Province of Sussex By-Laws
Mark Master Masons 1. Membership of Provincial Grand Lodge The members of Provincial Grand Lodge are the Officers and Past Officers thereof, and Masters, Past Masters, Wardens and Overseers of Lodges within the Province. Other Mark Master Masons who are Members of Lodges within the Province may, by permission of the Provincial Grand Master, attend meetings of Provincial Grand Lodge, but shall not be entitled to vote on any matters therein. 2. Communications of Provincial Grand Lodge Provincial Grand Lodge shall meet regularly once in every year at such place and on such date as the Provincial Grand Master may determine. Special meetings of Provincial Grand Lodge may be held at such other times and places as the Provincial Grand Master may determine. Three weeks notice of the regular Annual Meeting shall be given to all members and fourteen days notice shall be given of all other meetings. Active Provincial Grand Officers are expected to attend all Meetings of Provincial Grand Lodge, failing which, a letter of apology, and explanation must be sent to the Provincial Grand Secretary. Past Provincial Grand Officers are expected to attend each Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge unless prevented by sickness, urgent Public or Domestic duties. 3. Precedence of Officers Each Provincial Grand Officer shall take rank in the order shown in Regulation 56 Book of Constitutions and Regulations. 4. Fees of Honour Every Brother on his appointment to Provincial Grand Office shall pay towards the funds of Provincial Grand Lodge such Fee of Honour as may be determined from time to time by the General Purposes Committee and on subsequent appointment to a more senior office in Provincial Grand Lodge shall pay the difference between the current fee for such office and the fee of honour he may have previously paid. The Fee of Honour shall be payable on acceptance of any office and no Brother shall be appointed to or invested with the insignia of such office until the prescribed fee has been paid. 5. Regalia Each Officer shall provide the regalia appropriate to his rank, save that the Collar Jewel for every active office and the regalia and Jewel for Stewards and Inner Guard will be provided by Provincial Grand Lodge. Each Officer shall be responsible for the safe custody of such Jewel/regalia and for the safe return thereof to the Provincial Grand Secretary not later than fourteen days before the date of the succeeding Annual Meeting of the Province, or be liable to a fine not exceeding 5.00. 6. Election of Provincial Grand Treasurer The Provincial Grand Treasurer shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Province. Nominations for the Office must be made in writing to the Provincial Grand Secretary by the Master and Secretary of a Lodge in the Province at least thirty days before the Annual Provincial Meeting. If no nomination has been received within the prescribed period, the Provincial Grand Master, or in his absence, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, or the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, may nominate a Brother for the Office. 7. Committee of General Purposes The Provincial Grand Master, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Assistant Provincial Grand Master, the Provincial Grand Wardens, Overseers, Treasurer, Secretary, Director of Ceremonies, together with four Brethren who must be subscribing members of Lodges within the Province and elected annually at the regular Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge, shall form the Committee of General Purposes. Any Past Deputy and Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Sussex, if they so wish, shall be co-opted onto the Committee of General Purposes on an annual basis and that these Page 2
Brethren have full voting rights. The Committee shall meet at such times and places as the Provincial Grand Master, or in his absence, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, or the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, shall appoint, and at least once in every year. Three members shall form a quorum. The chair shall be taken by the Provincial Grand Master and in his absence the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, or the Assistant Provincial Grand Master and in their absence by the member present at the opening of the meeting who shall be highest in Provincial rank, or, in the case of equality, then in seniority of Advancement in the Order; but if he refuse the next highest in Provincial rank shall take the chair. In the event of an equality of votes, the chairman shall give a second or casting vote. The Committee shall have the power to deal with all matters which might arise between meetings of Provincial Grand Lodge, and may recommend for its consideration any matter, subject, or question relating to the Order. 8. Sussex Mark Benevolent Fund a. All monies collected in the Province for the Grand Mark Lodge Fund of Benevolence and all Charitable Funds collected by Provincial Grand Lodge shall be administered by the Sussex Mark Benevolent Fund and shall be vested in three Trustees appointed under the Trust Deed or their successors duly appointed. b. The members of the Sussex Mark Benevolent Fund shall be the Provincial Grand Master, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, the Provincial Grand Secretary, the Trustees, the Provincial Charity Steward who shall act as the Secretary of the Fund, and Charity Stewards appointed by the Lodges. c. All fines paid to Provincial Grand Lodge together with one-tenth of all other receipts by Provincial Grand Lodge shall be placed to the account of the Sussex Mark Benevolent Fund and set apart accordingly. The Trustees shall in their absolute discretion make and pay grants there from for the relief of any Mark Master Masons or their dependents. d. Each Lodge shall be invited to contribute from its funds such sum as may be determined by the General Purposes Committee for every subscribing member to be paid with the fees under By-Law 15. Such sums shall be paid over each year to the Sussex Mark Benevolent Fund and after payment there from of all expenses of administration of that Fund any balance shall be accumulated for such Masonic charitable purposes, including the granting of donations to the Grand Mark Lodge Fund of Benevolence, as the Trustees may decide. e. The Charity Steward shall collect from the Brethren of their respective Lodges contributions for the Grand Mark Lodge Fund of Benevolence which they shall pay over to the Secretary of the Fund. During