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BY-LAWS
OF OMALA GROTTO OF THE MYSTIC ORDER
OF VEILED PROPHETS OF THE ENCHANTED REALM
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Preamble |
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Name
and Location |
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Membership |
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Officers |
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Sessions |
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Fiscal
Year |
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Quorum |
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Fees
and Dues |
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Demits |
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Penalties |
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Amendments |
I
. Preamble
That
the best interest of the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of
the Enchanted Realm may be secured, only Master Masons are eligible
for its mysteries. one of the objects of the order is to benefit
the Symbolic Lodge, and in many cases the government is guided
by Masonic usages as the most perfect system extant; but it
is to be explicitly understood that in itself it is not a Masonic
Order, and that it is in no sense a Masonic Degree.
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II.
Name and Location
This
Grotto shall be located in the City of San Antonio, State or
Province of Texas, and known as OMALA GROTTO, M.O.V.P.E.R.,
and acknowledges obedience to and the sovereignty of the Supreme
Council of the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted
Realm, organized in Hamilton, N.Y., June 13, 1890.
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III.
Membership
| Sec.
1. |
No
one but a regular Master Mason in good standing and affiliated
with a regularly and duly constituted Masonic Lodge is eligible
to membership in this Grotto. |
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| Sec.
2. |
Membership
shall be divided into three classes: active, honorary, and
life. Active membership may be obtained either by petition,
followed by election and initiation, or by affiliation. |
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| Sec.
3. |
A
Petition for Initiation or Affiliation can be received by
the Grotto at any session, and when received, shall be referred
to an Investigating Committee of not less than three members.
A Petition, having been referred to an Investigating Committee,
cannot be withdrawn. The petitioner must have been a resident
of the place from which he petitions for at least three
months preceding the presentation of the petition. He must
present his current membership card to the Prophet sponsoring
his membership application showing that he is in good standing
in his Masonic Lodge. A Petition for Affiliation must be
supported by a demit or a certificate from the Executive
Secretary. |
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| Sec.
4. |
Immediately
after receiving the report of the Investigating Committee,
the applicant, whether for membership by initiation or by
affiliation, shall be balloted upon. It shall take three
or more black balls to reject a candidate. If but three
black balls appear, a second ballot shall be taken immediately,
and if three or more black balls appear on the second ballot,
the candidate shall be declared rejected. However, a Prophet
who is demitted from a Grotto and then petitions the same
Grotto for affiliation, shall be reinstated to membership
by a majority vote of the members present and voting at
a Stated Session thereof. |
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| Sec.
5. |
A
petition having been rejected cannot again be received until
three months shall have elapsed. A Petition for Affiliation
may again be received at any time by the rejecting Grotto,
or by any other Grotto that may have acquired jurisdiction. |
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| Sec.
6. |
Any
Prophet who at the time, is a member in good standing of
some other chartered Grotto, may without fee, and by unanimous
ballot at any session, be elected an Honorary Member of
this Grotto. An Honorary Member is not entitled to vote,
nor can he hold office or committee membership in this Grotto. |
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| Sec.
7. |
Any
member of this Grotto who is in good standing on the books
of the Grotto, may commute all future annual dues upon the
payment in cash of an amount equal to 15 times the annual
dues currently assessed the members of the Grotto. |
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IV.
Officers
| Sec.
1. |
The
Elective officers of this Grotto shall consist of: Monarch,
Chief Justice, Master of Ceremonies, Treasurer, Secretary,
Venerable Prophet, and three Trustees. |
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| Sec.
2. |
At
the first election of trustees, three trustees shall be
elected; one for a period of one year, one for a period
of two years, and one for a period of three years. Thereafter,
one shall be elected each year to serve for a period of
three years. |
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| Sec.
3. |
As
soon as is practicable after the election of officers, the
Monarch shall appoint a Marshal, a Captain of the Guard,
a Sentinel, a Chaplain, and Auditing Committee, and such
other officers as may be desirable or necessary for the
proper exemplification of the order to serve during his
term of office. |
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| Sec.
4. |
Any
officer may resign at his pleasure. The vacancy in an elective
office may, on three days notice to members, be filled by
election at any Stated Session. A vacancy in an appointive
office may be filled at any time. |
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| Sec.
5. |
The
duties of the officers shall be such as are prescribed by
the Supreme Council Code, together with such other duties
as are usual to such office or officers. The duties of the
Auditing Committee shall be, to audit all financial records,
books and accounts of the Secretary, Treasurer, Trustees
and any other accounts or funds of the Grotto, its committees
or auxiliary organizations, and report thereon at the annual
meeting. |
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| Sec.
