Byelaws

Name
Northampton United Lodge of Instruction

Lodge Meetings
Meetings shall be held at the Masonic Hall, Northampton at such times as may be arranged by the committee.
The programme of meetings will be communicated annually to all members and to individual Craft Lodge Secretaries.

Membership
Any Master Mason, being a regular subscriber to a Craft Lodge shall be eligible for membership.
All new members shall be regularly proposed and seconded by members of the Northampton United Lodge of Instruction and elected by simple majority of members present at that Lodge Meeting

Officers
President
Vice President(s)
Senior Preceptor
Preceptors (3)
Secretary
Treasurer

All officers other than the Secretary and Treasurer shall be Past Masters
The President shall be the Provincial Grand Master of Northamptonshire & Huntingdonshire or his appointee
Nominations for the office of Senior Preceptor shall be put forward by the Committee for the approval of the Provincial Grand Master of Northamptonshire & Huntingdonshire, but the ultimate decision shall be that of the Provincial Grand Master of Northamptonshire & Huntingdonshire.
Nominations for the office of Vice President shall be put forward to the committee in writing at least 30 days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting i.e. 30 days prior to the last Tuesday in April of any Year.
The President, Vice President and Senior Perceptor will review and appoint the three members of the Board of Preceptors annually.

Committee
The committee shall consist of the Officers plus four members of the lodge. Five committee members shall constitute a quorum.

Elections
The Secretary, Treasurer and four committee members shall be elected annually by a majority vote of members present at the Annual General Meeting.

Annual General Meeting
To be held at the Masonic Hall, Northampton on the last Tuesday in April. Agenda items must be submitted to the Senior Perceptor or the Secretary 21 days in advance. Notice of such meeting shall be deemed to have been given to members if displayed on the notice board at the Masonic Hall for the required period.

Extraordinary General Meeting
An extraordinary General Meeting can be called giving 21 days notice, the resolution for which must be supported by at least 4 fully paid up members of the lodge.

Duties of the Secretary
To maintain a list of names and addresses of all members in conjunction with the Treasurer
Issue notices to all members as instructed by the committee
Take minutes of all proceedings, such minutes to be confirmed at the next regular meeting

Subscriptions
The Committee shall fix membership subscriptions each year. Subscriptions shall be payable annually in advance

Audit & Accounts
Two auditors shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting to act for the ensuing year. The audited accounts for the year shall be submitted by the Treasurer for the approval of the Members at the Annual General Meeting..

Arrears of subscriptions
If a members shall be two years in arrears with his subscriptions, then at the expiration of the second of those years, the Treasurer shall write to his last known address requesting payment and if the arrears shall not be paid within one month of the date of posting of the Treasurer’s letter, then the matter shall be reported at the next Lodge meeting, whereupon the member shall be deemed to have resigned from the Lodge.

Payments from Lodge Funds
Payment of any sum exceeding £50.00 of for other than ordinary purposes, may be made only by resolution of the Lodge, of which notice has been given, except in cases of emergency when such payment may be authorised by the Senior Perceptor and reported to the Lodge at the next regular meeting

By-Laws
A copy of these Bye-Laws shall be supplied to every member. Not less than one month’s notice shall be given to the members of any proposed alterations to the By-laws. All such alterations shall be subject to the approval of the members at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special Meeting called for that purpose

These By-Laws were passed in Open Lodge on 12 February 2001

W.Bro M. W Calvert PPrGSwdB Senior Perceptor
W. Bro R.J. Letty Secretary

Approved on behalf of the Provincial Grand Master
W.Bro W.E. Williams AGDC Provincial Grand Secretary

February 2002