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(b) The Master shall within a similar
period report any such conviction as is
mentioned in paragraph (a) of this Rule
relating to any member of his Lodge to
the Metropolitan, Provincial or District
Grand Secretary or Grand Inspector as
appropriate or (if the Lodge be a Lodge
administered direct from Freemasons
Hall) to the Grand Secretary.
(c) A Brother who comes under a duty to
report his conviction as aforesaid, whether
or not he has complied therewith, shall
not, pending the determination of his
case by Masonic authority, attend any
Lodge or Chapter without the written
permission of the Masonic authority
having jurisdiction thereover.
(d) It is also the duty of the Master
similarly to report promptly all such
or other cases which are likely to bring
Freemasonry into disrepute.
(e) It is the duty of a Metropolitan,
Provincial or District Grand Secretary
or Grand Inspector who receives a report
of any such conviction as is mentioned
in paragraph (a) of this Rule relating to a
Brother to transmit it without delay to the
Grand Secretary, and also to report to him
any other conduct which, in the opinion
of the Provincial or District Grand Master
or Grand Inspector, is likely to bring
Freemasonry into disrepute.
(f) It is the duty of every Brother to
comment or provide information in
relation to a complaint or allegation of
misconduct (whether such complaint or
allegation is made against him or another
Brother or a Lodge) if so required by
any Metropolitan, Provincial or District
Grand Master, Grand Inspector or the
Board of General Purposes.
(iv) That a new paragraph be added at the
end of Rule 183A as follows:
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of
paragraph (e) a Brother who has resigned
at any time under this Rule and thereby
avoided being the subject of Masonic
disciplinary sanction shall not be entitled
to resume any of the rights and privileges
of a Freemason but shall be treated for all
purposes as though he had been expelled
from the Craft at the moment at which his
resignation became effective save that it
shall not be necessary for his name and the
reason for his resignation to be reported to
the Grand Lodge. For the purposes of this
paragraph a Brother shall have avoided
being the subject of Masonic disciplinary
sanction if at the time he resigned:
(i) he had been notified formally or
informally that Masonic disciplinary
proceedings had been or were likely
to be commenced against him and
either such proceedings had not been
concluded or any period of suspension
imposed as a result of such proceedings
had not come to an end; or
(ii) he had a conviction during the period
of his membership of the Craft for a
criminal offence in respect of which
he had not been notified formally
or informally either that Masonic
disciplinary proceedings had been or
were likely to be commenced against
him or that it was not intended to take
disciplinary action; or
(iii) he had been disqualified during
the period of his membership of the
Craft by reason of misconduct from
the practice of his profession by the
body regulating such profession in
respect of which he had not been
notified formally or informally that
Masonic disciplinary proceedings had
been or were likely to be commenced
against him or that it was not intended
to take disciplinary action; or
(iv) circumstances existed as a result of
which proceedings were subsequently
commenced following which he was
convicted of a criminal offence or
disqualified by reason of misconduct
from the practice of his profession by
the body regulating such profession.
(v) That a new paragraph be added at the
end of Rule 232 as follows:
(c) The Board of General Purposes
may from time to time make rules for
the conduct of disciplinary proceedings
and for the procedure to be observed
and such rules shall be observed by every
Masonic authority (other than a Private
Lodge) exercising disciplinary authority
over any Lodge or individual Brother.
(vi) That Rule 277 (a) (i) (A) be amended
to read:
(A) If the Appeals Court shall be of
opinion that the recommendation
should proceed it shall direct the Grand
Secretary to inform the Master of the
Lodge or Brother concerned by letter
that after the expiration of the relevant
period (as prescribed in sub-paragraph
(F)) from the date of posting the letter
such Lodge shall thereupon be erased or
the Brother expelled from the Craft as the
case may be, unless within such period
the Grand Secretary receives notice that
such Lodge or Brother desires to make
a plea for clemency, which notice shall
include or be accompanied by a written
summary of the matters which will be
relied on in support of the plea.
(vii) That Rule 277 (a) (i) (B) be amended
to read:
(B) If at the expiration of the said
relevant period the Grand Secretary shall
have received no such notice as aforesaid,
the finding of the Appeals Court shall
thereupon take effect as the erasure
of the Lodge or the expulsion of the
Brother, and the name of the Lodge
or Brother and the reason for the erasure
or expulsion shall be reported to the
Grand Lodge at the next convenient
Quarterly Communication.
(viii) That Rule 277 (a) (i) (C) be amended
to read:
(C) If the Grand Secretary shall within
the said relevant period receive notice
that the Lodge or Brother desires to make
a plea for clemency, he shall report the
matter to the Panel for Clemency, and
if after due consideration they grant the
plea they may substitute any penalty
authorised by Rule 179.
(ix) That a new sub-paragraph be added
at the end of Rule 277 (a) (i) as follows:
(F) For the purposes of this Rule the
relevant period shall be 30 days in the case
of a Lodge situated or a Brother resident
within a Metropolitan Area or a Province
and 90 days in all other cases.
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Copyright 2002-2007
MQ Magazine
Web site created by Mark Griffin
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