Lodge Burroughs Strange No. 87
Vijayawada, India

Name:
The name of this daughter institution is “Lodge Goddess Kanakadurga No. 331”, under the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of India.

Place of Meeting:
The Regular and Emergency Meetings of this Lodge will be held at the Freemason’s Hall, Poornanandam Pet, Vijayawada - 520016.

Days of Meeting:
The Regular Meetings of the Lodge will be held on Second Saturday of every month.

Election of Officers:
The Master, the Treasurer and the Tyler of this Lodge to be elected by Ballot at the Regular Meeting to be held in the month of March every year.

Installation of Officers:
The Officers so elected and other Officers appointed by the Worshipful Master will be invested and installed at the Regular Meeting to be held in the month of April every year.

Officers:
For the purpose of Government and proper conduct of its affairs, the Lodge will have the following Officers:

Preferably a Past Master of the Lodge shall be appointed as one of the Br. V.S.L. and Steward’s Office.

Election of Member:

1. A candidate for initiation may be proposed and seconded at a regular meeting only and he must be balloted for at the next Regular Meeting. If the ballot is not so taken, the proposal shall lapse.

2. Particulars required of the candidate as well as of the Proposer and Seconder, shall be furnished to the Secretary of the Lodge previously to the Meeting of the Lodge at which the proposal is to be made in the prescribed application.

3. He shall have paid in advance subscription for one full year as well as the initiation fees etc. as per by the Bye Laws.

4. A candidate for joining or re-joining shall be balloted at the next Regular Meeting after his name was proposed and seconded in the preceding regular meeting.

5. He shall have produced the certificate required by the Book of Constitution.

6. The candidate for initiation/ joining/re-joining, shall be deemed elected, If 2/3rd Members present and voting in the Lodge approve the proposal for such candidature.

7. In case of an unfavourable Ballot, no further application for that candidature shall be received within six months from the date of rejection.

8. If the candidate is not initiated within one year after his favourable balloting, the balloting shall be void.

9. Every brother upon his initiation, shall be given a copy of the Book of Constitution and Bye-Laws of the Lodge, free of cost.

Constitution

1. This Lodge will consist of

   1. Subscribing Members,

      1. Resident, and

      2. Non-Resident; and

   2. Honorary Members.

2. Resident Members: All Office Bearers of the Lodge, and all those members reside within the limits of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.

   Non-Resident Members: Those Members who reside beyond the limits of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, if they choose to be so.

3. Honorary Members shall comprise of Master Masons, so elected by the Unanimous Vote of the Members of the Lodge present at the meeting, after due consent of the Master mason and after due proposal and seconding at one Regular Meeting and voted at the next Regular Meeting, after due notice in the summons convening the meeting. (Rule No. 142 of Book of Constitutions)

Fees: Initiation – Joining – Re-Joining

1. For Initiation: Rs.1,000/- (Rupees One thousand only) plus all fees payable to Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India, and Grand Lodge of India for Registration and issue of the Grand Lodge Certificate.

2. For Joining and Re-joining: Rs.500/- (Rupees Five hundred only) plus all fees payable to the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India and Grand Lodge of India, for Registration etc.

Subscription: Annual

1. Resident Members: Rs.500/- (Rupees Five hundred only) plus all amounts payable to the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India, Grand Lodge of India, and Annual Subscription for Magazine.

2. Non-Resident Members: Rs.300/- (Rupees Three hundred only) plus all amounts payable to the Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India, Grand Lodge of India, and Annual Subscription for Magazine.

Memo of Account
All amounts due from a Member, shall be shown on every summons, for which purpose the Treasurer will give a statement of dues, to the Secretary, to enable him to so enter on every summons.

Arrears of Dues
The members who are in arrears on account of subscription etc.,

1. For over three months are not eligible for office, proposing, seconding and vote; (Rule No. 121 of Book of Constitutions)

2. For over six months, liable for exclusion; and

3. For one full year liable for automatic cessation. (Rule Nos. 124 and 124A of Book of Constitutions).

Secretary

1. He shall be exempted to pay the Lodge Annual Subscription, if he so prefers; but he shall pay all Annual dues payable to Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India, the Grand Lodge of India and the Magazine.

2. He shall issue summons for the Regular and Emergency Meetings, not less than 10 (Ten) days previous for the Regular Meetings, and for all Emergency Meetings, as much notice as possible, but not less than 7 (Seven) days should be given.

3. He should record the Minutes of the Regular and Emergency Meetings of the Lodge and of all Committee Meetings of which he shall be the Ex-Officio Secretary.

4. He should conduct all correspondence between this Lodge and its members, other Daughter Lodges, The Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India and The Grand Lodge of India.

