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In ours (New South Wales Australia) it is the standard (I believe) white ball, black ball with two blackballs required for the cnadidate to be declined.
In Texas, the White Balls Elect and the Black Balls Reject. The vote on a petition is purely the vote of the brethren there assembled. The WM only has 1 vote, as does every member.
3 Black Balls reject a candidate from petitioning any other lodge for a year.
Or any combination of Black Balls and Protests from Mason not present at voting that equals 3 total. (i.e. 2 BB + 1 Protest, 1 BB + 2 Protests) Also a total of 4 means 2 years, 5 or more is 3 years.
Or any combination of Black Balls and Protests from Mason not present at voting that equals 3 total. (i.e. 2 BB + 1 Protest, 1 BB + 2 Protests) Also a total of 4 means 2 years, 5 or more is 3 years.
of course the interesting thing is over here it only the Wm that gets to look in the ballot box and state the result. That can make it very interesting!!!!!
of course the interesting thing is over here it only the Wm that gets to look in the ballot box and state the result. That can make it very interesting!!!!!
In Texas, the WM and Wardens are the only ones that see the Ballot Box. While both Wardens may find the vote one way, the WM announces the official results, or for that matter has the power to destroy the ballot and reballot if he has not announced the results. Plus the WM is the only person in the Lodge who knows who might have protested a candidate. The Wardens should know of protests, but not from whom. That's one reason why the WM may announce something different that the Wardens, because the Wardens announce the results from the Ballot Box only.
It can get complicated. Perhaps the most useful session at the JW Retreat this year was on Balloting.
I wonder how many have been black balled through the balloting process. I mean most lodges it seems they are very welcoming to new members, especially younger members. Which they should be, but at what extent?