for the remainder of
the year , and if the vacancy be in the office of treasurer or tyler the lodge shall , after due notice in the summons , elect a successor for the remainder of the year . "
EXISTING EDITION . " 9 ( p 79 ) . The wardens and officers of a lodgo cannot be removed , unless for a cause which appears to the lodge sufficient ; but the master , if he be
dissatisfied with the conduct of any of his officers , may lay the cause of complaint before the lodge ; and if it shall appear to the majority of the brethren present that the
complaint be well founded , he shall have power to displace such officer , and appoint another . "
So much of proposed No . 140 as we print in italics constitutes a necessary addition , as the existing law does not recognise any distinction as between Officers appointed by the Master , and those elected or chosen by the Lodge . ( To be continued . )
HOIIO-WAT ' PILLS . —The blood being the very essence of health and M * . ™ is moat essential that it should be thoroughly purified before the depressing influences of winter display themselves . These Pills will accomp lish this P *" " ficntion in a safe and satisfactory manner , and put the circulation in tn" '' desirable condition which alone can rightly form flesh , bone , muscle , J | f ' and skin . Capricious appetites , weak digestions , torpid livers , and irreguin bowels are corrected by this potent medicine , which may be truly said to " ? 'JJ r " a sane mind in a sound body . " Holloway ' s Pills possess the remarKauia property of cleansing without weakening . While purifying they nr strengthening and adding to those enjoyments of life which health and v > g ° '' can alone bestow .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Revised Book Of Constitutions.
are charged with similar functions . Nothing , however , is said about a Past Master ; for whom provision is customarily made in our lodges , there being always , in the case of a new Lodge , some Installed Master enrolled for the office . No . 130 is constructed partly out of Art . 2 , p 62 , and partly from Art . 1 , p 76 , as will be seen from the following comparison : —
PROPOSED EDITION . " 130 . Every lodgo shall annually , at a stated period , proceed to elect its master by ballot from among those of its members
who have duly served the office of warden in a regular lodgo warranted under the English constitntion . At tho next regular meeting the first business
after the opening of the Lodge shall be the reading of the minutes of the preceding meeting , and if they be confirmed so far , at least , as relates to tho election
of master , he shall be deemed to be elected , and shall be duly installed in the chair according to antient usage . No master elect shall assume the master ' s chair
until he has been regularl y installed . Should the minutes of the election of master not be confirmed , then a summons mnst be issued for the following
regular meeting of the lodge , sotting forth that the brethren will again proceed to elect a master , and on the confirmation of the minutes of that election at the
following regular meeting of the lodge , the installation of the master shall follow . "
EXISTING EDITION . 2 ( p 62 ) . " Every lodgo shall annually elect its master . . . . by ballot , such master having regularly sewed as a warden of
a warranted lodge for one year , and , at tho next meeting after his election , when tho minutes are confirmed , ho shall be duly installed in the chair accordiue :
to antient usage . " .... 1 ( p 76 ) Previously to the installation of the master , the minutes of tho preceding meeting of tho lodge must be
read and confirmed , so far at least as to the election of the master , after which the nsual ceremonies of installation are to be performed , and no master
elect shall assume the master ' s chair nntil he shall" have been regularly installed , though he may in the interim rule the lodge . Shonld the minntes of
the election of master not be confirmed , then a summons must be issued for the following regular meeting of the lodge , setting forth that the brethren were
again to proceed to elect a master , and on the confirmation of the minntes of that election at the following regular meeting of the lodge , the installation of the master will follow . "
Speaking in general terms , the proposed rule is preferable to tho parts of rules it is intended to supersede . It brings the whole subject before the reader lucidly and in a compact form , instead of distributing it under two heads . Taking the parts of the proposed rule severally in tho
order of their occurrence , we notice , as regards the first sentence , that it fixes " a stated period " for tho election of Master , who must be chosen from among the members " who have duly served the office of warden , " not simply " of a warranted lodge , " but " in a regular lodge warranted
under the English Constitution . " This is an improvement . Under the existing law a brother who has served the office of Warden in a regular Scotch or Irish Lodge is eligible , and the limitation to English Lodges is to be commended . On the other hand , the words " for one year " in the
existing law have no place in the proposed law , which merely requires that the members from whom the Master is eligible shall have " duly " served the said office of Warden . We do not think the proposed clause , as worded , is satisfactory . There is nothing in this rule , or elsewhere , so far as we have
carried our researches , to indicate that " duly " and "in one year" have equal force . Such may be the intention of the compilers , but , in the absence of a distinct definition , " duly " may be made to bear different meanings by different brethren . We would certainly substitute for the present clause ,
" who have served the office of Warden for one year in a regular Lodge warranted under the English Constitution . " As to the next sentence , wc would suggest that it might with advantage be curtailed . The first business at every regular Lodge meeting , " after the opening of the lodge , "
is the reading and confirmation of the minutes . We would suggest it should run thus : "At the next regular meeting , if , after the opening of the Lodge , the minute , ' * of the pre - ceding meeting be confirmed so far , at least , as relates to
the election of Master , he shall be , " & c . & c . & c . The omission from the next sentence of the words " though he may in the interim rule the lodge" is necessary , as a Master continues in office until his successor has been
installed . The last sentence only calls for a note of minor importance . It will read the better if the words " of the lodge " are omitted from the phrases " for the following regular meeting of tho lodge " and " at the following regular meeting of the lodge . "
No . 131 provides for the case of " a prince of the blood royal" accepting the office of Master of a private Lodge . — See second part of Art . 1 , p 61 , with which it corresponds
The Revised Book Of Constitutions.
