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THE LODGE SECRETARY
CHAPTER xviiI
THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER'S
HANDBOOK
Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. of the
District of Columbia
Introduction
The Secretary of your Lodge has assumed a very
important position, one that many Brothers consider to be second in rank
only to that of the Worshipful Master. Certainly it is one which will
afford enjoyment rendering essential service to Masonry in this
Jurisdiction. It is to the Secretary that the majority of the members in
your Lodge will turn when they need help. They will do so because he is
the one who has or knows how to obtain the information they seek.
The Secretary should work closely with the Worshipful
Master of a Lodge. It is strongly suggested that the Secretary provide
the Master with an insight into the work that passes over his desk. This
should be done as early as possible and, if possible, well before the
election and installation. The Master’s appreciation of the Secretary’s
many duties and responsibilities is essential to his conception and
understanding of the totality of Lodge management.
It goes without saying that a Secretary should be fully
conversant with the Masonic Code of the District of Columbia. Study it
carefully and use it, when occasion demands, properly. With knowledge of
the Code he will be able to efficiently cope with a host of questions,
and you will do so from the perspective of established law and
custom.
General
The Grand Secretary maintains Grand Lodge records which
reflect the information that the Secretary of your Lodge has furnished
him through your Monthly Reports. In these reports the Secretary is to
list all changes impacting on the membership of your Lodge, and is asked
to do so within two working days of the last communication of the month,
Stated or Special. The information provided is then expeditiously
entered into the Grand Lodge Data Base, which is as current and as
accurate as the information provided.
Annual Returns
The preparation of the Annual Return of the Lodge is
now being effected in the Office of the Grand Secretary, from which it
is sent to the Lodge for verification of the information therein
contained. It is the duty of the Lodge Secretary to carefully review its
contents, certify its accuracy, and return it to the Grand Secretary,
along with final payment of dues and assessments owed Grand Lodge,
within 30 days of the close of the Masonic Year. Failure to make such
return and payments will deprive the Lodge of its vote in Grand Lodge.
Election and Installation Report
The election and installation report for your Lodge is
to be submitted to the Grand Secretary not more than two working days
after the installation. This report must be in the hands of the latter
prior to the Third Stated Communication (Installation) of the Grand
Lodge because it contains information essential to the identification of
those eligible to vote in Grand Lodge. On the report form, supplied by
the Grand Secretary, the names, addresses, and telephone of the
stationed officers, the Secretary and Treasurer, and the representatives
of the Lodge to the Masonic and Eastern Star Home Board, the Masonic
Board of Relief, the St. John’s Mite Association, and the Masonic
Foundation are listed, as are the names of those selected by the Lodge
as proxies for the Worshipful Master and the Senior and Junior Wardens.
It should be noted that if the Officers-elect have not been installed
previous to the Annual Communication in December (second Saturday), the
retiring Officers or their Proxies, are entitled to the vote in Grand
Lodge.
Tax Reports
Many Lodges are required to report salaries and
withholding from salaries paid to their officers to the Federal
Government (IRS) and, if the officers live in Washington, D.C., to the
Government of the District of Columbia. These reports are filed
quarterly.
Lodges having income in excess of $25,000 per year
(principally from interest and dividends on investments) are required to
file IRS tax form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service. It is
imperative that Form 990 be filed if your Lodge meets the criteria; the
penalties for not filing can be severe, and ignorance of the tax code is
not an acceptable excuse!
Lodge Minutes
At his installation the Lodge Secretary is charged to
observe all of the proceedings of the Lodge; to make a fair record of
all things proper to be written; to receive all monies due the Lodge;
and to turn those monies over to the Treasurer, taking his receipt for
the same. In recording those things which should be written the
Secretary has many options. Some will use the format that their
predecessors used, but this is not mandatory, for substance always takes
precedence over form in the compilation of Lodge minutes.
Never fail to appreciate that the Lodge minutes are
really input into the history of your Lodge. Hence they should be
prepared carefully, and they should be typed as soon as possible after
the conclusion of each meeting. Furthermore, each set of minutes should
be separately entered into the minute book, with each new addition
preferably starting on a new page.
