UNIFORM CODE OF BY-LAWS

For Subordinate Lodges

BY-LAWS

of

MEDINA LODGE No. 58

Free and Accepted Masons

Held in

The City of Medina,

Medina County, Ohio

Effective 27 May 2004

The elective officers of this Lodge shall consist of a Master, Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Treasurer, Secretary, Senior Deacon, Junior Deacon and Tyler, who shall be elected annually by ballot at the first stated meeting, in November and together with a Chaplain and senior Steward and a Junior Steward* (which officers shall be appointed by the Master at the time of his installation) shall be installed into office within sixty days therefrom. There shall also be one trustee elected. A majority of all votes cast shall be necessary for an election.

The stated meeting of this Lodge shall be on the second and fourth Thursday of each month except the months of July, August, November and December. In the months of November and December there will be only one stated meeting: on the second Thursday. The hour of assembling shall be 7:30 o’clock P.M. Special meetings may be called as provided by Section 21.03 of the Code. When a stated meeting falls on a legal holiday, it may be held on the following Thursday.

Applications for initiation or membership, accompanied by the necessary fee, shall be made in writing, signed by the petitioner, specifying his age, residence, and occupation, and shall be recommended by two members of the Lodge. They shall be presented at a stated meeting; and, if received, be referred to a committee of three members, for inquiry and report; they shall lie over to the next or a subsequent stated meeting before any action thereon.

The fees for conferring the degrees shall be 125.00 dollars, divided as follows: 55.00 dollars for the Entered Apprentice, 35.00 dollars for the Fellow Craft, and 35.00 dollars for the Master Mason Degree. The fee for membership on dimit shall be 60.00 dollars. The fee for affiliation by dual/plural membership shall be 60.00 dollars. While the full amount of the fee may be deposited with the application for initiation, the fee for the Entered Apprentice Degree shall be in actual deposit before the one ballot for the three degrees is taken. The amount of fee heretofore specified for the Fellow Craft Degree and the Master Mason Degree shall be in actual deposit before the conferring of those respective degrees.

There shall be but one ballot for the three degrees. A unanimous vote must be had in favor of the applicant for the degrees, or for admission to membership.

(Note — Under Chapter 6, Section 6.01 b of the By-Laws, the $20.00 for the Ohio Masonic Home required from a petitioner must be in addition to the fee of the Lodge petitioned.)

After a petition has been received and noted upon the minutes, it shall not be withdrawn without the consent of three-fourths of the members present; but it cannot be withdrawn after the report of the Committee thereon. If only one black ball appears, a second ballot shall be taken immediately, but in no case shall a third ballot be used.

Every candidate for passing or raising shall, before the degree is conferred, be examined in open Lodge, in the degree already taken, and shall be found to possess a complete knowledge of that degree, before he progresses. After the Master Mason Degree is conferred upon the Candidate, he shall learn and be examined upon the lecture of that degree in accordance with the provision of the Code.

Each member shall pay annually, in advance, the sum of 60.00 dollars into the funds of the Lodge, at or before the stated meeting for the election of officers.

Each member who shall be in arrears for dues as of the last day in December of each year shall be indefinitely suspended and "Indefinitely Suspended for Nonpayment of Dues" shall be entered upon his record.

Any member in good standing and not in arrears for dues shall be entitled to a diploma on proper application, and on payment to the Grand Secretary of the established cost of the diploma for the use of the Grand Lodge.

The Master and Wardens shall be ex officio a Committee of Charity and have power, during recess of the Lodge, to draw orders on the treasury for any sum not exceeding 50.00 dollars, for the relief of any one applicant. 

No Masonic punishment shall be inflicted upon a Brother, except suspension for non-payment of dues, unless it be done upon written charges and specifications made and presented to the Lodge in the manner prescribed in the Code; and the Secretary shall furnish the accused Brother a copy of such charges and specifications, and the proceedings thereon, and trial, shall in all respects be conducted in conformity to the Code.

The Master shall, at the time of his installation, appoint a standing Committee of three members of the Lodge, whose duty it shall be to take cognizance of the conduct of Brethren within the Jurisdiction of the Lodge, reconcile difficulties that may arise among the Brethren, and, when proper, prefer charges and specifications for the action of the Lodge.

When a Lodge is opened, unless the Master shall otherwise direct, the following order of business may be observed:

1. Reading of the minutes.

2. Reading and referring petitions.

3. Receiving reports of Committees.

4. Presenting a brief Education Program.

5. Balloting for candidates or for admission.

6. Conferring degrees.

7. Receiving and considering resolutions.

8. Considering unfinished business.

9. Disposing of such other business as may lawfully come before the lodge.

There shall be three (3) Trustees, (not less than three nor more than five), one of whom shall be elected annually by ballot to serve for a period of three to five years, as the case may be, or until his successor has been duly elected.

The duties of these Trustees shall be prescribed from time to time by the Lodge.

No alteration or amendment of the By-Laws shall be made unless the same be proposed in writing at a stated meeting, when it shall be entered upon the minutes and lie over until the next stated meeting, when it shall require the sanction of two-thirds of the members present, and unless the amendment be an alteration of the times of the stated meetings of the Lodge or of the amount of the annual dues, it shall further require the approval of the Grand Lodge or Grand Master for its adoption.

