Whereas by virtue of the Warrant from Supreme Council of the A. & A.S.R. of Freemasonry of Canada, this Chapter, among other powers, has the power to confer the Degrees of Knight of the East, of the Sword or Eagle, 15°, Prince of Jerusalem, 16°, Knight of the East and West, 17° and of the Sovereign Prince Rose Croix of H*R*D*M, or Knight of the Eagle or the Pelican, 18° and is subject to the general regulations of the Supreme Council of Canada.
And whereas it is the recognized prerogative of every Order of Masons, to make such Bylaws as they may deem advisable for their own private government, provided they are not incompatible with the General Statutes of the Supreme Governing Authority. Therefore the members of the Chapter have agreed to and adopted the following Bylaws:
This Chapter shall be known as the “Hamilton Sovereign Chapter of Rose Croix of H*R*D*M.
| Most Wise Sovereign |
| First General |
Second General |
| Prelate |
Raphael |
| Grand Marshal |
Registrar |
| Treasurer |
Almoner |
| An Auditor (by open vote) |
Section 2
The Most Wise Sovereign, at the same meeting, shall appoint the:
- Organist
- Captain of the Guard
- Guard
Section 3
The elected and appointed Officers shall be installed at the January meeting at which such Officers are elected and appointed, unless otherwise ordered by the Most Wise Sovereign, and shall continue in office until the election and installation of their successors.
ARTICLE 4 | DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1
The duties of the Officers are such as the Statutes and usages of the Order prescribe in addition to these hereinafter specified.
Section 2 | Registrar
The Registrar shall keep a correct record of all the proceedings of the Chapter proper to be written, including a list of members and visitors present at each meeting; collect all monies due the Chapter and deposit same in a Chartered Bank or Trust Company in the name of the Chapter; keep a true account of the same; have the custody of the Seal; issue all notices and summonses; make all necessary reports and exhibit annually a full statement of the affairs of the Chapter; and generally perform such other duties as may be required by the Statutes and Regulations or by the Most Wise Sovereign.
Section 3 | Treasurer
The Treasurer together with the Most Wise Sovereign; the Registrar and First General shall be the custodian of all securities and investments belonging to the Chapter. All such securities and investments shall be deposited in a Safety Deposit Box or for safekeeping in a Chartered Bank, Trust Company or Investment Company, approved by the Chapter. The Treasurer shall keep a true account of all such securities and investments; issue cheques for accounts duly passed and certified; pay all necessary fees to the Supreme Council; have his books and vouchers at all times ready for inspection; and annually, and whenever required, exhibit a financial statement to the Chapter, together with all vouchers and documents relative thereto; and on the day of Installation have his books balanced ready to be delivered to his successor.
Section 4 | Auditor
The Auditor shall audit all accounts and examine the books of the Treasurer and Registrar and make a report thereon to the Chapter annually. The books of the Treasurer and Registrar shall at all times be at the disposal of the Auditor upon application.
Section 5 | Signing Officers
All cheques for payment of accounts, transfer of monies for investment or securities, or the reinvesting of such investments or securities shall be made by any two of the Most Wise Sovereign, Registrar, Treasurer and First General.
ARTICLE 5 | MEETINGS
Section 1
The Regular Assemblies of the Chapter shall be held in the City of Hamilton on Maundy Thursday and the preceding Wednesday, and Easter Sunday morning; and on the Wednesday of the first full week in November; the Election and Installation of Officers shall be held on the third Tuesday of January in even numbered years; at 8:00 p.m.; unless otherwise ordered by the Most Wise Sovereign
Section 2
The Feasts of Obligation of Sovereign Prince Masons of Rose Croix are Maundy Thursday, and Easter Day on which days meetings are enjoined by the Ancient Ordinances of the Order.
Section 3
The Most Wise Sovereign may call Special Assemblies at pleasure by giving five clear days’ notice to each member but no business shall be transacted at a Special Assembly other than that for which it may have been called.
ARTICLE 6 | WORKING AND PROCEDURE
Section 1
The Chapter cannot be resumed unless there be five members present, which number must include one of the first three officers or a Past Most Wise Sovereign, but no degrees shall be conferred except by, or in the presence of the Most Wise Sovereign, a Past Most Wise Sovereign, or an Active Member of the Supreme Council.
Section 2
The Chapter having been resumed, the following shall be the order of business, varied or altered at the discretion of the Most Wise Sovereign, viz:
- 1st Reading and confirming Engraved Columns
- 2nd Reading Correspondence
- 3rd Passing Accounts
- 4th Reception of Petitions
- 5th General Business
- 6th Reports of Committees
- 7th Balloting for Candidates
- 8th Conferring Degrees
ARTICLE 7 | FEES AND DUES
Section 1
All initiation fees for degrees conferred by this Chapter shall be payable in advance and shall be in such amounts as may be approved by the Chapter from time to time.
Section 2
The amount of the initiation fees approved by this Chapter may be increased (or decreased) by a vote of the members at a regular meeting of the Chapter, provided notice of the proposed increase (decrease) is given at a regular meeting of the Chapter and a copy of the notice is inserted in the summons for the meeting at which the proposed motion will be voted upon.
Section 3
The fees shall include commutation of Dues.
Section 4
The fees in effect as of January 1, 2004 are:
| Initiation Fee |
$450.00 |
| Affiliation Fee |
$200.00 |
These fees may be adjusted as detailed in Section 2.
Section 5
No person shall receive the degrees of the Hamilton Sovereign Chapter of Rose Croix who has more than one black ball cast against him by the Brethren voting thereon.
ARTICLE 8 | WITHDRAWAL OF MEMBERS
Section 1
Any member desirous of withdrawing from the Chapter must signify the same in writing to the Registrar, and if in good standing, the Most Wise Sovereign shall direct the Registrar to issue to such members a certificate to that effect under the Seal of the Chapter.
Section 2
Should a member withdraw from the Chapter, he shall not be re-admitted without a unanimous ballot and he shall pay the registration fee of the Supreme Council
ARTICLE 9 | AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS
No alteration shall take place in these Bylaws unless the said alteration be proposed at a Regular Assembly. A copy of the proposed alteration shall be inserted in the summons for the next ensuing Regular Assembly, when it shall require the consent of two-thirds of the members present to pass it and the same shall become law when sanctioned by the Supreme Council.
ARTICLE 10 | HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
Honorary membership in the Chapter may be conferred on any member of any other Scottish Rite Body, who, in that Body, holds degrees of the equivalent import to those to be conferred by honorary membership.
A condition precedent to the conferring of honorary membership shall be that the name has been proposed at a Regular Meeting of the Chapter, and notice of the proposal, setting out the name of the person to be so honoured, shall be included in the summons for the next Regular Meeting, and that approval of the proposal has been obtained by unanimous vote of the members present and voting at that meeting.
Honorary members shall be exempt from all fees and dues.
ARTICLE 11 | REPEAL
All former By-laws of the Chapter are hereby repealed.
Recommended and Approved March 31, 2004.