Kansas City Chapter No. 28
Royal Arch Masons
Chartered May 19, 1859
By-Laws
Revised December 17, 2012
ARTICLE I
Name
Sec. 1 – This Chapter shall be known as Kansas City Chapter No. 28 Royal Arch Masons and shall be located at the Ivanhoe Masonic Temple.
Stated Convocations
Sec. 2 – The stated convocations of this Chapter shall be held on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. or after the stated assembly of Kansas City Council No. 45 of Cryptic Masons. No meeting will be held on the evening of, or the evening preceding the opening of any annual session of the Grand York Rite of Missouri. Any stated convocation in July or August may be omitted or rescheduled.
Special Convocations
Sec. 3 – Special convocations may be held at the usual place of meeting, and at such time as the High Priest may direct, upon due notice to the resident members; provided, that its object shall be stated in the notice. The business of every special convocation shall be confined to the object for which it is called.
Officers and Elections
Sec. 4 – The elective officers of this Chapter shall be: High Priest, King, Scribe, Treasurer and Secretary. A majority of the votes cast shall elect, and such elected officers shall hold their respective offices until their successors are installed. The appointive officers of this Chapter shall be: Captain of the Host, Principal Sojourner, Royal Arch Captain, Master of the Third Veil, Master of the Second Veil, Master of the First Veil, Chaplain and Sentinel.
Sec. 5 – The election of officers shall take place at the stated convocation in May of each year and the officers shall be installed in June.
ARTICLE II
Duties of Officers
Sec. 1 – The several officers of this Chapter shall perform the duties of their respective stations as indicated in the ritual and installation ceremony of the order and as handed down by tradition and usage.
Sec. 2 – The Secretary shall keep a “Book of Marks” for the use of the Chapter and its members and attend to the entering of respective marks therein. He shall also keep a faithful record of the business of the Chapter in the form of minutes of meeting and a file of the correspondence in the archives of the Chapter.
Sec. 3 – The Treasurer and Secretary shall give an official bond, with some reliable company as security thereon, in the sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), to be approved by Kansas City Chapter No. 28 conditioned on the faithful discharge of their duties. The cost of such bond shall be paid by Kansas City Chapter No. 28 or by the Ivanhoe Masonic Temple Company.
Sec. 4 – The checking account for the Council shall have the signatures of the Secretary and Treasurer on the account, however, a check shall require only one signature for payment.
ARTICLE III
Committees
Sec. 1 – The High Priest shall, as soon after his election and installation as practical, appoint a Finance Committee consisting of three (3) members of this Chapter whose duty it shall be to audit the books of the Treasurer and Secretary, and report at the stated convocation in January. This committee shall not consist of the incoming or outgoing Secretaries or Treasurers. This committee shall also prepare a budget to be submitted to this Chapter for approval at the stated convocation in January.
Sec. 2 – The High Priest shall appoint any other committee, as he shall deem necessary.
Sec. 3 – The High Priest, King and Scribe shall constitute a committee to insure proper plans are made for all activities of the Chapter.
Sec. 4 – The Royal Arch Captain shall be the chairman of the widows committee. Said committee shall contact all widows of this Chapter, ascertain if they are in need and see that they are invited to all social functions of the Chapter.
ARTICLE IV
Fees, Dues, and Expenses
Sec. 1 – The fees for the degrees of this Chapter shall be fifty dollars ($50.00) which must, in all cases, accompany the petition.
Sec. 2 – Every member shall pay annually the sum of twenty dollars ($20.00) plus all per capita fees and assessments from the Grand Chapter rounded up to the next whole dollar. Said dues shall be due on the first day of January and shall be delinquent per Grand Chapter by-laws.
Sec. 3 – The Chapter may remit the dues of a member for good cause. Per Grand Chapter by-laws the Chapter may remit the dues of a 50-year member.
Sec. 4 – Each fifty (50) year member shall be relieved of all dues and per capita or as allowed by the Grand Chapter.
