My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

suspension of non payment of dues what happens

daopqc

Registered User
suspension of non payment of dues what happens: I have been out of work just under 1 year and i got a email from a brother say i was listed on the suspension of non payment of dues, I just got a job about 1 month ago and iam catching up with bills. I told him that will make some type of payment towards it. Wil that be ok? and if i can make the full paymet or something towards it what will happen to me? And if i get suspened what happens to me and how do i get out of suspention. Thank you brother for help me out?
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
you fill out a form and pay dues. technically your lodge can just "not put you into arrears" and nothing will ever happen to you, but it would appear too late for that.

if it's not within 3 years, i believe a vote must be taken (no secret ballot required)
 

david918

Premium Member
Get in touch with your lodge now,I'm sure something can be worked out, I know we have one brother this year who is having financial problems and are going to remit his dues.Just remember it has to be done by Wed June 23rd at midnight.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
you fill out a form and pay dues. technically your lodge can just "not put you into arrears" and nothing will ever happen to you, but it would appear too late for that.

if it's not within 3 years, i believe a vote must be taken (no secret ballot required)

Here's the law:

Art. 319. (354). Automatic Suspension. Lodge dues are due
and payable one year in advance on January 1st of each year (unless
otherwise exempt) and if not paid on or before that date a member
shall be in arrears for his dues; and on or before thirty days before
the last stated meeting of the Lodge held before June 24th of each
year, it shall be the duty of the Secretary to notify each member, in
writing, who may be in arrears for any dues, and if such member
fails to pay such dues on or before June 23rd of such year, he shall
stand automatically suspended for non-payment of dues without
action by the Lodge, and such suspension shall be recorded in the
minutes at the first subsequent stated meeting of the Lodge.
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
my interpretation of that and what i've seen happen is that:

if the secretary "fails" to notify a member that he's in arrears, he's not subject to the automatic suspension. just my layman's interpretation, though.
 
H

Huw

Guest
This is different from the process over here in England. Here, we don't have suspension for non-payment, we have exclusion from membership.

This is at the option of the Lodge by ballot after a period determined by the by-laws of the individual Lodge, but typically a little under a year, perhaps 10 months or so overdue is average. If a member is in difficulty, then of course the members might choose to be lenient with him, and sometimes some of the members will pay his subscription for him. But once a member falls 2 full years behind, then he's automatically excluded by the GL rules, without ballot or option for leniency.

Once a member has been excluded for non-payment (whether at option or automatically), then to be re-instated in that Lodge (or to join any other Lodge instead) he must first pay up what was outstanding at the date of exclusion, and then has to be re-proposed and ballotted (in the same way as a joining member from another Lodge).

T & F,

Huw
 

bpire2002

Registered User
I feel if a brother mason falls on hard times the lodge should pass the hat and pay that brothers dues. Refer to our obligation.
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
I feel if a brother mason falls on hard times the lodge should pass the hat and pay that brothers dues. Refer to our obligation.

They have to ask to receive and deemed worthy. We have guys at a lodge I am a member of that ask for help at the last minute and I work with them at Lockheed making $25/hr +. I am all with helping but not everyone that asks is automatic. It needs to be handled with a case by case basis. We are an organization that does charitable things not a charitable organization and as stated many times there are several things that a brother can do besides go NPD but he must contact the Lodge first to discuss those things.
 

bpire2002

Registered User
They have to ask to receive and deemed worthy. We have guys at a lodge I am a member of that ask for help at the last minute and I work with them at Lockheed making $25/hr +. I am all with helping but not everyone that asks is automatic. It needs to be handled with a case by case basis. We are an organization that does charitable things not a charitable organization and as stated many times there are several things that a brother can do besides go NPD but he must contact the Lodge first to discuss those things.

i agree, i guess i should have made that more clear but thats what i meant when i said a brother fell on hard times. Also, if I know a brother has lost his job or some other circumstances where paying his dues might be a problem, he doesnt need to ask ill just take care of it.
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
he doesnt need to ask ill just take care of it.

One of the weakest parts of man is EGO and if a man has too much pride to ask a Brother for help then what has been learned in the teachings? The problem is we choose not to get close to our Brothers and it is a friendship. The love I have for my Brothers is hard to describe and there is no doubt that they would ask me to help and have for that matter. Plus as a former Secretary when you have 30 guys go in arrears it is almost impossible to contact each one because people move and change their number without contacting the Lodge. So how can you know every situation? With the shape Lodges are in we can't just keep paying dues for people that have gone MIA just because we assume they have fallen on hard times. (I know you are not saying this but I was a member of a Lodge that if a member did not pay their dues they voted to pay them to keep their membership numbers up and still do)
 

bpire2002

Registered User
One of the weakest parts of man is EGO and if a man has too much pride to ask a Brother for help then what has been learned in the teachings? The problem is we choose not to get close to our Brothers and it is a friendship. The love I have for my Brothers is hard to describe and there is no doubt that they would ask me to help and have for that matter. Plus as a former Secretary when you have 30 guys go in arrears it is almost impossible to contact each one because people move and change their number without contacting the Lodge. So how can you know every situation? With the shape Lodges are in we can't just keep paying dues for people that have gone MIA just because we assume they have fallen on hard times. (I know you are not saying this but I was a member of a Lodge that if a member did not pay their dues they voted to pay them to keep their membership numbers up and still do)

ok.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
is there a necro award?

Wing, I'm not exactly sure what you're asking but, if I understand your question, this section from Art. 360 may be the answer you're looking for:

"no Mason who stands suspended for nonpayment of dues at the time of his death can be restored to membership thereafter by payment, or remission, of such dues."

Despite the above, the WM of a Lodge may, at his discretion, extend the privilege of a Masonic service to a Brother who is suspended for NPD. (Art. 359)
 
Top