Kansas City Council No. 45

Royal and Select Masters

Chartered April 24, 1944

By-Laws

Revised December 17, 2012

ARTICLE I

Name

Sec. 1 – This Council shall be known as Kansas City Council No. 45 of Royal and Select Masters 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 7:30 p.m. or after the stated convocation of Kansas City Chapter No. 28 Royal Arch Masons. No meeting of this Council 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 Assemblies

Sec. 3 – Special assemblies may be held at the usual place of meeting, and at such time as the Master may direct, upon due notice to the resident members; provided, that its object shall be stated in the notice. The business of every special assembly shall be confined to the object for which it is called. 

Officers and Elections

Sec. 4 – The elective officers of this Council shall be: Master, Deputy Master, Principal Conductor of the Work, Treasurer and Recorder. 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 Council shall be: Captain of the Guard, Conductor of the Council, Marshal, Steward, Chaplain and Sentinel.

Sec. 5 – The election of officers shall take place at the stated assembly 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 Council 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 Recorder shall keep a faithful record of the business of the Council in the form of minutes of meeting and a file of the correspondence in the archives of the Council.

Sec. 3 – The Treasurer and Recorder 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 Council No. 45 conditioned on the faithful discharge of their duties. The cost of such bond shall be paid by Kansas City Council No. 45 or by the Ivanhoe Masonic Temple Company.

Sec. 4 – The checking account for the Council shall have the signatures of the Recorder and Treasurer on the account, however, a check shall require only one signature for payment.

ARTICLE III

Committees

Sec. 1 – The Master shall, as soon after his election and installation as practical, appoint a Finance Committee consisting of three (3) members of this Council whose duty it shall be to audit the books of the Treasurer and Recorder, and report at the stated assembly in January. This committee shall not consist of the incoming or outgoing Recorders or Treasurers. This committee shall also prepare a budget to be submitted to this Council for approval at the stated assembly in January.

Sec. 2 – The Master shall appoint any other committee, as he shall deem necessary.

Sec. 3 – The Master, Deputy Master and Principal Conductor of the Work shall constitute a committee to insure proper plans are made for all activities of the Council.

Sec. 4 – The Captain of the Guard shall be the chairman of the widows committee. Said committee shall contact all widows of this Council to ascertain if they are in need and see that they are invited to all social functions of the Council.

ARTICLE IV

Fees, Dues, and Expenses

Sec. 1 – The fees for the degrees of this Council 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 Council, rounded up to the next whole dollar. Said dues shall be due on the first day of January and shall be delinquent per Grand Council by-laws.

Sec. 3 – The Council may remit the dues of a member for good cause. Per Grand Council by-laws the Council may remit the dues of a 50-year member.

Sec. 4 – Each fifty (50) year member may be relieved of all dues and per capita or as allowed by the Grand Council.

Sec. 5 – The expense of the representatives attending the Annual Assembly of the Grand Council shall be paid as provided for in the budget adopted by the Council.

ARTICLE V

Members

Sec. 1 – It shall be the duty of each member to notify the Recorder, in writing, of any change in his address.

Sec. 2 – Each member and visiting Companion shall be required to register at each assembly of this Council, which he attends, in the official register which will be kept in the anteroom of the Council and such official register will be a part of the records of this Council.

Sec. 3 – Application for the degrees for membership may be received and acted upon at the same assembly.

Sec 4 – This Council may elect to Honorary Membership any visiting Select Master who is in good standing. This does not confer the right to participate in the deliberation of the Council, but is simply complimentary.

ARTICLE VI

Miscellaneous

Sec. 1 – It shall be the duty of the Master, Deputy Master, Principal Conductor of the Work and Recorder to attend, in person, the annual assembly of the Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of the State of Missouri. Proxies may be issued as provided for by the Grand Council.

Sec. 2 – Every Past Master of this Council who has completed his term of office as Master of this Council shall receive a suitable token.

Sec. 3 – Any amendments to these by-laws must be presented in writing, read at a stated assembly and shall lie over until the next stated assembly, following due notice to resident members, when if adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members present, shall be forwarded to the Grand Council for approval, after which it shall become part of these by-laws.

Sec. 4 – This Council shall adopt such standing rules, as they deem necessary for the efficient operation of this Council.

Standing Rules of Kansas City Council No. 45, Royal and Select Masters:

  1. Order of Business
    1. Opening of the Council
    2. Reading of Minutes
    3. Correspondence
    4. Petitions Presented
    5. Balloting
    6. Reports of Committees
    7. Unfinished Business
    8. New Business
    9. Bills
    10. Sickness and Distress
    11. Good of the Order
    12. Closing
  1. The Recorder shall obtain and issue to:
    1. The Master, Deputy Master, Principal Conductor of the Work a copy of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Grand Council of Cryptic Masons of the State of Missouri
    2. All elected and appointed officers a copy of the Grand Council Ritual
    3. All elected and appointed officers a copy of the Council By-Laws and Standing Rules and make same available to all members
  1. The Master shall appoint the following committees:
    1. Membership Committee
    2. Ritual Chairman for the degrees
    3. Property and Wardrobe Committee
    4. Finance (see by-laws)
    5. Visitation Committee
    6. Refreshments and Dinner Committee. The Principal Conductor of the Work shall work with Kansas City Chapter No. 28 and Kansas City Commandery No. 10 to provide suitable refreshments for all assemblies.
    7. Activities Committee to include York Rite Festivals
    8. Publicity Committee to include Ivanhoe News
  1. These Standing Rules may be changed at any stated assembly, but must lie over until the next stated assembly for final action, which must be by a two-thirds vote of members present.
  1. Kansas City Council No. 45 shall elect one (1) representative to the Ivanhoe Masonic Temple Company to serve for a term of three (3) years. The election shall be at the stated assembly for the annual election. He shall attend the meetings of the Ivanhoe Masonic Temple Company and by his voice and vote represent the best interest of Kansas City Council No. 45.