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Fees
The committee recommended, in accordance with Regulation 98, that the fees for Registration, Replacement Certificates, Certificates for Serving Companions, and Dispensations for 2006 should be increased by approximately 6% to keep pace with the costs of providing the services concerned.
A Resolution to this effect was approved.
Charges for Patents and Charters
In accordance with Royal Arch Regulation 99, the Charges for Patents and Charters
are reviewed annually and are based on
the cost of producing the documents.
The committee recommended that the charges (exclusive of vat) for the year commencing 1 May 2005 be as follows:
| £
|
|
(a)
| 200
| Charter for a new Chapter
|
(b)
| 575
| Charter of Confirmation
|
(c)
| 350
| Charter for a Centenary Jewel
|
(d)
| 550
| Charter of Confirmation for a Centenary Jewel
|
(e)
| 565
| Charter for a Bi-Centenary Bar
|
(f)
| 565
| Charter of Confirmation for a Bi-Centenary Bar
|
(g)
| 50
| Certificate of Amalgamation
|
(h)
| 75
| Enfacement (Alterations) Fee
|
Contributions to Grand Chapter
2006: The committee recommended, in accordance with Regulation 100, that the contributions (exclusive of VAT) payable annually to Grand Chapter in respect of
each member of a Chapter in a Metropolitan Area or a Province for the year 2006 should remain unchanged at £3.15.
A Resolution to this effect was approved.
The Committee believed that it would be able to recommend next year that contributions remain unchanged in 2007.
Statement of Accounts
The operating results for the year ended 31 December 2004 showed a surplus after tax
of £103,300 (2003: £75,600). In 2004 donations were made to the Library and Museum Charitable Trust of £50,000
(2003: £50,000) and to the Trust for Research into Freemasonry at Sheffield University of £50,000 (2003: £50,000).
The Income and Expenditure Account for this year includes the realised and unrealised gains/losses on the investment portfolio, which amounted to a net gain
of £192,500 (2003: £363,400). This performance reflected the state of financial markets, particularly during the first half
of the year.
In August it was agreed with our Investment Advisors, Cazenove Fund Management Limited, that up to 30% of the investment portfolio is to be invested in Hedge Funds, with a view to reduce the volatility in valuations which have been
seen over the last few years.
The overall increase in funds at the year end was £295,800 (2003: £439,000) to £3,621,800. Your committee has recognised that, in addition to contributing the agreed apportionment of the costs of Grand Lodge, Supreme Grand Chapter should make a contribution towards the costs of removing asbestos from Freemasons’ Hall.
Notwithstanding this, your committee
is satisfied that the finances of Supreme Grand Chapter continue to be in a healthy state and it is hoped to continue the dues at their present level for the foreseeable future.
The audited accounts of Supreme Grand Chapter for the year ended 31 December 2004 were adopted.
Resolutions
The President of the Committee of General Purposes moved:
(A) Fees 2006:
‘That in pursuance of Regulation 98, from
1 January 2006 the fees payable to the Fund of the Grand Chapter (exclusive of vat)
shall be as follows:
£
| (a)
| the registration of:
|
55.00
| (i)
| a Grand Officer, present or past, on first appointment
|
27.50
| (ii)
| a Deputy Metropolitan Grand Superintendent (under Regulation
26(c) (iii), Deputy Grand Superintendent (under Regulation 28a (iii)), 2nd or 3rd Metropolitan Grand Principal (under Regulation 26(j)) or 2nd or 3rd Provincial or District Grand Principal (under Regulation 31 (h))
|
11.50
| (iii)
| a holder of Overseas Grand Chapter Rank (under Regulation 42)
|
| (iv)
| a Royal Arch Mason, inclusive
of Grand Chapter Certificate (on exaltation or joining from a Chapter not under the Grand Chapter):
|
21.00
|
| in a Chapter in a Metropolitan
Area or a Province
|
14.50
|
| in a District Chapter
|
19.00
|
| in a Chapter abroad not under
a District
|
29.00
| (b)
| the replacement or amendment
of a Grand Chapter Certificate
|
14.00
| (c)
| a Certificate for a Serving Companion
|
11.00
| (d)
| a Dispensation by the First
Grand Principal
(No fee is payable for the registration of a Companion who joins a
Chapter from another under
the Grand Chapter.)’
|
(B) Contributions 2006:
“That in pursuance of Regulation 100, the Contributions (exclusive of VAT) for the Year 2006 payable by every Chapter in a Metropolitan Area or a Province in respect of each of its members shall be £3.15.”
The Resolution was approved.
Motion pursuant to notice
Amendment to the Royal Arch Regulations
The President of the Committee of General Purposes moved: “That Regulation 48 be amended by deleting the third paragraph and substituting the following:
‘The officers shall be elected by ballot on the regular day of election prescribed by the by-laws of the Chapter, provided that, except for the Principals and Treasurer who must be elected, it shall be in order for the Chapter on the day of election to resolve that they may be appointed by the Principals so elected.
‘Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Principals shall be of the opinion that in the case of any officer who falls to be elected by ballot in accordance with this Regulation there is only one Companion who is likely to be a candidate for election to the office, they may direct that the summons for the Convocation at which the election to take place shall state that such is their opinion (together with the name of the Companion concerned), and that unless any member of the Chapter demands that a ballot be taken for the office, the named candidate will be declared elected; when the election of officers takes place any candidate so named on the summons shall be declared elected unless a ballot be demanded for that officer.
‘The installation of the Principals, if present, shall take place in accordance with the by-laws of the Chapter and shall be followed by the investiture of the officers. Any Principal not so installed shall be installed at the next Convocation of the Chapter at which he may be present or as provided by Regulation 53.’”
The Motion was approved.
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MQ Magazine
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