CHAPTER VII

GENERAL COMMITTEE
THE General Committee consists of the President of the Board of Benevolence, who, if present, acts as Chairman, the Present and Past Grand Officers, and the Master of every regular Lodge. It meets on the fourteenth day immediately preceding each quarterly communication.
Notices of such meetings are from time to time sent to the Secretaries of Lodges; the packet is marked ‘to be forwarded,’ and should be transmitted to the Worshipful Master without delay.
If the Master of any Lodge cannot attend _ the General Committee, the Immediate Past
Master may supply his place; should that _ Brother be unable to attend, any other Past Master of such Lodge may act for him, but in every case the Past Master must be a subscribing member of that Lodge.
At this meeting all reports and representa-
77
Freemasonry and 1s Etiquette
tions from the Grand Master, or the Board of General Purposes, or any Board or Com- mittee appointed by the Grand Lodge, are read.
In normal times the work of the General Committee is of a very perfunctory char- acter; indeed, its very existence seems to be forgotten by most, except the ex-officio mem- bers of it, certain habitual attendants, and the permanent officials, whose duty it is to conduct its proceedings. From time to time, however, matters of importance are to be debated in Grand Lodge, and then the proceedings of the General Committee be- come more animated, as any member of the Grand Lodge intending to make motion therein, or to submit any matter to its con- sideration, must, at such General Committee, or by notice previously given or sent to the Grand Secretary, state, in writing, the nature of such intended ‘motion or matter, that notice thereof may be printed on the paper of business.
No motion, or other matter, may be brought into discussion in the Grand Lodge, unless it shall have been previously com- municated to the General Committee.
The General Committee may direct that
78
General Committce
any notice of motion which, in its judgment, is not within the cognizance of the Grand Lodge, shall be omitted from the list of business to be brought before the Grand Lodge.
All nominations for Boards or Committees must be given to the General Committee in writing, signed by a member of the Grand Lodge.