The
Bylaws of the South Carolina
Masonic Research Society
2002
Edition Amended December 2008, Approved
August 26, 2009
Preamble
The
South Carolina Masonic Research Society is a Masonic research society
subordinate to the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of South Carolina with the
object and for the purpose of diffusing the true principles of Freemasonry by
promoting, fostering, and conducting Masonic research and spreading Masonic
Light.
Article
I
Name and Jurisdiction
The name
of the Society is the South Carolina Masonic Research Society. Its jurisdiction
is co-extensive with that of the Grand Jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful
Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina.
Article
II
Meetings
Section
1. The stated meetings are quarterly,
held on a Saturday in the months of March, June, September, and December. The
time and place of the Meetings are specified by the President in the Notice of
the Meeting.
Section
2. Due and timely notice is given to all
Members of the time and place of all Meetings.
Section
3. The Annual Meeting is the December
Stated Meeting, at which time the Society shall receive and approve all annual
reports to the Society and elect and install officers in addition to the
regular business of the Fourth Quarterly Meeting.
Section
4. A quorum for the dispatch of business
is seven Members entitled to vote.
Section
5. To facilitate the work of the
Society, the Society may authorize members to meet and work in local groups
between regular meetings of the Society for the furtherance of research or
research papers.
Article
III
Order of Business
The
following is the order of business at Stated Meetings.
1. Reading of minutes for confirmation.
2. Reading of Treasurer's Report
3.
Action on applications for Membership
4. Unfinished business
5. New business
6. Program
7. Break/Individual Committee Meetings
8. Committee Reports
9. Reading of rough minutes for correction.
The
presiding officer shall have the option to change the order of business, if
circumstances deem it necessary.
Article
IV
Officers - Elections and
Appointments
Section
1. The officers are President, First
Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Chaplain, and
Tiler.
Section
2. The first five officers are elected
by ballot, and by a majority of the votes of Members present, at the Annual
Meeting. Length of term is twelve months.
Section
3. At the time of installation, the
President appoints the Tiler and Chaplain.
Section
4. The President-Elect, at the time of
the election, appoints a committee of three to examine the Treasurer's and
Secretary's books. They report at the Stated Meeting in March using the form
provided by the Grand Lodge. A copy of the report is sent to the Grand
Secretary immediately after it has been made to the Society, but not later than
April 1st. Failure to comply with the provisions of this Article automatically
cancels the Surety Bond carried by the Grand Lodge on the Treasurer and
Secretary and the Grand Secretary officially notifies the Society of the
cancellation of the bond.
Article
V
Duties of Officers
Section
1. The President presides at all times
when present. He sees that the Rules and Regulations of the Grand Lodge of
Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina, as applicable, as well as the bylaws of
the Society are strictly obeyed; that the officers perform their duties
faithfully. The President is responsible for the appointment of the Editorial
Committee Chairman, Publications Committee Chairman, and Bylaws Committee
Chairman, and any other committee chairmen he deems necessary for the conduct
and furtherance of the Society's business.
At the will and pleasure of the Grand Master the President, or his designee,
makes the report of the South Carolina Masonic Research Society during the
Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge.
On all
questions where the votes of the Society are equally divided, the President is
entitled to the casting vote in addition to his vote as a Member.
Section
2. The duty of the First and the Second
Vice-President is to assist the President in the government of the Society, and
in his absence, to preside, according to seniority, unless, through courtesy
they relinquish the right of presiding to a past President present. But, in no
case is the Society convened unless either the President or one of the
Vice-Presidents is present.
Section
3. The Treasurer keeps an exact account
of all the funds of the Society, and all scrip and certificates of stock, and
all titles of property belonging to the Society. He pays all orders signed by
the President and countersigned by the Secretary. He reports the state of the
funds at the regular meeting in June and December in each year. He submits his
books to inspection whenever required by the President or the Society. The
Treasurer shall be bonded in an amount determined by the Executive
Committee.
