Contributions and Benefits.

SECOND SECTION.

Clause 1. The regular contributions to the Lodge Fund shall not be at a less rate than 61 cents per week, to be determined by the By-Laws, as well as the amount for Education Fund and Funeral Tax; and the Lodge shall suspend all members who neglect or refuse payment of the sums so determined, for twelve months. Clause 2. Every bona fide member who shall be qualified as required by the By-Laws, shall, in case of sickness or disability, be entitled to and receive such weekly benefit as may be fixed by law, from the funds of the Lodge.

Clause 3. In case of the death of a brother, who shall be qualified as provided in Clause two, there shall be allowed from the Lodge, a sum not less than thirty dollars, to defray the expenses of burial, which shall be paid over without delay to the deceased brother's nearest of kin. The N. G. in the absence of competent relations, shall take charge of the funeral, and receive account of disbursements.

Clause 4. On the demise of the wife of a brother, qualified, as provided by Clause two, he shall be entitled to a sum not less than fifteen dollars, for the purpose of assisting in the funeral expenses.

Penalties and Trial.

THIRD SECTION.

Clause 1. Any member who shall violate any of the principles of the Order, or offend against these Articles or the By-Laws, shall be subject to be fined, reprimanded, suspended or expelled, as the By-Laws may direct, ancient usage require, or the Lodge determine.

Clause 2. Every member shall be entitled to a fair trial for any offence involving reprimand, suspension, or expulsion; but no member of a Lodge shall be put on trial, unless charges duly specifying his offence, be submitted to the Lodge, in writing, by brothers of the Order, except when made liable by non-payment to the Lodge.

Clause 3. When charges have been preferred against a brother, in proper manner, or any matters of grievance between brothers, be brought before the Lodge, they shall be referred to a Special

Committee of five members, who shall, if possible, be chosen from among the peers of the implicated brother; and they shall, with as little delay as the case will admit, summon the parties, and examine and determine the matter in question; and if not involving the expulsion or suspension of a member, or no appeal be taken from their decision, to the Lodge, it shall be final without other action from the Lodge. Should the Committee be convinced of the necessity of suspending or expelling a member, they shall submit a motion for that purpose, to the Lodge for action.

Clause 4. When a motion for the expulsion or suspension of a brother shall have been submitted in due form, it shall be announced at two regular meetings previous to the action being taken, and the accused shall be summoned to be in attendance at the Lodge, at the time when it may have been determined to consider the question; at which time, whether the implicated brother be present or not, the Lodge may proceed to consider and determine it; two-thirds of the members present voting in favor of the motion, it shall be carried; and the Lodge shall be fully competent, while such motion is under consideration, to vary the penalty from the original motion.

Clause 5. When the decision of a Committee appointed under Clause three, shall not be satisfactory to all parties, either of those interested shall have the privilege of an appeal to the Lodge; and at the time appointed for trying the appeal, the Committee shall present to the Lodge, in writing, the grounds on which their decision was founded, and the parties shall have the privilege of being heard before the Lodge; and the Lodge shall determine the correctness of the decision of the committee by a majority of votes present.

Clause 6. Any Brother, feeling aggrieved by the decision of the Lodge against him, is entitled to an appeal to the Grand Lodge for a new trial, if informality or want of fairness be shown on the former trial; and on the command of the Grand Lodge, the brother may be tried anew for the same offence.

Clause 7. Any brother having been suspended or expelled, notice thereof shall be sent to all Lodges in the vicinity; and a brother who has been legally expelled, shall not be again admitted to membership without the consent of the Grand Lodge.

ARTICLE III.

OF OFFICERS.-Elected and Appointed Officers.

FIRST SECTION.

Clause 1. The elected Officers of a Lodge shall consist of N. G., V. G., Secretary and Treasurer, who shall serve a regular term each; and such number of Representatives to the Grand Lodge of the I. O. O. F. of the State of Michigan, as the Lodge may be entitled to under the Constitution of said Grand Lodge, to serve for one year from the third Wednesday of July ensuing their election, except when elected to fill vacancies, or as additional Representatives, in which case they shall serve until the close of the official year.