The minutes, of course, should reflect the work of the
Lodge. They should contain the names and addresses of candidates applying
for and receiving the degrees; the degrees conferred; and the members of
the degree team that did the work. They should also contain the names of
those Brethren whose Masonic records are modified by Lodge action
concerning demits, suspensions for non-payment of dues, suspensions
and/or expulsions for anti-Masonic conduct, affiliations and
reaffiliations, and deaths (including date of death).
Deaths should be included in the minutes when the
announcement is made in the Lodge, even if receipt of the information
follows the death of the Brother by several months. This is preferable
to including a list of deaths as an appendix to the year’s minutes.
To facilitate the finding of information in the
minutes, include headings such as Deaths, Applications for Degrees (or
Affiliation, Fellowcraft Degree, etc.). You will find that this will
help you locate information when needed. Moreover, it will simplify
review of your minutes by the Grand Secretary.
If the Secretary is new to the office and needs
guidance in the preparation of minutes, consult with the Grand Secretary
or the Secretary of another Lodge. They will be happy to review
problems, share their experiences, and make such suggestions as they
deem appropriate.
Petitions for the Degrees
When a petition for the degrees is handed to the
Secretary, he is to check it to see that it is in proper form, i.e., in
the handwriting of the applicant and complete in every detail.
Particular attention should be given to the signatures. The petitioner
must have signed the petition in the three places provided. It must also
be signed by two sponsors who must be members of the petitioned
Lodge.
Virginia
Petitions for the degrees which are received from
residents of nearby Virginia, i.e., Fairfax County, Arlington County,
and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax, may be
processed in the same manner as petitions received from residents of the
District of Columbia. The Grand Lodge of D.C. enjoys concurrent
jurisdiction in these areas with the Grand Lodge of Virginia. To receive
petitions from Virginians who live outside the area of concurrent
jurisdiction, it is necessary to first obtain a waiver of
jurisdiction.
Elsewhere
Waivers of jurisdiction are also necessary
prerequisites to the receipt of petitions for residents of Maryland and
other jurisdictions. When the petitions of such non-D.C. residents are
presented to the Secretary, he must forward them to the Grand Secretary
and request that a waiver of jurisdiction be requested from
the appropriate Grand Lodge. A petitioner seeking a waiver
must submit a statement, in his own hand, explaining why he wishes to
become a member of a Lodge in the District of Columbia.
It is suggested that before the process begins the
Secretary call or visit the petitioner, or have the sponsors do so, for
the purpose of explaining the procedures involved in obtaining waivers
from other jurisdictions. It is essential that the petitioner understand
that the process is time consuming and that it may take up to a year to
accomplish (although in Maryland the process is usually completed in
about three months.) The petitioner should also be advised that he may
be visited by Masons who live near his residence and that they will
undoubtedly talk to him about Masonry in that jurisdiction. Finally, he
should be appraised of the fact that some applications for waiver are
denied.
Receiving the Petition
Petitions, when submitted, are received by a majority
vote of the Lodge. This action is reported to the Grand Secretary by the
Secretary in his Monthly Report (Applications for Degrees). Care must be
taken to insure that all entries, including the candidate’s full name,
address, occupation, and date of birth are correct, as this information
is used in preparing the monthly Grand Lodge Bulletin as well as the
candidate’s "History Card." Following receipt by the Lodge, the petition
must lay over for one lunar month before it can be balloted on. During
this period the investigating committee must meet with the petitioner
and render its reports to the Lodge Secretary. If a waiver of
jurisdiction is required, no action may be taken by the Lodge until it
is obtained.
Physical Disabilities
In reviewing the petition prior to presenting it in the
Lodge, the Secretary should be careful in noting statements pertaining
to the physical condition of the petitioner. If the petitioner has
physical problems that would prevent him from conforming to the forms
and ceremonies of the ritual, the Master must discuss the problem with
the Grand Master and receive the latter’s permission (i.e., a
dispensation) to receive the petition.
