Chapter 16

Duties of the Grand Secretary

REG. 16-1 DUTIES OF THE GRAND SECRETARY.

The duties of the Grand Secretary are as follows.

1. To attend all of the communications of the Grand Lodge, to attend the Grand Master, or any board, commission, or committee when required to do so by the Grand Master, with the books and necessary papers pertaining to his office, and to place in the hands of the proper persons all papers relative to matters over which they shall have jurisdiction.

2. To issue notices of any emergent communication of the Grand Lodge for business called by the Grand Master forwarding the same to each member and officer of the Grand Lodge and to each lodge. [18-3].

3. To record all transactions of the Grand Lodge which are proper to be written. [Chapter 23]

4. To attend the meetings of the Board of General Purposes and record the proceedings. [28-2].

5. To provide, subject to the approval of the Grand Master, for a complete stenographic record of the transactions of any communication of the Grand Lodge which are proper to be written, but he need not print all of such stenographic record in the Annual Proceedings. [Chapter 23].

6. To cause to be printed the annual report of the Grand Master in a pamphlet form and to provide a sufficient number to furnish each member of the Grand Lodge with a copy at the annual communication. Other reports and matters to be considered by the Grand Lodge may be included in the same pamphlet. [13-2.5].

7. To preserve in the archives of the Grand Lodge the original documents of each communication of the Grand Lodge and safely keep all valuable documents and papers of the Grand Lodge.

8. To receive all moneys due the Grand Lodge from any and all sources and, after making a proper record thereof, pay them over to the Grand Treasurer not later than the twenty-fifth of each month, taking his receipt for the same, which receipt may be the canceled warrant or check bearing the endorsement of the Grand Treasurer. [15-1.3].

9. To select one or more depositories for such funds as he may have in his care unless otherwise provided by the Grand Lodge. [21-3].

10. To issue all warrants for the payment of money when authorized to do so by the Grand Lodge or the Grand Master and maintain a proper record of the same. Such warrants shall contain date of issue, amount payable, payee, by what authority issued, the object for which issued, and upon which fund drawn if the Grand Lodge has established more than one fund. [15-1.7].

11. To keep suitable permanent books of accounts and carefully to segregate and record therein all moneys received and warrants issued by him and to record therein the accounts of the several lodges.

12. To conduct the correspondence of the Grand Lodge and submit copies thereof at any time he may be required to do so by the Grand Lodge or the Grand Master. [43-11; 93-2].

13. To receive all petitions, appeals, or applications to the Grand Lodge and lay them before officers, boards, commissions, and committees. [8-3; 98-13].

14. To present to the Grand Master and to the Chairman of the Committee on Finance on or before March fifteenth of each year, and also to the annual communication of the Grand Lodge, a full report of all receipts and warrants drawn during the preceding calendar year showing the sources of the revenue and the aggregate amounts of warrants drawn upon each item of the budget for the period and any special fund that the Grand Lodge may have established. [22-1; 22-4.3].

15. To report to each annual communication all subordinate lodges which may be in arrears and those which may have neglected or refused to file their annual return as required by law.

16. To apply any payments made by a subordinate lodge to its oldest account if such lodge is indebted to the Grand Lodge unless otherwise provided by the Grand Lodge. [47-9.2].

17. To present at each annual communication of the Grand Lodge all unfinished business of the Grand Lodge and any matters which may properly come within his province. [34-16].

18. To maintain a record of all petitioners for the degrees and applicants for membership; dates of receiving the several degrees, rejections, deaths, expulsions, suspensions, exclusions for nonpayment of dues, endowed memberships, and the dates thereof, and all other additions and losses in membership, with dates, as may be reported to his office by subordinate lodges. Such record shall show the full name, birthplace, date of birth, and other means of identification of all additions to membership; and to furnish any subordinate lodge such information as may be in his records when requested or when required by law to do so. [59-12.19].

19. To examine, audit, and correct the annual returns of the subordinate lodges during the recess of the Grand Lodge, to compare them with the return for the preceding year and generally to see that each return is properly prepared and is correct, or cause the same to be corrected and properly prepared by the subordinate lodge. [59-12.16; Chapter 47].

20. To notify all grand lodges in fraternal correspondence with this Grand Lodge, and all subordinate lodges in this state, of the names and addresses of the Grand Lodge officers within thirty days after each annual communication.

21. To notify the subordinate lodges in each Masonic District of this state of the appointment of a District Deputy Grand Master for that District and to furnish each District Deputy Grand Master with a list of the lodges in his district.

