The election of Grand Officers shall be held on the day of the Semi-Annual Communication. No nomination shall be made, but each brother that is entitled to vote shall deposit his ballot with the name of his candidate hand written thereon. A majority of the ballots cast shall be necessary for a choice.

Amended Nov.21 2015

There shall be appointed by the Grand Master at each Annual Communication, the following Standing Committees, the first named member of each to be Chairman thereof; on Credentials, on Foreign Correspondence, on the Library, on Charters and By-Laws, and on Printing, each to consist of three members, the Grand Secretary to be one of the members of the Committee on Printing; on Jurisprudence, to consist of five members.
Amended November 16, 1959; November 19, 1966; November 18, 2000

1.2.5.1 Members of Committee on Finance

The Standing Committee on Finance shall consist of the Deputy Grand Master ex-officio, and three other members of Grand Lodge who shall be first appointed by the Grand Master for terms of three, two, and one year, respectively and thereafter the Grand Master shall appoint at each Annual Communication one member who shall serve for three years. The Grand Master shall designate the member of said committee who shall serve as Chairman. No action of said committee with respect to the investment, transfer or other employment of funds shall become effective without the approval of the Grand Master.
Amended November 19, 1934; November 20, 1999

1.2.5.2 Members of Grand Lodge Freemasons' Hall
The Standing Committee of the Grand Lodge Freemasons' Hall shall consist of the Grand Master, ex-officio; Grand Secretary, ex-officio; and Grand Treasurer, ex-officio; and five (5) other members who shall be first elected by a majority vote of the members of Grand Lodge present at the Annual Communication for terms of five, four, three and two years, respectively. Therefore, commencing at the May 2002 Annual Communication, one or more names be nominated by any voting member of this Grand Lodge to be voted on by a majority vote of members of this Grand Lodge present to fill the one vacancy for a period of five (5) years. In the event of the death or resignation of any committee member with a year or less left in his term, the Grand Master then in office shall appoint in his stead a member of Grand Lodge to serve for the remainder of his term. If the term vacated be greater than one (1) year, at the next Communication of Grand Lodge the position will be filled to its completion by the same election process.
At the first meeting next following the Annual Communication, the committee shall elect its chairman.
Amended November 18, 1995; November 20, 1999; November 17, 2001

The Executive Committee shall manage the business and financial affairs of the Grand Lodge and oversee the investment by the Grand Treasurer of all Grand Lodge funds.

• (1) The Executive Committee shall consist of seven voting members as follows: Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, Senior Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden and three (3) Master Masons at large in good standing from the RI jurisdiction ("At Large Members"). The Grand Treasurer and Grand Secretary shall each serve on the Executive Committee as Ex-officio members without the right to vote on any matter before this committee. Voting members of the Executive Committee shall serve without compensation.
• (2) Each year one Master Mason at large will be elected at the semi-annual communication of Grand Large commencing with the semi-annual communication at which this amendment is adopted. The Nominating Committee for the At Large Member shall consist of the District Deputy Grand Masters then serving who will nominate one Master Mason. Recommendations from the Nominating Committee and nominations from the floor by a Grand Lodge member will be accepted for inclusion on the election ballot. A vote for the nominees by paper ballot will be taken and the first nominee who receives a majority of the ballots cast will be elected to serve a three-year term. If no nominee receives the majority of the ballots cast on the first ballot, the nominee with the lowest number of ballots cast will be dropped as a candidate from the next succeeding ballot until a nominee receives a majority of all ballots cast. At the semi-annual communication at which this amendment is adopted, the Grand Master will appoint an At Large Member for a two year term and an At Large Member for a one year term. The At Large Member's term shall commence on the immediate following annual upon his election of appointment, whichever is applicable.
• (3) Any At Large Member who has been elected to serve on the Executive Committee cannot be re-elected until he has been off the Executive Committee for a period of one year.
• (4) The Grand Master shall call a meeting of the Executive Committee on at least a quarterly basis with two (2) of those meetings being convened within four (4) weeks prior to the semi-annual communication and the annual communication of the Grand Lodge.
• (5) A quorum shall consist of four voting members. A vote of a least four (4) voting members of the Executive Committee shall decide an issue.
• (6) A vacancy on the Executive Committee shall be filled by the Grand Master. If there is more than twelve (12) months remaining on that Member's term until the next Grand Lodge semi-annual communication, that Member's replacement shall be elected at the next Grand Lodge semi-annual communication to serve out the remainder of the term.
• (7) The Executive Committee shall have the following powers, duties, and obligations: (i) the obligation to act as a fiduciary of all funds in its care and custody; (ii) the right to hire such officials, agents and employees as may be required from time to time in order to fulfill its obligations and responsibilities hereunder; (iii) the right to authorize payment of funds and the execution of contracts; (iv) the right to exercise such other powers as are inherent in an executive body and which are otherwise consistent with the terms, meaning and intent of the Constitution and (v) the right to use funds of the Grand Lodge to make required and necessary payments to officials, agents and employees.
• (8) The Executive Committee shall have oversight responsibilities over all Grand Lodge committees and persons that perform operational and/or financial duties or services by or on behalf of Grand Lodge. Grand Lodge committees and persons, that perform duties and services that are exclusively fraternal in nature, shall be overseen by the Grand Master.

