BY-LAWS
OF
NASHYILLE COMIANDERY
No. 1,
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR & APPENDANT ORDEBS,
NASHYtLLE, TENNESSEE.
NASHVILLE:
PRINTED BY BANG, WALKER & CO.
1859.
BY-LAWS
OF
NASHVILLE COIMANDERY
No. 1,
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR & APPENDANT ORDERS,
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.
NASHVILLE:
FEINTED BY BANG, WALKEE & 00.
1859.
BY-LAWS.
ARTICLE I.
The regular meetings of the Commandery shall
be held on the third Thursday of every month.
The hour of meeting shall be 6 o'clock P. M. from
September to March inclusive; and at P. M.
during the remainder of the year.
ARTICLE II.
At a called meeting any other business may be
transacted, if the time permits, than that for which
it was called.
ARTICLE III.
The Officers of the Commandery shall consist
of an Eminent Commander, Generalissimo, Cap¬
tain General, Prelate, Senior Warden, Junior War¬
den, Treasurer, Recorder, Standard Bearer, Sword
Bearer, Warder, three Captains of the Guards,
and Sentinel, who shall be severally elected, at the
stated meeting in October annually.
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BY-LAWS.
ARTICLE IV.
No Sir Knight shall be deemed legally elected
to any office, unless he shall have received a
majority of all the votes given; and no Sir Knight
shall be eligible to any office, or be permitted to
vote, who shall be in arrears for six months to the
Commandery at the time of such election.
ARTICLE V.
The Officers of the Commandery shall rank as
officers of the Council of Red Cross Knights, as
follows:
Eminent Commander, as Sovereign Master;
Generalissimo, " Chancellor;
Captain General, " Master of the Palace;
Prelate, cl Prelate;
Senior Warden, " Master of Cavalry ;
Junior Warden, " Master of Infantry;
Treasurer, " Master of Finance;
Recorder, " Master of Despatches;
Standard Bearer, " Standard Bearer;
Sword Bearer, " Sword Bearer;
Warder, " Warder;
Sentinel, " Sentinel;
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And officers of the Council in their respective
spheres shall be invested with all the powers and
discharge the various duties required of them as
officers of the Commandery.
ARTICLE VI.
The Eminent Commander shall have it in spec¬
ial charge to see that the By-Laws are duly ob¬
served, together with the provisions of the Gene¬
ral Constitution; also, that fair and accurate re¬
cords of the proceedings of. the Commandery are
kept and that just accounts are rendered. He shall
cause regular returns to be made annually, to the
Grand Recorder, and see that the general annual
dues are promptly paid; he shall have authority to
call special meetings at pleasure, and shall at all
times require the observance of the strictest deco¬
rum and propriety, and the affairs of the Com¬
mandery to be conducted in every particular ac¬
cording to ancient and solemn usage.
ARTICLE VII.
The Treasurer shall receive and take charge ot
all the funds of the Commandery; he shall keep
a just and accurate account of the same, pay all
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orders drawn on him under authority, faithfully
account for all monies in his hands and exhibit a
fair and correct statement to the Eminent Com¬
mander or to.the Commandery when required.
ARTICLE Ylir.
The Eecorder shall keep an accurate journal
of the proceedings of the Commandery, make out
and transmit all communications and returns that
are necessary to be sent to the Grand Encampment,
U. S. A., and do all writings necessary to facili¬
tate any business of the Commandery—which
several duties he shall discharge under the advice
of the Eminent Commander. He shall pay over
all monies he receives to the Treasurer, who shall
receipt to him therefor; keep an account with
the Treasurer, and with each member of the Com¬
mandery, and when required by the Eminent
Commander or Commandery, present an accurate
exhibit of all his proceedings. He shall carefully
preserve all petitions, reports and all other papers
of the Commandery, and have charge of the books
and seal, and as a compensation for his services
he shall receive one dollar for each meeting.
BY-LAWS.
ARTICLE IX.
It shall be the duty of the Sentinel to attend
the meetings of the Commandery, to serve sum¬
mons and other notices, and to perform such other
duties appertaining to his office as maybe required.
He shall have the immediate charge of the i ooms
and furniture of the Commandery, and shall cause
them to be kept in proper order, for the transac¬
tion of business, and comfort of the members.
He shall also perform the duties of a Steward, and
as compensation for his services, he shall receive
the sum of two dollars for each meeting.
ARTICLE X.
The fee for conferring the orders of Knighthood
in this Commandery shall be thirty dollars; ten
dollars of which sum shall accompany the petition,
and the remainder shall be paid to the Recorder
previously to the orders being conferred upon the
petitioner, and each petitioner shall also pay the
further sum of five dollars to the Steward, to be
disbursed under the direction of the Commandery.
Should the petitioner be rejected, the money ac¬
companying his petition shall be returned. The
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fee for membership shall be five dollars, which
sum must accompany the petition of the Sir Knight
desirous of becoming a member.
ARTICLE XI.
