Attachment 8 March 1997

MWB Chester L. Ditto, PGM Grand Secretary, MWGLOJ 10 March 1997

Dear Sir and MWB Chet:

After reviewing the Memorandum to the Master and Brethren of Far East Lodge #1 from the Chairman, Jurisprudence Committee dated 15 February 1997, the Brethren of the lodge did by unanimous agreement at our Stated Meeting of 08 March 1997, vote to revised the proposed resolution to 'CONDUCT STATED MEETINGS IN THE FIRST DEGREE VICE THE THIRD DEGREE' to read as follows:

CONDUCTING STATED MEETINGS IN THE FIRST DEGREE VICE THE THIRD DEGREE

Change Art. 103

FROM:

Every Lodge must hold its Stated Meeting for each month, which Stated Meeting can be waived only by dispensation from the Grand Master.

TO:

Business-When Conducted - Every Lodge must hold its Stated Meeting for each month, which Stated Meeting can be waived only by dispensation from the Grand Master. All business shall be transacted in the First Degree with the exception of the election of Officers, which must be done in the Third Degree.

Change Art. 106

FROM:

All balloting for candidates must take place in the Third Degree, and at a Stated Meeting of the lodge.

TO:

All business of a Constituent Lodge must be conducted when open in the First Degree, except examinations for advancement, election of officers, and when conferring a higher degree. Entered Apprentice or Fellowcraft Masons can attend Stated Meetings but will have neither voice nor vote.

Change Art. 137

FROM:

Art. 137a. No Lodge shall charge or collect as its Annual Dues from members, less than 2,500 Yen. The only receipt for dues to be used by the Lodge shall be a uniform one prepared by the Grand Secretary and sold by him. No Lodge shall, by amendment to its By-Laws, resolution or otherwise, remit the dues of its members or any of them, for any stated period or in advance, but it may annually remit the accrued dues of those of its members who render special services for the Lodge or who are unable to pay them. No Lodge shall levy any extra assessment upon its members. PROVIDED, That the Lodge, by the adoption of a standing resolution to the effect, which resolution shall not be acted upon at the Stated Meeting at which it is introduced, nor until notice in writing thereof shall have been forwarded by mail to every member, may provide for a system of Life Membership, which shall forever exempt the member from the payment of dues therein. Said resolution shall provide that no Life Membership shall be granted except upon payment of a sum of money named therein, which sum shall, in case the Annual Dues are 3,000 Yen, be not less than the sum of 36,000 yen and the minimum amount to be proportionately greater or less as the dues are greater or less, and shall further provide that all amounts paid for Life Membership shall be invested only in such reputable banks of deposit, or in such other first-class stocks, bonds or securities as may be directed by the Lodge, and approved by the Master, and that only the income thereof shall be used by the Lodge, the original amounts to be kept and maintained as and for a Life Membership Fund; PROVIDED, However, that if at death the Life Member is a member of the Lodge in good standing, whatever amount remains of the original sum paid for such Life Membership after deducting any dues that may not have been satisfied by the income from such fund may, at the discretion of the Lodge, be appropriated from such Life Membership Fund and turned over and donated to the widow and/or children or personal representatives of such deceased member; PROVIDING FURTHER, that all Life Membership fees paid into the Life Membership Fund by the Lodge shall revert automatically to the General Fund of the Lodge upon the death of a Life Member who's Life Membership fees were paid from the General Fund of the Lodge. Should the Lodge determine not to make such donation, the remainder of the Life Membership Fund for such deceased member shall revert to the general fund of the Lodge. Said resolution shall require the Secretary, in making his Annual Report to the Grand Lodge, to report the number of Life Memberships borne on the roll, the amount of the fund thus created, and the manner in which said fund is invested. Said resolution shall take effect only upon its approval by the Grand Master.