Section
4. The Secretary issues all necessary
summonses for meetings when required by the presiding officer. He keeps a
record of all the proceedings of the Society which may be committed to paper,
and inserts the names of attending Members and visitors. It is his
responsibility to receive, record and respond to all correspondence received by
the Society, and to distribute the printed material of the Society. He receives
all monies due the Society and forthwith pays them over to the Treasurer,
taking his receipt for the same. He makes out the annual report to the Grand
Lodge and provides it to the President for transmission. He shall keep accurate
record of the membership of the Society and shall make report at the First
Quarterly Meeting of those members who have not paid their dues and who are in
danger of being stricken from the rolls of membership for non-payment of dues.
At the Second Quarterly Meeting the Secretary shall read the list of members
who are being stricken from the rolls of membership for non-payment of dues,
and their names shall be so stricken pursuant to Article VIII. The Secretary
shall also keep an accurate list of all those members who become Live Members
of the Society.
Section
5. The Tiler must be a worthy Master
Mason. It is his duty to prepare the room for the Meeting of the Society, and
carefully to collect and replace the Jewels and furniture after the meeting is
closed.
Section
6. The Chaplain leads in the ecumenical
devotions of the Society.
The
non-sectarian services performed reflect the spirit of universal tolerance
which distinguishes our institution.
Section
7. COMPENSATION OF OFFICERS: For faithful discharge of their duties, the
Treasurer and the Secretary shall be compensated as follows:
a. The Secretary shall be compensated in the
amount of $.50
per
member of the Society as determined on December 31 of each year;
b. The Treasurer shall be compensated in the
amount of $.25 per member of the Society
as determined on December 31 of each year.
c. The payment of such compensation shall be
made, providing that such payments do not place the Society into a deficit, or
cause deficit spending.
Article
VI
Committees
Section
1. The Grand Master is Ex-Officio member
of all committees.
Section
2. The President is Ex-Officio Chairman
of all committees and may serve as Chairman at his will and pleasure. If the
Grand Master is present, the President shall offer the Chairmanship to the
Grand Master first, as protocol dictates, before actively chairing the
committee, if he so chooses to undertake this duty.
Section
3. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer,
and Secretary are members or the Executive Committee on the Funds, whose duty
it is to make sale or commutation of stock or other property of the Society;
also to invest such cash as may be, from time to time, in the hands of the
Treasurer, and which they may be directed to invest, in such stock or property,
and on such terms as may be determined by a majority of the Committee.
Section
4. EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: The Editorial Committee consists of at least
three but not more than four members appointed by the Chairman, with the
approval of the President. The Editorial Committee reviews all original and
other material submitted for publication under the auspices of the Research
Society. The purpose of the review is to maintain credibility for accuracy and
excellence. The Committee exercises common editorial practices when dealing
with individuals who have submitted
material.
Section
5. PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE: The Publications Committee consists of at
least three but not more than four members appointed by the Chairman, with the
approval of the President. The Publications Committee shall receive all
material approved for publication by the Editorial Committee and shall provide
the necessary liaison with a publisher concerning artwork, layout, proofing,
and cost. The Committee provides follow-up until the final product is delivered
to the hands of the Secretary. All
material is subject to the approval by the Grand Master prior to publication.
Section
6. BYLAWS COMMITTEE: The Bylaws Committee shall consist of at
least three but not more than four members appointed by the Chairman, with the
approval of the President. The Bylaws Committee shall propose revisions to and
update the Bylaws of the Society as necessary. The Bylaws Committee shall also
review any and all proposals to amend the Bylaws as may come from the general
membership of the Society, prior to being read by the Secretary and voted upon
by the general membership.
Article
VII
Membership
Section
1. Research Society Membership is
divided into three (3) classifications:
Regular, Associate, and Fellows.
Section
2. Master Masons may make application
for REGULAR membership on the standard Research Society Application form, and
present satisfactory evidence of their qualifications; that of being in good
standing in a Masonic lodge under the jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful Grand
Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina.
Section
3. Voting Members shall consist of
Master Masons in good standing in regularly constituted Lodges, subordinate to,
and operating under Warrant from the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient
Free Masons of South Carolina.