Amended November 19, 2011

The Master and Wardens of subordinate lodges under the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge, who may be unable to attend the communications of the Grand Lodge in person, shall have the power to appoint under their hand a proxy, being a member of the same lodge, who shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of his constituent, except that of taking his rank in the Grand Lodge. If the member holding the "proxy vote" is a Past Master, he shall not lose his own vote or station in the Grand Lodge. No individual, thus no member of Grand Lodge may cast more than two votes, that of his own and the proxy he carries. Any person holding a proxy vote will be given an easily identifiable colored proxy vote book, to be used for both secret ballot or non-secret voting. This proxy vote book will be of different color than that of regular voting members. These will be issued at the time of registration, when properly executed proxy forms are presented to the Credentials Committee and verified as being legitimate. Each officer and member of this Grand Lodge shall, in his own right, be entitled to one vote; he may, in addition thereto, cast the vote of any Master, or Warden, whose proxy he may hold in accordance with this article.
Amended May 18, 1992; November 16, 1996.

The Grand Master of Masons has all the powers and prerogatives conferred by the ancient Constitutions and the usages and landmarks of the Craft. He may convene any subordinate lodge at his pleasure, preside therein with his officers or by Deputy, inspect its proceedings and require its conformity to the Constitution and Edicts of this Grand Lodge, and to the authorized work and lectures of this jurisdiction; and the expense of such visitations shall be paid upon his order, by the Grand Treasurer. He may require the Master or other officers of any subordinate lodge to attend before him or before any committee of the Grand Lodge, with its charter, records, books of accounts and papers. He may issue his dispensation under his seal for the formation of new lodges, or the continuance of lodges whose charters may have been lost or destroyed. The applications for such dispensations must be signed by not less than seven Master Masons, one of whom shall be a Past Master; and in case such application be for a new lodge, it shall be accompanied by the recommendation of the lodge nearest to the place where the new lodge is to be located; and if there be more than one such lodge, by the recommendation of the oldest lodge. He may for cause arrest the charter of any subordinate lodge, or suspend any of the officers or members thereof, which arrest or suspension shall continue until the next Stated Communication of the Grand Lodge, unless sooner revoked or annulled by him. He may, upon the impeachment of a Master, appoint a commission of Masters or Past Masters of lodges, to investigate the charges; who shall proceed forthwith to examine the same, and shall make report thereon in writing, to the Grand Master.
See Decision Nos. 1, 58; Standing Order Nos. 8, 46.

Related Decisions

No. 01. Setting Aside A Constitutional Requirement

Decision: That a dispensation from the Grand Master is necessary to set aside a requirement of the Constitution.

Constitution, Article IV, Sec. 1.4.1. November 13, 1867. (Doyle, GM)

No. 58. Expiration Of Dispensations

Decision: That a dispensation issued by a Grand Master has no force after his retirement from office.

Constitution, Article IV, Sec. 1.4.1. May 18, 1908. (Armington, GM)

Related Standing Orders

No. 08. Diploma With Predecessor's Signature

Resolved: That the Grand Master be authorized in his discretion to permit a diploma of this Grand Lodge to be issued with the signature of a previous Grand Master.

Constitution, Art. IV, Sec. 1.4.1; 1.4.5. May 18, 1874.

No. 46. Past Master's Degree

Resolved: That the Grand Master for the time being is authorized to direct that the Past Master's degree be conferred or communicated after the close of all the ceremonies of installation.

Constitution, Art. IV, Sec. 1.4.1. November 18, 1907.

In case of the death, absence from the State, or inability to serve of the Grand Master, the Deputy Grand Master shall perform the duties of the office; and in case of the death, absence from the State, or inability to serve of both the Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master, the Grand Wardens, according to rank, shall perform the duties of the Grand Master. During such period, the officer shall assume the title of Acting Grand Master.

In case of the absence of all of the first four officers of the Grand Lodge, at any of its communications, a Past Grand Master, Past Deputy Grand Master or Past Grand Warden, according to rank, shall preside; and if neither of these be present, then the Master of the oldest lodge present shall preside; and if there be no Master present, then the communication of the Grand Lodge shall be postponed, from day to day, until some one of the persons authorized to preside shall be present.

The Grand Treasurer shall keep an accurate account of all moneys by him received and paid, and at the Annual Communication shall render an account thereof and of all special funds in his possession, duly audited by the Standing Committee on Finance. He shall deliver to his successor in office all books, papers and property of the Grand Lodge entrusted to his care. He shall give bond in some authorized bonding company to the satisfaction of the Grand Master for the faithful discharge of his official duties. The expense of such bond shall be borne by the Grand Lodge. He shall pay out the moneys by him received upon the order of the Grand Lodge. He shall invest and reinvest the funds of the Grand Lodge in such manner as the Standing Committee on Finance and the Grand Master may direct. He shall honor only such drafts against the funds of the Grand Lodge as are signed by the Grand Secretary and countersigned by the Grand Master.
Amended November 17, 1930.
See Standing Order No. 2.

Related Standing Orders

No. 02. Thomas Smith Webb Monument

Resolved: That the fund this day received from the Webb Monument Association, be invested by the Grand Treasurer in such a manner as he may deem expedient, and the income thereof be, and the same shall, from time to time be, applied to the necessary repairs of the monument of the late THOMAS SMITH WEBB, PGM, and the lot on which it stands.

Constitution, Art. IV, Sec. 1.4.4. May 25, 1863.