Investigating the Petitioner
It is the duty of the Worshipful Master to appoint an
investigating committee for every petitioner. It is the responsibility
of the Secretary to send each member of the committee an investigation
form (Committee on Investigation Report on Petitioner.) The Worshipful
Master will supply the date on which the ballot will be taken. If the
forms are not returned about a week before the ballot date, calls to the
committeemen are in order. If all three report forms are not returned
prior to the scheduled date of ballot, the ballot cannot be taken. In
this event a new committee must be appointed, the petition readvertised
to the members, and a new date of ballot set.
Balloting on a Petition
The ballot on a petition must be taken at a Stated
Communication, previous to which the members of the Lodge must be
notified bv sealed correspondence that a ballot will be taken on the
petitioner. The notice must provide the name of the petitioner, his
occupation, home address, place of business and the date of the ballot
to be taken. The sending of a postal card or other unsealed
correspondence is contrary to the provisions of the Masonic Code.
If a petitioner is balloted on for the degrees and is
elected to receive the same, the Entered Apprentice Degree may be
conferred upon him the same evening that he is elected. HOWEVER, it is
preferred that arrangements be made for the conferral of the degree on
some later date. A Lodge could be embarrassed if it schedules the degree
on a night that the ballot is taken and the candidate is rejected.
When a ballot is taken and the applicant is elected to
receive the degrees, the Secretary must report this in the Monthly
Report. Likewise if the applicant is rejected, this too must be reported
to the Grand Secretary via the Monthly Report.
If a petitioner is rejected for the Degrees by a vote
of the Lodge, he must wait a minimum of six months before he may
reapply. A petitioner rejected for affiliation may reapply
immediately.
Affiliation
When an application for affiliation is received, care
must be taken to obtain full knowledge of the applicant. The application
must be modified to indicate the petitioner’s purpose, i.e., to obtain
dual membership, a transfer of membership, or the reinstatement of
membership because of being dropped for non-payment of dues or
suspension. If the application involves a transfer of membership, it
must be accompanied by either a Transfer Certificate from the Lodge of
the petitioner or a dimit from the same. Applications for and election
to affiliated membership are also to be reported on the Monthly Report
of the Lodge to the Grand Secretary. It is important, particularly in
the affiliation of dual members, that degree dates be included in the
report, in as much as these are entered upon the brother’s History
Card.
Conferral of the Degrees
After a candidate is duly elected to receive the
Degrees, the Master of the Lodge should develop his plan to confer them.
Before the conferral of any degree the members of the Lodge must be
notified of the candidate’s name and the date of the proposed conferral
by sealed correspondence. Conferrals must be done in accordance with the
Masonic Code, i.e., with a minimum interval of one lunar month (28 days)
between degrees to permit the Brother to become proficient in
the degree received. In extenuating circumstances appeals
may be made to the Grand Master for a dispensation to shorten the
interval. Degrees may be conferred at Stated or at Special
Communications called for that purpose, and all degree conferrals must
be recorded on the Monthly Report of the Lodge.
Courtesy Degrees
It is preferable to confer the degrees upon a candidate
in his own Lodge, but it is sometimes necessary to rely on another Lodge
in this or another jurisdiction to do the work. To facilitate this
process the Lodge of the candidate must first vote to request assistance
from another Lodge, to which a written request (if the Lodge is in this
jurisdiction) is directed. A vote of approval by the Lodge receiving the
request is also necessary. Should a dispensation be needed to set aside
the statutory period between degrees for the candidate receiving the
courtesy work, the Lodge of the candidate is responsible for obtaining
it. Once a courtesy degree has been conferred, the requesting Lodge is
so informed in writing, and this information is to be included in the
Monthly Report of the candidate’s Lodge.
