General Rules of CLIPSAS

GENERAL RULES OF CLIPSAS

PREAMBLE

CLIPSAS is an International Masonic Association grouping Obediences having adhered to the Proclamation and the Appeal of Strasburg. Its Statutes are filed at the Prefecture of Paris.

Each member Obedience retains its sovereignty and CLIPSAS does not claim itself a supra Obedience.

The basis of CLIPSAS is the Universal Union Chain between its member Obediences. Therefore, CLIPSAS performs a function of liaison, information, communication and reflection. It could participate by contributing to the major philosophical, social and humanitarian problems through United Nations organizations.

Article 1. Its members are Obediences incorporating at least three Blue Lodges working in the first three Degrees.

Article 2. The members of a same Continent may establish a Continental Commission whose goals and means they define, respecting the preceding Rule.

Article 3. Requests for admission must be addressed to the Bureau. Only candidacies of Obediences proving three years of existence at the time the Commission of Inquiry is designated are taken into consideration.

Article 4. All requests for admission must be accompanied by :

a) the express adherence and without reservation to the above principles of CLIPSAS and the forming of fraternal relations, without conditions of reciprocity and in the respect of the Masonic specificity of the Obedience;

b) its Statutes or General Rules ;

c) a brief history ;

d) the questionnaire of general information.

Article 5. The Bureau informs the member Obediences of the request received.

Article 6. All candidacies are examined by a Commission of Inquiry designated by the General Assembly or, between assemblies, by the Bureau. It is composed, as far as possible, of three Obediences on the same Continent as the applicant and one of whom has its headquarters in the same country. This Commission reports to the General Assembly. It is obliged to consult the member Obediences residing on the national territory of the applicant.

Member Obediences must notify the President in writing within six months of any opposition to the admission of the candidate Obedience.

The President informs the other members of this opposition.

Article 7. All admission, suspension or exclusion is pronounced in General Assembly according to Article 11. Abstentions are not permitted. In the case of rejection by the Assembly, a delay of three years is required before again presenting the candidacy.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Article 8. The supreme organ of the Union, the General Assembly (hereinafter “the Assembly”) is constituted of the representatives of the member Obediences. It meets once a year in the first semester, in a location chosen by the preceding Assembly. The Assembly is entitled to pronounce decisions by whatever number of Obediences are present.

The Assembly can summon extraordinary assemblies. The President must do so if at least one quarter of the Obediences request it. All men and women Masons of member Obediences can be present at Assemblies, but only the representatives of the Obediences have the right to vote. The Assembly may authorize non-member Obediences to be present as observers at all or part of its meetings.

Article 9. The President communicates the Agenda one month and a half before the Assembly. Members dispose of two weeks to ask the President to enter other items. Except in the case of acknowledged necessity, the assembly may only discuss the questions on the Agenda.

Article 10. Each Obedience holds :

1 vote if it has at least 500 members,

3 votes if it has at least 500 to 1499 members,

5 votes if it has at least 1500 à 5999 members,

7 votes if it has more than 6000 members.

Article 11. The assembly takes its decisions by a double simple majority of votes cast by voting Obediences.

Article 12. An Obedience may assign a proxy to another member or to the President to represent it at the current Assembly. No one may receive more than two proxies.

ADMINISTRATION

Article 13. The Assembly elects a Bureau by secret ballot containing one name only. The Bureau, in which all Continents are represented, is composed of :

-a President

-five Vice-Presidents. The Vice-Presidents take precedence, in decreasing order of votes obtained, after those elected previously.

-a General Recorder.

There cannot be more than one member of a same Obedience in the above seven offices.

The most recent past President is a member of the Bureau ès quality.

To be eligible as President, he or she must be Grand Master or Past Grand Master submitted by his or her Obedience.

To be eligible for the other offices of the Bureau, one must be Grand Master or designated by one’s Obedience, and having held a national function therein. The candidates pledge to be present at the meetings.

Article 14. The Bureau’s terms are three years non-renewable, beginning at the end of the Assembly during which the election took place. In the case of the departure of an elected official before the end of his term, the next Assembly proceeds with his replacement for a period of three years.

Article 15. The President heads the meetings of the Assembly and the Bureau.

He/she is responsible for the carrying out of the decisions taken there and heads the Secretariat.

Article 16. The Bureau disposes of the power to administer CLIPSAS to the best of its interests defined by the Assembly. It is responsible for making decisions concerning the common interest of the members :

– to report its work to the Assembly and request the approval of its administration.

– to close the year-end balance sheet and the budget forecast.

– to prepare the proposals to be presented to the Assembly.

The Bureau meets once in the fall and twice at the time of the Assembly. It takes it decisions by majority. In the case of a tie, the President prevails.

When not in meeting, its members consult with each other.

Article 17. In the case where the President would not be able to perform his functions, one of the

Vice-Presidents, in order of their election, assumes the functions of President.

Article 18. One Vice-President, elected by the Assembly, exercises the function of Treasurer. He is responsible for everything concerning the financial administration, within the limits of the budget voted by the Assembly.

He keeps a register of receipts and disbursements and the bank statements of CLIPSAS.

The fiscal year covers the period from 1 March to the following 28/29 February.

After approval by the Bureau, the Treasurer presents the financial report of the past financial year with the report of the Auditors.

The Treasurer may be assisted by a member of his Obedience.

Article 19. The administrative responsibilities are carried out by the President.

– He assures the administration of the association.

– He centralizes all documents, and assumes, if necessary, their distribution among the members.

– He draws up the Agenda and the Minutes of the meetings and distributes them.

He may be assisted by a member of his Obedience, as General Secretary.

Article 20. The Assembly elects two Auditors among its members for a period of three years.

Article 21. No function within CLIPSAS is remunerated.

DUES

Article 22. In order to attain the objectives decided by the Assembly, the Obediences pay dues in Euro determined each year by the Assembly.

Article 23. Dues must be paid before 1 October. In the case of non-payment of dues before the next Assembly, the Obedience is suspended from the right to vote.

If an Obedience is indebted for more than one exercise, it may be excluded

The Treasurer is responsible for collecting the dues and making the necessary reminders.

OTHER

Article 24. The Assembly may create or dissolve Commissions for specific purposes. They receive a subsidy and keep accounts. Their accounts are closed each year at the end of February and presented to the Bureau, which integrates them into the financial accounts of CLIPSAS.

Article 25. Any modification of the present rules falls within the competence of an Ordinary Assembly.