The Minutes of the Quarterly Communication of 9 September 2009 were confirmed.

Nomination of a Grand Master for the Ensuing Year
HRH The Duke of Kent was nominated as Grand Master for the ensuing year.

Annual Investiture of Grand Officers (28 April 2010)
So that sufficient accommodation can be reserved for those Brethren who are to be invested and their friends, admission to the Annual Investiture is by ticket only.

Masonic Year Book
The next edition of the Masonic Year Book, 2010–2011 will be available next summer at £12 per copy, plus postage and packing where appropriate. It is not proposed to produce a new edition of the Directory of Lodges and Chapters during 2010. Copies of the current edition are available and may be ordered in the same way. Every lodge will receive one free copy of the Masonic Year Book, which should be available to all members of private lodges and not regarded as for the exclusive use of the secretary to whom, for administrative reasons, they are dispatched. Copies will be dispatched direct to lodge secretaries. Sufficient copies will be dispatched to District Grand Secretaries for distribution to lodges in the Districts. Lodges abroad not in a District will receive their copies direct.

Prestonian Lecturer 2010
The Board has considered applications for the delivery of the official Prestonian Lectures in 2010 and has decided that these should be given under the auspices of the following: Lathom Lodge No. 2229 (West Lancashire), Guildhall School of Music Lodge No. 2454 (London), Old Wycombiensian Lodge No. 6754 (Buckinghamshire) and Proscenium Lodge No. 9059 (South Wales). The Lecturer, W.B. Warlow, states that the title of the lecture will be Music in Masonry and Beyond.

Amalgamations
The following lodges have surrendered their Warrants in order to amalgamate: Grassendale No. 4808, in order to amalgamate with Alliance No. 667 (West Lancashire); James Watt No. 5546, in order to amalgamate with Bon Accord No. 4935 (Worcestershire); Mesnes No. 5967 and Up Holland No. 7608, in order to amalgamate with Orrell No. 8371 (West Lancashire); and Astley No. 6234, in order to amalgamate with Ellesmere No. 730 (West Lancashire). A resolution to remove them from the register was approved.

Erasure of Lodges
The following lodges have closed and surrendered their Warrants: Clarendon Guardian No. 1769 (London); Marquis of Titchfield No. 3550 (Nottinghamshire); United Empire No. 3868 (London); Edifice No. 4509 (London); Pemberton No. 4686 (West Lancashire); Archway No. 4878 (London); Anglo-Overseas No. 4886 (London); River No. 5126 (Buckinghamshire); Trinity No. 5179 (London); Tuscan No. 5392 (Warwickshire); St. John’s of Penge Lodge of Light and Charity No. 5537 (London); Grange No. 5616 (Northumberland); Samaritan No. 5728 (Worcestershire); Mimosa Lodge of Blackpool No. 6047 (West Lancashire); Nepos No. 6570 (Northumberland); Friendship No. 6675 (Northumberland); Agnus No. 6946 (London); Gothic No. 7435 (Warwickshire); In Veritate No. 7521 (London); New Sarum No. 7626 (Zimbabwe); Marlborough No. 8218 (Zimbabwe); Thomas Bewick No. 8246 (Northumberland); Twickenham Riverside No. 8404 (Middlesex) and Lady Bay No. 8891 (Nottinghamshire). A Resolution to erase these lodges was approved.

Recognition of Foreign Grand Lodges
The Grand Orient of Haiti 1824
This Grand Lodge was formed on 25 January 1824 from four English Constitution lodges, two of which were warranted in 1809 and two in 1817, and which worked there under our Provincial Grand Lodge of Haiti.
The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ontario
This Grand Lodge was formed on 25 August 1856 from four lodges that had been set up in what was then known as Canada West by the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of New Jersey, between 1852 and 1854. The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of New Jersey was recognised by the UGLE on 8 September 2004. The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ontario shares jurisdiction with both the Grand Lodge of Canada (in the Province of Ontario) and the Grand Lodge of Quebec, who have already granted it recognition and have also confirmed that they have no objection to the UGLE doing so.
Having shown that they have regular decendency and that they conform to the Basic Principles for Grand Lodge Recognition, the Board, having no reason to believe that they will not continue to maintain a regular path, recommends that these two Grand Lodges be recognised. A Resolution to this effect was approved.