Sec. 5 – The expense of the representatives attending the Annual Convocation of the Grand Chapter shall be paid as provided for in the budget adopted by the Chapter.
ARTICLE V
Members
Sec. 1 – It shall be the duty of each member to notify the Secretary, in writing, of any change in his address.
Sec. 2 – Each member and visiting Companion shall be required to register at each convocation of this Chapter, which he attends, in the official register which will be kept in the anteroom of the Chapter and such official register will be a part of the records of this Chapter.
Sec. 3 – Application for the degrees for membership may be received and acted upon at the same convocation.
Sec 4 – This Chapter may elect to Honorary Membership any visiting Royal Arch Mason who is in good standing. This does not confer the right to participate in the deliberation of the Chapter, but is simply complimentary.
ARTICLE VI
Miscellaneous
Sec. 1 – It shall be the duty of the High Priest, King, Scribe and Secretary to attend, in person, the annual convocation of the Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons of the State of Missouri. Proxies may be issued as provided for by the Grand Chapter.
Sec. 2 – Every Past High Priest of this Chapter who has completed his term of office as High Priest of this Chapter shall receive a suitable token.
Sec. 3 – Any amendments to these by-laws must be presented in writing, read at a stated convocation and shall lie over until the next stated convocation, following due notice to resident members, when if adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members present, shall be forwarded to the Grand Chapter for approval, after which it shall become part of these by-laws.
Sec. 4 – This Chapter shall adopt such standing rules as they deem necessary for the efficient operation of this Chapter. The Standing rules shall provide for the election and duties of the Trustees and representatives to the Ivanhoe Masonic Temple Company.
Standing Rules of Kansas City Chapter No. 28, Royal Arch Masons:
- Order of Business
- Opening of the Chapter
- Reading of Minutes
- Correspondence
- Petitions Presented
- Balloting
- Reports of Committees
- Unfinished Business
- New Business
- Bills
- Sickness and Distress
- Good of the Order
- Closing
- The Secretary shall obtain and issue to:
- The High Priest, King and Scribe a copy of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Grand Chapter, Royal Arch Masons of the State of Missouri
- All elected and appointed officers a copy of the Grand Chapter Ritual
- All elected and appointed officers a copy of the Chapter By-Laws and Standing Rules and make same available to all members
- Trustees – The Board of Trustees shall be composed of three (3) Companions who shall be elected for a term of three (3) years. The trustees shall be elected at the same convocation as the officers. The oldest in term of service shall be President. The High Priest, Treasurer and Secretary shall not be eligible to serve on this board. The Board of Trustees shall have special charge of the property of the Chapter and pass upon all claims of demands against the Chapter. They shall also perform such other duties as may be ordered by the High Priest or Chapter.
- Ivanhoe Temple Company Representatives – The Chapter shall elect four (4) representatives to the Temple Company to serve a term of three (3) years. Two of whom shall be elected every third year and they shall be elected on the date of the annual election of officers. They shall attend the meetings of the Ivanhoe Masonic Temple Company and by their voice and vote represent the best interest of the Chapter. In the event that the elected High Priest is currently serving as a member of the Temple Company, he shall resign his post as a member. His vacancy shall be filled by an election of the Chapter. In the event a representative of the Chapter shall be absent from two consecutive meetings of the Temple Board without an official excuse, the said representative may be replaced by a vote of the Chapter.
- The High Priest shall appoint the following committees:
- Membership Committee
- Ritual Chairman for the degrees
- Property and Wardrobe Committee
- Finance (see by-laws)
- Visitation Committee
- Refreshments and Dinner Committee. The Scribe shall work with Kansas City Council No. 45 and Kansas City Commandery No. 10 to provide suitable refreshments for all conventions.
- Activities Committee to include York Rite Festivals
- Publicity Committee to include Ivanhoe News
- These Standing Rules may be changed at any stated convocation, but must lie over until the next stated convocation for final action, which must be by a two-thirds vote of members present.