Bylaws of ST.
ANTHONY CONCLAVE
Knights of the Red Cross of Constantine
and Appendant Orders
City of San Antonio, State of Texas
| Article: | |
| Name and Allegiance | |
| Jurisdiction | |
| Assemblies | |
| Membership | |
| Rejections | |
| Resignations | |
| Officers | |
| Duties of Officers | |
| Fees and Dues | |
| Unusual Cases | |
| Amendments |
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ARTICLE
I. Section 1. This Conclave shall be known as ST. ANTHONY
CONCLAVE, KNIGHTS of the RED CROSS of CONSTANTINE and APPENDANT
ORDERS, with its location at the City of San Antonio, Bexar County,
State of Texas, such name and location having been authorized
by the United Grand Imperial Council in the Charter granted June
12, 1924. Section 2. Allegiance is acknowledged to the UNITED GRAND
IMPERIAL COUNCIL of the KNIGHTS of the RED CROSS of CONSTANTINE
and APPENDANT ORDERS for the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, MEXICO,
and the PHILIPPINES, under whose authority this Charter is held.
top This Conclave shall have exclusive jurisdiction in Bexar County,
State of Texas, and concurrent jurisdiction in all other Counties
in the State of Texas, except those Counties which are the locale
of a Conclave which has exclusive jurisdiction in the County in
which it is located, or such territory as may have been made exclusive
and assigned to a Conclave by the United Grand Imperial Council.
top Section 1. The Annual Assembly of this Conclave shall
be held on or before the Festival of St. John the Evangelist,
or within a period of not later than thirty (30) days thereafter,
on a date and at a place determined by the Sovereign for the Conclave,
written or printed notice of such date and place to be given to
all members at least ten (10) days prior thereto. Section 2. Dates of Regular Assemblies may be set by the
Sovereign, written or printed notice being given to all members
at least ten (10) days prior thereto. Section 3. Special Assemblies may be called by the Sovereign,
or upon the written request of three (3) members of the Conclave.
Notice shall be given to all members at least ten (10) days prior
thereto, and no business shall be transacted except that for which
it is called and which is specified in the notice. Section 4. At all Assemblies five (5) members of this
Conclave, exclusive of the Sovereign, shall constitute a quorum. Section 5. A majority affirmative vote of all members
present at an Assembly shall be required to approve all business
transactions, except those matters for which other provision is
made in these Bylaws or in the Constitution, Statutes, and Regulations
of the United Grand Imperial Council. top Section 1. The maximum number of members of this Conclave
shall be fifty (50), including all classes of membership except
Emeritus Members or Dual and Honorary Members who hold membership
in other Conclaves. Section 3. Any Regular, Dual, or Emeritus Member may,
upon the form provided for that purpose, suggest the name of a
proposed invitee for membership to the Recorder, provided that
the suggested name is accompanied by his complete Masonic record
and a statement that he is a Royal-Arch Mason in good standing
and one who subscribes to a belief in the Christian religion as
revealed in the New Testament. Section 4. No person may petition for the Orders of this
Conclave on his own motion, nor shall any person be received,
either for the Orders or for membership upon demit, unless his
name shall have first been presented to the Conclave in a Regular
Assembly or at the Annual Assembly. Action on the proposal shall
lie over until the name has been cleared through the office of
the Grand Recorder, after which, at a subsequent Regular Assembly,
the person shall be considered and balloted upon by the Conclave.