Book of Constitutions
The 2009 reprint of the Book of Constitutions has been produced in a format that has reduced both the number of pages and the time spent on its production, by removing the ‘marginal headings’ to the Rules. The change in format will also facilitate the updating of the version published on the Grand Lodge website. To regularise this change a small amendment to Rule 1 is necessary, and Notice of Motion to amend the Book of Constitutions appeared on the Paper of Business.

Metropolitan Grand Officers
When the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London was created in 2003 it was uncertain how many, and which, Metropolitan Grand Officers it would be desirable to appoint. Rule 61 of the Book of Constitutions therefore provided that the Metropolitan Grand Master might appoint such Metropolitan Grand Officers as the Grand Master should from time to time permit, in order to enable changes to be made swiftly and easily. Six years after the inauguration the Metropolitan Grand Lodge the Board considers that the flexibility that was originally desirable is no longer required and accordingly recommends that the Metropolitan Grand Officers be listed in a schedule to Rule 61, similar to the schedule to Rule 68 for Provinces and Districts. The opportunity is also being taken to make a small amendment to Rule 47. Notice of Motion to amend the Book of Constitutions accordingly appeared on the Paper of Business.

Lodge By-Laws
Rule 136, Book of Constitutions, provides that lodge by-laws (and any subsequent amendments) become effective only when approved on behalf of the Grand Master. In 1985 it took its current form following an amendment which enables a Metropolitan, Provincial or District Grand Master to approve bylaws and amendments on behalf of the Grand Master if “substantially in accordance with the model by-laws from time to time issued on behalf of the Grand Master.” Previously all by-laws and amendments had to be approved by the Grand Secretary on behalf of the Grand Master and there is no doubt that over the years since the change a substantial amount of time has been saved in the Grand Secretary’s Office. A recent audit of by-laws carried out at Freemasons’ Hall has, however, revealed that in some Provinces and Districts a surprisingly broad view has been taken as to what is “substantially in accordance with the model by-laws”, with the result that approval has been given to by-laws that would not have received approval from the Grand Secretary and even to by-laws that are in conflict with the Book of Constitutions or the Royal Arch Regulations.
The Board, having considered the matter, is of the view that the word ‘substantially’ can be removed from the Rule without affecting the power that was originally intended to be devolved to Provinces and Districts and recommends that the Rule also be amended to make its operation clearer. Notice of motion to amend the Book of Constitutions accordingly appeared on the Paper of Business.

Joining Members of Lodges
Rule 163(c), Book of Constitutions, requires that a candidate for joining or rejoining a lodge must, before the ballot is taken, produce to the secretary of the lodge not only his Grand Lodge Certificate, but also a certificate of good standing from every lodge of which he is or has at any time been a member. The Board is aware that a significant number of lodge secretaries neglect to inspect the certificates.
While the Board does not wish to say that such a failure invalidates the election, it wishes to make it plain that a secretary who ignores the requirement of the Rule does so at his peril and renders himself liable to disciplinary sanctions. It is also incumbent on the Master to satisfy himself that the Rule has been complied with. In addition, Rule 163(d) requires that if a Brother has been excluded from a lodge or resigned without having complied with its bylaws or the general regulations of the Craft, the fact must be reported to the Lodge before the ballot is taken. It also provides that if the lodge accepts such a Brother as a joining member it makes itself liable for his arrears to the other lodge(s).
The Board considers that the present wording of the Rule is ambiguous as to whether the liability is absolute or arises only if the lodge is aware of the arrears at the time of the ballot. It therefore recommends a change in the wording of the Rule to make it clear that the liability is absolute. Notice of Motion to amend the Book of Constitutions accordingly appeared on the Paper of Business.

Expulsions From The Craft
Two Brethren have been expelled from the Craft.

Still More Of Our Yesterdays
A presentation on the Proceedings of Grand Lodge 201 Years Ago was given by John Hamill, and Graham Redman, Assistant Grand Secretary.

The Grand Charity
A separate Paper dealt with a General Meeting of The Grand Charity.

Meetings of Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter
Grand Lodge will meet in 2010 as follows: 10 March, 28 April (Annual Investiture), 10 June, 8 September, 8 December and 9 March 2011. Grand Chapter: 29 April, 10 November and 28 April 2011.