Chapter 56
Officers of a Lodge, Term, Resignation, and Title
Each officer of a subordinate lodge duly elected or appointed and installed, shall hold office until the next annual communication and until his successor is duly chosen and installed or until he is removed or his office shall have become vacant under the provisions of THE CODE. [55-1].
1. The term of office for the officers of a lodge is defined to be from the annual stated communication to the next annual stated communication. An officer who is elected and installed within sixty days after the date of the annual stated communication, and who serves to the next annual stated communication, shall be considered as having served a full term. [47-7.1; 48-1.11; 53-2.3; 54-1.2; 56-2; 56-3; 57-4].
2. A brother who has served as Master of a lodge from the date of the charter to the annual communication of said lodge, and who also served in that office while the lodge was under dispensation, is entitled to the rank of Past Master of the said lodge. (this section amended, effective 1/1/2010)
An installed officer, elective or appointive, may with the consent of his lodge and with the approval of the Grand Master resign his office in the lodge, but a Master who resigns before the close of his term shall not become a Past Master. [57-1.3;57-2; 57-5.2; 57-5.3; 57-6].
The title of the Master is Worshipful. The title of the other officers and members is Brother. A Past Master is one who has been regularly elected and installed as Master of a chartered and constituted symbolic lodge and has served to the close of his term or who dies during of his term of office. If the lodge becomes defunct before that time, the close of his term occurs when his lodge became defunct. If a Master is responsible for the failure of his lodge, resigns, or is removed from office and not restored thereto within his term, he is not a Past Master. The principal officer of a lodge is Master, not Worshipful Master. The prefix Worshipful is a title of respect given him by others, and not the name of his office. It is improper for the Master to sign his name Worshipful Master. It should be Master. [47-7.1; 48-1.11; 49-7; 56-1.1; 57-4; 87-15; Official Form 44].
REG. 56-4 SECRETARY OF DISTINCTION Any lodge at a stated communication and by majority vote, upon a written proposal signed by at least three members of the lodge and received at a previous stated communication not less than twenty-eight days before such vote, may confer the honorary title of Secretary of Distinction on a member of such lodge in good standing, who, at the time of such proposal shall have completed five consecutive full years as Secretary of such lodge, and who at that time, shall be a member of his lodge in good standing, and shall have rendered outstanding and meritorious service as Secretary. The proposal shall not be sent to the Grand Secretary nor referred to a committee. On election, report thereof shall be made to the Grand Secretary within ten days. (This regulation amended, effective January 1, 2007)
REG. 56-5 TREASURER OF DISTINCTION Any lodge at a stated communication and by majority vote, upon a written proposal signed by at least three members of the lodge and received at a previous stated communication not less than twenty-eight days before such vote, may confer the honorary title of Treasurer of Distinction on a member of such lodge in good standing, who, at the time of such proposal shall have completed five consecutive full years as Treasurer of such lodge, and who at that time, shall be a member of his lodge in good standing, and shall have rendered outstanding and meritorious service as Treasurer. The proposal shall not be sent to the Grand Secretary nor referred to a committee. On election, report thereof shall be made to the Grand Secretary within ten days. (This regulation amended, effective January 1, 2013)
REG. 56-6 TYLER OF DISTINCTION Any lodge at a stated communication and by majority vote, upon a written proposal signed by at least three members of the lodge and received at a previous stated communication not less than twenty-eight days before such vote, may confer the honorary title of Tyler of Distinction on a member of such lodge in good standing, who, at the time of such proposal shall have completed five consecutive full years as Tyler of such lodge, and who at that time, shall be a member of his lodge in good standing, and shall have rendered outstanding and meritorious service as Tyler. The proposal shall not be sent to the Grand Secretary nor referred to a committee. On election, report thereof shall be made to the Grand Secretary within ten days. (This regulation amended, effective January 1, 2013)
REG. 56-7 CHAPLAIN OF DISTINCTION Any lodge at a stated communication and by majority vote, upon a written proposal signed by at least three members of the lodge and received at a previous stated communication not less than twenty-eight days before such vote, may confer the honorary title of Chaplain of Distinction on a member of such lodge in good standing, who, at the time of such proposal shall have completed five consecutive full years as Chaplain of such lodge, and who at that time, shall be a member of his lodge in good standing, and shall have rendered outstanding and meritorious service as Chaplain. The proposal shall not be sent to the Grand Secretary nor referred to a committee. On election, report thereof shall be made to the Grand Secretary within ten days. (This regulation amended, effective January 1, 2021)