If the conferral of the degree(s) and/or instruction on
the degree(s) is to be accomplished in another jurisdiction,
arrangements must be made through the office of the Grand Secretary. The
Lodge Secretary should apprise the Grand Secretary of what is to be
requested of whom, and ask him to make the arrangements through his
counterpart in the appropriate jurisdiction. In no case should a
Secretary of a Constituent Lodge take it upon himself to correspond with
the Grand Secretary of another jurisdiction or with a Lodge in another
jurisdiction without first contacting the Grand Secretary of the Grand
Lodge of the District of Columbia.
Requests for courtesy work by other Jurisdictions are
similarly handled through the office of the Grand Secretary. When a
request is received he will contact the designated Lodge, and if none is
designated, he will solicit a Lodge that is able to respond in full.
After the conferral of each degree, the responsible Lodge will record
that fact on its Monthly Report, noting the degree conferred and the
Lodge for which it was conferred. Following the conferral of the degrees
and/or the completion of the instruction requested, the Lodge Secretary
should so inform the Grand Secretary, and he, in turn, will communicate
that fact to the Grand Secretary of the requesting jurisdiction.
Non-Payment of Dues
The Masonic Code states that no Lodge shall expel a
member for non-payment of dues but by a vote of the lodge. One month
after notice that he is delinquent, a member may be dropped from the
roll, but he shall be reinstated by payment of the arrearages if paid
within one year from the time he was dropped.
It is recommended that notice of delinquency be
delivered in writing and, if possible, by either registered or certified
mail and with a return receipt requested.
Because of cost, certified mail is presently suggested.
Every effort should be made to contact the delinquent brother, either by
telephone or personal for the purpose of impressing upon him the
consequences of being dropped for non-payment of dues. If a Brother is a
dual member, loss of membership in either Lodge causes the loss of
membership in both, as well as in any of the Appendant Bodies to which
he may belong. He also loses his right of admission to the Masonic and
Eastern Star Home and to Masonic burial. Once dropped for N.P.D., a
delinquent Brother immediately becomes an unaffiliated Mason. The Lodge
Secretary is to list all Brothers dropped for N.P.D. on the Monthly
Report to the Grand Secretary.
Reinstatement
When a Brother pays his arrearage dues within one
calendar year from the time he was dropped for N.P.D., he is
automatically reinstated and suffers no loss of membership time.
Reinstatements of this type are to be recorded on the Monthly Report of
the Lodge Secretary under the heading "Reinstatements." In recording
reinstatements it is essential that the full name, address, and birth
date of those reinstated be included so that a new entry may be made in
the membership Data File. Please note that names removed from the Lodge
roll through the year are removed from the Computer Data Base at the end
of the year. If a Brother fails to pay his arrearage within one calendar
year from the date he was dropped, he must petition the Lodge for
reaffiliation.
Deaths
Death is the greatest cause of membership decline in
this jurisdiction. In order to maintain the record of your Lodge on a
current basis in the office of the Grand Secretary, the Secretary must
report all deaths on the Monthly Report. If the deceased Brother is a
Past Master of the Lodge, please indicate on the report the year that he
served in the East.
Transfer Certificate
A Transfer Certificate shall be issued to a Brother in
good standing (his dues having been paid three months in advance and he
having no charges preferred or about to be preferred against him) upon
his written request when he wishes to move his membership from one Lodge
to another in this jurisdiction. The Transfer Certificate is issued at
the direction of the Worshipful Master at the Stated Communication at
which the request is presented. It is valid for three months from the
date of issue. If no action is taken within this time by the petitioned
Lodge or if the Brother is rejected for membership therein, he retains
membership in his original Lodge. If he is elected to membership, the
lower portion of the Transfer Certificate must be completed by the
Secretary of the new Lodge and returned to the Grand Secretary for
transmittal to the Secretary of the original Lodge. Upon receipt the
Secretary of the old Lodge reports the transfer on his Monthly Report;
likewise. the Secretary of the new Lodge reports the election of the
Brother therein on his Monthly Report.
A Transfer Certificate issued by a Lodge in another
jurisdiction having a similar law may be accepted in the same
manner.