A single blackball, or an oral or written objection made to the
Sovereign before a person whose name has been proposed is balloted
upon, shall reject any person whose name is so proposed. If the
person whose name shall be so proposed is approved by the unanimous
ballot of Regular, Dual, and Emeritus Members of the Conclave
present, he shall be considered chosen and thereafter shall present
himself for installation within one year after his election. If
he does not so present himself for installation within one year,
his election shall be void; but his name may again be proposed. Assume that four (4) vacancies for membership exist and that
any number in excess of four persons have been proposed for membership
and that from that number six (6) persons have been elected to
membership; then a secret written ballot shall be taken to establish
which four persons of the six persons who have been cleared by
the ballot shall be accepted to fill the existing four vacancies
for membership. According to the above example each Regular, Dual, and Emeritus
Member of the Conclave present shall submit asecret written ballot,
listing thereon the six (6) persons cleared by unanimous ballot
in order of preference, with the number one (1) being assigned
to the number-one preference and so on, with the number six (6)
being assigned to the last preference of the elector. In accordance
with this example, the first person listed on the individual ballot
of an elector shall receive six (6) points, the second person
shall receive five (5) points, the third person shall receive
four (4) points, the fourth person shall receive three (3) points,
the fifth person shall receive two (2) points, and the sixth person
shall receive one (7) point. The number of points that each person
receives on all of the ballots shall be tallied and the four (4)
persons receiving the most points shall be invited to fill the
four existing vacancies in membership. The point system for establishing preference of the individual
ballot shall correspond to the total number of persons who have
been cleared by unanimous ballot, with the first preference receiving
a point total on an individual ballot equal to the total number
of persons cleared by the unanimous ballot, and so on until the
last preference listed on the individual ballot receives one point
on the individual ballot of an elector. Section 5. After an invitation, authorized by the Conclave,
has been issued and presented to the proposed member, there can
be no further ballot or ordeal. Section 6. Every person so chosen for membership shall,
before his installation, file his Acceptance of Invitation in
writing, stating that he is a believer in the Christian religion
as revealed in the New Testament, giving his Masonic affiliations
in the Lodge and Chapter, his residence, date and place of birth,
and present occupation, all over his official signature and in
the form prescribed by the United Grand Imperial Council. Such
Acceptance shall be preserved in the archives of the Conclave.
With his Acceptance the applicant shall also make his offering
in the sum prescribed by these Bylaws. Section 7. A Knight Companion in good standing in another
Conclave may be elected to Dual membership in this Conclave. His
name shall be proposed at a Regular Assembly or at the Annual
Assembly of this Conclave. No action shall be taken or ballot
spread until at least thirty (30) days have elapsed between the
date of the Regular or Annual Assembly at which the name was first
proposed and the next Regular or Annual Assembly at which the
proposal shall be considered and action taken, or a Special Assembly
called specifically for that purpose. He shall have the full rights
and privileges of a Regular member, shall pay dues and assessments
collected by the Conclave, and shall pay the per capita tax and
primary-registration fee required by the United Grand Imperial
Council. Section 8. Honorary Membership may be conferred upon an
active member of another Conclave who has performed an outstanding
service for Freemasonry or the Constantinian Order and upon whom
the Conclave may desire to confer special distinction. The election
of Knights Companion to this classification shall be dependent
upon the recommendation of the Sovereign and a Committee of Past
Sovereigns, plus the unanimous approval of the Conclave. There
shall not be more than a total of five (5) such Honorary Members
at any one time. Section 9. Emeritus Membership may be conferred upon an
active member of this Conclave when such member is prevented from
regular attendance through no fault of his own. Emeritus Members
shall have full rights and privileges of active members and shall
pay annual dues unless by vote of the Conclave they are remitted.
