Bylaws

BYLAWS Revisions(March 1966 / 12-05-2004 / 08-30-2017 / 02-22-2022 / 05-29-2024)

ARTICLE I
Officers

Section 1. The officers of the Association are a President, a First Vice-President, a Second Vice-President, a Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, a Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, a Board of three Trustees and a Board of Directors. (Revised February 22, 2022)

Section 2. The President shall be the presiding officer at all meetings of the Association and of the Board of Directors. He shall have a right to vote on all matters before the Association and the Board of Directors, and, unless other provision is made by the Association or the Board of Directors, shall have power to appoint, and define the duties of, such committees and officers, not otherwise constituted by the bylaws, as in his discretion he deems necessary for the conduct of the Association’s affairs.

Section 3. The First Vice-President shall act in the place of and with the powers of the President if the President is absent or temporarily incapacitated. (Revised February 22, 2022)

Section 3a. The Second Vice-President shall act in the place of and with the powers of the First Vice-President if the First Vice-President is absent or temporarily incapacitated. (Added February 22, 2022)

Section 4. The Secretary shall keep a full and impartial record of the proceedings of the Association and of the Board of Directors. He shall notify the members of all meetings, and all committees of appointments. He shall collect all fees and dues from the members of the Association and pay them to the Treasurer, taking his receipt therefor. It shall also be his duty to conduct such correspondence in the name of and on behalf of the Association as in his discretion he deems essential for the orderly conduct of the Association’s affairs.

Section 4a. . The Assistant Secretary shall assist the Secretary in all matters as needed and directed by the Secretary, the President or the Board of Directors. (Added February 22, 2022)

Section 5. The Treasurer shall receive and deposit in a safe and suitable financial institution chosen by him in his discretion, all funds paid to him by the Secretary and the Board of Trustees or from any other source, and shall pay them out only by checks or vouchers signed by him and countersigned by the President or, if he is not available, by the First Vice-President. (Revised February 22, 2022)

Section 5a. . The Assistant Treasurer shall assist the Treasurer in all matters as needed and directed by the Treasurer, the President or the Board of Directors. (Added February 22, 2022)

Section 6. The Board of Trustees shall have full charge of the invested funds and real estate owned by the Association, and shall manage them in their discretion, but final disposition of principal or real estate shall only be made pursuant to a two-thirds vote of members present at a stated meeting of the Association, notice of which carries a warning of the substance of such proposed action. Income from such funds as are not restricted in the deed of gift shall be paid by the Board to the Treasurer semiannually. The Board of Trustees shall elect their chairman annually. (Revised February 22, 2022)

Section 7. The Board of Directors shall be comprised of the President, the First Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. They shall have charge of the ordinary affairs of the Association and may conduct its affairs through such subcommittees as by them are deemed expedient. They may be required to report at any meeting of the Association concerning their conduct of the Association’s affairs, and are subject to direction of the members respecting the performance of their duties.

Section 8. The President, the First Vice-President and a third member to be appointed by the President shall constitute an Auditing Committee whose duty shall be to audit the accounts of the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Board of Trustees, perform all duties ordinarily performed by such a committee, and report at the Annual Meeting. (Revised February 22, 2022)

Section 9. The President, the First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer and one member of the Board of Trustees shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of the Association, and, excepting the member of the Board of Trustees, shall hold office for one year or until their respective successors are chosen and have qualified in their stead. The member of the Board of Trustees shall hold office for three years. No member of the Association shall hold the office of President more than three consecutive years, nor be eligible for re-election until after the lapse of three years from the expiration of his former term. (Revised February 22, 2022)

Section 10. Vacancies in office caused by death, resignation or permanent disability to serve shall be filled by the Board of Directors until the next ensuing Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE II
Meetings

Section 1. Regular meetings of the Association shall be held each quarter as follows; February, May, July or August, and November on a day designated by the President and/or by order of the Board of Directors. The Annual Meeting of the Association shall be held in the month of February. Notices of the meetings shall be given in due form by the Secretary. Notice of special meetings shall contain a description in substance of business proposed to be transacted at such meeting, and no other business than that thus described shall be transacted at such meeting. (Revised August 30, 2017, February 22, 2022, May 29, 2024)

