Membership

TOP

 ◄◄◄

 ►►►

initiation

                 Admission to the membership of the Lodge is via two routes - through the Ritual of Initiation and by acceptance of a person who has already undergone that process. In either case it is the sole right of the current members of a Lodge to determine whether any person should be admitted to its membership or not. This right is exercised through a well laid down process of pre-selection, proposal, and balloting. Every member of the Lodge has the right to be informed of the intention to propose and to ballot on a prospective candidate. It is therefore necessary that the proposal and balloting are carried out in open Lodge at regular meetings; and that the balloting is announced through the Summons.

             Some Lodges circulate full particulars of the intended candidate to the members of the Lodge after the Committee of Enquiry has prima facie found him suitable, but prior to making the proposal in the open Lodge. The members are requested to inform the Secretary or WM if they have any information about the candidate or any reservation which would render him undesirable as a member. The name of the brother making an unfavourable comment is kept confidential between the Master and the Secretary and never divulged to others. This procedure is commendable in that it gives ample opportunity to members to satisfy themselves of the suitability of the candidate and has the advantage of avoiding or at least minimizing the embarrassment arising out of rejection later.

             Occasionally embarrassing situations might arise because of refusal by the Secretary to proceed further with proposals not very welcome to some members. Such a situation requires a great deal of tact. It will be better if the matter is not discussed in any meeting, of the Lodge or its committees. It will be more appropriate to discretely inform the proposer of the possible discord that might be created in the Lodge by the presence of the proposed person and to persuade him either to withdraw or, at least, not to press for the proposal.

             As a matter of tradition balloting is done using white and black balls or tokens, white denoting 'Yes' and black 'No'. The actual processing of the ballot is the responsibility of the Director of Ceremonies, assisted by the Deacons. The Secretary needs only to ensure that the required ballot box and tokens are available.

             According to the Constitutions three black balls against a candidate will disqualify him. The Bylaws of the Lodge may provide that one black ball or two, shall exclude a candidate. It may also provide for a specific period to elapse before a rejected candidate can be proposed again in that Lodge. It is admissible to make a joint balloting when there is more than one candidate. However, if black balls appear in the number stated in the Bylaws, re-balloting is required to ascertain separately the will of the Lodge in favour of each candidate.

             Black balling, as a practice, deserves to be discouraged and any proposal for a candidate not having adequate support of the members should be withdrawn before proceeding to voting or balloting.

                 Before the candidate is initiated he is required to sign a Declaration in the form prescribed under Rule 162.

             If the WM has reasons to believe or receives bonafide information anytime before his initiation that the candidate, though favourably balloted, is an undesirable person can exercise his authority to pass over the item on the summons for initiation. It may be noted that the exercise of such discretionary authority by the WM should be done with utmost care and tact.

             The candidate should also pay the fee for initiation and the year’s subscription before he is initiated, but not before balloting. In order to encourage young Candidates Grand Lodge Rules provide that the dues payable to the Fund of General Purposes under Rule 269 and the Annual Contributions payable to the Grand Charity under Rule 271 shall be reduced by 50 per cent in respect of any Brother initiated in the Lodge who was at any time during the relevant year under the age of twenty-five and his subscription to the Lodge shall be reduced accordingly.

             Thus, masons aged below the age of 25 need pay only half the fees and subscriptions payable to the Grand Lodge and the Lodge until they turn 25. The full rates become applicable only from the subscription year following the subscription year in which they complete 25 years.

membership