Constitution of the Manchester Level Club

Get In Touch

CHAPTER 1 — PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS

 

  1. Name and Affiliation
  2. Interpretation
  3. Objects

 

CHAPTER 2 — MEMBERSHIP

 

  1. Eligibility for Membership
  2. Auto-Enrolment
  3. Membership Records
  4. Cessation of Membership
  5. Resignation of Membership
  6. Honorary Members
  7. Discipline and Complaints

 

CHAPTER 3 — THE COMMITTEE

 

  1. Composition and Powers of the Committee
  2. Procedure of the Committee
  3. Ordinary Meetings of the Committee
  4. Emergency Meetings of the Committee
  5. Minutes of Committee Meetings

 

CHAPTER 4 — OFFICERS OF THE CLUB

 

  1. Officers of the Club
  2. The Patron and Vice Patron
  3. Election of the Chairman
  4. Appointment of other Officers
  5. Resignation and Vacancies

 

CHAPTER 5 — FINANCE

 

  1. Financial Records
  2. Bank Account
  3. Expenditure
  4. Accounts
  5. Auditors

 

CHAPTER 6 — GENERAL MEETINGS

 

  1. Annual General Meeting
  2. Extraordinary General Meetings
  3. Procedure at General Meetings

 

CHAPTER 7 — THE CONSTITUTION

 

  1. Amendment of the Constitution
  2. Title and Commencement

 

SCHEDULES

 

Schedule 1 – Interpretation

Schedule 2 – Responsibilities of Officers of the Club Schedule 3 – Election of the Chairman

 

 

CHAPTER 1 — PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS

 

1.   Name and Affiliation

  • The Club shall be called the “Manchester Level Club”.
  • The Club is established under the aegis of the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire. It submits to the authority of the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire, the Provincial Grand Lodge of any Province in which its activities extend and ultimately that of the United Grand Lodge of

 

2.   Interpretation

  • This Constitution shall be interpreted in accordance with the definitions contained in Schedule 1.
  • Any act, notice or procedure required under this Constitution to be done in writing may be carried out by email or other form of electronic written communication, and any reference herein to “in writing” and similar expressions shall be interpreted accordingly unless specifically provided otherwise.

 

3.   Objects

  • The objects of the Club shall be:
    • To represent the interests of junior Freemasons in the Province for the younger and new generation of Freemasons in the Province, specifically those yet to reach provincial rank and to provide a support to those new to Freemasonry to maximise their benefit from membership of it;
    • To promote a greater understanding and awareness of Freemasonry amongst the general public, including its benefits for young people;
    • To liaise and co-operate with other Masonic organisations under the authority of, or recognised by, the United Grand Lodge of England;
    • To encourage and assist its members with organised visits to Lodges throughout the Province and beyond; and
    • To organise activities of a social and educational nature including, but not limited to: entertainments, meetings, lectures, discussions, publications, trips and such other activities contemplated by this Constitution or deemed appropriate by the
    • To be representative of its membership, be modern, efficient and self-sustainable.
    • To engage with and be complimentary to the mentoring scheme and to work closely with Provincial and Area Mentors to promote membership development.
  • In furtherance of the objects stated in (1) above, but not otherwise, the Club shall be empowered to:
    • Do all such lawful things as may be deemed necessary in order to further the stated objects of the Club; and
    • Raise funds by way of donations, contributions, subscriptions, legacies and any other lawful

 

CHAPTER 2 — MEMBERSHIP

 

4.   Eligibility for Membership

  • Membership of the Club shall be open to any Freemason yet to be appointed to the rank of an active or past Provincial Grand Officer, who is:
    • A subscribing member of a Lodge or Chapter within the Province; or
    • A subscribing member of a Lodge or Chapter on the register of the United Grand Lodge of England or Supreme Grand Chapter of England respectively, and who resides or works within the
  • Any Freemason not meeting the qualifications in (1) above who is desirous of joining the Club may apply to the Committee – in such manner and form as the Committee may determine – to be considered for membership. If the Committee resolves that the applicant’s membership would benefit the Club, he shall become a member of the Club and be admitted to the rights and privileges of membership.
  • The eligibility for membership criteria sets out at 4. (1) above shall not apply to those who are already members of the

