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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 17
Relating to Subordinate Lodges
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1. The Order in this jurisdiction is imperatively commanded to adhere strictly to the regalia for the Degree of Rebekah, as laid down in the Degree of Rebekah Book.
2. Officers having care of the funds of a Lodge are each required to give a bond to the Trustees of Ledges for the funds that may come into their hands, each bond being with two sureties, conditioned in such an amount as the Lodge may from time to time require. Provided that in no case shall the amount of such bonds be less than ten pounds sterling each; and neither principal nor surety can be in the Lodge-room while action is being had thereon. And the R.W. Grand Secretary is required to furnish all Lodges with' the necessary blank forms for that purpose.
3. All supplies of the following nature must be procured from the Grand Lodge. The Grand Secretary is forbidden to furnish supplies to Subordinate Lodges unless the cash accompany the order. And the price for such supplies shall be as follows, viz.:—
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10. When a brother is presented for admission to membership by deposit of card (after having been duly elected), it shall be the duty of the Noble Grand to appoint a Committee of three Scarlet members, one of whom shall be a Past Grand, or if no P.G. is present, then the N.G. shall be one of the Committee:—said Committee shall at once examine the applicant in all the Degrees of a Subordinate Lodge he claims to have attained, and report to the Lodge; if correct, he shall be introduced by the Committee, and sign the Constitution and Bye-Laws; and he shall take rank and wear the regalia of the highest degree in which he can prove himself: Provided, however, that if his card certifies that he is a Past Grand, he must be admitted as such, though he may not be in possession of the Past Noble Grand's Degree, or Grand Lodge Degree.
11. Membership in a Subordinate Lodge cannot be declared ceased until the provision in Sec. 1 of Article VIII. of the Constitution of Subordinates has been complied with.
12. A member to be entitled to the S.A.P.W. must be financially free upon the book of his Lodge on the first day of January and July of each year, but the N.G. may admit a member of his own Lodge without the P. W. until he ceases to be a member.
13. When an application is made to a sister Lodge or Relief Committee for assistance, they shall at once communicate with the Lodge to which the applicant belongs; and when notified that he is entitled to benefits, and the amount thereof, they shall pay the same, and the Lodge to which the brother belongs shall be holden for the amount; and should immediate assistance be required, and the applicant be in possession of the S.A.P.W., two weeks' benefits may be paid him previous to any notification being received from his Lodge.
14. Subordinate Lodges must transmit to the Grand Secretary, in all appeal cases, the full proceedings had in such cases of whatever nature, and cannot refuse to allow appeal, or to transmit copies of any papers the applicant deems necessary.
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22. A provision in the Laws of a Lodge, requiring a sick brother to send notice of his condition to the Lodge every week or every two weeks, cannot be allowed to apply to cases of insanity, or where his sickness is of such a character as to render it impossible to send such notice; but in such cases is inoperative, and cannot be pleaded to deprive a brother of benefits to which he is otherwise entitled.
23. A member who is debarred from sick benefits by the non-payment of arrears, cannot, by the payment of such arrears, entitle himself to such benefits for a sickness commencing while he was so disqualified.
24. When benefits are reported as due to a brother, and he does not receive them, they shall be carried to his credit as an offset to that amount of dues; and a brother cannot be denied sick benefits on the ground that he is in arrears, it the Lodge is indebted to him on account of a prior sickness to an amount sufficient to place him in good standing.
25. A Subordinate Lodge may legitimately appropriate money from its Incidental Fund to defray the expenses of its Representatives to the Grand Lodge, and the Treasurer of the Lodge shall pay any order upon him which is issued according to Law.
26. No Lodge can be instituted unless the petition for the same be accompanied by the certificate of two or more Past Grands in good standing, that the proposed Lodge has secured a suitable building or hall in which to hold its meetings; and all Lodges are required to decorate their principal Chairs in appropriate colors, as designated by usage.
27. The Officers of Subordinate Lodges are required to commit to memory the charge appertaining to their respective offices in the Initiatory Degree, and to deliver the same without the Charge Books.
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Relating to Subordinate Lodges.
Rebekah degree.
Securities by Officers.
Supplies form Grand Lodge only.
| Charter, including six working books | L5 | 0 | 0 |
| Charge, Degree, and Public Installation books, each | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Diplomas, each | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Cards, Withdrawal, Visiting, and Rebekah, each | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lodge and Rebekah Odes | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Question, Proposition, and Order books, each | 0 | 10 | 0page 37 |
| Roll books | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Black books | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Digest of Laws of the G.L.U.S. | 0 | 8 | 0 |
The first set of Charge and Degree books free of charge to all Subordinate Lodges that have heretofore paid for the same under the old work.
