BY-LAWS

 

PARK PLACE COMMANDERY NO. 106

 

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

 

Chartered May 23, 1953

 

ARTICLE I

 

Name and Location

 

Section 1.  This Commandery shall be known and styled as Park Place Commandery No. 106, Knights Templar, and shall be located at Houston, Harris County, Texas.

 

Section2.  This Commandery and its members subscribe to and shall be governed by the Constitution, Ritual, and Statutes of the Grand Encampment of the United States of America; the Statutes and Laws of the Grand Commandery of the State of Texas; and the By-Laws of this Commandery.

 

ARTICLE II

 

Conclaves and Order of Business

 

Section 1.  The Stated Conclaves of this Commandery shall be held on the first Monday of each month at 6:00 P.M., except December, in which month the Conclave shall be held on the second Thursday, at the usual hour.

 

Section 2.  The regular order of business of the Commandery in Stated Conclaves shall be as follows, except when varied by the Commander at his discretion:

1.      Reading and approval of all unapproved minutes of previous Conclaves

2.      Reading and referral to committees and action thereon

3.      Reports of Officers and Standing Committees and action thereon.

4.      Reports of Special Committees and action thereon.

5.      Unfinished business.

6.      New business.

 

Section 3.  Nine members present shall constitute a quorum.

 

ARTICLE III

 

Officers

 

Section 1.  The Officers of this Commandery shall consist of the following:

1.      Commander                      7.   Treasurer

2.      Generalissimo                   8.   Recorder

3.      Captain General                9.   Standard Bearer

4.      Senior Warden                  10. Sword Bearer

5.      Junior Warden                  11. Warder

6.      Prelate                               12. Sentinel

13, 14, 15. Third, Second First Guards.

Section 2.  The first eight of the above named officers shall be elected by ballot at the stated conclave in December of each year and shall be installed as soon thereafter as practicable and not later than 31st of January. Remaining above-named officers shall be appointed by the Commander-elect at the time of his election and shall be duly installed with the elective officers.

 

Section 3.  In the event of any vacancy created among the elective officers, (all officers except the Commander and Generalissimo), a dispensation will be requested from the Grand Commander for an election to fill the vacancy and any other that may occur in consequence thereof.

 

Section 4.  Each year at the Installation of Officers, the Captain General shall be presented with copy of the Constitution and Statutes of the Grand Encampment of the United States of America, and a copy of the Statutes and Regulations of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Texas.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

Duties and Power

 

Section 1.  All officers shall exercise such powers as are vested in them by the Constitution, Ritual and Statues of the Grand Encampment of the United States of America; the Statues and Regulations of the Grand Commandery of the State of Texas; these By-Laws and such other powers and duties which by custom and usage pertain to their offices.

 

Section 2.  The Commander, in addition to the above powers, shall have the following duties incumbent upon him: To have direct supervision of the Park Place Commandery Drill Team; to keep in custody the Faithful Performance Bonds of the Treasurer and Recorder, and promptly deliver them to his successor in office, to have made as soon as possible after December 31st of each year an audit by the Finance Committee of the books and records of the Treasurer and Recorder; to have such audit of the books and records read in open Commandery at the next stated conclave and recorded in full upon the minutes of the conclave.

 

Section 3.  The Treasurer shall present to the Commandery at its stated conclave in January, April, July and October of each year a statement of the receipts and disbursements of the Commandery for the preceding year, such quarterly statements to become a part of the minutes of that stated conclave; to present to the Commandery no later than its first stated conclave in February of each year a complete statement of the receipts and disbursements of the Commandery as of December 31st immediately preceding the conclave, such statements to become part of the minutes of that conclave; to deposit in a bank or banks approved by the Commandery all the funds of the Commandery, all funds received as Uniform Fees in the name of the Commandery followed by the title “Uniform Account”; to sign all checks, when accounts are approved by the Commandery, or the Commander, and have said checks countersigned by either the Recorder or Commander, to keep in a safe deposit box in a bank or banks approved by the Commandery all property of the Commandery in the form of notes, Bonds, Obligations, Deed, Stock Certificates, etc.

 

Section 4.  The Recorder shall keep a record book in which the By-Laws with marginal notes are references together with all amendments shall be maintained; to present to the Commandery at its stated conclave in January of each year a statement of the receipts of the Commandery for the preceding year; shall countersign all checks and in the Recorder the counter signature shall be that of the Commander and shall perform such other duties as are prescribed by the Statutes and Regulation of the Grand Commandery.

 

Section 5.  The Treasurer and Recorder shall be required to give bond in favor of the Commandery conditioned: “For faithful performance of the duties of the respective officer assigned them, “and to correctly account to the Commandery for all monies, bonds, securities and other properties entrusted to their custody, such bond to be for not less than $5,000.00 and a corporate bond in some Company approved by the U.S. Government, the premium for which shall be paid by the Commandery.

