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Montana Freemason April 2017 Volume 93 Number 1
GRAND MASTER’S PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION NO. 3
GMR-2017-3B
A Recommendation to amend the Constitution Section 470 to provide that the Grand Master’s A Recommendation to amend the Code of Statutes Section 50310 to provide that the Grand
Recommendations shall be due 10 days after the due date for Resolutions and Committee Master’s Recommendations shall be due 10 days after the due date for Resolutions and Committee
Recommendations. Recommendations.

Be it resolved that: Be it resolved that:
That Section 470 of the Constitution be amended to read as follows: That Section 50310 of the Code be amended to read as follows:

470. TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS. Transaction of business in Grand Lodge at its annual communication 50310. PRESENTATION. Proposed amendments to these statutes shall be presented by written resolution
shall be upon written resolutions sponsored and submitted by a constituent lodge of this jurisdiction and sponsored and submitted by a constituent lodge of this jurisdiction or by Grand Master’s recommendation
reports and Grand Master’s recommendations and decisions. All resolutions, standing committee reports, or by Committee Report. All such Resolutions and Committee Reports shall be submitted in writing to
and Grand Master’s recommendations which recommend changes in the statutes or work shall be submitted the Grand Secretary at least 120 days prior to the opening of the Annual Communication. Grand Master
in writing to the Grand Secretary at least 120 days prior to the opening of the annual communication and Recommendations shall be due ten days after the due date for Resolutions and Committee Reports.
shall automatically be considered as business at the annual communication unless withdrawn. Grand Master
Recommendations shall be due ten days after the due date for Resolutions and Committee Reports. This
restriction shall not apply to emergent matters as emergency legislation and declared by consent of two-thirds Submitted: February 22, 2017.
vote of Grand Lodge or to decisions of the Grand Master which are included in his written message presented
at the annual communication. All resolutions relating to expenditures of Grand Lodge funds must include Lewis K. Smith
an evaluation of the impact of the expenditure upon Grand Lodge finances and contain a recommendation MW Grand Master AF & AM of Montana
relative to how it is to be paid for.

Submitted: February 22, 2017

Lewis K. Smith Grand Mater’s Explanation for the Recommendation
MW Grand Master AF & AM of Montana The current Code requires that the Grand Master’s Recommendations be submitted at the same time as the
resolutions and committee reports. This does not allow the Grand Master to review the other legislation and
causes duplication sometimes and the inability to draft supplemental legislation to that submitted by the

Grand Mater’s Explanation for the Recommendation Lodges and Committees.
The current Code requires that the Grand Master’s Recommendations be submitted at the same time as the
resolutions and committee reports. This does not allow the Grand Master to review the other legislation and
causes duplication sometimes and the inability to draft supplemental legislation to that submitted by the Committee on Jurisprudence Comments:
Lodges and Committees. This Grand Masters Recommendation seeks to amend Section 50310 of the Code of Statutes to allow the
Grand Master an additional ten (10) days to submit his Recommendation, after the submission due date for
Resolutions and Committee Reports. This legislation seeks to amend Section 50310 of the Code of Statutes

Committee on Jurisprudence Comments: and will require, as per “Section 50320 A two-thirds vote of the member’s present shall be required to alter,
amend or repeal these Statutes.”
This Grand Masters Recommendation seeks to amend Section 470 of the Constitution to allow the Grand
Master an additional ten (10) days to submit his Recommendation, after the submission due date for
Resolutions and Committee Reports. Due to the reference of a Constitutional amendment; as per “Section
810, this legislation, by direction of the Grand Master will be referred to a special committee for review
and corrections as needed without changing its original intent and reported to the craft recommendation
of passage or defeat. The Special Committee may concurrently recommend substantive amendments or a
substitute Constitutional amendment. This will then require a simple majority for this legislation and/or
amendments to be referred to the Committee on Jurisprudence, who shall report thereon at the next annual
communication at which time a three-fourths vote is in favor is required to be adopted and shall become a
part of this Constitution at the close of that Communication.”

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