2nd Communication from Newly Elected UGLA GM
For Immediate Release
Grand Master’s Statement
To the Glory of the Great Architect of the Universe and under the auspices of the United Grand Lodge of America, greetings from the Grand East.
The Bill of Rights of the United Grand Lodge, as modified at our Annual Grand Lodge Communication on the 5th day of the month of August 2006 is posted below.
Fraternally,
S. Aaron Peavy
Grand Master
United Grand Lodge of America
Grand Lodge Bill of Rights
I. The Grand Lodge shall have the power to collect per-capita fees from the Lodges for its normal operations. The Grand Lodge shall provide financial statements of its activities at its regular communications.
II. The Grand Lodge shall return all unused funding back to the Lodges on a per-capita basis for the previous year after the collection of per-capita taxes.
III. The Grand Lodge is prohibited from owning, leasing or acquiring real estate.
IV. The Grand Lodge is prohibited from receiving or acquiring any monies or assets except through the collection of its annual per-capita fees.
V. No Grand Lodge Officer or any Representative from any of the Lodges shall receive any compensation for their services, other than reimbursable expenses covered by the Tax Code of the United States of America.
VI. No Free-Mason or close relation of a Free-Mason shall be hired by the Grand Lodge to provide any product or service to the Grand Lodge.
VII. The Grand Lodge shall be the sole authority over all Masonic Rites and Appendant Bodies and no Rite or Appendant Body shall form independent governing Bodies.
VIII. The various Masonic Rites will provide the educational curriculum relevant to their specific Order.
IX. The Grand Master is prohibited from issuing Edicts.
X. The Grand Master has the power and authority to temporarily suspend the Charter of any Lodge or any member, but only when the action is necessitated by an action of the Government or a Criminal Court.
XI. Any elected representative of a Lodge (Master or Warden) can introduce new legislation before the Grand Lodge, and the Grand Lodge shall not pass any law prohibiting this nor causing the same to be subject to the approval of any person or persons.
XII. Any elected representative of a Lodge (Master or Warden) can speak before the Grand Lodge about any issue concerning Free-Masonry, and the Grand Lodge shall not pass any law prohibiting this nor causing the same to be subject to the approval of any person or persons.
As amended by the members of the United Grand Lodge of America on 08/05/06
Attested by the Grand Secretary
G. David Cooksey
United Grand Lodge of America
Grand Master’s Statement
To the Glory of the Great Architect of the Universe and under the auspices of the United Grand Lodge of America, greetings from the Grand East.
The Bill of Rights of the United Grand Lodge, as modified at our Annual Grand Lodge Communication on the 5th day of the month of August 2006 is posted below.
Fraternally,
S. Aaron Peavy
Grand Master
United Grand Lodge of America
Grand Lodge Bill of Rights
I. The Grand Lodge shall have the power to collect per-capita fees from the Lodges for its normal operations. The Grand Lodge shall provide financial statements of its activities at its regular communications.
II. The Grand Lodge shall return all unused funding back to the Lodges on a per-capita basis for the previous year after the collection of per-capita taxes.
III. The Grand Lodge is prohibited from owning, leasing or acquiring real estate.
IV. The Grand Lodge is prohibited from receiving or acquiring any monies or assets except through the collection of its annual per-capita fees.
V. No Grand Lodge Officer or any Representative from any of the Lodges shall receive any compensation for their services, other than reimbursable expenses covered by the Tax Code of the United States of America.
VI. No Free-Mason or close relation of a Free-Mason shall be hired by the Grand Lodge to provide any product or service to the Grand Lodge.
VII. The Grand Lodge shall be the sole authority over all Masonic Rites and Appendant Bodies and no Rite or Appendant Body shall form independent governing Bodies.
VIII. The various Masonic Rites will provide the educational curriculum relevant to their specific Order.
IX. The Grand Master is prohibited from issuing Edicts.
X. The Grand Master has the power and authority to temporarily suspend the Charter of any Lodge or any member, but only when the action is necessitated by an action of the Government or a Criminal Court.
XI. Any elected representative of a Lodge (Master or Warden) can introduce new legislation before the Grand Lodge, and the Grand Lodge shall not pass any law prohibiting this nor causing the same to be subject to the approval of any person or persons.
XII. Any elected representative of a Lodge (Master or Warden) can speak before the Grand Lodge about any issue concerning Free-Masonry, and the Grand Lodge shall not pass any law prohibiting this nor causing the same to be subject to the approval of any person or persons.
As amended by the members of the United Grand Lodge of America on 08/05/06
Attested by the Grand Secretary
G. David Cooksey
United Grand Lodge of America
posted by Darren Simpson @ 10:42 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
VII. The Grand Lodge shall be the sole authority over all Masonic Rites and Appendant Bodies and no Rite or Appendant Body shall form independent governing Bodies.
VIII. The various Masonic Rites will provide the educational curriculum relevant to their specific Order.
could you clarify?
or expound on these two exactly?
Anonymous,
The way I understand it; and forgive me because my understanding may be flawed, but here's what I think:
VII. Any appendant organization attached to the UGLA does not make laws that supercede or conflict with the by-laws of the UGLA Grand Lodge. The reasoning behind this is the current situation with the Scottish Rite and the Blue Lodge. There are clashes between both regarding final say in Masonic matters and the Scottish Rite is simply an "appendant body"... as is the York Rite.
This simply means that the Grand Lodge has final say regarding UGLA governing issues. The appendant bodies are free to practice their own degree work and to self govern themselves, but in issues regarding UGLA lodges, the UGLA Regular Lodge has the vote and say unless they wish to bring it to the Grand Lodge for consideration.
VIII. Simply that appendant rites may practice their own degree work and ritual. The UGLA only recognizes three degrees, which are the customary EA, FC, and MM. It just means that the UGLA Grand Lodge will not meddle in the affairs of the various ritual and degrees of the various appendant rites.
That's my understanding. I could be wrong but right now, That's the way I see it.
Thanks for the question!
Darren
Hey, quick - and maybe dumb - qusetion:
Do members of the Shrine, SR, etc., need to be MMs of a *recognized* jusrisdiction - that is, recognized in that particcular state? I'm asking because the Shrine and SR are national, aren't they? Also, does that mean that someone who's a PH MM in a state that, say, recognizes PH Masons can join the shrine in one state but not actually be a member in a states that doesn't recognize PH? (I know that PH has their own version of the Shrine, etc., I'm just asking)
And further, would UGLA members be eligible to join? Or do those bodies only accept "regular" or "recognized" Masons - recognized as being from the particular state?
The Tao of Masonry
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