ORGANIC  STRUCTURE OF FILIAL LODGES

M.L. ART.  80. The organic structure of the Lodge shall be composed or the Council, Chairman of  appointed Committees, and Delegates.

THE COUNCIL

ML. ART. 81. The Council is the administrative and controlling body of the Lodge while the Assembly is not in session. The Council has the power to administer and control the affairs of the Lodge, but not the power to impose new assessments. The Council shall not incur expenses other than those necessary for the administration of the regular affairs of the Lodge. In case of emergency, the Council by a majority vote thereof, may appropriate a sum of money, not to exceed $500.00 with which to meet expenses incidental to such emergency; and the appropriation so made shall be reported to the assembly at its next meeting. The Council shall neither have the power to change or modify the laws of the Lodge.

ML. ART. 82. The Council is composed of fifteen officers whose rank and precedence are established according to the following order:

(a) President

(b) Vice-President

(c) Immediate Past President

(d) Orator

(e) Recording Secretary

(f) Financial Secretary

(g) Treasurer

(h) Five Trustees, one of whom  will be elected as Chairman within thirty days following their installation.

(i) Two Masters of Ceremonies

(j) Guard

M.L ART. 83. The members of the Council, with the exception of the Immediate Past President must be elected by the Lodge at its meetings during the month of March, and must be installed on or before May 15.

ML. ART- 84. A member who is ejected as an officer loses the position to which he was elected when he is absent from the installation exercises of the officers, and his absence is not excused by the Lodge at its subsequent meeting; and in every case, excepting for illness, if he is not installed in office for two subsequent meetings.

ML  ART. 85. The Council must meet in ordinary session once a month and in extraordinary session any time the President deems it necessary, or upon the request of five or more officers.

ML ART-- 86- Vacancies which occur in the Council must be filled by supplemental elections at the meeting subsequent to that at which the vacancies were recorded in the minutes of the meeting, except in cases provided for in the subsequent article.

ML ART- 87 If the President of a Lodge absents himself  from three consecutive meetings without being excused for his absences by the Lodge, his position  is declared automatically forfeited during the third meeting of his absence under New Business of the Lodge, by the then presiding officer or if the office of President becomes vacant for any reason, the Vice President shall then be installed by the Slate Deputy as President for the rest of the term, and a new Vice-president shall be elected.

ML ART- 88. If any officer of the Lodge, including the Immediate Past President, absents himself for three consecutive meetings of his Lodge, his position shall automatically be declared forfeited by the President, under “New Business” during the third meeting of such absence, except in such cases when  such absence  is caused by superior forces, independent of habitual occupation, and such reasons are accepted by the Lodge.

M.L ART- 89. At the close of each term of office, the Council must present to the Lodge for its approval, during the meeting in which the new officers are to installed, the following documents and accounts;

(a) A complete financial accounting for the entire term, of office.

(b) An accounting of the last quarter of the term 0f office

(c) A record containing the complete inventory of all the property and money consigned by the outgoing officers to the New Council, signed by the officers of both       Councils, and the State Deputy.

(d) Guaranty bonds for the new financial officers.

QUALLIFCATIONS FOR ELIGIBILITY TO

OFFICES IN THE COUNCIL

ML ART- 90: In order to be eligible to be President or Vice-President of a Lodge a member must have served a ONE  YEAR TERM  in a lesser position of the council, and in order to b eligible for any other council office a member must have been a member of the Order for t least six months prior to his nomination for office.

IL ART. 91- The above requirements do not apply to cases of Founders of a Lodge which has less than one year of existence in which case any member has the right to be elected to any office. The requirements as specified in Article 90 do not apply in case of members of Senior Lodges who were members of lie Junior Division for one year or more before they were admitted to the Senior Lodge for one year or more before they were admitted to the Senior Lodge by a transfer card granted to them by the Junior Division - Said members are eligible for election as Trustees of the Lodge, even though they have been members of the Senior Lodge for less than six months.