Any Sir Knight who may have demitted or
withdrawn from the Commandery, may be re-ad¬
mitted without charge, and any Sir Knight may
be admitted a member for li fe and be exempt from
the payment of all dues thereafter, by the pay¬
ment of the sum of twenty-five dollars.
"ARTICLE XII.
Every petitioner for the orddrs of Kighthood, or for
membership, shall make application in writing, and
shall be vouched for by two members. If the peti¬
tion be received, it shall lie over one Lunar month
for consideration, and a committee of three Knights
Templar shall be appointed by the Eminent Com¬
mander, who shall scrupulously examine into the
character and fitness of the applicant, and report
upon the same. . After the report of the Commit¬
tee he shall be balloted for, and a unanimous vote
in favor of the applicant shall be necessary for his
admission. If on the ballot being taken, there
BY-LAWS.
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shall appear but one negative vote, the ballot shall
be repeated; but if upon the second ballot there
shall remain a negative vote, the petitioner shall
be rejected.
ARTICLE XIII.
Every Companion who shall be elected to re¬
ceive the orders of Knighthood in this Comman-
dery, and does not apply to receive the same with¬
in three months after being notified of his election,
shall forfeit his privilege, unless he shall give a
satisfactory excuse for his neglect, and the money
which accompanied his petition shall be forfeited
to the charity fund.
ARTICLE XIV.
The petitions of applicants ft>r orders of Knight¬
hood from without the limits of Davidson coun¬
ty, where there is no Commandery of Knights
Templar, may be acted upon instanter.
ARTICLE XY.
Every member of the Commandery shall pay
the Recorder, the sum of one dollar semi-annually, to
wit : at the stated meetings in April and October.
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BY-LAWS.
ARTICLE XVI.
If any member shall be in arrears for dues for
the term of twelve months, and refuses or neglects
to pay the same after application is made to him
for that purpose, he may be suspended from all
the rights, benefits and privileges of the Orders of
Knighthood by a vote cf two-thirds of the mem¬
bers present, or his name may be stricken from
the roll of membership by a vote of a majority of
the members present; but the Commandery re¬
serves the power to excuse the payment of dues
of any member in the peculiar circumstances
arising from age, inability or unavoidable absence.
ARTICLE XYII.
In case any member is stricken from the roll of
membership, for non-payment of dues, as provided
in the preceding Article, such person shall not
have the privilege of again being admittted to
membership unless he shall have previously paid
all dues standing against him at the time his name
was stricken from the roll, together with the fee
required in Article X. for membership.
BY-LAWS.
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ARTICLE XVIII.
The Eminent Commander, Generalissimo and
Captain General, shall be a Standing Committee
of Charity, to whom all applications for relief shall
be referred, and a majority of whom shall have
power to draw on the Treasurer for any sum not
exceeding twenty-five dollars without special au¬
thority from the Commandery. This committee
shall report to the next stated meeting the sums
granted by them,
ARTICLE XIX.
Every Sir Knight shall have a right to with¬
draw from membership at any time, by asking
leave in open Commandery, and producing the
Recorder's receipt for all dues, or the Recordei
stating such to be paid; provided there are 110
charges against him.
ARTICLE XX.
Every Sir Knight of this Commandery shall
subscribe his name to these By-Laws, in a Book
to be kept for this purpose.
RULES OF ORDER.
1. Whenever the Council or Commandery is
about to be opened the members shall observe
profound silence. No Sir Knight shall be permit¬
ted to move from his place in the Hall or Cham¬
ber during the progress of any work except for
the furtherance of the same, or be permitted to
leave before adjournment without permission of
the presiding officer.
2. Every Sir Knight shall stand when he speaks,
and shall address himself to the presiding officer
with respect and decorum, and shall confine him¬
self to the subject under discussion ; he shall not
be interrupted while speaking unless for a breach
of order.
3. If any Sir Knight is called to order for trans¬
gressing these rules, and is guilty of a second of-
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fence of the same nature, the presiding officer
may peremptorily order him to leave the Com-
mandery for that evening.
4. The report of all committees shall be made
in writing, and signed by at least a majority of
the committee, otherwise they shall not be re¬
ceived.
5. No question shall be put unless it be seconded,
and it shall not be open for discussion until stated
by the Chair, when the same shall be determined
by & majority of the members present.
6. Every member when a question is put shall
vote thereon, unless for special reason he shall be
excused, and the vote on any question shall be
taken by ballot at the request of three members.
7. Every resolution shall be reduced to writing
if the Chair or any member desire it.
8. All committees shall be appointed by the
Chair, unless otherwise ordered by the Comman-
dery or Council.
9. No Sir Knight shall be permitted to enter
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BY-LAWS.
the Council Chamber or Commandery without his
appropriate clothing.
J3P~Should any alteration be proposed to these
Ry-Laws, and Rules of Order, they must be sub¬
mitted in writing and read at a stated meeting.
At the next monthly meeting they may be called
up, and if agreed to by two-thirds of the members
present they shall become a part of the same.