the month of May in every year, each Charity Steward shall complete and submit to the Secretary on the form provided by the Grand Mark Lodge Fund of Benevolence a list of the Brethren in his Lodge whose donations are to be included in that year s festival together with their addresses, the amounts of the donations with Steward s fees and other relevant information. The Secretary shall then submit to the Grand Mark Lodge Fund of Benevolence the lists for the Province together with a remittance for the amount due thereon. f. The audited accounts of the Fund, which shall be made up to the 30th June in each year, shall be submitted with a report from the Secretary of the Fund for consideration and approval at the Annual Meeting of the Fund in October in each year. Thereafter the accounts shall be submitted to the next Annual Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge. 9. Examiners Two examiners shall be elected at each regular Annual Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge, and a third examiner shall be appointed by the Provincial Grand Master. 10. Correspondence All communications from Masters of Lodges or others, intended for submission to the Provincial Grand Master, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master or Provincial Grand Lodge shall be forwarded to the Provincial Grand Secretary for presentation subject only to By-Law 11 hereof. Page 3
11. Lodge Summons and Master s Report The Master of each Lodge shall cause a copy of every summons of his Lodge to be sent to the Provincial Grand Master, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Assistant Provincial Grand Master and two copies to the Provincial Grand Secretary 10 days prior to each Lodge Meeting, and prior to the Installation Meeting, to include the Worshipful Master s Report on progress, and the names of Mark Lodges in the Province visited, during the past year. 12. Fines for Non-Representation Any Lodge within the Province which is not represented at each meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge by it s Master, a Past Master or one of its Wardens or Overseers shall be liable to a fine of 5.00. 13. Notice of Business Every motion for a new By-Law or Regulation, or for the repeal of an old one, or any charge or complaint against a Lodge, or any member or members thereof, or any other proposition intended to be made at a meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge, shall be stated in writing, together with the name of the mover or complainant, his rank in Mark Masonry, and the name and number of the Lodge of which he is a subscribing member, and transmitted to the Provincial Grand Secretary on or before the 31st day of December in each year; and no motion or matter shall be entertained by Provincial Grand Lodge or brought into discussion therein unless the foregoing requirements be complied with, except with the express sanction of the Provincial Grand Master. 14. Returns of Lodges The Master or Secretary of every Lodge in the Province shall, on or before the 19th day of September in each year, furnish the Provincial Grand Secretary with a regular return of its members up to the 31st day of August preceding, stating the date of Advancement or Joining of each Brother within the year, or since the date of the previous return, and giving a copy of his Mark; and the fees due to Grand Lodge, Provincial Grand Lodge and those due to the Provincial Association of Benevolence, shall be paid at the same time. In default thereof a fine of 5.00 may be imposed. If any Lodge shall neglect, for the space of one month, to make such returns and payments, its members shall be liable to disqualification from attending Provincial Grand Lodge or any committee thereof, until its arrears of returns and payments, including the fine, shall have been made, and if, after due admonition, such returns and payments be not made, the Lodge so attending shall be reported to Grand Lodge and immediate steps taken to cause its erasure from the list of regular Lodges. The Master shall also ensure that not later than 10 days after each Lodge Meeting a return be sent by the Lodge Secretary to the Provincial Grand Secretary on the prescribed form giving details of new members, deaths, resignations, exclusions and changes of address. 15. Fees payable by Lodges The fees payable by each Lodge to the funds of Provincial Grand Lodge shall be at the rates determined from time to time by the General Purposes Committee provided that at no time shall they exceed those specified in Rule 65 of the Constitutions and Regulations of Grand Mark Lodge. 16. Dispensations Every application for a dispensation shall be made in writing to the Provincial Grand Secretary, stating clearly the object thereof together with the fee payable thereon. 17. Operation of By-Laws These By-Laws shall be binding on all Lodges in the Province with effect from 14th April 1980. 18. Distribution of By-Laws These By-Laws shall be printed and a copy sent to the Secretary of each Lodge in the Province with further copies being available from the Provincial Grand Secretary at cost. Page 4
The Degree of the Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Royal Ark Mariners 19. By-Laws By-Laws 4,5,10,11,12,13,14,16,17 and 18 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to all Royal Ark Mariner Lodges and to all Officers of Provincial Royal Ark Mariner Grand Rank. 20. Fees of Honour and Fees payable by Lodges Fees of Honour payable to the funds of Provincial Grand Lodge by every Brother on his appointment to Provincial Grand Rank, and the fees payable by each Lodge shall be at the rates determined from time to time by the General Purposes Committee provided that at no time shall they exceed those specified in Regulation 16 of the Royal Ark Mariner Constitutions and Regulations of Grand Mark Lodge. Approved and adopted at the Annual Meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge held at Mark Masons Hall, London on the 14th day of April 1980. CLlFFORD W H JEAPES Provincial Grand Master V R CHENNELL Deputy Provincial Grand Master P POINTER Provincial Grand Secretary Approved on behalf of the General Board W J LEAKE Grand Secretary London, 10th July 1980 Including the Amendments Approved and Adopted at the Annual Meetings of Provincial Grand Lodge held at the Masonic Temple, Brighton, on the 14th day of April 1992, 9th day of April 2002 and 13th day of April 2004. D B McLean Provincial Grand Master A R Froom Provincial Grand Secretary Approved on behalf of the General Board T J Lewis Grand Secretary London, 1st September 2004 Page 5