2014 REVISION ANNOTATED Constitution and By-Laws With ORGANIC ACTS STANDING RESOLUTIONS RULES OF ORDER The Grand Lodge Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Missouri 2014 REVISION 2014 REVISION ANNOTATED Constitution and By-Laws INCORPORATING AMENDMENTS ADOPTED THROUGH THE 193rd ANNUAL COMMUNICATION September 29-30, A.D. 2014, A.L. 6014 With ORGANIC ACTS STANDING RESOLUTIONS RULES OF ORDER The Grand Lodge Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Missouri *This edition supersedes all prior revisions, supplements, and substitute pages 2014 REVISION Document History This is the original base document of the 2014 Revision Copyright © 2014, Grand Lodge of Missouri A.F.& A.M. 2014 REVISION Table of Contents How To Use This Book .................................................................................................... iii Historical Preface ............................................................................................................. vi Organic Acts .................................................................................................................... xii Constitution ........................................................................................................................1 By-Laws ..............................................................................................................................7 I. Grand Lodge Organization ...........................................................................................7 ARTICLE 1. Annual Communications ........................................................7 ARTICLE 2. Powers And Duties Of Grand Officers ................................11 ARTICLE 3. Fiscal Operations Of The Grand Lodge ..............................21 ARTICLE 4. Masonic Regions And Districts, District Deputy Grand Masters, Regional Grand Lecturers And District Deputy Grand Lecturers ....................................................................................27 ARTICLE 5. Committees .............................................................................31 ARTICLE 6. Grand Lodge Office ...............................................................37 II. Subordinate Lodge Organization ..............................................................................39 ARTICLE 7. Subordinate Lodges ...............................................................39 ARTICLE 8. Lodge Officers ........................................................................45 ARTICLE 9. Lodge Administration ...........................................................49 ARTICLE 10. Fees, Grand Lodge Dues, And Returns .............................55 ARTICLE 11. Formation Of New Lodges ..................................................57 III. Members And Jurisdiction .......................................................................................59 ARTICLE 13. Petitions ................................................................................59 ARTICLE 14. Objections .............................................................................64 ARTICLE 15. Balloting On Petitions .........................................................67 ARTICLE 16. Conferral Of Degrees ..........................................................73 ARTICLE 17. Affiliation..............................................................................77 ARTICLE 18. Dues .......................................................................................83 ARTICLE 19. Nonpayment Of Dues ..........................................................85 ARTICLE 20. Dimits And Certificates Of Good Standing .......................87 ARTICLE 21. Jurisdiction ...........................................................................89 ARTICLE 22. Endowed Membership ........................................................91 IV. General Provisions.....................................................................................................95 ARTICLE 23. Boards And Bureaus ...........................................................95 ARTICLE 24. Funerals ................................................................................97 ARTICLE 25. Miscellaneous .......................................................................99 V. Trial Code .................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. i Copyright © 2014, Grand Lodge of Missouri A.F.& A.M. 2014 REVISION ARTICLE 28. Offenses And Jurisdiction ... Error! Bookmark not defined. ARTICLE 29. Complaints And Preliminary ProceedingsError! Bookmark not defined. ARTICLE 30. Trial ....................................................................................114 ARTICLE 31. Appeals ...............................................................................117 ARTICLE 32. Restoration .........................................................................119 VI. Amendments And Revisions ...................................................................................123 ARTICLE 35. Change Of By-Laws ..........................................................123 ARTICLE 36. Effective Date Of Revision ................................................125 Miscellaneous Decisions Of The Grand Masters ........................................................127 Standing Resolutions .....................................................................................................131 Rules of Order in Grand Lodge ..................................................................................1477 Index To Constitution, By-Laws, And Standing Resolutions ....................................149 Index To Trial Code......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. ii Copyright © 2014, Grand Lodge of Missouri A.F.& A.M. 2014 REVISION How to Use This Book This book supersedes and replaces all prior versions distributed prior to 2012, including all supplements and substitute loose-leaf pages. Future updates to this version will be issued, as before, as substitute pages that can be easily inserted in the three ring binder. Where necessary to avoid complete renumbering of all pages, supplements may be issued with secondary page numbers, for example, “10, 10-1, 10-2”. The value of this book will be increased by an understanding of its plan and arrangement. The Constitution remains substantially as it was adopted in 1866 and is printed in that form. Selected cross references to the Constitution have been included in relevant sections of the By-Laws. The By-Laws are arranged in chapters, articles, and sections. In accord with the modern numbering system used in the Revised Statutes of Missouri 2000, the numbers of neither the articles nor the sections are consecutive, to allow for convenient insertion of new articles or sections. For example, currently there are no Articles 12, 26, 27, 33 or 34 because they are reserved for future use, if needed. The numbers of the sections consist first of the article number, then a decimal point, and then a three digit number, the last digit of which is zero. Thus, nine numbers are provided for new or substituted sections between each section. Following many of the sections appear cross references to other relevant sections. The cross references should be checked whenever a section is studied. Also following some sections are brief annotations to help interpret the law itself. In some instances, the annotations contain reference to subsequent changes to the law that may substantively affect the meaning and application of the section. These primarily are derived from actions taken by a majority of the Grand Lodge membership as reported in the official Proceedings. The Proceedings are published each year after the conclusion of each Grand Lodge annual communication. At the end of each annotation appears a citation, by year and page, to the source or sources of the annotation. Thus, the citation "1919-14" refers to Page 14 of the 1919 Proceedings. A citation without a page number means that the page number was unavailable, most likely because the official Proceedings were awaiting publication. Some annotations are derived from decisions and edicts of the Grand Masters and reports of the Committees on Jurisprudence and on Appeals and Grievances. Other annotations are derived from resolutions passed by the membership at an annual communication. In such cases, the citation is preceded by the abbreviation "Res." The annotations themselves are merely editorial statements by the Committee on By- Laws. The annotations have not been approved by the Grand Lodge membership, and therefore, are not to be considered as authoritative. Reference should be made to the original decision or resolution as published in the official Proceedings for its exact language and scope, and then interpreted in the light of the condition of the law as it stands at the time of the inquiry. iii Copyright © 2014, Grand Lodge of Missouri A.F.& A.M. 2014 REVISION The Committee on By-Laws has attempted to annotate only those decisions, edicts and resolutions which it considered useful and pertinent to the law as it currently stands. Over time many of the annotated decisions, edicts and resolutions used in earlier editions have been omitted as obsolete, by change of law or circumstance, and many others because they now are embodied in the law itself. In some instances, the text of annotations used in earlier editions has been changed to harmonize with the present law. The decisions, edicts and resolutions that are referenced, however,