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Deaths
The Board’s Report lists those Grand
Officers whose deaths were reported up
to 20 July, including that of RW Bro
Benjamin van Rensburg, District Grand
Master for Orange Free State, tragically
killed in a car accident on his way home
from a Lodge meeting on 22 May. On
1 August, the District Grand Master for
Ghana, RW Bro Benoni Otoo was also
killed in a car accident.
Amalgamation of Lodges
In September 2000, the Book of
Constitutions was amended to provide a
formal procedure for Lodges to amalgamate
and receive a Certificate of Amalgamation
recording the event. The procedure has
proved extremely popular and from 2001
onwards many Lodges have availed
themselves of the facility.
In practice, however, it has been found
that the individual joining procedure
laid down in Rule 163 of the Book of
Constitutions is cumbersome as a means
of transferring membership from the
amalgamating to the continuing Lodge.
The Board accordingly recommends that
a simplified procedure be introduced for the
purpose, and notice of motion to amend the
Book of Constitutions was approved.
Notice of motion for the next
Quarterly Communication of
the Grand Lodge
The President of the Board of General
Purposes to move:
Amendment to the Book of Constitutions
Insert new Rule 165A:
“165A. Notwithstanding the provisions
of Rules 163, 164 and 165, where the Grand
Master grants a Certificate of Amalgamation
between two or more Lodges under Rule
102A compliance with the following
procedure shall, subject to the proviso
below, be sufficient to effect the transfer
of membership to the continuing Lodge
of members of the other Lodge or Lodges
(the “Amalgamating Lodge(s)”) that are
party to the amalgamation:
(a) there shall be completed in respect
of each Amalgamating Lodge a joint
Registration Form (as approved from time
to time by the Board of General Purposes)
giving the full name, place of abode, date
of birth and occupation of each member
of the Lodge desirous of transferring
his membership;
(b) the joint Registration Form shall
be signed, against his name, by each such
Brother and shall have appended thereto
a certificate signed by the Master and
Secretary of the Amalgamating Lodge that
none of the Brethren therein named is
indebted to the Lodge;
(c) the joint Registration Form shall
be transmitted to the Secretary of the
continuing Lodge in order that names of the
Brethren listed therein and the particulars
required above may be placed on the
summons for a regular meeting of the
Lodge, to be held not later than the date
of the removal of the Amalgamating Lodge
from the register of the Grand Lodge, at
which the transfer of membership must be
approved by a majority of not less than twothirds
of the members present and voting;
(d) upon the removal from the register
of the Grand Lodge of the Amalgamating
Lodge the transfer of membership shall
become effective provided that the
foregoing procedure (i) shall not be used in
the case of any Brother who is indebted to
his Amalgamating Lodge or who has at any
time ceased to be a member of any Lodge
by the operation of Rule 148 or 181; and
(ii) shall not be effective to transfer the
membership of any Brother who shall prove
to have been, at the date of the removal from
the register of the Grand Lodge of the
Amalgamating Lodge, indebted to any
Lodge of which he then was or had at any
time been a member.”
Panel for Clemency
The following members of the General
Council have been elected to serve on the
Panel for Clemency, in addition to the
President and Deputy President of the
Board of General Purposes: VW Bro
D. E. Davinson, PGSwdB; VW; Bro N.
Morrison, PGSwdB; VW; Bro J. S.
Winpenny, GSuptWks; W Bro Dr. M. R.
Aish, PDepGSwdB; W Bro R. K. Wilson,
PSGD; W Bro R. P. Rosswick, PJGD.
Amalgamations
The Board has received reports that the
following Lodges have resolved to surrender
their Warrants:
(a) Doric Lodge No. 2359 and Parkfield
Lodge No. 5247 in order to amalgamate
with Prince Leopold Lodge No. 1588
(West Lancashire);
(b) Royal Salford Lodge No. 2988,
Empire Lodge No. 3803 and Kersal Lodge
No. 7043 in order to amalgamate with
Zetland Lodge No. 852 (East Lancashire);
(c) Lodge of Freedom No. 5918 in order
to amalgamate with Arrowhead Lodge No.
8500 (West Lancashire);
(d) Chase Vale Lodge No. 6529 in order
to amalgamate with Bowes Park Lodge No.
3119 (London);
(e) Villiers Lodge No. 6684 in order to
amalgamate with Lodge of Affability No.
317 (East Lancashire);
(f) Jonathan Lodge No. 7088 in order to
amalgamate with Falcon Lodge No. 8062
(London);
(g) Old Masonians Northern Lodge No.
7322 in order to amalgamate with St. Luke’s
Lodge No. 4294 (East Lancashire).
The Board accordingly recommended
that the Lodges be removed from the
register in order to effect the respective
amalgamations.
Resolution approved.
Erasures
The Board has received a report that eleven
Lodges have closed and have surrendered
their Warrants. They are: De Grey and
Ripon Lodge, No. 1161 (East Lancashire);
Lebanon Lodge No. 1326 (Middlesex); St.
George’s Lodge No. 1958 (Hampshire & Isle
of Wight); Cama Lodge No. 2105
(Middlesex); Henry Matthews Lodge No.
3491 (Cheshire); Semper Idem Lodge No.
4630 (London); Letchworth Lodge No.
5272 (Cheshire); East Cheshire Lodge No.
5432 (Cheshire); Pharos Lodge No. 5594
(London); Waterfall Lodge No. 8716 (East
Lancashire); Pride of Sussex Lodge No. 9538
(Sussex).
Over recent years, the Lodges have
found themselves no longer viable. The
Board is satisfied that further efforts to save
them would be to no avail and therefore
has no alternative but to recommend that
they be erased.
Resolution approved.
Recognition of Foreign Grand Lodges
The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of New Jersey
The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of New Jersey
was formed on 12 June 1848 from Lodges set
up in New Jersey by the Prince Hall Grand
Lodge of Pennsylvania, which had in turn
been formed by the Prince Hall Grand
Lodge of Massachusetts. The Grand Lodge
of New Jersey has recognised the Prince
Hall Grand Lodge of New Jersey and is
content for this Grand Lodge to do so.
Having shown that it is a descendent of
duly recognised Grand Lodges and that it
conforms to the Basic Principles for Grand
Lodge Recognition, a resolution that it be
recognised was approved.
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Copyright 2002-2007
MQ Magazine
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