Clause 2. The appointed Officers shall consist of a W., C., I. G., O. G., R. S. N. G., L. S. N. G., R. S. V. G., L. S. V. G., and R., and L. S. S., who shall serve a regular term each; and may appoint a Chaplain at their option.

Duties of Officers.

SECOND SECTION.

Clause 1. The duties of the various Officers shall be as laid down in the charges of their office, and as specified by these Articles and the By-Laws of the Lodge.

Clause 2. A Permanent Secretary, when one has been chosen by the Lodge, shall take charge of the accounts between the Lodge and its members; but the Secretary shall record the proceedings and perform all other duties of the office.

Elections, &c.

THIRD SECTION.

Clause 1. No brother shall be eligible to the Chair of the N. G. unless he has served a regular term as V. G.; nor shall any brother be eligible to the Chair of the V. G. unless he has served twenty-six nights in some inferior office.

Clause 2. All Elective Officers, and the W. and O. G. shall have attained to the Scarlet Degree previous to installation.

Clause 3. Nominations for the Elective Offices shall be made

only on the two meetings immediately preceding that of the elections, except when the nominees for an office all decline.

Clause 4. No Past-Officer shall be qualified to be a candidate for the office past, when other nominations are before the Lodge, unless he has been one full term out of such office, except the Representatives to the Grand Lodge, the Treasurer and Permanent Secretary.

Clause 5. Officers, except Representatives to the Grand Lodge, shall be elected at the last regular meeting in each term, and shall be installed at the first meeting in the succeeding one.

Representatives to the Grand Lodge shall be elected at the last regular meeting in June, in each year, except in case of vacancies and additional Representatives, who may be elected at any time to serve until the close of the official year, provided such election shall not be had until the regular meeting after that on which the nomination shall have been made.

Clause 6. Any Officer, except Representative to the Grand Lodge, absenting himself for more than three successive meetings, his seat may be declared vacant by a vote of the Lodge. Any office becoming vacant, shall be filled by a person who was eligible thereto on the commencement of the term during which the vacancy occurred. Nominations shall be made on the meeting previous to election, and Officers so elected and serving, shall alone receive the honors of such office for the term.

ARTICLE IV.

TERMS AND RETURNS.-Terms.

FIRST SECTION.

Regular Annual terms shall commence on the first regular meetings in July; and the regular Semi-Annual terms shall commence on the first regular meetings in July and January of each year; and all terms shall end on the day on which the succeeding ones

commence.

Returns.

SECOND SECTION.

Clause 1. It shall be the duty of the last Past-Officers to prepare and forward to the Grand Lodge, immediately, a regular re

port of the work of the term, including the names of those initiated, admitted by card, rejected, withdrawn by card, suspended or expelled, and the cause thereof, reinstated, and deceased; together with the number of degrees conferred, the whole number in membership, the amount of receipts, and the result of the election of Officers, accompanied by whatever amount may be due to the Grand Lodge.

Clause 2. It shall be the duty of the Lodge also to forward to the Grand Lodge, in like manner, up to the first day of July, annually, a full return of the members of the Lodge, ranked according to the Degrees attained, and a statement of the number of brothers relieved by the Lodge in the past year, the number of widowed families relieved, the number of brothers buried, with the amount of moneys applied to each of these purposes, designating that paid for education of orphans.

Forfeiture of Charter.

THIRD SECTION.

Should a Lodge fail to make its returns, as required by the second section of this Article, for three successive terms, it shall thereby forfeit its charter and become extinct; and it shall become the duty of the last installed Officers to transmit or surrender to the Grand Secretary, (or such other brother as may be appointed by the Grand Lodge to receive them,) the Charter, books, papers, furniture and funds of the Lodge.

ARTICLE V.

DEGREES.-Eligibility for Degrees

FIRST SECTION.

Brothers who have been in membership one month shall be elig ible for degrees; but not more than three degrees shall be conferred on a brother at the same meeting, unless the most urgent necessity be proven.

Rates of Degrees.

SECOND SECTION.

No degree shall be conferred until after the candidate has paid the amount required therefor, which shall not be less than the fol