Dimit
There are occasions when a Brother will request a dimit
from the Lodge. This request cannot be denied and the dimit must be
furnished the Brother, providing he is clear on the books and no Masonic
charges are or are about to be placed against him. The dimit form should
be completed, signed by the Secretary and the Worshipful Master, under
the seal of the Lodge, and then forwarded to the Grand Secretary for his
signature and the seal of the Grand Lodge.
It is helpful and saves time if an envelope addressed
to the Brother receiving the dimit is sent to the Grand Secretary along
with the dimit and any other correspondence that is to be forwarded. The
Grand Secretary can then transmit the dimit directly, eliminating the
delay that would be incurred by return of the dimit to the Lodge
Secretary. The issuance of dimits is to be reported on the Monthly
Report of the Lodge.
Dimits are not issued to dual members. A dual member
wishing to withdraw is issued a certificate stating only that he has
voluntarily terminated his dual membership.
Change of Address
One of the most formidable tasks confronting the Grand
Lodge is the maintenance of a mailing list of members in the
jurisdiction. The Lodge Secretary should make every effort to keep his
Lodge mailing list up to date and to report changes of address promptly
on his Monthly Report.
It is suggested that envelopes with an "Address
Correction Requested" message printed thereon be used to transmit Lodge
correspondence, at least periodically. Returned bulk mail will be at a
cost to the Lodge, but the Lodge will be enabled to maintain contact
with Brethren whose whereabouts might otherwise become unknown.
Release of Jurisdiction
Release of jurisdiction over petitioners is covered in
the Grand Lodge and in Decisions that have been rendered on Sections of
the Code by a number of Grand Masters. These sources make it clear that
requests for waivers of jurisdiction must be made by the petitioner, or
in cases when the petitioner has been previously rejected, by the Lodge
in which he currently seeks admission. When a release of jurisdiction is
granted, this action is to be recorded on the Monthly Report of the
Lodge granting the release.
Certificate of Non-Indebtedness
After one year, on payment of arrearages to the time
that a Brother was dropped, the Lodge shall, on written application of
the Brother, give that Brother a certificate stating that he has paid
all indebtedness to the Lodge. This certificate shall be signed by the
Worshipful Master and attested to by the Secretary under the seal of the
Lodge. The Brother receiving the Certificate of Non-Indebtedness becomes
an unaffiliated Mason. This action is to be reported on the Monthly
Report of the Lodge.
Suspensions
When a Brother has been tried and, as a result of
trial, is suspended or expelled,
this action is to be recorded in the Monthly Report.
Dual Membership
A Brother who is a member in good standing in a Lodge
in this jurisdiction, or in another jurisdiction where dual membership
is not forbidden by its law, may become a dual member in this
jurisdiction without the submission of a dimit or equivalent
certificate. A Master Mason is permitted to become a member of more than
two Lodges in this jurisdiction at one and the same time. An application
for affiliation must be on the customary form, suitably modified to meet
the particular conditions, and after its receipt by a majority vote of
the Lodge, it must follow the course prescribed in Section 118 of the
Masonic Code. Upon election, the Brother shall, except for the privilege
of receiving a dimit, be entitled to all the privileges, including the
holding of office, accorded to any other member of the Lodge and he
shall likewise be subject to all the responsibilities attaching to Lodge
membership. Involuntary loss of membership for any cause other than
non-payment of dues of a dual member in a Lodge in another jurisdiction
shall work a loss of membership in all Lodges in this jurisdiction. Loss
of membership for non-payment of dues of a dual member in another
jurisdiction shall not affect his membership in his primary Lodge in his
jurisdiction. Loss of membership for any cause in either Lodge9primary
or secondary) in this jurisdiction of a dual member shall work a loss of
membership in all Lodges in this jurisdiction. A Brother residing in
another jurisdiction who is a member in good standing of a Lodge in this
Jurisdiction may become an affiliated member of a Lodge in such other
jurisdiction, under conditions and restrictions as indicated above, if
the laws of that jurisdiction permit dual membership.