 

5.   Auto-enrolment

  • A person eligible for membership under section 4(1) above automatically becomes a member of the Club upon meeting the eligibility requirements and enrolling as a member. He continues as a member until such time as that member indicates that he no longer wishes to be involved with the
  • No joining fee or annual subscription is

 

6.   Membership Records

  • The Secretary shall maintain an accurate and up-to-date register of members containing the following:
    • The full names of each member;
    • An address, telephone number, and email address for each member;
    • The name and number of a member’s Lodge and/or Chapter;
    • The date of birth of each member;
    • Any other information the Committee may deem
  • The Club’s membership records, including completed membership forms, shall be kept in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 and all other applicable legislation (including GDPR). The Committee shall adopt a Data Protection Policy which it shall review from time to time. The Secretary is the designated Data Protection Officer for the
  • Any member may request a list of current members of the Club, for which purpose the Secretary shall maintain a redacted list of members containing only the names and Lodges and/or Chapters of

 

7.   Cessation of Membership

  • The cessation of membership to the club will be effective upon the Member receiving Provincial
  • The member should advise the club Secretary upon being notified of receiving Provincial
  • The Officers outlined in 16.1(a)-(b) and Honorary Members are excluded from

 

8.   Resignation of Membership

  • A member of the Club may terminate his membership at any time by submitting his resignation in writing to the Secretary who shall inform the Committee of the
  • The Secretary shall inform the Annual General Meeting of all resignations submitted in the preceding

 

9.   Honorary Members

  • The Chairman, with the approval of the Committee, may offer Honorary Membership of the Club to any
  • An Honorary Member shall possess the right of attending meetings of the Club, but not of making or voting upon any proposition, voting to elect the Chairman, or holding any office in the Club, nor shall his name be included in the membership records maintained under section 6 above, but the Secretary shall maintain a separate list of Honorary

 

10.    Discipline and Complaints

  • The Committee shall be empowered to impartially investigate any complaint or matter of misconduct or discipline concerning any member of the Club arising during the affairs of the Club. The Committee shall be empowered   to exclude any member if his conduct is found to warrant this course of action following a proper hearing of the facts. At this hearing of the facts the member concerned is entitled to be accompanied by a fellow member of the Club who may speak on his
  • Any complaint concerning the Chairman shall be referred to the Club Patron. Any complaint or matter of discipline may be referred to the Club Patron as arbitrator, if it cannot be resolved internally or is of such a nature as to warrant this course of action.

 

CHAPTER 3 — THE COMMITTEE

 

11.    Composition and Powers of the Committee

  • The affairs of the Club shall be managed by a Committee, which shall consist of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Charity Secretary and Committee Members. Only members of the Club may serve on the Committee.
  • The Committee shall have the following powers:
    • Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution the Committee may do all such things on behalf of the Club as are not required to be done by the Club in an Annual or Extraordinary General
    • The Committee may – by a two-thirds majority of those members present and voting – make, amend, revoke and replace regulations for the management of the Club. Such regulations shall not contradict or be otherwise incompatible with the provisions of this Constitution. No such regulation shall be made unless the proposed wording thereof shall have been circulated to the Committee at least twenty-four hours in advance of the meeting at which the regulation is to be

 

12.    Procedure of the Committee

  • The quorum for meetings of the Committee shall be
  • The Chairman, or in his absence the Deputy Chairman, shall preside at all meetings of the Committee. If both are absent, the Secretary shall preside to Chair the
  • Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution any question to be decided by the Committee shall be decided by a simple majority of its members present and voting and each member shall have one vote. In the event that the votes are equal on any question before the Committee, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second, or casting,
  • Subject to this Constitution the Committee may regulate its own

 

