My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

More Texas Masonic Law Talk

rhitland

Founding Member
Premium Member
I am now looking back through the law book remebering all the laws that where not quite clear to me and I thought I would post and clear them up for us all one at a time so let us continue on our law adventures since I think I understand the last.

Art. 392 Cert of Good Standing
(skip the first part it straight forward to the issue part)
When an application for cert of good standing is recieved by the lodge, and dues have been paid for the Masonic year of the application, and no charges are pending against the applicant, the Secretary of the lodge may provide a certificate of good standing without further action. This action shall be reported to the lodge at the next stated meeting, and recorded in the minutes.
When such application is presented to the lodge, it may grant the application at once by a unianimous favorable vote of the members of the lodge present, either by ballot or show of hands at the discretion of the master. The results of the vote shall be recorded in the minutes. If teh vote is not unianimous, the application shall lie untill next stated meeting and if no charges preferred, the Master presiding shall cause an order to be entered in the minutes directing the secretary to issue the cert of good standing.

My question is this does a certificate of good standing have to be voted on? The first part says a sec. can issue them without further action but then what is all the second paragraph about? IF a sec. issue a cert of good standing and the Brother goes that night to be voted in his new lodge and then being a member he is put on investigation com. and such requiring membership of said Lodge then if his mother Lodge votes on cert of good standing and is not unianimous requiring a lay over would said Brother still be able to investigate as a member of his second lodge?


p.s. I know I type and spell like a 9 year old thanks for all the patience as I am learning how to spell since I goofed off in school all the time.
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
Well in the government specification world we are taught to pay attention to keywords. "May, Shall, And, Or, Nor, Etc." This says may so it is my interpritation it is up to the Lodge to make the desicion. It is covering both cases that is why there are two instructions. If it says "shall" this I was told means "Must" and you must do what it says

In this paragraph, it speaks of the Sec. just giving the Cert of GS and reporting on it. Then its says another keyword, "When" this I take it means you don't have to but when you do you have to follow these rules.

That is just how it is with aerospace specifications but could help here.
 

Nate Riley

Premium Member
It does seem a little out of order. If a vote is required (which from practice it seems that it is, we actually voted on some last night), you would think that the law would direct the secretary to get approval before giving the certificate.
 

js4253

Premium Member
Premium Member
I am a secretary and I always issue a certificate of good standing if the Brother has paid his dues and there are no charges against him. Once I issue the certificate he is free to use it. I can't imagine a reason why a Lodge would not want to issue a certificate to a Brother who is in good standing. However, there must have been some precedent set for GLOT to have worded the book the way they did.
 

Wingnut

Premium Member
All the ones Ive gotten I asked the sec. he gave it to me a few days later. I then turned it in with my application for affiliation to the plural lodge. Which if you wish to drop one of them later you do NOT demit, you fill out a form 41 (I think thats the number) for withdrawal from plural membership.
 

rhitland

Founding Member
Premium Member
So I am gathering after it is issued by the secretary then it is a done deal no need to vote on it just put it ion minutes?
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
This MAY be another of those laws that were liberalized. It MAY, in the past, have required a Lodge vote to issue a CGS and been changed, at a later date, to permit issuance without a vote as long as dues are paid up & no charges are pending.
 

rhitland

Founding Member
Premium Member
Well that puts this one to bed I guess, let me get my huge blue book out and dig up another we can cuss and discuss or by all means someone please post one we need to know at least of the laws if not to keep oursleves outta trouble but also to whisper good counsel to keep a Brother from it also.
 
Top