THE ARCANE SCHOOLS - Fort Myers Beach Masonic Lodge No. 362

societies, that this law will, in very few cases, be found applicable;
and, indeed, in many positively inapplicable to them. The rules,
therefore, for the government of masonic lodges are in general to be
deduced from the usages of the Order, from traditional or written
authority, and where both of them are silent, from analogy to the
character of the institution. To each of these sources, therefore, I
shall
apply, in the course of the present chapter, and in some few instances,
where the parliamentary law coincides with our own, reference will be
made
to the authority of the best writers on that science.
Section I.
_Of the Order of Business._
When the Brethren have been "congregated," or called together by the
presiding officer, the first thing to be attended to is the ceremony of
opening the lodge. The consideration of this subject, as it is
sufficiently detailed in our ritual, will form no part of the present
work.
The lodge having been opened, the next thing to be attended to is the
reading of the minutes of the last communication. The minutes having
been
read, the presiding officer will put the question on their
confirmation,
having first inquired of the Senior and Junior Wardens, and lastly of
the
Brethren "around the lodge," whether they have any alterations to
propose.
It must be borne in mind, that the question of confirmation is simply a
question whether the Secretary has faithfully and correctly recorded
the
transactions of the lodge. If, therefore, it can be satisfactorily
shown
by any one that there is a mis-entry, or the omission of an entry, this
is
the time to correct it; and where the matter is of sufficient
importance,
and the recording officer, or any member disputes the charge of error,
the
vote of the lodge will be taken on the subject, and the journal will be
amended or remain as written, according to the opinion so expressed by
the
majority of the members. As this is, however, a mere question of
memory,
it must be apparent that those members only who were present at the
previous communication, the records of which are under examination, are
qualified to express a fair opinion. All others should ask and be
permitted to be excused from voting.
As no special communication can alter or amend the proceedings of a
regular one, it is not deemed necessary to present the records of the