In either case, the per-capita tax shall be paid to the United
Grand Imperial Council the same as for active members. The number
of Emeritus Members of this Conclave shall not exceed ten (10)
at any one time and shall not be counted in the allowed limit
of membership. (Amended June 7, 1996 to increase Emeriti Members
from five (5) to ten (10)) Section 10. A member ceases to be such by resignation,
suspension, or expulsion. Any member who has lost membership in
a prerequisite Masonic body, by demit or otherwise, automatically
forfeits membership in this Conclave. Upon restoration to membership
in such prerequisite Masonic body, he may be restored to membership
in this Conclave by unanimous affirmative vote of the members
present at a Regular or Annual Assembly. Section 11. Any member who has been suspended for non-payment
of dues or other financial obligation to the Conclave may, upon
payment of the same, be restored to membership by a two-thirds
(2/3) affirmative vote of members present at a Regular or Annual
Assembly. A suspension for any other cause, or expulsion, shall
require the unanimous affirmative vote of members present at a
Regular or Annual Assembly for reinstatement. Section 12. All fees for installation, affiliation, or
dual-membership registration must, in all cases, accompany the
petition in full. top Section 1. When the name of a person has been presented
to the Conclave, either for the Orders or for affiliation, and
such a person has been rejected, his name shall not again be presented
until after the expiration of one (1) year from the date of the
Assembly at which such person was rejected. Section 2. In case of the rejection of a proposal for
installation, or a refusal to receive a petition for affiliation,
or an adverse ballot, no member or visitor shall disclose the
name of any member who objected to the proposal or who objected
to the petition, nor the name of the person receiving the adverse
.ballot, under the penalty of suspension or expulsion (if a member)
or of never again being permitted to visit this Conclave or to
become a member thereof (if a visitor). The Puissant Sovereign,
in all proper cases, shall cause this section to be read immediately
after the rejection of a proposal for installation or the rejection
of a petition for affiliation. top Section 1. Any member desiring to withdraw from this Conclave
shall present his resignation in writing at a Regular or Annual
Assembly. If no valid objection is offered, Letters Dimissory
(Demit) shall be granted to him. Section 2. No action shall be taken upon the resignation
of a member pending any inquiry into his conduct, nor until his
dues and/or other financial obligations to the Conclave have been
paid or remitted. top The Officers of this Conclave shall consist of the Sovereign,
viceroy, Senior General, Junior General, Prelate, Treasurer, Recorder,
Prefect, Standard Bearer, Herald, and Sentinel - all to be elected
at the Annual Assembly of the Conclave. They shall be invested
with their respective offices at the time of election or as soon
thereafter as possible. It is not permissible for one Knight Companion
to be installed into more than one elective office for simultaneous
or concurrent terms of service. top ARTICLE
VIII. Section 1. The Sovereign has it in special charge to see
that the Bylaws of the Conclave are duly observed as well as the
Constitution, Statutes, Regulations, and Laws of the United Grand
Imperial Council; that accurate records are kept; that regular
accounts, reports, and returns are made to the Grand Recorder
of the United Grand Imperial Council annually; and that the fees
and dues are paid promptly. He shall preside over the Conclave
and shall see that the opening, closing, and other ritualistic
work is performed in a dignified and creditable manner. Section 2. The Viceroy, in the event of death, permanent
removal from the jurisdiction, or physical incompetency of the
reigning Sovereign of the Conclave shall act, after being coronated
a member of the Senate of Sovereigns, as Sovereign. At all other
times he shall perform. such duties as may be assigned to him
by the Conclave or which are traditionally appropriate to his
station. Section 3. The Senior General and the Junior General shall
perform such duties as may be assigned to them by the Conclave
or which are traditionally appropriate to their respective stations. Section 4. The Treasurer shall keep a correct account
of all moneys received by him on account of the Conclave, giving
his receipt therefor. He shall keep an accurate account of all
moneys received from whatever source on account of the Conclave.
He shall pay out such funds only upon orders drawn upon him by
authority of the Conclave, such orders having been signed by both
the Sovereign and the Recorder. He shall open an account with
a Bank or Trust Company (which has been approved by the Conclave)
as Treasurer of St. Anthony Conclave, Red Cross of Constantine,
of San Antonio, Texas. He shall annually submit in writing an
account of all moneys received and disbursed by him and shall
submit his books and records for audit and approval. He shall
perform such other duties as pertain to the office of Treasurer. Section 5. The Recorder shall keep full and correct minutes
of the proceedings of the Conclave and shall issue notices for
each Annual, Regular, and Special Assembly. Fe shall receive all
moneys which may be paid to the Conclave and shall pay the same
forthwith to the Treasurer, taking his receipt therfor. He shall
submit his books and accounts to the Auditing Committee for examination,
together with the statement of all receipts and expenditures.
