THE SIXTH MASONIC DISTRICT ASSOCIATION

BY-LAWS

Adopted May 22, 2006

ARTICLE 1 - NAME The name of the organization shall be The Sixth Masonic District Association of Ohio. It will be referred to as the "Association" throughout this document.

ARTICLE 2 - PURPOSE The purpose of the Association shall be to promote the welfare of Freemasonry in the Sixth District and all of Freemasonry by conciliating true friendship among the members of the component lodges, by improving communications within the District and by supporting the District Deputies Grand Master in their work in the District.

ARTICLE 3 ­- MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1

General membership shall consist of those who are Master Masons in good standing in the lodges of the Sixth District.

SECTION 2

In order to assure equitable representation of all lodges, voting membership shall be limited to current elected officers and Past Masters of the lodges of the Sixth District.

SECTION 3

Honorary membership may be given to Master Masons outside of the Sixth District who have shown outstanding Masonic conduct in those areas listed in Article 2. Honorary membership does not carry voting privileges.

ARTICLE 4 -­ MEETINGS

SECTION 1

The fiscal year of the Association shall be from December 1 through November 30 of each calendar year.

SECTION 2

The regular meetings of the Association shall be held on the fourth Monday of January, March, May, September and November.

Special meetings of the officers and committee members may be held on the fourth Monday of February, April, June, July, August and October as the President deems necessary.

SECTION 4

The place of regular meetings shall be at a lodge in the Sixth District by invitation and these dates and places shall be published at the beginning of the year. The host lodge shall provide a meal on those nights. No reimbursement for expenses related to the meal will be provided by the Association.

ARTICLE 5 -­ OFFICERS

SECTION 1

The officers of this Association shall be: President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, Chaplain and Trustee. All offices shall be filled by election with the exception of Chaplain, which shall be appointed by the President.

SECTION 2

Only the President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President and Sergeant-at-Arms shall advance in regular order, unless otherwise recommended by the Nominating Committee or elected by the membership.

SECTION 3

Only actual Past Masters of lodges in the Sixth District shall be eligible to hold office in the Association.

SECTION 4

No lodge shall be represented in more than two offices in the same year.

SECTION 5

No member shall serve more than one full term in the same office except the offices of Secretary, Treasurer and Chaplain.

SECTION 6

The President shall preside at all regular meetings, sign the records thereof, and preside over the Grand Master's Reception. He shall appoint the following committees: Audit, Finance, Ways and Means and any others deemed necessary. He shall also appoint a Funeral Orator and a District Fellowcraft Team Captain.

SECTION 7

The 1st Vice President shall perform all of the duties of the President in his absence. He shall chair the Outdoor Raising and Finance Committee.

SECTION 8

The 2nd Vice President shall perform all of the duties of the President in the event that both the President and 1st Vice President are absent or unable to perform their duties. He shall chair the Thanksgiving Day Raising and the Ways and Means Committee.

SECTION 9

The Sergeant-at-Arms shall tile the meetings of the Association and shall reserve order. He shall be responsible for collecting the contributions to the Grand Master's Scholarship Fund at all Inspections in the Sixth District. He shall keep a record of all such donations and attendance by lodge at each inspection within the Sixth District.

SECTION 10

The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all proceedings of the Association and shall make a proper record of the same, which shall be attested by him, and shall generally perform such other duties as may be requested by the President. He shall issue press releases. On the expiration of his term of office or termination of his service, he shall turn over to his successor (or to the President in the absence of a successor) all records and property of the Association.

SECTION 11

The Treasurer shall receive and have in charge all monies and securities belonging to the Association and disburse or otherwise deal with the same, as shall be ordered by the Association assembled.

He shall keep an accurate record of all monies received and disbursed by him. He shall pay those bills approved by the Finance Committee or authorized by the membership. On the expiration of his term of office or termination of his service, he shall turn over to his successor (or to the President in the absence of a successor) all records and property of the Association.

SECTION 12

The Chaplain shall give the Invocation and Benediction at all meetings of the Association. He shall attend to the welfare of the membership.

SECTION 13

The Trustee of the Association shall be the Immediate Past President. He shall chair the Nominating Committee. He shall produce the roster/calendar of the Association each year. He shall assist the President as requested.

SECTION 14

In the event that any office (with the exception of Trustee and Chaplain) shall become vacant and shall not be filled by progression as provided in these by-laws, the Nominating Committee shall make a recommendation to the officers and members assembled at the first regular meeting scheduled following the event of the vacancy.

ARTICLE 7 ­- COMPENSATION

No officer of this Association shall receive any salary or compensation for his services, other than reimbursement for expenses approved by the Association.

ARTICLE 8 -­ QUORUM

SECTION 1

Voting members representing five (5) or more component lodges and including at least one (1) of the first three ranking officers of the Association shall constitute a quorum.

SECTION 2

A quorum must be established as the first order of business.

ARTICLE 9 -­ NOMINATING COMMITTEE

SECTION 1

The Trustee (Immediate Past President) shall chair the Nominating Committee and shall appoint two other voting members to assist him.

SECTION 2

The Nominating Committee shall annually nominate candidates for the offices of the Association. They shall announce the nominees to the membership at the regular September meeting.

ARTICLE 10 -­ ELECTION OF OFFICERS

SECTION 1

The Officers of the Association shall be elected by a majority vote of the members of the Association at the Annual Meeting of the Association in November of each year, and shall continue in office until their successors are elected and installed.

SECTION 2

After the Nominating Committee has reported, additional nominations may be made from the floor.

Officers shall be elected in the order set forth in Article 5, Section 1.

Elections shall be completed for each office before any balloting can be conducted for the next office.

ARTICLE 11 ­- INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS

The officers elected and appointed shall be installed at the meeting of their election or as soon thereafter as possible.

ARTICLE 12 -­ ORDER OF BUSINESS

The order of business shall be as follows unless deemed necessary to change by the President.

1. Roll call of District Officers and Lodges (to establish a quorum) 2. Reading of minutes 3. Presentation of bills 4. Communications 5. Committee Reports 6. Unfinished business 7. New business 8. Good of the order 9. Announcement of Attendance (present award) 10. Recognition of guests / appreciation of host lodge

ARTICLE 13 -­ DUES AND FINANCES

SECTION 1

A yearly contribution of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be requested from each of the component lodges of the Sixth District. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to notify the lodges in advance of the commencement of each fiscal year.

SECTION 2

The yearly contribution of the lodges to the Association shall be reviewed annually.

ARTICLE 14 -­ AUDITS

SECTION 1

The President shall appoint an Audit Committee consisting of at least three (3) members of the Association. The Committee shall serve for one (1) year or until its successors are appointed.

SECTION 2

The records of the Treasurer and Secretary shall be audited by the Audit Committee at the close of each fiscal year.

ARTICLE 15 -­ REVIEW / AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

SECTION 1

At the Annual meeting of the Association every odd numbered year, the President shall appoint a committee consisting of the 1st Vice President and two (2) members of the Association to serve as a By-laws Review Committee. Such committee shall meet, review the standing by-laws of the Association and make a report at the next regular meeting.

SECTION 2

Amendments to these by-laws may be recommended by the committee chair in the form of a motion at that meeting, or if additional time is needed to review and propose amendments at the next regular meeting following.

SECTION 3

A voting member may propose an amendment to the by-laws in the form of a motion during the new business portion of any regularly scheduled meeting.

SECTION 4

Such motion will in all cases lie over until the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Association when it will be voted upon. Such amendment will require a four-fifths (4/5) majority to be Adopted.

ARTICLE 16 -­ RATIFICATION

These by-laws shall supersede all previous by-laws of the Association.