1.7.21 Objection after balloting

No subordinate lodge shall consider the unfavorable report of a committee as a rejection of a petition, but shall take a ballot thereon; nor shall they initiate a candidate after a clear ballot, if objection thereto be made by any member of the lodge; but such objection, unless withdrawn within six months, shall be deemed to be a rejection in the same manner as though made by ballot: provided, however, that if such members shall voluntarily make known to the lodge the nature of his objection, the same may be overruled by a vote of two-thirds of the members present.
See Decision Nos. 7, 30, 39, 47.

Related Decisions

No. 07. Examining Committee Report

Decision: A member of an examining committee having stated to an officer or member of the lodge "that he should report unfavorably," if he be absent when the ballot is taken and there be no report from him, the officer or member, if present, is bound to make known the fact to the lodge.

Constitution, Article VII, Sec. 1.7.21. November 19, 1866. (Doyle, GM)

No. 30. Determining The Validity Of Objections

Decision: Objecting to profanes becoming members of the lodge, when the names of the persons objected to are not before the lodge, is not an objection within the meaning of the Constitution of the Grand Lodge; to be a valid objection it should be made personally, either to the Master, or to the lodge when open in due form, because an objection can have no weight unless made after a ballot has been taken and found to be clear, and no objection can be valid previous to the action of the lodge.

Constitution, Article VII, Sec. 1.7.21. May 15, 1882. (Freeman, GM)

No. 39. Objections From Non-Members

Decision: That while objections to a candidate by a brother Mason of another lodge than that in which the candidate has received a clear ballot, though having no legal force, should be entitled to moral weight, and that for the good name of Masonry, and to guard against the reception of unworthy material the Master should give due heed to any statements bearing on the case, if in his judgment they are worthy of serious consideration.

Constitution, Article VII, Sec. 1.7.21. May 20, 1889. (Ackley, GM)

Amended November 16, 1996.

No. 47. Objections Not Withdrawn Or Overruled

Decision: An objection if not withdrawn or overruled as provided in the Constitution, Article VII, Section 1.7.21. is to be deemed an objection in the same manner as though made by ballot. The rejection dates from the time when the objection was actually made.

Constitution, Article VII, Sec. 1.7.21. May 15, 1899. (Van Slyck, GM)