TO:

Art. 137a. Every Lodge shall levy from its members (Apprentices and Fellowcrafts excepted as having neither voice nor vote) annual dues not less than 2,500 yen or that amount prescribed by its By-Laws, which ever is greater. The only receipt for dues to be used by the Lodge shall be a uniform one prepared by the Grand Secretary and sold by him. No Lodge shall, by amendment to its By-Laws, resolution or otherwise, remit the dues of its members or any of them, for any stated period or in advance, but it may annually remit the accrued dues of those of its members who render special services for the Lodge or who are unable to pay them. No Lodge shall levy any extra assessment upon its members.

and add:

Art. 137b. Every Lodge shall be permitted to establish a system of Life Membership by adoption of a standing resolution to the effect, which resolution shall not be acted upon at the Stated Meeting at which it is introduced, nor until notice in writing thereof shall have been forwarded by mail to every member. Such system of Life Membership shall forever exempt the member from the payment of dues therein. Said resolution shall provide that no Life Membership shall be granted except upon payment of a sum of money named therein, which sum shall, in case the Annual Dues are 3,000 Yen, be not less than the sum of 36,000 Yen and the minimum amount to be proportionately greater or less as the dues are greater or less, and shall further provide that all amounts paid for Life Membership shall be invested only in such reputable banks of deposit, or in such other first-class stocks, bonds or securities as may be directed by the Lodge, and approved by the Master, and that only the income thereof shall be used by the Lodge, the original amounts to be kept and maintained as and for a Life Membership Fund; PROVIDED, However, that if at death the Life Member is a member of the Lodge in good standing, whatever amount remains of the original sum paid for such Life Membership after deducting any dues that may not have been satisfied by the income from such fund may, at the discretion of the Lodge, be appropriated from such Life Membership Fund and turned over and donated to the widow and/or children of such deceased member; PROVIDING FURTHER, that all Life Membership fees paid into the Life Membership Fund by the Lodge shall revert automatically to the General Fund of the Lodge upon the death of a Life Member whose Life Membership fees were paid from the General Fund of the Lodge. Should the Lodge determine not to make such donation, the remainder of the Life Membership Fund for such deceased member shall revert to the general fund of the Lodge. Said resolution shall require the Secretary, in making his Annual Report to the Grand Lodge, to report the number of Life Memberships borne on the rolls, the amount of the fund thus created, and the manner in which said fund is invested. Said resolution shall take effect only upon its approval by the Grand Master.

Section 1, Article IX, THE UNIFORM CODE OF BY-LAWS FOR SUBORDINATE LODGES

FROM:

The dues of each member of this lodge shall be _____ Yen, payable annually in advance.

TO:

The dues for each member of this lodge shall be _____ Yen, payable annually in advance, EXCEPT Entered Apprentices or Fellowcrafts.

GENERAL LAWS OF THE GRAND LODGE, CHAPTER VIII, Sec. 60

FROM:

Business-When Conducted - All business of a Constituent Lodge must be conducted when open on the Third Degree, except examinations for advancement.

TO:

Business-When Conducted - All business of a Constituent Lodge must be conducted when open in the First Degree, except examinations for advancement, election of officers, and when conferring a higher degree.

Our reasons for proposing the foregoing changes are:

1. To permit all men who apply for the degrees of Masonry to immediately become involved in the activity of the lodge as soon as he is initiated, thus fostering the sense of belonging to the group.
2. To confer upon all men, when initiated, the full benefit of membership in the lodge to which they submitted their application, save that of voting thus enabling them to learn and profit and pleasure in the knowledge that can best be conveyed in Lodge assembled.
3. To ensure all men who are initiated have the opportunity to learn as much as possible about their lodge, the members thereof and the Masonic Fraternity in general, concurrent with their becoming proficient in each of the degrees as they progress through the three degrees thereby avoiding the perception that a man who joins the Fraternity is not a part of it until he reaches the degree of Master Mason. This last reason is considered especially important when Japanese Nationals, who are and forever will be the future of Masonry in Japan, are initiated into the Fraternity.

Should the foregoing changes be approved by Grand Lodge, the Grand Master is most respectfully requested to cause the Ritual Committees (both Japanese and English) to immediately revise the ritual to conform to these changes. Such revisions to be published initially in "loose-leaf" format pending final publication; such "loose-leaf" change to be published and issued to the Constituent Lodge within 60 calendar days of approval of these changes by Grand Lodge.

Unanimously approved in open lodge by the Brethren present at the Stated Meeting of 08 March 1997.

JIMMIE D. WARNELL
Worshipful Master

ATTEST:
THOMAS H. HODGES
Secretary