Provincial or District Grand Masters are authorized to annually appoint acting Provincial or District Grand Officers based on the number of registered Freemasons, with the total appointments not exceeding the number of Lodges in the Province or District. They may also confer past ranks during Masonic celebrations. Additional roles such as Provincial or District Grand Learning and Development Officers and Mentors can be appointed. In districts with over 6,000 Masons, either a Deputy or Assistant Grand Secretary may be appointed, while both can be appointed in districts with over 9,000 Masons. Officers are elected annually, including the Provincial or District Grand Treasurer, who can be a past rank holder. Casual vacancies can be filled by the Grand Master, who also has the authority to remove officers with the approval of the Provincial or District Grand Lodge, barring recent disciplinary actions. Specific rules and schedules govern these appointments and removals.
December 4th, 2025
February 10th, 2026
boc constitutional
constitutional documents
(a) A Provincial or District Grand Master is also empowered to appoint annually such acting Provincial or District Grand Officers as are specified in that column of the schedule to this Rule which is appropriate to the number of Freemasons in his Province or District registered in the books of the Grand Lodge on 1 September of the preceding year and in addition to make appointments to any past Provincial or District Grand Rank which he is empowered to confer as an acting office, except that of a Past Deputy or Past Assistant Provincial or District Grand Master; but so that the aggregate number of first appointments to acting offices and past ranks shall not in any one year exceed the number of Lodges in his Province or District registered on 1 September of the preceding year, subject only to the proviso that no Provincial or District Grand Master shall be prevented thereby from appointing the number of acting ranks indicated in the relevant column of the schedule. Masonic celebration (b) On such occasions as shall seem to him proper either for Masonic celebration or otherwise, the Grand Master may authorise Provincial and District Grand Masters to confer past ranks. (c) (i) In addition to the foregoing a Provincial or District Grand Master may appoint a Provincial or District Grand Learning and Development Officer and a Provincial or District Grand Mentor. (ii) In addition to the foregoing, a District Grand Master shall, subject to Rule 81, appoint a President of the District Board of General Purposes, and may appoint a President of the District Board of Benevolence instead of either a District Grand Almoner or a District Grand Charity Steward. SCHEDULE TO RULE 68: NUMBER OF APPOINTMENTS TO ACTING RANK [See BOC for Schedule]
Over 6000 Masons either a Deputy Grand Secretary or an Assistant Grand Secretary may be appointed, but not both; over 9000 Masons both may be appointed. Additional District Grand Officers (iii) Provided that in any District, if it shall appear to the Grand Master that the area of that District, the means of communication, or other sufficient reason renders such a provision desirable, he may authorise the District Grand Master to appoint such additional District Grand Officer or Officers as he may indicate without regard to the limitation hereinbefore stated. Provincial or District Grand Treasurers to be elected annually (d) The Provincial or District Grand Officers shall be annually appointed in the Provincial or District Grand Lodge, and such Officers whenever practicable shall be then invested together with the Provincial or District Grand Treasurer who shall be elected annually. *