 

Section 6.  The Recorder shall provide insurance to cover $600.00 in cash, the premium for which shall be paid by the Commandery.

 

Section 7.  All other officers, elected and appointed, shall perform such duties as the Commander my prescribe. The Sentinel shall have general charge of the rooms, furniture, paraphernalia and equipment of the Commandery. It shall be the duty of three appointed Guards to assist the Sentinel in putting the asylum in suitable array for the conclave of the Commandery, and such other duties as the Commander may require, or the officer who is presiding in the Commander’s absence.

 

Section 8.  Officers shall be compensated as follows:

(a)   Treasurer  . . . . . . . . . . .   Nothing

(b)   Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . .   $150.00 (Monthly)

(c)   Sentinel . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Nothing

 

Section 9.  The Commandery shall provide each immediate Past Commander with a Past Commander’s Jewel and Shoulder Straps, to be presented at the time of installation of the newly-elected Commander, or as soon as practicable thereafter.

 

ARTICLE V

 

Committees, Standing

 

Section 1.  This Commandery shall have five Standing Committees to be appointed by the Commander at the time of his election. They shall be as follows:

1.      Charity or Sick Committee, consisting of three members.

2.      Finance, consisting of three members.

3.      Dress and equipment, consisting of three members.

4.      Tactics, consisting of three members.

5.      Drill Team, consisting of four members.

 

1.      The Committee on Charity shall always consist of the Commander, Generalissimo, and Captain General. Any two of this committee may act in the absence of the other one of the committee. It shall be their duty to examine all claimants for assistance and in case of an emergency they may order a warrant drawn on the Treasurer for such relief as may be reasonable and within the financial resources of the Commandery, the amount not to exceed $25.00, reporting the facts in the case to the Commandery at its next stated conclave.

 

2.      The Committee on Finance. The Commandery may refer any motion for expenditure of the funds of the Commandery to the Finance Committee for its examination and recommendations before action thereon by the Commandery. The Finance Committee shall be responsible for the annual audit of the books and records of the Treasurer and Recorder as previously provided.

 

3.      The Committee on Dress and Equipment shall see that the dress and equipment of the Commandery is kept in proper condition and that necessary repairs and losses are promptly reported to the Commandery for action.

 

4.      The Committee on Tactics shall keep themselves informed on the tactics adopted by the Grand Commandery of Texas, and when requested by the Commander, shall assist in conducting the drills of the Commandery in its asylum tactics.

 

5.      The Drill Team Committee shall always consist of the Commander, Generalissimo, Captain General, and one instructor, and it shall be the duty of the three latter officers to assist the Commander in supervising and commanding the activities of the Drill Team, under whom shall come the officers of the Drill Team elected by its By-Laws.

 

 

ARTICLE VI

 

Voting

 

Section 1.  All members of the Commandery present must vote on every question, unless excused by the Commander or Commandery.

 

 

ARTICLE VII

 

Dues

 

Section 1.  The dues and fees for this Commandery shall be an amount as set by the Commandery from time to time as is required for the financial stability of the Commandery. A 2/3 majority of members present is required for changing the dues or fees, and $1.00 per year assessment by the Grand Encampment of the United States of America for the establishment of Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc., payable in advance, commencing January 1st of each year. Any member of this Commandery may have his dues remitted by the Commander or the Commandery for good and sufficient reasons, or for disability or indigence (this applies only to those remissions for disability of indigence), and no per capita tax shall be due the Grand Commandery on such remissions, unless they cover more than10% (ten per cent) of the total membership, in which event the Grand Commandery shall be due the per capita dues on the excess over ten per cent. (Amended 2009)

 

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

Fees

 

Section 1.  The fees for the Orders of the Red Cross, Order of Malta, and the Order of the Temple shall be $75.00 dollars.

 

 

ARTICLE IX

 

Amendments

 

Section 1.  These By-Laws may be amended in the following manner: A resolution in writing, setting out in detail the proposed amendment shall be presented and read at a stated conclave, at which time it may be discussed and amended. It shall be lie over for one lunar month or until the next stated conclave, and every member shall be promptly notified at his last known address of the proposed amendment. At the next stated conclave, unless further postponed by the Commander, it shall again be read and voted upon. If the proposed amendment shall receive a favorable vote of two-thirds of the members present, it shall be declared adopted and shall be in full force and effect from that date. Amendments to the change the amount of dues or change the time of stated conclave shall require a majority vote only.

 

CERTIFICATE

 

These By-Laws were duly voted upon and adopted in the stated conclave of June 1st, 1953, subject to the approval of the Grand Commandery.

 

                                                                                                M. E. HUGGINS,

                                                                                                Commander

 

Attest:                                                                                      T. H. OSBORNE

                                                                                                Recorder

 

Revised

Revision Description

Date Approved

2009

Modified Article VII – Dues

3/2/2009