Section
4. Master Masons may make application
for ASSOCIATE membership on the standard
Research Society Membership Application form, and present satisfactory evidence
of their qualifications; that of being in good standing in a Masonic lodge
under the jurisdiction of any Grand Lodge recognized by the Most Worshipful
Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina.
Section
5. Associate Members have no vote and
cannot hold office.
Section
6. FELLOW IN MASONIC RESEARCH: An Award of Excellence for meritorious
service, exemplary conduct and/or exceptional and dedicated contribution to the
Society. The recipient of this shall be entitled to suffix "F.M.R."
to his name.
At the
September meeting, the President shall appoint one of the Fellows In Masonic
Research as chairman of a Committee of Fellows to poll them for a
recommendation for an additional fellow, which, if the President approves,
shall be presented to the floor of the Society at the December meeting for
approval by the members of the Society. This F.M.R. Committee must have a
minimum of eight (8) of the existing F.M.R.s and operate under the procedures
approved and adopted at the December 2001 meeting.
Section
7. Lodges, Grand Lodges, Research
Lodges, Libraries, Appendant Bodies, or other recognized Masonic groups or
organizations desiring to regularly receive the published work of the Research
Society are placed on the roll upon receipt and acceptance of the required fee. These organizations are not considered
Members.
Section
8. Any member of the Society who loses
good standing in his lodge for any reason shall automatically be stricken from
the membership rolls of the Society. If the member reestablishes his good
standing in his lodge, he shall be reinstated to the membership rolls of the
Society, and pay the current year's dues if necessary.
Article
VIII
Dues
Section
1. There is no application fee upon
application to the Society. All members of all classifications shall pay annual
dues of $15.00. Dues are payable in advance and are due by the date of the
First Quarterly Meeting.
Section
2. The Secretary shall send a dues reminder to members who have not paid by the
date of the first Quarterly Meeting. If a member has not paid his dues by the
Second Quarterly Meeting, he shall be subject to being eliminated from the
membership rolls for non-payment of dues. If dues still have not been received
by the Secretary by the Third Quarterly Meeting, the member shall be stricken
from the rolls of membership for non-payment of dues.
Section
3. If a member who has been stricken
from the active membership roster for the non-payment of dues seeks to be
reinstated to the Society, he may do so by requesting such reinstatement in
writing to the Secretary and remitting the current year's dues.
Section
4. By majority vote of the membership
present, the Society may remit the dues of any member for good cause.
Section
5. Life Membership Program.
Section
5.1. Regular and Associate Members may purchase
a "Life Membership" in the South Carolina Masonic Research Society
for $300.00 (U.S.
currency).
Section
5.2. "Life" shall be defined
as Masonic life.
Section
5.3. A member who desires life
membership must be in good standing in the Society and must provide proof of
current lodge dues upon application for life membership to the Secretary.
Section
5.4. After application has been
processed by the Secretary, the member will receive a Life Membership
certificate from the Society.
Section
5.5. Should a life member be stricken
from lodge membership for any reason, the member shall forfeit his life
membership. Life membership in the society shall be restored upon proof of
being reinstated to lodge membership.
Section
5.6. All fees for the Life Membership
Program shall be invested in an endowment fund at the direction of the
Executive Committee.
Section
5.7. The interest from the endowment
fund can be used at the discretion of the Executive Committee and consent of
the membership present at a stated meeting.
Section
5.8. The principle of the endowment fund
can only be spent after a 3/4 majority vote of the Society members present at a
stated meeting with due and timely notice. The vote will be for a specific
amount and purpose.
Section
5.9. Life membership in the Society does
not grant any additional rights or privileges with respect to voting or holding
office in the organization.
Section
5.10. The membership may choose to
purchase a Life membership for a member who has demonstrated exceptional service
to the Society.
Section 5.10a. If someone wishes to honor a
member, he will make a written nomination at a regular meeting of the Society
as described in Article II Section 1.
That nomination must specify the reasons why the member should be
honored. The nomination shall then lay
over to the next regular meeting. At the
meeting following the nomination, a vote of the craft shall be taken. That vote must be by secret ballot and
unanimous.
