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Preliminary Jurisprudence Committee Report

Preliminary report April 11, 2023

Clifford Brophy, Chair (62, 53)

Most Worshipful Grand Master, Grand Lodge Officers, Distinguished guest and Brothers all,

Section 5070 of the Constitution and Code of Statutes states that the duties of the Committee on Jurisprudence shall:
Examine and report on all questions, documents and papers requiring investigation; and decisions upon all points of
Masonic law. Review proposed resolutions and recommendations to be considered at the next annual communication,
upon receipt of them from the Grand Secretary, and recommendations or decisions of the Grand Master, or standing
committees of Grand Lodge. Prepare legislation as may be required, together with a brief statement of the purpose
and effect of them on Grand Lodge, and which will carry out the intent of the proponents. Transmit, within 40 days of
receipt of the proposed resolutions and recommendations, a copy of them, together with the brief statement of purpose
and effect of each, to the Grand Secretary. Report to Grand Lodge Its recommendations as to the legality of decisions
and dispensations issued by the Grand Master. When appropriate, prepare supplementary legislation to proposed
amendments and prepare legislation to accomplish recommendations of the Grand Master, or standing committees of
Grand Lodge. Report to Grand Lodge thereon its recommendations.

The Committee on Jurisprudence received 8 resolutions and the certification by the Grand Secretary that those
resolutions were receive in his office in a timely order. Among those, a resolution from Deer Lodge No.14 and a
resolution from Friendship Lodge No. 37 each proposed a change to the Constitution and to the Code of Statutes.
Because of different voting requirements, those were each divided into 2 separate resolutions. This resulted in a total
of 10 resolutions. They are as follows:

R-2023-1: A resolution to amend section 39070 to reduce minimum examination for proficiency of EA’s and FC’s
(Submitted by Mount Moriah Lodge No. 24).

R-2023-2A: A resolution to amend the definition of electioneering in Section 40 of the Constitution (Submitted by
Deer Lodge No. 14).

R-2023-2B: A resolution to amend Section 46020 of the Code to allow certain electioneering for the election of some
Officers (Submitted by Deer Lodge No. 14).

R-2023-3: A resolution to amend Part I of the Code to insert new sections and language allowing electioneering for the
election of Local Lodge Officers and two Grand Lodge Officers (Submitted by Deer Lodge No. 14).
R-2023-4A: A resolution to amend the definition of electioneering in Section 40 of the Constitution (Submitted by
Friendship Lodge No. 37).

R-2023-4B: A resolution to amend the prohibition of and penalties of electioneering in Sections 23090 and 46020 of
the Code by allowing electioneering and nominations (Submitted by Friendship Lodge No. 37).

R-2023-5: A resolution to amend sections 5080, 6020 and 6040 to allow for the decrease of Per Capita (Submitted by
Friendship Lodge No. 37).

R-2023-6: A resolution to amend Section 27030 adding the definition of service as Warden (Submitted by Havre Lodge
No. 55).

R-2023-7: A resolution to amend Section 39070 to change references to the former mnemonics over to the Montana
Standard Work (Submitted by Havre Lodge No. 55).

R-2023-8: A resolution to amend Section 33030 to include uniforms of those in law enforcement during the conferring
of degrees (Submitted by Havre Lodge No. 55).

The Committee reviewed these 10 resolutions and formatted them in accordance with the “Resolution Formatting
Drafting Instructions” adopted by the Most Worshipful Grand Master in 2003. The Committee’s comments were
inserted at the end of each resolution as required.

Resolutions R-2023-2A and R-2023-4A propose an amendment to the Constitution and require different voting
procedures. Resolutions R-2023-2B, R-2023-3 and R-2023-4B are dependent on the outcome of the related resolutions
Montana Freemason Page 34 May/June 2023 Volume 100 No.2