Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Revised Code Of Laws For The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
A REVISED CODE OF LAWS FOR THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .
The laws of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys have recently undergone a complete revision , and the new code , which was submitted by the Board ol Management to the Council in April last , will be brought to the notice of the Quarterly Court , which will be held on the 14 th July , and a resolution proposed by Bro . LE FEUVRE for its adoption . The earliest
laws remain virtually unaltered . That which relates to the Trustees—Law VII . —has been modified , thc Sustentation of Building- Fund having- been merged in the General Fund , and there being , therefore , no longer any necessity for electing Trustees of the latter . We remark also that the Pro Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master are henceforth to be cx-officio
Patrons instead of Vice-Presidents—a change to which we see but one objection . The Patronship of the Institution carries with it the right of So votes at every election of Boys , while the Grand Master for the time being , in his capacity of President ex-officio , is allowed 20 votes " in consideration of the sum given annually by the Grand Lodge of England . " By the
proposed change , therefore , the highest personage in the Craft , the distinguished brother who , in the matter of voting , may be said to impersonate the Grand Lodge , will receive only one-fourth the number of votes bestowed on his alter ergo in the person of the Pro Grand Master and his Deputy G . Master . It is true that by Law IV . " a Grand Patron
may be elected by a Quarterly Court , and , we presume , it is intended that under LawXV ., " such Grand Patron , " holding honorary rank , shall receive the same voting privileges as those who become Patrons by payment . But , though the present Grand Master , H . R . H . the Prince of WALES , is Grand Patron and President , it does not follow that the two offices should be held
as a matter of course by one and the same personage . The Grand Master is ex-officio President of the Institution , and in that capacity is entitled to 20 votes at every election of boys , but he is not ex-officio Grand Patron .
The law relating to the Presidency is absolute , but that which concerns thc Grand Patron is only permissive . There need not be a Grand Patron at all , and if the Quarterly Court has a mind to elect one , it is not a matter of course that it should elect thc Grand Master to such office . In former
days , when there wcre neither Vice-Patrons nor Patrons , much less a Grand Patron , the Grand Master being ex-officio President , had his 20 votes in consideration of the annual grant made by Grand Lodge , while his Pro Grand Master—if he were entitled to appoint such an officer—and Deputy Grand Master , as Vice-President , had their 10 votes at each election . Thus
the officer of higher rank had the greater privileges , while those of lower rank had the lesser privileges . It will consequently be as well to make some such alteration in the proposed code as will secure to the Craftsman of highest rank the superiority in rights and privileges over all other members of the Grand Lodge . We see no objection to the bestowal of greater rights
and privileges on the Pro Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master , provided always that the position of President , who is the chief officer of the Institution , is correspondingly strengthened .
The laws which define the privileges conferred to the different classes of donors , designated respectively Patrons , Vice-Patrons , and Vice-Presidents , arc made far clearer , and are much better arranged than in the existing code , while Patrons have higher privileges conferred on further completed
payments of 100 guineas each . Thus the existing law gives two votes for l ' ' ' . h additional five guineas contributed by Patrons , Vice-Patrons , and ' ice-Presidents indiscriminately ; but the new law proposes to give to individual donors who have qualified as Patrons 50 votes for every further completed sum of One Hundred Guineas , in one or more
Payments of not less than Five Guineas each , " the same number of addihonal votes being assigned to ladies and lewises on payment of 50 guineas , and ( 0 lod ges , chapters , societies , on the completed payment of 200 guineas . As regards honorary rank , by existing Law X . the Quarterly Court has Power to elect a brother who has rendered special service to the Institution
as Honorary Vice-President , and by Law XV , an Honorary Life Governor * llh , in each case , the rights and privileges pertaining to the rank , while roposed Law XV . enacts that " a Brother who has rendered special service p 'he Institution , " may be elected " an Honorary Patron , Viccatron , Vice-President , or Life Governor , " with the privileges
per-. " £ to the respective ranks . We are glad also to see under the ' Ca ( 1 of "Annual Subscribers , " all those who contrioutc 10 guineas within ' Period of 10 years become , ipso facto , Life Subscribers , at the same time
f a | niiig the privilege as under the existing law of two votes instead of one . evcr y additional guinea subscribed , The greater thc encouragement * en to brethren of moderate means to subscribe reguarly the more cxtene , v 'H become the range of support and the better for the Institution .