Section 2. Roberts Rules of Order shall control as to all parliamentary questions at meetings of the Association. (Renumbered August 30, 2017)

Section 3. The agenda for each meeting shall be prepared by the President and the Secretary, and shall be the Orders of the Day at each meeting. (Renumbered August 30, 2017)

ARTICLE III
Admission of Members

Section 1. An eligible candidate for this association is (a) any Master presiding over a Lodge conferring the symbolic degrees and holding its communications in the Masonic Building, Boston, Massachusetts, (b) any Master presiding over a Lodge conferring the symbolic degrees at the time of its first permanent quarters in the aforesaid Masonic Building in Boston or (c) any Master presiding over a Lodge conferring the symbolic degrees which Lodge had formerly conducted its communications at the Masonic Building in Boston for no less than two (2) years, notwithstanding that said Lodge no longer conducts its communications in said Masonic Building in Boston, or (d) any Master presiding over a Lodge or any past master who previously presided over a Lodge which confers the symbolic degrees which does not meet in the Masonic Temple in Boston, but which is under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and which Lodge has merged with another Lodge which previously held its communication in the Masonic Building in Boston for a period of no less than two (2) years. Said candidate must apply in writing and such application must bear indorsement by a member of the Association. (Revised December 05, 2004, February 22, 2022)

Section 2. The membership fee shall accompany the application. Such application must be presented at a regular meeting of the Association and shall then be referred to the Membership Committee. The name of the applicant shall be borne on the notice of the next regular meeting and the application then shall be balloted on as described in Section 3 of this Article. (Renumbered December 05, 2004, Rev. February 22, 2022)

Section 3. In the event that, upon a ballot in accordance with the next succeeding section (Section 4) of this Article, the applicant is rejected, the applicant, not less than three (3) months nor more than six (6) months thereafter, may again, in writing and with an indorsement by a member, make an application for admission to membership by filing it with the Secretary, although such second application is made more than one year after his first installation. Such application shall be referred to an investigating committee, composed of members other than those who served on the investigating committee for the first application; and after their report shall be acted upon in accordance with the following section (Section 4). If such new application is rejected, no further application from such applicant shall be received. (Renumbered February 22, 2022)

Section 4. On motion duly made and passed before the ballot is taken, a ballot may be taken collectively with one ballot on all applications listed on the notice of that meeting. In the event such ballot is not unanimous, a ballot shall be taken on each application individually. Unless such individual ballot discloses five or more negative votes, the applicant shall be declared elected. There shall be but one ballot on each individual application. (Renumbered February 22, 2022)

ARTICLE IV
Dues, Fees, Assessments

Section 1. The fee for membership shall be twenty dollars, and the annual dues twenty dollars. (Revised February 22, 2022)

Section 2. At any regular meeting of the Association, an assessment in addition to the annual dues may be laid by a vote of three-quarters of the members then present provided notice of such proposed action shall be borne on the notice of such meeting.

Section 3. Any member who neglects to pay his dues for two years shall forfeit his membership without further action, provided, however, that such forfeiture may be waived and all unpaid dues may be abated by vote of the Board of Directors.

Section 4. Any member who has been in good standing in this Association for twenty years or more, and has reached the age of sixty-five years, may, upon his written request, and by an affirmative vote of the Board of Directors, be relieved from the payment of all future annual dues and assessments.

ARTICLE V

These bylaws may be amended by a vote of three-fourths of the members present at any regular meeting of the Association provided the substance of the proposed amendment is presented in writing at a previous meeting and a notice of the meeting where action thereon is taken.

ARTICLE VI
Seal

The seal of the Corporation shall bear the words “THE FIRST WORSHIPFUL MASTERS’ ASSOCIATION IN MASSACHUSETTS.”