4. A subordinate Lodge cannot entertain charges against
a member thereof, unless they are made by a member of some Lodge in this jurisdiction; and it is the right of a member when chargos are preferred against him, to know the name of his accuser, and to raise the point for investigation, whether such accuser is really a member of the Order as above required.
Charges against members.
5. All charges or offences preferred or alleged against any
brother, which shall not be tried and determined within one year from the time of their being alleged as committed, shall not be entertained by a Lodge, nor any penalty thereon inflicted.
Lapse in one year.
6. When charges are pending against the Noble Grand of
a Lodge, his functions as N.G. do not cease, except while such charges are being acted upon in open Lodge. When the charges are preferred he shall vacate his Chair to the V.G., or some competent P.G., when the Lodge shall appoint an Investigating Committee, and, according to the Constitution, otherwise act in the premises.
In case of charge pending against the N.G.
7. No member shall be appointed to the position of Outside
or Inside Guardian, or Warden, unless he has attained the Scarlet Degree, after the first term of a new Lodge.
Warden, &c., must have Scarlet degree.
8. No person becomes a member of any Lodge in this
jurisdiction until he has signed the Constitution and Bye-Lavs of such Subordinate Lodge.
Members must sign Constitution, &c.
9. Every Subordinate Lodge in this jurisdiction is required
to deposit in the Office of the Grand Secretary an impression of the Seal of such Lodge.
page 38Impression of Seal to be deposited with Grand Sec.
Transferred members.
Membership ceasing.
Discretionary power of N.G.
Relief to sister Lodges.
Full report of appeals to be sent to Grand Sec.
15. The Noble Grand of a Lodge may call any experienced
Past Grand to the Chair for the purpose of Initiation or conferring the Degrees while the N.G. or V.G. remains present.
P.G.'s may preside at initiations, &c,
16. Secretaries of all Subordinate Lodges in this jurisdiction
are required to report to the Grand Secretary on or before the first day of January in each year, the names of all Past Grands in good standing, and also to give all Past Grands (entitled to them) proper credentials previous to the session of the Grand Lodge; and they are also required to forward to the Grand Secretary a certificate, under seal, containing a list of Representatives elect, at least fifteen days prior to the session of the Grand Lodge in each year, and the Grand Secretary is required to furnish the necessary blank forms for that purpose; and they are further required to report to the Grand Secretary semi-annually, the names of all wives or widows of Odd Fellows who have taken the Degree of Rebekah in his Lodge since last report.
Secretaries of Lodges to report to Grand Lodge.
17. It shall be the duty of the Noble Grands of Lodges to
keep securely the Charge Books of the Order.
N.G.'s to keep charge books.
18. In case of the loss of any such Charge Books, the
sitting Past Grand of the Lodge shall prefer charges against the officer losing the same; and if it shall be found that such book was carelessly or negligently lost, such officer shall be expelled from the Order, unless such Lodge shall determine that such negligence was excusable, in which case the punishment shall be removal from office, or reprimand and fine, not exceeding Ten Pounds sterling.
Penalty for neglect, in case of loss.
19. In case the sitting Past Grand shall lose such Charge
Book, the charges against him shall be preferred by the D.D G. Master of the District.
If by P.G.
20. It is highly desirable and eminently proper, that all
Lodges should open and close with prayer; but the ceremony cannot be required under penalties.
Prayer enjoined.
21. All proceedings had by Lodges when open in the
Degrees must be recorded in a book kept exclusively for that
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purpose, and such proceedings must be acted upon only when open in such degrees.
Minutes of Degree Lodges to be kept.
purpose, and such proceedings must be acted upon only when open in such degrees.Insanity or similar disability.
Sick members in arrears.
Arrears and offsets.
Incidental Fund to be liable for Representative's expenses.
Conditions for instituting new Lodges.
Charge in the Initiation degree to be delivered without book.
28. The Noble Grand of a Lodge cannot instruct in any
degree of the Order, a brother who has not the right to visit in the Lodge in which he desires instruction. An imperative test for the admission of a visiting brother from a foreign jurisdiction is, that he shall be in possession of the A.T.P.W.
N.G- not to instruct a Brother who has no right to visit.
29. The use of spirituous or malt liquors, or smoking, is
strictly prohibited in all Lodges during the meeting of the Lodge. The foregoing provision applies to the whole time between the opening and regular closing of the Lodge.
Use of spirituous or malt liquors and smoking in Lodge prohibited.
30. The various D.D.G. Masters are required to see that
the above resolutions are fully carried out in their respective Districts, and report immediately to the Grand Master any infringement of the same.
D.G.M.'s to carry out these resolutions.