13.    Ordinary Meetings of the Committee

  • The Committee should aim to have at least three ordinary meetings between Annual General Meetings. Namely the 3rd Friday of June, September & December.
  • Ordinary Meetings of the Committee may be called by:
    • The Secretary, giving at least four days’ notice, in writing, specifying the date, time, and place of the meeting, to all members of the Committee; or
    • Any three members of the Committee, submitting to the Secretary (who shall immediately inform the rest of the Committee) a requisition specifying the date, time and place of the meeting, that not being earlier than five days after the date on which the requisition was
  • The Secretary shall circulate the agenda for an ordinary meeting of the Committee at least twenty-four hours in advance of the
  • Meetings can, with the unanimous agreement of the committee, be held by remote electronic means such as

 

14.    Emergency Meetings of the Committee

  • Emergency meetings of the Committee may be called by:
    • The Chairman, giving at least twenty-four hours’ notice, in writing, specifying the date, time, and place of the meeting, together with a description of the urgent business to be considered thereat; or
    • Any three members of the Committee, submitting to the Secretary (who shall immediately inform the rest of the Committee) a requisition specifying the date, time, and place of the meeting (that date and time not being earlier than twenty-four hours after the date and time at which the requisition was submitted) together with a description of the urgent business to be considered
  • The business to be transacted at an emergency meeting shall not include any business except such as is mentioned on the notice or requisition convening the meeting, nor shall the minutes of any previous meeting be read or confirmed at an emergency

 

15.    Minutes of Committee Meetings

  • The Secretary shall record accurate minutes of all meetings of the Committee. The minutes of each meeting of the Committee shall be read at the ordinary meeting next following (unless an exact copy has been sent to

 

each member of the Committee with the agenda for the meeting) and submitted for confirmation as a true record of fact.

  • In the absence of the Secretary the members present shall appoint one of their number to record the

 

 

CHAPTER 4 — OFFICERS OF THE CLUB

 

16.    Officers of the Club

  • The Club shall have the following officers:
    • The Patron;
    • The Vice-Patron
    • The Chairman;
    • The Deputy Chairman;
    • The Secretary;
    • The Treasurer;
    • The Charity Secretary
  • The officers outlined in (1)(c)-(g) above shall have such responsibilities as are outlined in Schedule 2 to this Constitution.
  • Only members of the Club may serve as officers outlined in (1)(c)-(g)
  • No member may hold more than one office at the same
  • The officers outlined in (1)(c)-(g) shall hold office for a maximum of four years.

 

17.    The Patron and Vice Patron

  • The office of Patron of the Club shall de facto be held by the Assistant Provincial Grand Master for East Lancashire (Manchester Area), unless he is not desirous of fulfilling this role or gives his consent for the Committee to invite some other distinguished Freemason to serve as
  • The office of Vice Patron of the Club shall be held by the District Chairman of Sykes and Derby Districts of the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire, or other member of the executive nominated by the Assistant Provincial Grand Master for East Lancashire (Manchester Area), as having responsibility for supporting the Club, the same exceptions in 17(1) above equally
  • For all purposes under this Constitution the Patron, Vice-Patron and all past Patrons and Vice-Patrons shall enjoy the same rights and privileges as an Honorary

 

18.    Election of the Chairman

  • The Chairman shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall hold office from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting at which he is elected (or re-elected) until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting.
  • The Chairman shall be elected in accordance with the rules outlined in Schedule 3 to this
  • No member shall be eligible to be elected to the office of Chairman for more than two consecutive terms.

 

19.    Appointment of other Officers

  • All Officers of the Committee outlined in 16(1)(d)-(h), shall be appointed by the Chairman at the beginning of his term and shall hold office from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting at which that Chairman was elected until the conclusion of the next Annual General
  • All Officers of the Committee outlined in 16(1)(d)-(h), shall not stay in their position longer than a term of four
  • Should the Chairman be dissatisfied with the conduct of any of the officers outlined in section 16(1)(d)-(h) above, he may lay a motion before an ordinary meeting of the Committee that such officer be removed from his office. The particulars of the complaint shall be sent to the officer concerned at least seven days before such meeting is to take place. If the motion proposed by the Chairman is approved by two-thirds of the members of the Committee, the officer shall be removed from his office and from the Committee.

