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By-Laws and Regulations of the Provincial Grand Lodge of MMM of London
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Guidance Notes for Lodge Officers 1. It is the Provincial Grand Master's wish that all Lodges should enjoy the benefits of regular official visits. To improve communication he has adjusted the structure of the Province so that his Deputy and Assistants have particular responsibility for about fifteen Lodges each within the Province, with the intention that it is they who will visit those particular Lodges in the course of the year. The Provincial Grand Master has retained direct responsibility himself for certain Lodges, but will of course be visiting others in the Province when desirable and of course for special events such as Centenaries and Jubilees. A smaller number of Lodges has been allocated to Past Assistants so that all the Lodges in the Province are "looked after" in this way. On all Visits the Official Visitor will be accompanied by a member of the Provincial GDC's team, who will make contact with the Lodge Secretary and DC before the meeting, so that all are fully prepared. The Official Visitor will be supported by a delegation of Provincial Grand Officers, usually four, who will be drawn from other Lodges in the Province. Normally the Official Visitor, and the Delegation, will be received after the Lodge has been opened but before the minutes are taken. The escorting DC will enter the Lodge first, to "demand" admission for the Official Visitor (unless he should be one of the Wardens, when he will "request" admission) and then form an escort to retire and lead him and the Delegation into the Lodge. The WM must offer the gavel to the Official Visitor if he is the PGM, the DepPGM or one of the AsstPGM's, but should not offer it if he is one of the Wardens. After being formally welcomed the Official Visitor (if an AsstPGM or senior) will accept the gavel, take the chair, and introduce the members of the Delegation. A Warden will introduce the members of the Delegation while standing front of his seat at the WM's right hand. The AsstPGM having returned the gavel to the WM, and taken his seat/the Warden having sat, the Provincial DC will call the Brethren to salute him. If a certificate is to be presented the Official Visitor will be pleased to perform his duty, but normal courtesy requires that he should be invited to do so well beforehand. Lodges wishing to invite an Official Visitor to give one of the addresses at an Installation Meeting should definitely make such a request in advance, when sending his copy of the Summons for the meeting. The escorting Provincial DC will organise the Official Visitor's retiral procession, and will act as Master of Ceremonies at the Festive Board. Keystone Collarette - Mark and Ram 2. A Lodge Keystone Collarette should be presented to the incoming Master after he has received the Warrant, Book of Constitutions and Regulations, By-Laws but before he invests his Officers. The Investing Officer should use the form of words as set out in part IV of the 1998 editions of the Mark and RAM Rituals No. 2, explaining to the new Master/Commander the significance of the Jewel, its presentation to the Lodge by the Grand Master, and s hold inform the Master that the Collarette and Jewel should be worn as part of his regalia at all meetings of Mark and Royal Ark Mariner Lodges which he attends during his term of Office. 3. The following are the salutes authorised by Grand Lodge:-
4. Lodges are reminded that if the National Anthem is sung after dinner, it should precede the drinking of the Loyal Toast and the following procedure adopted: The WM will rise and announce "Brethren, The Queen". The organist will play the first verse (and the second if preferred) of the National Anthem, which will be sung. The Toast is then drunk. No Fire. The WM and brethren sit. If however, the National has been sung in the Temple, (immediately following the closing of the Lodge) the following procedure is suggested at the festive board. The WM will rise and announce "Brethren, the Queen". The toast is the drunk. No Fire. The WM and brethren sit. Guidance Notes for Secretaries and Scribes 1. All forms, returns and correspondence from any Lodge to Mark Grand Lodge must be sent through the ProvGSec or DepProvGSec. 2. Two copies of every Summons should be sent to the ProvGSec at least two weeks before the date of each meeting. A further copy should be sent to the APGM representing the Lodge on the Provincial Executive. Where a Lodge has been notified of an Official Visit, additional copies of the Summons should be dispatched in accordance with the separate instructions issued relating to that visit. Information required on a Summons 3. Rule 107(i) of the Book of Constitutions and Regulations of the Order requires the following information to be shown on a Lodge Summons whenever there is to be a ballot for a candidate for membership.
These requirements also apply to the Royal Ark Mariner Degree, with the additional stipulation that the name(s) and number(s) of the candidate's Mark and RAM Lodges, if any, shall also be included. Registration forms for new and joining members (Forms 01 and 02) These should be sent to the Provincial Grand Secretary as soon as possible after the meeting at which the member has been advanced/joined, together with a cheque for the appropriate fees to Mark Grand Lodge. The fees due to the Province will be collected retrospectively by the Deputy ProvGSec with the annual dues. The fees are currently as follows:-
All requests should be submitted to the ProvGSec, well in advance of the meeting, preferably at least six weeks before. The appropriate colour coded request document will then be supplied by the PGSec for completion, and should be returned to him with the correct fee payable to Mark Grand Lodge, which is now £20.00 plus £3.50 VAT. When however, a dispensation is to be sought after the event, in order to regularise a situation (nunc pro tunc) the fee is increased to £30.00 plus £5.25 VAT. The fees due to the Province, which will be collected retrospectively with the Annual Dues, are:-
Installation and Yearbook Returns Installation and Yearbook return forms will be sent out by the ProvGSec with the Annual Return Forms, and should be completed immediately after the Installation Meeting and sent to the DepProvGSec without delay. Annual Returns and Dues payable by each Lodge The Annual Forms will be dispatched from Mark Grand Lodge before the end of August each year, together with the necessary instructions for their completion, and will be distributed by the ProvGSec as soon as possible after receipt, together with summation of any amounts due in respect of new registration fees for the previous year. "Welcome Packs" issued and dispensations obtained. The returns are compiled from information recorded at Mark Grand Lodge, and the calculation is checked against the Lodge records, and the names of any new members who have not been inserted in the spaces provided, and appropriate additions made to the total of dues payable. The former needs to be clearly annotated in the columns provided to show when, and why, brethren have ceased their membership during the preceding year, but the calculation of the dues must not be reduced on their account. Annual dues are payable where a brother has been a member for any part of a year. The current rates of annual dues payable are:
Two copies of the "audited" annual accounts of the Lodge should be sent to the ProvGSec immediately after the meeting at which they have been presented and adopted. Current Toasts lists for the Mark and RAM following the 2005 Annual Meeting are included in the Year Book on pages 57 and 108 respectively. Notifications of any revisions will be circulated by the ProvGSec as necessary.
This page last updated Thursday, 09 November 2006 Copyright © 2006, Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of London
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