22. To supervise the printing and distribution of the Annual Proceedings of the Grand Lodge and other documents ordered printed. [Chapter 23].

23. To procure a portrait of each Grand Master and cause the portrait of the Grand Master for the time being to be printed in the Annual Proceedings. He shall place upon the portrait the name and year of service of such Grand Master. Except in case of death he shall make but a single publication of any portrait unless specifically ordered by the Grand Lodge. [13-2.23; 23-2].

24. To photograph all dispensations to form new lodges and all charters issued for new lodges after the same have been completed and executed, together with the petition for each. To cause these photographs to be printed in the Annual Proceedings for the year in which such documents were issued and to retain the original photographs in the archives as a permanent record. [23-1.9].

25. To keep and preserve the seal of the Grand Lodge and affix the same with his attestation to all documents requiring the same. [89-13].

26. To sign and seal all charters, dispensations to form new lodges, certificates, commissions, diplomas, and other instruments of writing not otherwise provided for which emanate from the Grand Lodge, or the Grand Master, or the Judge Advocate, or which may be required by THE CODE. [89-13; 93-2].

27. To furnish to any brother requesting the same, a certificate under the seal of the Grand Lodge as to the standing of any lodge in this Grand Jurisdiction, the cost not to exceed one dollar. [5-1.6].

28. To furnish any grand officer with a certificate under seal, of his election or appointment if requested to do so. [Official Form 57].

29. To procure the books and stationery required for the Grand Lodge.

30. To prepare and furnish to each subordinate lodge, before November fifteenth of each year, blank returns in duplicate for annual returns, the subordinate lodge to complete both copies forwarding the original to the Grand Secretary and retaining the copy for its permanent file. [Chapter 47].

31. To send notices of indebtedness to all subordinate lodges in arrears at least four times each year, unless otherwise ordered by the Grand Lodge.

32. To prepare and furnish blank forms for proxies of officers of subordinate lodges for business communications of the Grand Lodge. [Official Form 43].

33. To furnish the Committee on Fraternal Correspondence a copy of the proceedings of other Grand Jurisdictions and all documents relating thereto as may be received by him.

34. To procure a Past Grand Master's jewel for each retiring Grand Master and an appropriate apron for each incoming Grand Master. [89-5.3; 89-9; 89-9.3; 89-9.8;89-5.4].

35. To see that all property of the Grand Lodge in his care is properly insured.

36. To have custody of the Grand Lodge library as Grand Librarian and to keep it insured.

37. To keep and maintain an office in the City of Raleigh, North Carolina, or elsewhere as may be directed by the Grand Lodge, and to keep his office open for Masonic business at least seven hours each day except Saturdays, Sundays, and such holidays as he may elect.

38. To appoint, with the approval of the Grand Master, an assistant to the Grand Secretary who shall have and maintain the qualifications required for a Grand Secretary set forth in Chapter 11, and to fill any vacancy in the same manner. For the official acts of such Assistant to the Grand Secretary, the Grand Secretary and his bondsman shall be responsible. When the Grand Secretary is unable to perform the duties of his office for any reason, the Assistant to the Grand Secretary, when directed by the Grand Master, shall perform the duties of the Grand Secretary as Acting Grand Secretary and shall receive such compensation as the Grand Master shall direct, but the Grand Master in his discretion shall have the power to name some other qualified brother as Acting Grand Secretary. [12-5;11-11; 21-3.3; 21-3.4; 21-3].

39. To perform any other duties which pertain to his office and which he may be directed to perform by the Grand Lodge or the Grand Master. [22-1; 22-2; 22-4.3].

45. To surrender his office to his successor at the end of his term or sooner if lawfully required to do so and to deliver to him any and all property of every kind belonging to the Grand Lodge in his possession, or for which he may be responsible. He shall take duplicate receipts therefor, one copy of which shall be delivered to the Grand Master.

46. To execute and file with the Grand Master, within fifteen days after his installation, an official surety bond in such penal sum as the Grand Lodge or the Grand Master may require but not less than $100,000.00, with such sureties as shall be approved by the Grand Master, conditioned that he will faithfully discharge the duties of his office as provided in THE CODE or by any amendments thereto. The premium for said bond shall be paid by the Grand Lodge. If he shall fail to file the said bond within the prescribed time, the Grand Master shall declare the office vacant and appoint a brother who is qualified and who will file the required bond. (This regulation amended, effective January 1, 2021)

REG. 16-2 GRAND SECRETARY STATION.

The Grand Secretary's station is at the left of the Grand Master.