From tine to time he shall notify the membership concerning any
dues or other financial obligations which are owing to the Conclave.
He shall, on or before February 1st of each year, submit the Annual
Returns in writing to the Grand Recorder upon such forms as may
be provided by the United Grand Imperial Council for that purpose.
He shall perform such other duties as pertain to the office of
Recorder. Section 6. The Sentinel shall be the custodian of and
shall have charge of all paraphernalia of the Conclave, under
the direction of the Sovereign. Section 7. The duties of the remaining officers of the
Conclave shall be such as prescribed by the Statutes of the United
Grand Imperial Council or, in the absence of such statutory provisions,
such as are usually incident to the respective offices. Section 8. If the Sovereign is absent, the Past Sovereigns
of this Conclave, according to rank and seniority of service (if
not incapacitated) shall be empowered to preside until such time
as the Viceroy has been coronated a member of the Senate of Sovereigns
or until an election has been called to fill vacancies. top
Section 1. The fee for installation in this Conclave shall
be as determined by the Conclave at the Annual Assembly, such
fee to be not less than One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00) and
to include dues for the current year. Section 2. Dues for the ensuing year shall be determined
by the Conclave at the Annual Assembly; such dues, however, shall
be not less than Fifteen Dollars ($15.00). Section 3. The fee for affiliation of a Knight of the
Order shall be as determined by the Conclave at the Annual Assembly,
such fee to be not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) and to include
dues for the current year. Section 4. The fee for Dual Membership shall be as determined
by the Conclave at the Annual Assembly, such fee to include the
United Grand Imperial Council registration fee and the Conclave
dues for the current year; however, such fee shall be not less
than Fifty Dollars ($50.00). Section 4. All dues shall be payable in advance on or
before the first day of January of each year. Any member in arrears
to the Conclave for more than one year's dues, or any other financial
obligation, and neglecting or refusing to pay for same after he
has been duly notified may be suspended from membership unless
his arrearages shall have been paid or shall have been remitted
by a majority vote of members present at a Regular Assembly or
the Annual Assembly. top In cases not especially provided for by the traditions of this
order, or by the United Grand Imperial Council of the Order, or
by these Bylaws, this Conclave shall be governed by the usages
of Ancient Craft Masonry so far as the same may apply. top
Section 1. No addition, alteration, repeal, or amendment
to these Bylaws shall be made unless a motion therefor be presented
in writing at a Regular Assembly or the Annual Assembly, such
motion to be signed by at least two (2) members of this Conclave.
It shall be read by the Sovereign or by the Recorder and shall
lay over until the next Assembly (Annual, Regular, or Special)
without debate. The Recorder shall cause the addition, alteration,
repeal, or amendment to be printed in full in the notice of the
next Assembly (Annual, Regular, or Special), when it shall be
acted upon; and if it is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative
vote of the members present, it shall be adopted. top
CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy
of the Bylaws regularly adopted at an Assembly of ST. ANTHONY
CONCLAVE of San Antonio, Texas, Knights of the Red Cross of Constantine,
held in the City of San Antonio, State of Texas, on the 27th day
of February, A.D. 1982, A.0. 1669. s/ William C. Young Attest: APPROVAL The foregoing Bylaws, adopted by ST. ANTHONY CONCLAVE of San Antonio, Texas, at its Assembly on February 27, 1982, are hereby approved this 8th day of March, A.D. 1982, A.O. 1669, subject, however to the final approval of the United Grand Imperial Council at its next Annual Assembly. s/ Chester D. Minick CERTIFICATION This certifies that at the Annual Assembly of the United Grand
imperial Council held on June 12 1982, at Newport Beach, California,
the Bylaws of ST. ANTHONY CONCLAVE adopted February 27, 1982,
and approved by the Chairman of the Committee on chartered Conclaves
were, upon vote of the United Grand Imperial Council, duly sanctioned
and approved. s/ Paul C. Rodenhauser |
