Newton County Masonic Square & Compass Club

By Laws

Re-written from originals 11/01/2019

Darold A. Vissering

The following By-Laws and amendments as written. Being reviewed and passed by a majority of the members present.

President ___Raymond Garner Lodge 558

Vice-President___ Mike Jones Lodge 489

Secretary-Treasurer_ Darold Vissering Lodge 6

This 4th day of December 2019 / Called Communication Minutes and By-Law changes

Article I

Section 1      To be eligible for Membership

Must be a Master Mason in good standing in Newton County and residing in Newton County or adjoining counties.

Being a member of a masonic body which meets in Newton County, or a member of a lodge outside Newton County and residing in Newton County.

To remain a member of this club, he must continue his membership in a regular Masonic Lodge.

Section 2      An applicant for membership, or a suspended member, shall make application for membership on an approved form.

Section 3      It shall be the duty of each member to keep the Secretary-Treasurer informed of his correct address or change in his Lodge Membership.

Section 4      Regular meetings will be held on the 3rd Thursday night in January of each year. The meeting in January shall be the annual meeting for the election of officers and the Secretary-Treasurer’s report.

Being amended 12/4/2019 to the 1st Wednesday in December at 7PM Secretary-Treasurer will find a suitable location to meet. Motion by Mike Jones 2nd by Mercer Collins and passed by members present

            The report shall include the following

  1. Financial Standing
  2. Number of claims paid
  3. Number of members on the roll

The new President shall appoint 1 member to Auditing Committee to replace the retiring member, to assist in auditing the books and records of the Secretary-treasurer and submit resolutions for amendments to the By-Laws. The resolution must be passed by a two-thirds majority of the members present.

Section 5      The Officers shall consist of

  1. President
  2. Vice-President
  3. Secretary-Treasurer (one Office held by one person)
  4. Chaplin appointed by the new President

The President shall be a member of one of the lodges in Newton County and that lodge, so represented, will not be eligible to furnish another Presidency until each of the other Lodges have been so represented.

Section 6      there shall be an Advisory Board consisting of 2 members from each Newton County Lodge. The retiring President of the club shall automatically become a member of the Board and the representative of such Lodge shall cease to be a member of the Advisory Board. The presiding President shall appoint 2 members to the board from each Lodge the first year. The Board shall act only in an advisory capacity to the Club Officers in case of Emergency. The Master of each Lodge shall appoint a member to the Advisory Board shall thereafter nominate and elect the President, Vice-President and Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 7      Any business can be transacted at a called meeting provided there is a quorum of 5% of total membership present.

ARTICLE II

Section 1      The entrance fee for membership shall be $5.00 An assessment of $1.50 shall be levied against each member upon the death of a member. The total amount of the levy paid to the beneficiary of the deceased member shall be set by a majority vote of the members present, in compliance with article V section 1

AMENDMENT ARTICLE II SECTION 1 passed March 20, 1980 at a called communication

The entrance fee for membership shall be $5.00. An assessment of $6.00@$1.50 per death shall be levied against each member in advance for four (4) further deaths. When four (4) deaths have expired, notice will be sent on another four (4) deaths bearing the names of the 4 past deaths. All overpaid amounts at the time of death of a member will be added to his beneficiary check.

The amount to be paid to beneficiary of deceased member shall be sent by majority vote of members present in compliance with Article 5 section 1.

Amended at an unknown date with the section of membership $5.00 and $5.00 assessed for the next 4 deaths paying $4.00 assessment on each member per death. New membership will be pay $25.00 to join.

ARTICLE III

Section 1      A special meeting may be called by the president, in his absence the Vice-President, and in the absence of both, the Secretary-Treasurer may call a meeting if conditions require such a meeting.

Section 2      Any member receiving a Death Assessment must pay same within 30 days. After an additional 20 days a second notice will be mailed and if not paid in 10 days of the 2nd notice, the member will be suspended from the benefits of the club. A suspended member may be reinstated by paying all assessments (plus $1.50 penalty) occurring within 3 months from the date of suspension, after complying with Article I/Section 2. Any suspended member after 3 months from the date of suspension may be reinstated by paying past due assessment plus $5.00 penalty. In this case Article 1/Section 2 shall apply.

ARTICLE IV

Section 1      The President shall preside over the meetings and shall appoint all committees. The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President.

ARTICLE V

Section 1      The Maximum benefits shall be $1.00 times the number of members as determined by March 31, 1968, and thereafter at the annual meeting preceding the date of death of a member or at called meeting during the year.

AMEDMENT ARTICLE V, Section 1 passed March 20,1980 at a called communication.

                        To read $1.50 per member to beneficiary, instead of $1.00. per member.

                        This was amended at another unknown date to read $4.00 per member to beneficiary.

ARTICLE VI

Section 1      The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a record of the Club’s activities, receipts and disbursements. He shall keep the minutes of all regular and called meetings. He shall further give notice to all members by way radio and press in due time for the membership to have ample notice of such meetings. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be paid an amount to be fixed by the majority of the members present.

                        AMENDED AT A UNKNOWN DATE

                        The Secretary-Treasurer shall be reimbursed for all expenses incurred in the performance of his duties to the club and shall receive no compensation above this.

ARTICLE VII

Section 1      Each member upon Joining the Club shall designate on the application provided, the person to whom payment of the emergency fund shall be made in case of his death. All changes of beneficiary must be on such form as designated and provided by the club.

                        Applications will have a designated 2nd beneficiary in the event the primary is unavailable.

Section 2      In the event the beneficiary designated shall have died and no new beneficiary designated, then the executive committee of the club shall in its discretion, have the right to apply said emergency fund to the payment of the funeral expenses of said deceased member or the expenses of his last illness.

ARTICLE VIII

Section 1      Each and every person, upon uniting with this Club agrees that it is purely a voluntary Association and that no contractual liability exists against any member of the Association. The Association does not bind itself or its members to any payments whatsoever should conditions arise beyond its control. In case said club ever go defunct, the balance in treasury and savings will be divided equally to each member in good standing.

ARTICLE IX

Section 1      These By-Laws may be amended at any meeting of the Club by a majority vote of the members present, provided the same is submitted in writing or printed form to each member at least ten (10) days before the time of voting on it.