 

20.    Resignation and Vacancies

  • The Chairman may resign his office at any time by submitting his resignation to the Committee either orally at a General Meeting or in writing. All other officers may resign their office by submitting their resignation to the Chairman in
  • In the event of the death or resignation of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman shall act as Chairman until such time as a new Chairman shall be elected in accordance with the procedure in Schedule 3.
  • In the event of the death, resignation or removal of the Secretary the Chairman shall appoint a member of the Club to take the office of
  • In the event of the death, resignation or removal of the Treasurer the Chairman shall appoint a member of the Club to take the office of
  • In the event of the death, resignation or removal of any other member of the Committee, or of a vacancy arising on the Committee for any other reason, the Chairman shall appoint a member of the Club to fill the

 

CHAPTER 5 — FINANCE

 

21.    Financial Records

The Treasurer shall keep proper and up-to-date records of the Club’s finances and allow inspection of those records by a member if requested.

 

22.    Bank Account

  • The Club’s funds shall be deposited in a bank account with such bank or building society as the Committee shall from time to time decide. The Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary shall be joint signatories on the account. No other accounts may be opened except with the express permission of the Committee.
  • The Treasurer is permitted to have on-line access to the Club bank accounts to monitor cash flow and to carry out financial transactions on behalf of the Club that have been previously authorised by the
  • Following the deduction of any running costs, any profit arising from Club activities are to be used for charitable

 

23.    Expenditure

  • Any expenditure not covered under (a) and (b) below must be authorised in advance by an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club.
    • If expenditure is necessary before a meeting of the Committee can be held the Treasurer may authorise it with the consent of the Chairman and then must report that expenditure at the next meeting of the Committee. Expenditure under this paragraph may not exceed

£300.

  • The Committee may authorise any expenditure not in excess of

£1500.

  • The Club shall not be liable for any expenditure that has not been authorised in accordance with (1)

 

24.    Accounts

The examined accounts shall be made up until the end of February and shall be presented to the Club for approval at the Annual General Meeting in March, and a copy of those accounts shall be sent to every member together with the agenda for the meeting.

 

25.    Auditors

  • At the first meeting of the Committee following the preceding Annual General Meeting (or as soon as is practicable thereafter), the Committee shall appoint two members to serve as Account Examiners for the ensuing year and until the conclusion of the next Annual General
  • The Account Examiners shall examine the accounts made up by the Treasurer and shall be given access to all minutes, receipts, papers and other records if

 

CHAPTER 6 — GENERAL MEETINGS

 

26.    Annual General Meeting

  • The Club shall hold an Annual General Meeting on the 3rd Friday of March each year, and the Secretary shall give every member at least twenty-one days’ notice thereof.
  • The business to be transacted at each Annual General Meeting shall be as follows:
    • To approve the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting (together with the minutes of any Extraordinary General Meetings which may have been held);
    • To approve the audited annual accounts for the year, together with a report from the Treasurer;
    • To receive a report from the Secretary;
    • To receive a report from the Chairman;
    • The Committee to take questions;
    • To elect the Chairman for the ensuing year; and
    • To consider any resolutions under section 23 above, or under section 29 below, of which proper notice has been
  • Not less than seven days before the date of the meeting the Secretary shall distribute to every member an agenda, together with:

 

  • The accounts compiled under section 24 above;
  • The minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting (and the minutes of any Extraordinary General Meetings); and
  • The full text of any resolutions to be considered under section 5(2)(a) above, under section 23 above, or under section 29
  • The proceedings of an Annual General Meeting shall not be invalidated by the accidental omission to send to any member the notice of the

 

 

