The Board of Officers nominations for 2010/2011 will be held in March. If you ever had an inclination to become a Lodge officer, now is the time. Just submit the pre-designed form provided for you at the Lodge by the foyer by the guest sign in book (and at right). Lodge elected Offices open are: Governor, Jr. Governor, Treasurer, Prelate and 3-Year Trustee. The nomination meetings will be held on March 4th, March 11th, and March 18th, all at 6:00pm. Submit your form to any Lodge officer prior to these dates. Elections will be on April 15th, 2010. Installation of Officers will be held on April 24th, 2010. Click the link below for the LOOM Nominating form.
Elections of the 2010-2011 Board of Officers will be held at the March Business meeting. We will be having nominating meetings on February 3rd and February 9th, 2010 at 6:00pm. All co-workers, and now collegians as well are eligible for Senior Regent, Jr. Regent and Chaplain, Recorder and Secretary/Treasurer. All offices are open for the 2010/2011 year. If you are interested in running for an office, please submit your name and office you wish to hold on the form to the right and drop it off in the WOTM mailbox by the Lodge office door. Click the link below for the WOTM Nominating form.
Why do we elect Lodge officers? The answer may seem obvious—to provide direction and leadership for the Lodge and its facility (the latter through their service as the House Committee). However, it’s also a legal requirement: every Lodge is incorporated in the state or province in which it is located, and all those jurisdictions require the election of corporate officers.
Those legal corporate officers are President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer; our fraternal names are Governor, Jr. Governor, Administrator and Treasurer, respectively.
The election of officers is essential because Lodge members are, simultaneously, electing both its corporate and fraternal officers. The corporate officers are legally responsible for the corporation that is the Lodge; they have a fiduciary responsibility (meaning that of a trusted representative) to protect and preserve its corporate assets.
To start the election process in every Moose Lodge the Governor first appoints a Nominating Committee of 18 members—the eight elected officers, plus the five Past Governors (by order of their juniority by service in the Lodge) and five additional members who are either appointed officers, committee chairmen, or other Past Governors (either by service or honorary) of that Lodge. The names of men appointed, plus time and place of Nominating Committee meetings must be announced verbally during the last Lodge Floor meeting in February. The nomination committee meetings will be held this year on the first three Thursdays in March at 5:30pm. Just return a nomination ballot to a current board of officer and attend one of these nominating meeting. Final nominations will be read on the floor at the 2nd Floor meeting in March. A two week petitioning period will be open following this announcement and elections will be held on April 15th. With Installation’s to be held on April 24th, 2010.
Who is eligible to be a Lodge officer? The only requirement for the offices of Treasurer and Trustee is that the member be in good standing. For the offices of Prelate, Jr. Governor and Governor, membership of at least six months duration in that Lodge is required. And for Governor, the member must have served in another elected office (not a combination of offices) in that Lodge for a full 12 month term. The positions open for this year’s LOOM elections are as follows:
Governor - The general duties and responsibilities of the Governor include, but are not limited to:
Be the Fraternal Leader of the Lodge
Preside at meetings
Appoint Officers
Appoint Committee Chairmen
Establish all committees required by section 35.5 of General Laws
Sign authorized checks
Certify and sign reports
Chair House Committee
Count votes and inspect records
Declare offices vacant pursuant to section 35.11 of General Laws
Maintain order
Increase membership
Improve the financial strength of the lodge
Chair the Mooseheart/Moosehaven Admissions Committee
Junior Governor
Preside over deliberations in the absence of the Governor
Member of the House Committee and presiding in the absence of the Governor
Assist Governor in preserving order and decorum in the lodge
Perform all other duties required by the laws of the Order
Treasurer
Conduct inspection of all lodge and House Committee financial records
Verify all deposits made by the Administrator credited to the Lodge, House Committee, or other authorized funds or accounts
With the Administrator and Governor is the Custodian of all securities
Perform all duties of the Administrator if Administrator is unable to perform his duties due to sickness or other short term disability
May sign authorized checks
Perform all other duties required by the laws of the Order
Prelate
Preside over meetings in the absence of Governor or Junior Governor
Is a member of the House Committee
Visit the sick, disabled, distressed whenever possible and report to the lodge at each meeting
Serves on the Auditing Committee by not the chairman
Perform all other duties required by the laws of the Order
3 year – Trustee
Take inventories of all furniture, fixtures and physical property of the lodge
Examine and approve all bills except recurring overhead items and report to the Lodge or House Committee their recommendation for payment
Perform all other duties required by the laws of the Order
Why do we ask you to be aware of, and knowledgeable about the election process in a Lodge? Because an informed member, who knows and understands the correct process will be a more supportive member, and is more likely to submit his name and become involved in the Lodge’s success.
Why this process is frankly a bit involved and detailed? Because having a member become a candidate “on a lark” in anger, or during an evening in the Social Quarters, is generally not the best way to get qualified candidates on the ballot. Electing qualified leaders is crucial to the success of every Moose Lodge.
The nomination meetings will be held on March 4th, March 11th, and March 18th, all at 5:30pm. Submit your form to any Lodge officer prior to these dates. Don’t miss out to be a part of your lodge’s success.
Nomination form is on page 8, at the lodge, or on the Lodge Website: www.woodstockmoose1329.com
Randy Tipps, Governor