Resolved, That in accord with the Code of the Grand Lodge of Ohio and the By-Laws of Medina Lodge No. 58 F. & A.M. of Ohio the Secretary of Medina Lodge shall receive as gratuity the sum of $1.75 per member of the Lodge to be paid at time of the Annual Meeting of the Lodge for his services as Secretary of the Lodge.

This resolution was adopted at the 9 March 2000 Stated Meeting of Medina Lodge No. 58 by a 3/4 majority vote of the members present and has been in force since such time.

Be it further resolved, that this resolution be printed in the By-Laws of the Lodge immediately following the By-Laws of the Lodge.

Resolved, That in accord with the Code of the Grand Lodge of Ohio and the By-Laws of Medina Lodge No.58 F. & A.M. of Ohio the Tyler of Medina Lodge shall receive as gratuity an amount not greater than $2.25 per meeting that he has attended and performed the duties that are incumbent upon the office to which he was elected.

This resolution was adopted at the 9 March 2000 Stated Meeting of Medina Lodge No. 58 by a 3/4 majority vote of the members present and has been in force since such time.

Be it further resolved, that this resolution be printed in the By-Laws of the Lodge immediately following Resolution No.1.

Resolved, That in accord with the Code of the Grand Lodge of Ohio and the By-Laws of Medina Lodge No. 58 F. & AM. of Ohio the Treasurer will receive as gratuity from the Lodge for services as Treasurer of the Lodge the sum of $0.60 per member of the Lodge as of the Annual meeting in November of each year.

This resolution was adopted at the 9 March 2000 Stated Meeting of Medina Lodge No. 58 by a 3/4 majority vote of the members present and has been in force since such time.

Be it further resolved, that this resolution be printed in the By-Laws of the Lodge immediately following Resolution No.2. 

Resolved, That in accord with the Code of the Grand Lodge of Ohio and the By-Laws of Medina Lodge No. 58 F. & A.M. of Ohio, it is hereby acknowledged that the Senior Warden and Junior Warden of Medina Lodge or their Proxy when suitable shall hereafter automatically be reimbursed for their expenses to Grand Lodge in the same amount set forth for the Worship Master by Grand Lodge.

This was moved and seconded by members of Medina Lodge in the tear 1978 and has been in force since.

Be it further resolved that this resolution be printed in the By-Laws of the Lodge Immediately following Resolution No. 3.

Resolved, That in accord with the Code of the Grand Lodge of Ohio and the By-Laws of Medina Lodge No.58 F. & AM. of Ohio it is hereby acknowledged that the top seven (7) elected Officers of the Lodge (including the Secretary and Treasurer) shall have in their possession the following books:

Grand Lodge Code Book

Officers Manual

Candidate Counselors Handbook

Lodge Education Officers Handbook

District Education Officers Handbook

Ohio Masonic Handbook

This resolution was properly moved and seconded at a regular stated meeting of Medina Lodge No. 58 F. & A.M. of Ohio, and is still in force.

Be it further resolved that this resolution be printed in the By-Laws of the Lodge immediately after Resolution No.4.

Resolved, That in accord with the Code of the Grand Lodge of Ohio and the By-Laws of Medina Lodge No.58 F. &A.M. of Ohio it is hereby acknowledged that hereafter any bill submitted to the Lodge for Installation expenses shall not exceed a total of five hundred dollars ($500.00). Any amount in excess of this shall be paid by the individual.

This resolution was properly moved and seconded at a regular stated meeting of Medina Lodge No. 58 F. & A.M. of Ohio and is still in force.

Be it further resolved that this resolution be printed in the By-Laws of the Lodge immediately after Resolution No. 5.

Resolved, That in accord with the Code of the Grand Lodge of Ohio and the By-Laws of Medina Lodge No.58 F. & A.M. of Ohio, it is hereby acknowledged that hereafter in the month of December each year it will be the duty of the Finance and Budget Committee to review the receipts and disbursements of the Lodge (for a period to include no less than the prior three (3) fiscal years) for the purpose of ascertaining whether current annual dues, fees and investment earnings are sufficient to meet the anticipated disbursements of the Lodge. The committee's findings and recommendations shall be reported to the Lodge on or before the second stated meeting in the month of February next following.

This resolution was adopted at the 9 March 2000 Stated Meeting of Medina Lodge No. 58 by a 3/4 majority vote of the members present and has been in force since such time.

Be it further resolved, that this resolution be printed in the By-Laws of the Lodge immediately following Resolution No. 6.

Resolved, That unless otherwise directed by the Grand Lodge of Ohio, the Worshipful Master or his designee shall have the right to vote or exercise any other privileges of a shareholder of all stock that is owned, assigned, or otherwise controlled by Medina Lodge No. 58, F&AM.

This resolution was adopted at the 27 May 2004 Stated Meeting of Medina Lodge No. 58 by a unanimous vote of the members present and has been in force since such time.

Be it further resolved, that this resolution be printed in the By-Laws of the Lodge immediately following Resolution No. 7.

These By-Laws and Resolutions, as amended and restated, were adopted by Medina Lodge No. 58 on May 27, 2004 with an Effective Date of May 27, 2004.