A Revised Code Of Laws For The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
Taking the laws which affect the exercise of the privilege of voting existing Law XXIX ., which provides that "in all cases a subscribing lodge , chapter , or society shall , at the time of contribution , direct by what officer or member of the body the privilege of voting is to be exercised . " Proposed Law XXIX . makes the same provision , but with this addition—that " in
default of any direction the Secretary for the time being shall be entitled to the vote . " We do not quite see why the privilege should be exercised by this particular officer . We would rather it were conferred upon the W . M . for the time being , and we imagine that in the majority of cases where a lodge omits to specify the particular officer or member by whom the vote or
votes which are received in exchange for its contribution shall be exercised , it intends that it shall be so exercised by its Worshipful Master , or chief for the time being . Asfor proposed Law XXXIII ., it strikes us asbeing good policy to have inserted such a provision , the clauses of which are as follows : ( 1 ) " A candidate shall be entitled without proxy to have placed to his credit
at each election the number of votes to which his parents , if deceased , would by their donations have been entitled to if living ; " and ( 2 ) " If either parent be a Life-Governor at the date of the reception of the petition , a candidate shall be entitled without proxy to have 10 votes , and , in case both parents be so qualified , 20 votes placed to his credit at each
election . " Here again we repeat a wise course has been adopted in conferring such votes on candidates ; it cannot fail to encourage people to subscribe when they realise that not only will they have the right to exercise certain powers , but also that in th . e event of misfortune overtaking them , or their dying without having made satisfactory provision for their
children , those children , should they become candidates for this Institution , will receive appreciable benefit from their parents ' support . We are pleased to see that such a clause has been inserted under this head as that which constitutes the second section of proposed Law XXXIV ., and which reads thus— "In any case in which it shall
he proved to the satisfaction of the Board of Management that the Election of a Boy has been directly or indirectly promoted by the purchase or sale of the votes of the Subscribers , such Eleclion may be declared void by . the Board of Management , and the Boy may be expelled from the Institu- ' tion . " We are well aware it is most unlikely that any such case should
occur , but it is just as well to be protected by such a provision against any such irregularity . Some years ago a very serious unpleasantness arose in connection with the voting at one of these elections , and the brother who had committed some irregularity in his capacity of scrutineer—was sentenced to deprivation of his rights as a Mason for a period of 18 months .
No material alterations are proposed in thc laws relating to Courts . In Law 38 , it is proposed to allow " the ten days' notice " required to be given by advertisement for a Special Court to be holden into a " six days' notice , " a similar change being made in . Law 45 , in which the notice of a motion for a new law , or for suspending or abrogating an existing law ,
must be advertised six instead of 10 days previously . In Law XLII ., the number of members constituting a quorum is reduced from 12 to seven . Nor are there alterations of moment in those which affect the Council , or those relating to the Board of Management under proposed new Law L ,, instead of brethren for election to represent the Provinces being nominated
from time to time by the authority of each Provincial Grand Lodge , these nominations must be made as in the case of thc London representatives , at the meetingof the Council in March , ; while in Law LIIL , relating to extraordinary vacancies occurring among thc Provincial members , it is provided that the vacancies shall be filled " by thc election of a Brother , who shall be
nominated on behalf of any Provincial Grand Lodge not represented on the Board , " and at the same time , that " at least fourteen days' notice of the Election shall be given to every Provincial Grand Secretary whose Province is not represented on the Board . " Under the existing law , each extra-: ordinary Provincial vacancy is filled " by the election of a Brother whose
name shall be on the list of Provincial members nominated by the Provincial Grand Lodges , " Under the head of " Finance Committee , " proposed Law LXV . reduces thc quorum from five to three , and there is a new clause added to Law LXVI . to the effect that " All payments to be made by cheques , signed by two members of the Finance Committee , countersigned by the Secretaries . "
In thc laws which deal with the " Qualification and Admission of Boys , " it is proposed in Law LXXI . to alter the time at which petitions must be forwarded from " at least two weeks before the meetings of thc Council " to " at
least three weeks before " such meetings . Existing Law LXXI II . is extended , so that a boy , whoalready has a brother in the Institution , shall be eligible for admission not only if "the number of vacancies is in excess of the number of candidates , " but also " when at least five children other than the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Revised Code Of Laws For The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
A REVISED CODE OF LAWS FOR THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .
The laws of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys have recently undergone a complete revision , and the new code , which was submitted by the Board ol Management to the Council in April last , will be brought to the notice of the Quarterly Court , which will be held on the 14 th July , and a resolution proposed by Bro . LE FEUVRE for its adoption . The earliest
laws remain virtually unaltered . That which relates to the Trustees—Law VII . —has been modified , thc Sustentation of Building- Fund having- been merged in the General Fund , and there being , therefore , no longer any necessity for electing Trustees of the latter . We remark also that the Pro Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master are henceforth to be cx-officio
Patrons instead of Vice-Presidents—a change to which we see but one objection . The Patronship of the Institution carries with it the right of So votes at every election of Boys , while the Grand Master for the time being , in his capacity of President ex-officio , is allowed 20 votes " in consideration of the sum given annually by the Grand Lodge of England . " By the
proposed change , therefore , the highest personage in the Craft , the distinguished brother who , in the matter of voting , may be said to impersonate the Grand Lodge , will receive only one-fourth the number of votes bestowed on his alter ergo in the person of the Pro Grand Master and his Deputy G . Master . It is true that by Law IV . " a Grand Patron
may be elected by a Quarterly Court , and , we presume , it is intended that under LawXV ., " such Grand Patron , " holding honorary rank , shall receive the same voting privileges as those who become Patrons by payment . But , though the present Grand Master , H . R . H . the Prince of WALES , is Grand Patron and President , it does not follow that the two offices should be held
as a matter of course by one and the same personage . The Grand Master is ex-officio President of the Institution , and in that capacity is entitled to 20 votes at every election of boys , but he is not ex-officio Grand Patron .
The law relating to the Presidency is absolute , but that which concerns thc Grand Patron is only permissive . There need not be a Grand Patron at all , and if the Quarterly Court has a mind to elect one , it is not a matter of course that it should elect thc Grand Master to such office . In former
days , when there wcre neither Vice-Patrons nor Patrons , much less a Grand Patron , the Grand Master being ex-officio President , had his 20 votes in consideration of the annual grant made by Grand Lodge , while his Pro Grand Master—if he were entitled to appoint such an officer—and Deputy Grand Master , as Vice-President , had their 10 votes at each election . Thus
the officer of higher rank had the greater privileges , while those of lower rank had the lesser privileges . It will consequently be as well to make some such alteration in the proposed code as will secure to the Craftsman of highest rank the superiority in rights and privileges over all other members of the Grand Lodge . We see no objection to the bestowal of greater rights
and privileges on the Pro Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master , provided always that the position of President , who is the chief officer of the Institution , is correspondingly strengthened .
The laws which define the privileges conferred to the different classes of donors , designated respectively Patrons , Vice-Patrons , and Vice-Presidents , arc made far clearer , and are much better arranged than in the existing code , while Patrons have higher privileges conferred on further completed
payments of 100 guineas each . Thus the existing law gives two votes for l ' ' ' . h additional five guineas contributed by Patrons , Vice-Patrons , and ' ice-Presidents indiscriminately ; but the new law proposes to give to individual donors who have qualified as Patrons 50 votes for every further completed sum of One Hundred Guineas , in one or more
Payments of not less than Five Guineas each , " the same number of addihonal votes being assigned to ladies and lewises on payment of 50 guineas , and ( 0 lod ges , chapters , societies , on the completed payment of 200 guineas . As regards honorary rank , by existing Law X . the Quarterly Court has Power to elect a brother who has rendered special service to the Institution
as Honorary Vice-President , and by Law XV , an Honorary Life Governor * llh , in each case , the rights and privileges pertaining to the rank , while roposed Law XV . enacts that " a Brother who has rendered special service p 'he Institution , " may be elected " an Honorary Patron , Viccatron , Vice-President , or Life Governor , " with the privileges
per-. " £ to the respective ranks . We are glad also to see under the ' Ca ( 1 of "Annual Subscribers , " all those who contrioutc 10 guineas within ' Period of 10 years become , ipso facto , Life Subscribers , at the same time
f a | niiig the privilege as under the existing law of two votes instead of one . evcr y additional guinea subscribed , The greater thc encouragement * en to brethren of moderate means to subscribe reguarly the more cxtene , v 'H become the range of support and the better for the Institution .