6. |
The
Elective Officers shall be elected by ballot at the first
Stated Session of the Grotto in December of each year, except
that the date may be changed by dispensation of the Grand
Monarch. No candidate shall be received or initiated or
obligated at the meeting set aside and designated for an
election of officers, until after the election of officers
shall have been held. No candidate for elective office shall
be balloted upon until he shall be certified as being eligible
for such office as required by the Supreme Council Code. |
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| Sec.
7. |
The
Secretary and Treasurer shall give a corporate surety bond
in such amount, and subject to such terms, as shall be acceptable
to and approved by the Board of Trustees, and as required
by the Supreme Council Code.
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| Sec.
8. |
The
officers shall be installed during the Session at which
they are elected or appointed, or at the next Stated Session
thereafter, and their terms shall continue until their successors
are elected and installed.
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V.
Sessions
| Sec.
1. |
Stated
Sessions of this Grotto shall be held on the second Friday
in each month; except that the three Sessions during the
summer months may be omitted by vote of the Grotto.
The Stated Sessions of Omala Grotto shall begin at 7:30
p.m. |
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| Sec.
2. |
Special
Sessions shall be held at the call of the Monarch, or when
requested in writing by not less than ten (10) members.
only the business designated in the call shall be acted
upon at Special Sessions. Notice of the time and place of
holding Special Sessions shall be mailed to each member
at least five days prior thereto. At least two Ceremonial
Sessions shall be held each year. |
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VI.
Fiscal Year
The
fiscal year of the Grotto shall end December 31.
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VII.
Quorum
Seven
(7) members, including an officer qualified to open the Grotto,
shall constitute a quorum.
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VIII.
Fees and Dues
| Sec.
1. |
The
fee for conferring the Order shall be $125.00, all of
which
shall be paid before initiation. |
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| Sec.
2. |
The
fee for affiliation shall be $50.00, which must accompany
the petition, to be returned if the petition is rejected. |
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| Sec.
3. |
The
annual dues of each member shall be $25.00, plus any
Supreme Council Assessments, payable in advance
on or before the first Stated Session in January of each
year. Honorary and Life Members shall not be required
to
pay dues. Upon payment of annual dues a member shall be
issued an annual membership card which shall be good
until
after the first Session in January of the succeeding year. (amended
November 14, 2003; amended April 11, 2008) |
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| Sec.
4. |
Each
member of the Grotto, including Life Members, shall, at
the time of paying his annual dues, pay to the Secretary,
the sum of $1.00 for the benefit of the Supreme Council
Humanitarian Foundation to be used exclusively for charitable
purposes. A failure to pay said dollar shall have the same
force and effect as a failure to pay dues. |
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| Sec.
5. |
A
member delinquent in dues after ten (10) days written notice,
and an opportunity to show cause why he should not be suspended,
may be suspended by a majority vote of the members present,
and voting at any session. |
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IX.
Demits
A demit
shall be issued a member upon his written request at any time,
if he is free from all indebtedness, and no charges are pending
against him, no action by the Grotto being necessary.
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X.
Penalties
When
a Prophet demits or becomes expelled or suspended from a Masonic
Lodge, his standing in the Grotto shall be similarly affected
and his membership ceases, or lies in abeyance until he has
reaffiliated with a Lodge.
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XI.
Amendments
These
By-Laws may be altered, amended, or repealed by an affirmative
vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting at any
regular Session, after the proposed change shall have been submitted
in writing at a previous regular Session, read, and entered
upon the Minutes, and not less than five days written notice
shall have been given the members reciting the change, and designating
the session at which action thereon is to be taken. When the
Constitution and Code of the Supreme Council are amended or
changed, and the By-Laws of this Grotto are thereby affected,
the By-Laws of this Grotto are ipso facto changed to conform
with the action of the Supreme Council.
(Suggested other provisions which the local Grotto might add
to the foregoing By-Laws, adopting of Robert's Rules of Order,
setting forth the order of business; establishing a Board of
Trustees, and their functions; outlining duties of various officers,
including that of Secretary and Treasurer; establishing various
committees, including committee on Charity, finance committee,
auditing committee, etc.; establishment of meeting place, investment
of monies, payment of salaries to Secretary or other officers;
and other provisions establishing a complete set of rules for
the regulation and conduct of the Grotto, providing the same
are not inconsistent with, or violative of, the Supreme Council
Code.)
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