Lodges are required to submit an Annual Return of Members to the Grand Secretary within one month after the end of their subscription year if located in London or a Province, or within three months if elsewhere. This return must include details of subscribing and Honorary members, along with information on deaths, resignations, cessations under Rule 148, and exclusions under Rule 181. The return must be signed by the Master and Secretary. Additionally, each Lodge must maintain an up-to-date register of current and past members, detailing their initiation dates, ages, addresses, titles, professions, and reasons for membership cessation. The amended Rule 146 specifies that returns should be authenticated by both the Treasurer and Secretary, and the updated requirements apply to various jurisdictions, including Bedfordshire, Berkshire, and others listed. Until further direction from the Board of General Purposes, these rules remain in effect.
December 4th, 2025
February 10th, 2026
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(i) Every Lodge, by its Secretary, shall within one month after the end of each of its subscription years, if the Lodge meets in London or in a Province, or three months after the end of each of its subscription years, if the Lodge meets elsewhere, transmit to the Grand Secretary, upon a printed form which he will provide, a return of the persons, who were during such year its subscribing members. Particulars shall also be given in the return of the dates of election to Honorary membership, and of the deaths, resignations, cessations under Rule 148 and exclusions under Rule 181 of subscribing members which have occurred during such year. Such returns shall be signed by the Master and the Secretary. (ii) It shall also be the duty of every Lodge to keep a register of its present and past members, containing particulars of their dates of Initiation, Passing and Raising, or joining or re-joining, as the case may be, their ages, addresses, titles, and professions or occupations and the dates of and reasons for their ceasing to be members. *Until the Board of General Purposes has given a direction in relation to any particular area, the current Rule (above) will continue to apply. Rule 146 (Amended): (i) Every Lodge, by its Secretary, shall within one month after the end of each of its subscription years transmit to the Grand Secretary, in such format as the Board of General Purposes shall from time to time prescribe, a return of the persons, who were during such year its subscribing and Honorary members. Particulars shall also be given in the return of the dates of election to Honorary membership, and of the deaths, resignations, cessations under Rule 148 and exclusions under Rule 181 of members which have occurred during such year. Such returns shall be authenticated by the Treasurer and the Secretary. (ii) It shall also be the duty of every Lodge to keep up to date the information in the register maintained by the Grand Secretary of its present and past members, containing particulars of their dates of Initiation, Passing and Raising, or joining or re-joining, as the case may be, their ages, addresses, titles, and professions or occupations and the dates of and reasons for their ceasing to be members. *The above and amended Rule has been applied to the following area(s): Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumberland and Westmorland, Cyprus, Derbyshire, Dorset, Eastern Archipelago, Essex, Gloucestershire, Guernsey and Alderney, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Hong Kong and the Far East, Isle of Man, Jersey, Leicestershire and Rutland, Lincolnshire, Middlesex, Monmouthshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, South Wales, Suffolk, Warwickshire, West Wales and Wiltshire.