A Revised Code Of Laws For The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
Taking the laws which affect the exercise of the privilege of voting existing Law XXIX ., which provides that "in all cases a subscribing lodge , chapter , or society shall , at the time of contribution , direct by what officer or member of the body the privilege of voting is to be exercised . " Proposed Law XXIX . makes the same provision , but with this addition—that " in
default of any direction the Secretary for the time being shall be entitled to the vote . " We do not quite see why the privilege should be exercised by this particular officer . We would rather it were conferred upon the W . M . for the time being , and we imagine that in the majority of cases where a lodge omits to specify the particular officer or member by whom the vote or
votes which are received in exchange for its contribution shall be exercised , it intends that it shall be so exercised by its Worshipful Master , or chief for the time being . Asfor proposed Law XXXIII ., it strikes us asbeing good policy to have inserted such a provision , the clauses of which are as follows : ( 1 ) " A candidate shall be entitled without proxy to have placed to his credit
at each election the number of votes to which his parents , if deceased , would by their donations have been entitled to if living ; " and ( 2 ) " If either parent be a Life-Governor at the date of the reception of the petition , a candidate shall be entitled without proxy to have 10 votes , and , in case both parents be so qualified , 20 votes placed to his credit at each
election . " Here again we repeat a wise course has been adopted in conferring such votes on candidates ; it cannot fail to encourage people to subscribe when they realise that not only will they have the right to exercise certain powers , but also that in th . e event of misfortune overtaking them , or their dying without having made satisfactory provision for their
children , those children , should they become candidates for this Institution , will receive appreciable benefit from their parents ' support . We are pleased to see that such a clause has been inserted under this head as that which constitutes the second section of proposed Law XXXIV ., and which reads thus— "In any case in which it shall
he proved to the satisfaction of the Board of Management that the Election of a Boy has been directly or indirectly promoted by the purchase or sale of the votes of the Subscribers , such Eleclion may be declared void by . the Board of Management , and the Boy may be expelled from the Institu- ' tion . " We are well aware it is most unlikely that any such case should
occur , but it is just as well to be protected by such a provision against any such irregularity . Some years ago a very serious unpleasantness arose in connection with the voting at one of these elections , and the brother who had committed some irregularity in his capacity of scrutineer—was sentenced to deprivation of his rights as a Mason for a period of 18 months .
No material alterations are proposed in thc laws relating to Courts . In Law 38 , it is proposed to allow " the ten days' notice " required to be given by advertisement for a Special Court to be holden into a " six days' notice , " a similar change being made in . Law 45 , in which the notice of a motion for a new law , or for suspending or abrogating an existing law ,
must be advertised six instead of 10 days previously . In Law XLII ., the number of members constituting a quorum is reduced from 12 to seven . Nor are there alterations of moment in those which affect the Council , or those relating to the Board of Management under proposed new Law L ,, instead of brethren for election to represent the Provinces being nominated
from time to time by the authority of each Provincial Grand Lodge , these nominations must be made as in the case of thc London representatives , at the meetingof the Council in March , ; while in Law LIIL , relating to extraordinary vacancies occurring among thc Provincial members , it is provided that the vacancies shall be filled " by thc election of a Brother , who shall be
nominated on behalf of any Provincial Grand Lodge not represented on the Board , " and at the same time , that " at least fourteen days' notice of the Election shall be given to every Provincial Grand Secretary whose Province is not represented on the Board . " Under the existing law , each extra-: ordinary Provincial vacancy is filled " by the election of a Brother whose
name shall be on the list of Provincial members nominated by the Provincial Grand Lodges , " Under the head of " Finance Committee , " proposed Law LXV . reduces thc quorum from five to three , and there is a new clause added to Law LXVI . to the effect that " All payments to be made by cheques , signed by two members of the Finance Committee , countersigned by the Secretaries . "
In thc laws which deal with the " Qualification and Admission of Boys , " it is proposed in Law LXXI . to alter the time at which petitions must be forwarded from " at least two weeks before the meetings of thc Council " to " at
least three weeks before " such meetings . Existing Law LXXI II . is extended , so that a boy , whoalready has a brother in the Institution , shall be eligible for admission not only if "the number of vacancies is in excess of the number of candidates , " but also " when at least five children other than the