almost verlatm . No . 132 , " The master ' s obligation , " is Art . 2 , p 77 , and No . 133 compares with part of Art . 5 , p 78 , over which it has a decided advantage as regards sense .
REVISED EDITION . " 133 . The master is responsible for the due observance of Hie laws , by tho lodge over which ho presides . "
EXISTING EDITION . 5 ( p 78 ) " The master is res . ponsible for the due observance of the laws relating to private lodges . "
AVe see no necessity , in the proposed law , for a comma between tho words " laws " and " by . " He is responsible not " for the due observance of the laws , " whicb would be exacting too much of him , but for their due observance by the lodge over which he presides .
Nos . 134 , providing that a brother " cannot be Master of two Lodges at same time , " and 135 , defining the " period of office" he may serve continuously , need no comment . No . 136 provides for the appointment of Wardens , & c . the
election of Treasurer , and the choice of Tyler , a portion of Art . 1 , p 94 , referring to the removal of the last mentioned being incorporated with part of Art . 2 , p 62 . The proposed ancl the present rules compare thus : —
PROPOSED EDITION . " 136 . Upon his installation the master shall appoint his wardens and other officers , except the treasurer , who shall be annually elected by ballot on the
regular day of election of master , and the tyler who is to be chosen by the members of the lodge and may at any time be
removed for cause deemed sufficient by a majority of the brethren present at a regular meeting of the Lodge . "
EXISTING EDITION . 2 ( p 62 ) ... . " after which " —that is , his installation— " ha shall appoint his wardens and other officers , except the treaa . urer ; the tyler is to be chosen
by the members of the Lodge . " 1 ( p 94 ) . . . . " and may at any time be removed , for cause deemed sufficient by a majority
of the brethren present , at a regular meeting of the Lodge . "
No . 137 , as to " master and wardens to sign in grand lodge book , " is substantially the same as Art . 7 , p 78 , with the addition of the clause , " and no master , past master or warden of any London lodge shall be entitled to enter the grand lodge unless he shall have previously signed
his name in such book . " No . 138 disqualifies the master of the house at which a Lodge meets from holding office in such Lodge , except under proper dispensation , while No . 139 , " master and wardens to attend summonses , " embodies
all that relates to the subject in Art . 23 , p 69 ; Art . 8 , p 31 ; Arts . 5 and 8 , p 78 ; and Art . 30 , p 71 . No . 140—" Removal of officers "—fits with Art . 9 , p 79 , but the improvement will be more apparent if we place the two side by side .
PROPOSED EDITION . " 140 . Should the master bo dissatisfied with the conduct of any of his officers , he may lay the cause of complaint before the lodge at a regular meeting ; and
if it shall appear to the majority of the brethren present that the complaint be well founded , the master shall have power to displace such officer , and to appoint
another . If a vacancy shall occur in any office other than that of treasurer or tyler , the master shall appoint a brother to serve such office for the remainder of
the year , and if the vacancy be in the office of treasurer or tyler the lodge shall , after due notice in the summons , elect a successor for the remainder of the year . "
EXISTING EDITION . " 9 ( p 79 ) . The wardens and officers of a lodgo cannot be removed , unless for a cause which appears to the lodge sufficient ; but the master , if he be
dissatisfied with the conduct of any of his officers , may lay the cause of complaint before the lodge ; and if it shall appear to the majority of the brethren present that the
complaint be well founded , he shall have power to displace such officer , and appoint another . "
So much of proposed No . 140 as we print in italics constitutes a necessary addition , as the existing law does not recognise any distinction as between Officers appointed by the Master , and those elected or chosen by the Lodge . ( To be continued . )
HOIIO-WAT ' PILLS . —The blood being the very essence of health and M * . ™ is moat essential that it should be thoroughly purified before the depressing influences of winter display themselves . These Pills will accomp lish this P *" " ficntion in a safe and satisfactory manner , and put the circulation in tn" '' desirable condition which alone can rightly form flesh , bone , muscle , J | f ' and skin . Capricious appetites , weak digestions , torpid livers , and irreguin bowels are corrected by this potent medicine , which may be truly said to " ? 'JJ r " a sane mind in a sound body . " Holloway ' s Pills possess the remarKauia property of cleansing without weakening . While purifying they nr strengthening and adding to those enjoyments of life which health and v > g ° '' can alone bestow .