I. Order of Business.

The order of Business of the Annual Session shall be as follows:—

2nd. While standing, the Grand Chaplain shall address the Supreme Ruler of the Universe in prayer.

3rd. Proclamation shall be made by the Grand Marshal of the opening of the Grand Lodge.

4th. The Grand Secretary shall present and read, if required, the credentials of members.

5th. The committee on credentials shall forthwith examine and report on the eligibility of members.

6th. New members of the Grand Lodge shall be admitted.

7th. The record of Special Sessions, if any, shall be read and passed upon by the Grand Lodge.

8th Vacancies in Committees and among the appointed officers shall be filled.

9th. The Reports of the Grand Officers shall be presented.

10th. Petitions, communications, appeals, and financial accounts shall be presented, in the order above mentioned.

11th. Miscellaneous business.

12th. Reading and approval of Minutes of preceding day.

13th. Reception and reference of credentials, reports thereon, and admission of new members.

14th. Reports of Standing Committees in the order in which they are named in the Constitution.

15th. Consideration of proposed amendments to the Constitution of the Grand or Subordinate Lodges.

16th. New business and financial accounts presented and referred if necessary.

17th. Nomination and Election of Officers.

18th. Reports of Standing and Special Committees.

19th. Additional business, if any, in the same order as heretofore.

20th. Should the foregoing Order of Business not be concluded on the first and second day, it shall be commenced on each succeeding day where it left off on the preceding; except that the reading, and approval of the Minutes, and the reception, reference, and reports on the credentials of members shall be the first business in order on each day, and that the nomination and election of Officers shall immediately follow them on the third day.

22nd. On the last day of the Session, the Officers shall be installed, the District Deputy Grand Masters and Regular Committees appointed and confirmed, and Before it shall be declared closed the minutes of the day shall be read, and approved if correct.

II. Of Decorum.

No member shall, by conversation or otherwise, interrupt the business of the Grand Lodge, or refuse to obey the Chair. Every Officer and member shall be designated, in debate or otherwise, by his proper office or title, according to his standing in the Order.

No member shall be permitted to vote or speak, unless clothed in appropriate regalia.

III. Of the Chair.

IV. Of Debate

Should two or more members rise to speak the same time, the Chair shall decide which shall be entitled to the floor.

No member shall, disturb another in his speech, unless to call him to order for words spoken.

If a member, while speaking, shall be called to order, at the request of the Chair he shall cease speaking, and take his seat until the question of order is determined, when, if permitted, he may again proceed.

No member shall speak more than once on the same question, until all the members wishing to speak shall have had an opportunity to do so, nor more than twice without permission of the Chair. But no member shall have the privilege of speaking more than once on a question of order, after appeal from the decision of the Chair.

V. Of Questions and Votes.

When any communication, petition, or memorial is presented,

Mode of submitting motions and taking votes.

before it is read, or any vote taken on it, a brief statement of its contents shall be made by the introducer or the Chair; and after page 30 it has been read, a brief notice of the purport thereof shall be entered upon the Journal.

No motion shall be subject to action until seconded and stated by the Chair, and at the desire of any member it shall be reduced

When a blank is to be filled, the question shall be taken first upon the highest sum or number, and the longest or latest time proposed

Any member may call for a division of the question, when the sense may admit of it.

When a question is before the Grand Lodge, no motion shall be received unless (1st) to adjourn, (2nd) the previous question, (3rd) to lie on the table, (4th) to postpone indefinitely, (5th) to post pone to a certain time, (6th) to refer or to amend, and such motions shall have preoedence in the order herein arranged, the first three of which shall be decided without debate.

After any question, except one of indefinite postponement, has been decided, any two members who voted in the majority, may, during the same session move for a reconsideration thereof; and no second motion to reconsider the same question shall be in order during that session.

The previous question can be called for by two members, and if seconded by a majority, shall be put in this form: "Shall the main question be now put?" If carried all debate shall cease, and the vote shall be first upon all pending amendments, beginning with the one last proposed, after which upon the mam question.

When five members rise in favour of taking a question by ayes and noes, they shall be ordered to-be be recorded; and the names of the Representatives shall be called by Lodges.

No more than two amendments to a proposition shall be entertained at the same time—that is, an amendment, and an amendment to an amendment—and the question shall be first taken on the latter.

Every member present shall vote on any question before the Grand Lodge, unless he is personally interested in the result, or has been excused by the Grand Lodge, or is otherwise incapacitated.

When a substitute for a motion is adopted in place of an amendment, it is not necessary to take action on the amendment.