27.    Extraordinary General Meetings

  • An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club shall be called by:
    • The Chairman, who shall instruct the Secretary to give every member no less than seven days’ notice of the date, time and place of the meeting together with the details of the business to be transacted thereat, and the full text of any resolution to be considered; or
    • Any five members of the Club submitting a requisition to the Secretary, whereupon the Committee shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting no sooner than fourteen days and no later than twenty-eight days from the date on which the requisition was received. The Secretary shall give every member no less than seven days’ notice of the date, time and place of the meeting together with the details of the business to be transacted thereat, and the full text of any resolution to be
  • The business to be transacted at an Extraordinary General Meeting shall not include any business except such as is mentioned on the notice or requisition convening the meeting, nor shall the minutes of any previous meeting be read or confirmed at an Extraordinary General
  • The proceedings of an Extraordinary General Meeting shall not be invalidated by the accidental omission to send to any member the notice of the

 

28.    Procedure at General Meetings

  • The quorum for General Meetings shall be three
  • It shall be the prerogative of the Chairman to preside at all General Meetings of the Club, but he may elect to delegate this responsibility to another nominated committee
  • Only members of the Club shall be entitled to vote at a General Meeting. Except as otherwise provided by this Constitution all votes taken shall be on a show of hands and every member shall have one vote. In the event that the votes are equal on any question before the meeting the chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote in addition to any other vote he might have.
  • Any motion, resolution, or other proposal at a General Meeting shall require a member to propose it and a member to second
  • The Secretary shall record accurate minutes of all General Meetings. In the absence of the Secretary the chairman of the meeting shall assign a member to record the minutes.

 

CHAPTER 7 — THE CONSTITUTION

 

29.    Amendment of the Constitution

  • This Constitution, or any part thereof, shall not be amended except by way of a resolution (detailing the precise words to be altered, inserted or deleted) proposed at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting called for that
  • No resolution proposing to amend this Constitution shall pass unless two- thirds of those members present and voting at a General Meeting vote in favour of

 

30.    Title and Commencement

  • The full title of this Constitution shall be the “Constitution of the Manchester Level Club”.
  • This Constitution shall come into force on XXXXX.

 

SCHEDULES SCHEDULE 1 – INTERPRETATION

In this Constitution the following words and expressions have the meanings ascribed to them below unless the contrary appears from the context:

 

“Annual General Meeting” means the General Meeting required to be held under section 26 above.

 

“Auditors” means the Auditors of the Manchester Level Club appointed under section 25 above.

 

“Chairman” means the Chairman of the Manchester Level Club. “Chairman of the meeting” means that person presiding at the meeting.

“Chapter” means a Chapter of Holy Royal Arch Masons on the register of the Supreme Grand Chapter of England.

 

“Committee” means the Committee of the Manchester Level Club constituted under section 11 above.

 

“Constitution” means the Constitution of the Manchester Level Club.

 

“Extraordinary General Meeting” means any General Meeting held in accordance with section 27 above.

 

“Freemason” means a person who has been regularly Initiated in any Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons on the register of the United Grand Lodge of England.

 

“General Meeting” means an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.

 

“Grand Master” means the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England.

 

“Honorary Member” means a Freemason admitted to Honorary Membership of the Club under section 10 above.

 

“Lodge” means a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons on the register of the United Grand Lodge of England.

 

“Member” means a member of the Manchester Level Club.

 

“Member(s) of the Committee” means a member of the Committee as specified by section 11 above.

 

“the Province” means that geographic area, specified by the Grand Master under Rule 62 of the Book of Constitutions, within which the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire has jurisdiction.

 

“Provincial Grand Lodge” means the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire.

 

“Provincial Grand Master” means the Provincial Grand Master for East Lancashire.

 

“Assistant Provincial Grand Master” means the Assistant Provincial Grand Master for East Lancashire (Manchester City Area).

 

“Secretary” means the Secretary of the Manchester Level Club appointed in accordance with this Constitution.

 

“The Club” means the Manchester Level Club.

 

“Treasurer” means the Treasurer of the Manchester Level Club appointed in accordance with this Constitution.

 

“UGLE” means the United Grand Lodge of England or the liaison officer appointed by the Pro Grand Master to liaise with NYMCs.

 

 

SCHEDULE 2 – RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICERS OF THE CLUB

 

1.   The Chairman

  • The Chairman shall set the priorities and direction of the Club during his time in office and shall generally lead, oversee and direct the work of the other Officers and liaise with the Clubs of other Provinces and
  • He shall represent the Club and be its spokesman and shall be responsible for authorising any and all communications between the Club and the
  • He shall perform such other duties as are imposed on the Chairman by this Constitution.