5. He can also collect all dues and fees from the Members and candidates and remit the amounts in the Bank. He shall advise the treasurer about such collection immediately.

6. He may keep an imprest of Rs.1,000/- (Rupees One thousand only) and submit vouchers for the payments made by him, to the Treasurer and get the imprest reimbursed.

7. He shall, at each installation Meeting, lay a report duly approved by the Permanent Committee, reviewing the progress during the previous year, duly enclosing such report to the summons for the Installation Meeting.

8. He shall at every Regular Meeting of the Lodge, read out for confirmation, the minutes of the proceeding Regular Meeting and of any Emergency Meeting that might have been taken place, since the Last Regular Meeting.

9. He shall regularly submit in time, all returns due to The Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India and The Grand Lodge of India.

10. He shall, annually check the Inventory of the properties of the Lodge, which are to be taken over by the New Master.

11. He shall carefully preserve all books and records of the Lodge in general and the Register of Members upto date in particular.

Treasurer

1. He shall have charge of and responsible for all the monies and account books of the Lodge.

2. He shall receive all monies and deposit them in a Bank, approved by the Lodge for

   1. General Account,

   2. Charity Account.

3. All cheques must be signed by any two of the following viz. the Master, the Treasurer and Secretary.

4. He shall pay all usual expenses, such as for Postage, Printing, Stationery, Salaries, Municipal Taxes, Electrical, Water Charges, dues payable to Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India and Grand Lodge of India. Payments on any and all other purchases and expenses are to be first recommended by the Permanent Committee and approved by the Lodge.

5. He shall red at every Regular monthly Meeting of the Lodge, a statement of Receipts and Payments to the end of the previous month.

Tyler
He shall have the charge of all the Property, Regalia, Furniture etc., of the Lodge. He shall see, that previous to each meeting, the Temple is properly arranged and everything made ready. He shall guard the entrance to the Lodge and admit only well known Free Masons and should not admit strangers until examined and approved by the Junior Warden and permitted by the Worshipful Master.

Audit Committee

1. (1) It shall consist of Two members, elected annually at the Election Meeting in March;

2. (2) It shall be preferred, that one of the two members, so elected be a Professional Auditor, if there is one among the members of the Lodge.

3. (3) They shall prepare the Annual Statement of Accounts, Balance Sheet for the year from 1st April to 31st March and submit the Auditor’s Report, showing the Financial Statement of Affairs of the Lodge for

   1. General Account,

   2. Charity Account

   in time to enable the Permanent Committee to so approve and recommend to the Lodge for adoption.

Permanent Committee
It shall consists of the Worshipful Master, the I.P.M., The Senior and Junior Wardens, the Secretary, Treasurer, D of C., All Past Masters of the Lodge and two members elected, at the Installation Meeting of the Lodge.

1. The Members of the first Permanent Committee shall be the Worshipful Master, the Immediate Past Master, The Senior and Junior Wardens, the Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Ceremonies and four Past Masters among the Founders.

2. It shall be the duty of the Permanent Committee, either by itself of reference by the Lodge, to consider all matters connected with the Welfare of the Lodge, scrutinise and recommend the applications for Membership, prepare and submit an Annual Report for the year, at the Installation Meeting in April or at a Regular Meeting of the Lodge, latest in June which report is to be enclosed to the summons of that meeting at which the report shall be considered and adopted.

3. To preserve and improve the Properties, Regalia, Furniture of the Lodge, and examine the Lodge Books and Records and advise on the investment of the funds of the Lodge and report on applications for relief of distressed Freemasons.

4. All Meetings of the Permanent Committee shall be held under notice with agenda, sent to all members of the Permanent Committee, so as to reach them at least 7 (Seven) days before the date of the Permanent Committee Meeting.

5. The Permanent Committee shall meet once in a month, preferably in the first week.

6. An item, “To Vote severally and individually on the recommendations of the Permanent Committee” held after the last Regular Meeting of the Lodge, be brought on the summons for the next Regular Meeting of he Lodge.

Property
The property of this Lodge shall vest in the Worshipful Master and the two Wardens, the three Principal Officers, for the time being, in trust of the Lodge.

General It shall not be competent for the members of the Lodge, to abrogate, amend or alter these Bye-laws, unless the abrogation or alteration is proposed and seconded at on Regular Meeting and again brought on the summons for the next Regular Meeting and approved and again brought on the summons for the next (3rd Consecutive Meeting) and confirmed and thereafter approved by The Regional Grand Lodge of Southern India and the Grand Lodge of India.

In all cases, not especially provided by these Bye-Laws the Members shall be bound by the decision of the Worshipful Master the same being not contrary to the Constitution. Every member of this Lodge shall be given a free copy of these Bye-Laws and every initiate and joining members shall be presented with a copy.