Section
5.10.b. If a person is so elected to be
honored, the amount specified in Section 5.1 will be transferred from the
Society’s operating funds and deposited into the Life Membership account as
described in Section 5.6.
Article
IX
Rules of Order
Section
1. When the presiding officer takes the
chair, every officer and member immediately takes his place and observes strict
order and decorum.
Section
2. No member speaks until he first rises
and respectfully addresses the presiding officer; nor does he speak more than
twice on any subject, unless to explain or by permission from the chair.
Section
3. All questions of order are decided by
the presiding officer, without appeal to the Society.
Section
4. No motion is entertained until
seconded, and no debate is allowed thereon until it is stated by the presiding
officer.
Section
5. When a question is under debate, no
motion is received but to postpone, indefinitely or to a time certain, to
refer, to substitute, or to amend, which motions are always in order, and take
precedence in the order named.
Section
6. All questions before the Society not
otherwise particularly defined are decided by a majority of the Society.
Section
7. No person is permitted to leave the
room during the session of the Society but by permission of the presiding
officer.
Section
8. No officer leaves his seat except it
be in the discharge of his official duties.
Section
9. No brother moves his place, nor is
any Member or visitor permitted to enter, at any time during the opening or
closing of the Society, or the reading of the minutes.
Section
10. If any Member or visitor is guilty
of indecorum during the session of the Society, the President may, at his
discretion, reprimand or exclude him from that meeting of the Society.
Section
11. The Constitution of the Grand Lodge
and the Landmarks of the Order, as set forth in the Ahiman Rezon are the
governing principles of this Society, and is referred to in all cases of doubt.
In all decisions of the Society, appeals may be had to the Grand Lodge, but
until the opinion of the latter is made known, the decision of the former is
held valid.
Section
12. All members of the Society are to be
provided a copy of the bylaws and any revisions and should be familiar with
them at all times.
Article
X
Publications
Section
1. The Society, at annual intervals, or
at other intervals as the Society may decide, shall publish its proceedings and
transactions, in whole or in part, such addresses, studies, articles, and
discussions of the Society. Such publication shall be known as
"Transactions."
Section
2. The publication of
"Transactions" shall be the joint responsibility of the Editorial and
Publication Committees.
Section
3. The Society may also publish new
Masonic works of merit, reproduce, reprint or print Masonic works, documents or
writings historically or otherwise important, and other such material as may be
desirable to publish in the furtherance of Masonic research, where copyright
restrictions do not apply. However, the primary purpose of the Society is to
solicit and publish original research material.
Section
4. While the Society reserves the right
to publish any and all papers presented at its meetings, or submitted to it,
the author shall also have the right to publish the research papers, or
portions thereof, provided proper credit is given to the South Carolina Masonic
Research Society, unless rejected.
Article
XI
Amendments
No
additions, alterations, or amendments shall be made to these bylaws unless it
has been presented in writing to the Secretary, reviewed by the Bylaws
Committee, read at two Quarterly Meetings, approved by three fourths of the
members present at the second Quarterly Meeting after first reading, approved
by the Grand Master and attested by the Grand Secretary. Signed on behalf of
the South Carolina Masonic Research Society this Twenty First day of March,
2002 A.D., 6002 A.L. by:
/s/Greely
R. Palmer, Jr., S.G.D.
President
Attest: /s/
Henry E. Smoak, P.G.Swd.B. (ACGL), F.M.R.
Secretary
Approved:
/s/G.
Kent Elkins
Grand
Master
Attest: /s/
G. Ray Marsh, P.G.M
Grand
Secretary
By-Laws
Amendment Passed by three quarter of the SCMRS members at the December 13, 2008
meeting after three readings.
/s/ Steven
Whitaker, P.M.
President
Attested.
/s/ Edward J. Parent, PDDGM, Secretary SCMRS
Approved:
August 26, 2009
/s/ Barry
A. Rickman
Grand
Master
Attested:
/s/ G.
Ray Marsh, P.G.M.
Grand
Secretary