 

2.   The Deputy Chairman

  • The Deputy Chairman shall assist the Chairman in the priorities and direction of the Club during his time in office and shall generally deputise for the Chairman, oversee and direct the work of the other Officers and liaise with the Clubs of other Provinces and UGLE.
  • He shall represent the Club and be its Deputy spokesman, and where requested shall be responsible for authorising any and all communications between the Club and the media.
  • He shall perform such other duties as are imposed by the Chairman in this Constitution.

 

3.   The Secretary

  • The Secretary shall keep custody of all books, documents, papers and other records of the Club (except for the financial records referred to in paragraph 4(3) below).
  • He shall keep a record of all matters of importance to the Club and generally do all such things as may be required of him by the Chairman and the Committee.
  • He shall perform such other duties as are imposed on the Secretary by this Constitution.

 

4.   The Treasurer

  • The Treasurer shall receive all monies paid to or received by the Club, issue receipts for those monies in the name of the Club and ensure that all monies received are promptly paid into the account of the Club referred to in section 22 above.
  • He shall make any payments authorised by the Committee or by a General Meeting of the
  • He shall ensure that the financial records of the Club are kept in good order and coordinate the preparation of the financial statements of the Club and their certification by the Auditors prior to their submission to the Annual General
  • He shall perform such other duties as are imposed on the Treasurer by this Constitution.

 

5.   The Charity Secretary

  • The Charity    Secretary    shall    be    responsible    for    maintaining    good relationships between the Club and local
  • He shall seek out opportunities in which the Club can support local charities through volunteering or fund
  • He shall create events to enable awareness and funds to be raised by Club members for
  • He shall perform such other duties as are imposed on the Charity Secretary by this

 

6.   Committee Members

  • The Committee Members shall attend meetings of the Committee and generally be available to support and assist the Chairman and the other Officers of the Club in the exercise of their
  • They shall undertake such other duties as may from time to time be delegated or assigned to them by the Chairman or the Committee and perform such other duties as are imposed on them by this

 

SCHEDULE 3 – ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN

 

1.   Nominations

  • At the same time as giving notice of the Annual General Meeting under section 25(1) above, the Secretary shall invite nominations for the office of Chairman. Nominations must be received no later than five days after the date of the notice of the meeting.
  • To be nominated a member must be proposed and seconded by two other members. No member may be nominated without his
  • If by the deadline for receipt of nominations only one member has been nominated the Annual General Meeting shall declare that member elected unopposed. If more than one member is nominated a ballot shall be held in accordance with paragraph 2 below.
  • If by the deadline for receipt of nominations no member has been nominated, or if before the time set for the Annual General Meeting all those members nominated have withdrawn their consent to be so nominated, the chairman of the meeting shall invite nominations from the floor. If only one member is nominated the chairman of the meeting shall declare that  member elected unopposed, but if more than one member is nominated a ballot shall be held in accordance with paragraph 2

 

2.   Ballot

  • If a ballot is required for the election of the Chairman, the chairman of the meeting shall appoint two members present to act as scrutineers to conduct the ballot. The scrutineers must not be nominees or members who have proposed or seconded any of the
  • The ballot shall be a secret ballot and each member shall have one vote. Only those members present at the meeting shall be allowed to
  • The scrutineers shall give each member a blank piece of paper (a ballot paper). Each member shall write on the ballot paper the name of the nominee for whom they wish to vote. Ballot papers which do not comply with this sub-paragraph or (4) below shall be treated as spoilt, blank or void and not counted.
  • Each ballot paper on which the name of a single nominee has been written counts as one vote for that
  • The scrutineers shall declare elected the nominee who received the highest number of
  • If the scrutineers are unable to declare the result of the ballot because no nominee has received the highest number of votes, the scrutineers must:
    • re-run the ballot in accordance with (1)-(5) above; or
    • with the agreement of the nominees, decide by lot which of them is to be