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Bylaws of Mt. Zion Lodge
No. 316 F. & A. M.
(As amended on March 26, 2009)


Chapter I

Section 1

This lodge shall be known and hailed as Mt. Zion Lodge No. 316, under the jurisdiction of the M. W. Grand Lodge of Georgia.

Section 2

It is held under the authority of the warrant granted by the M. W. Grand Lodge of Georgia, at its Communication in the year of light 5885, and of our Lord, October 28, 1885, to whose Constitutional rules and edicts the most implicit respect and obedience shall be paid by its members.

Section 3

The meetings of this lodge shall be regular, Festival and called. The regular meetings shall be held on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month except November and December when only the first meeting will be held. The time of the meeting shall be 7:30 p.m. year around.

Section 4

The order of business at every regular meeting shall be as follows, subject however, to be temporarily changed or dispensed with by vote of two-thirds of the members present.

  1.  Reading minutes of the last regular communication

  2. Anything further

  3.  Reception of petition

  4.  Second reading of petition and balloting

  5.  Treasurer's report

  6.  Reports of committee

  7.  Unfinished business

  8.  Reading communications and presenting of bills

  9. Reports of sickness and distress

  10.  New business

  11.  Work and lectures

  12. Closing

Chapter II

Section 1

The members of this lodge are all who have been initiated herein or elected to membership, not having dimitted or excluded and are bound by these bylaws.

Section 2

They shall be bound to avoid all irregularity and intemperance which may impair their faculties or debase the dignity of their profession. They shall obey these bylaws in spirit as in letter and at all times uphold the lawful interest of the lodge and extend honor of its name.

Chapter III

Section 1

On the 2nd Thursday night in December the following officers shall be elected for the ensuing year by a majority of votes cast by the members present.

    1. Worshipful Master
    2. Senior Warden
    3. Junior Warden
    4. Treasurer
    5. Secretary

The following shall be appointed by the Worshipful Master elect.

    1. Senior Deacon
    2. Chaplain
    3. Tyler
    4. Director of Work

The following shall be appointed by the Senior Warden elect.

Junior Deacon

The following shall be appointed by the Junior Warden elect.

Senior Steward
Junior Steward

Section 2

Every Master Mason, who is a member of the lodge not under sentence of suspension or expulsion, shall be eligible to vote.

Chapter IV

Section 1

The fee for the three degrees of Masonry shall be $150.00 and shall accompany the application for initiation.

Section 2

Each member shall pay annually to the Secretary sixty-five ($65) dollars for membership dues which shall be due at the first meeting in September for the ensuing year.    A member raised or affiliated after the first meeting in September is liable for only such part of the whole dues for that period as is proportioned to the time between his raising or affiliation and the next date for payment.

Section 3

All members of this lodge in good standing and qualified under code 31-115 shall be declared Emeritus members and exempt from lodge dues.

Section 4

Mt. Zion Lodge may access its member to pay for the building, additions, repairs or other expenses.  The proposed assessment must be submitted in writing at a stated meeting and laid over until the next regular meeting, and then be concurred in by two-thirds of the members present.

Chapter V

Section 1

There shall be four standing committees of the lodge: a Committee on Finance; a Committee on Charity; a Committee on Fundraising; and a Committee on Investigations .

Section 2

The Worshipful Master, the Senior Warden and the Junior Warden shall comprise the standing Committee on Charity and may draw upon the treasury to relieve a necessitous Brother or person to the amount of one hundred ($100) dollars. Larger amounts shall be submitted to the lodge and be determined by a vote of two-thirds of the members present.

They shall dispense the beneficence of the lodge so as to relieve that distressed and afflicted in the speediest and most practicable manner and may take such measures in providing means for the sick and making preparations for the burial of the dead as sudden emergency may demand.

Section 3

The Committee on Finance shall be appointed by the Worshipful Master on the day of his installation at the regular meeting that precedes the Anniversary of St. John the Baptist. The Committee on Finance shall conduct an annual audit of the Secretary and Treasury books and report the findings on the last regular meeting night in the following December.

Section 4

The Worshipful Master, Senior Warden and Junior Warden shall act as trustees of this lodge. They shall be in charge of its personal and real property during their term in office.

Section 5

The Committee on Fundraising shall be appointed by the Worshipful Master on the day of his installation and shall consist of two or more members charged with organizing and executing activities that increase revenues to the lodge.

Section 6

The Committee on Investigations shall be appointed by the Worshipful Master on the day of his installation and shall consist of two or more members charged with conducting interviews and investigations of potential candidates for lodge membership and reporting their findings to the whole lodge body.

Chapter VI

Section 1

Once a subject has been disposed of, it cannot be opened again at this or any other communication without a vote of two-thirds of the members present.

Chapter VII

Section 1

WATER – Mt. Zion Lodge and Silver Shoals Baptist Church have entered into an agreement concerning the use of county water. The meter is located on the property of the lodge. The two parties have agreed to each pay half of the monthly water bill. (See minutes of September 9 and September 23, 1993.)


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