Withdrawals (Dual)
Whenever a dual member applies in writing, he shall, if
he is clear on the books and no charges have been or are about to be
preferred against him, receive a certificate from the Lodge stating only
that he has voluntarily terminated (withdrawn) his dual membership in a
Lodge in the District of Columbia. This action should be reported to the
Grand Secretary via the Monthly Report.
Reporting Forms
With the implementation of the computerized membership
record system, the method of reporting Lodge membership actions was
changed, as of October 1, 1985. The use of individual "action cards" is
a thing of the past.
A monthly reporting form is now used to notify the
Grand Secretary of membership changes which occur in your Lodge. Your
Secretary will be provided 26 sets (four pages each) of the Monthly
Report forms each year, two for each month (so he can make a carbon copy
for your Lodge records) and two extras in case he should need them. It
is important that the Secretary use these forms. If the Secretary
prefers not to type the entries, please write or print legibly and be
careful to spell names correctly. All categories of Lodge membership
activities are included in the forms. The history card for the permanent
file will be completed in the office of the Grand Secretary as the
candidate receives his degrees.
Your assistance and cooperation is absolutely necessary
if the system is to work. Thus you are asked to submit all four pages of
the Monthly Report to the Grand Secretary within two working days of the
last communication of your Lodge each month, including July and August,
whether you have anything to report or not. If there is no activity in a
given category, indicate that by ‘none’ or ‘N/A.’
Preparation of the Annual Return
The Masonic Code (Sections 87 and 88) requires that
each Lodge of the District of Columbia shall close its books and
accounts on September 30 of each year and shall, within thirty
days thereafter make a just and true return to the Grand Lodge of
its members on September 30, giving one given name and initial or
initials, etc. for each member.
The failure to make a proper return and to pay Grand
Lodge dues shall deprive the Lodge of its vote in Grand Lodge; if a
Lodge fails to make such a return for two years, its charter shall be
forfeited and immediately recalled by the Grand Master.
The Annual Return is now being prepared in the office
of the Grand Secretary as follows. As near September 15 as possible each
Secretary will be furnished two copies of a printout of the roster of
his Lodge, along with the address of each member. The Secretary must
then verify the correctness of data appearing on the printout, making
such corrections as are necessary, and return a corrected copy to the
Grand Secretary not later than September 30. The Grand Secretary, on
receipt of your September Monthly Report, will enter information
contained therein into the Membership Data Base, together with any
corrections you may have made on the roster printout. He will then
prepare your computerized Annual Return and furnish you with two copies.
Your Grand Lodge dues and assessments for the Masonic Year ending
September 30 will be based on the information contained in the Annual
Return.
When your copies of the Annual Return have been
received and the Secretary has determined that they are correct, return
one copy to the Grand Secretary, along with a Lodge check in the amount
shown on the recapitulation sheet. Make certain that the recapitulation
sheet is signed by the Worshipful Master, and the Lodge Secretary and
affix the Lodge seal. This indicates to the Grand Secretary that you
accept the computerized record as correct. The second copy of the Annual
Return is to be kept as a permanent record by your Lodge as it is a
summary of all the activities of your Lodge for the year.
The Lodge Secretary is required to submit his Lodge
minutes for the year to the Grand Secretary for review at least 10 days
before the scheduled Grand Visitation to his Lodge. The Lodge Treasurer
is also required, within the same time frame, to submit his ledger,
along with his report, to the Grand Treasurer for his review.
Report on the Installation of Officers
The installation report should be submitted
immediately after the installation of officers in your Lodge. By
no means should it be submitted later than December 27. Be sure to
complete the reverse side of the report by listing those members who
have been elected or appointed to represent your Lodge on the Masonic
Board of Relief (two members), the Board of Directors of the Masonic and
Eastern Star Home, the St. John’s Mite Association, and the Masonic
Foundation, All Lodges are required by the Masonic Code to have
representation, as indicated, with the exception of the Masonic
Foundation, and that is also encouraged by the Grand
Lodge.
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