EDICT NO. 138
ESTABLISHING A NEW MASONIC COORDINATING COUNCIL
WHEREAS, it is the sense of the Masonic leaders in this Grand Jurisdiction that with the growth of Masonry and the establishment of appendant bodies in recent years, there is a need to create a new coordinating council with an expanded membership;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSE REYES GUERRERO, by virtue of the power in me vested by our Constitution, do hereby decree the creation of a new Masonic coordinating body to be known as the MASONIC COORDINATING COUNCIL (MCC) in accordance with the following purposes, implementing rules and guidelines.
ARTICLE I. PURPOSES AND FUNCTIONS
The purpose of the Masonic Coordinating Council is to serve the highest officers of regular Masonic bodies and appendant orders may be able to unify the efforts of the entire Masonic Fraternity in the Jurisdiction of the Philippines towards the attainment of any common goal in the field of such civic, social, or non-partisan political endeavors as may be decided by the Council for the Fraternity to be involved in, including charity work and assistance on occasions of a national or local disaster or calamity, thus preventing the overlapping and unnecessary duplication of efforts of the members of the Masonic Fraternity, and also as the vehicle for the settlement of disputes or differences that may arise among or between members within an organization with those of others in the jurisdiction, and thereby conserving the resources of the Fraternity in the pursuit of a common goal in one mighty and united effort. In this way, the image of the Fraternity working in harmony as a whole will continue to be enhanced.
The function of the Masonic Coordinating Council (MCC) will be to identify areas of cooperative and common endeavor and to provide the actual and moral leadership to achieve any goal set for the Masonic Fraternity, and the direction towards the attainment of such goal.
ARTICLE II. COMPOSITION
The Masonic Coordinating Council (MCC) shall be, as it is hereby, composed of the following:
A. From the Grand Lodge
- The Grand Master of Masons in the Jurisdiction of the Philippines
- The Deputy Grand Master
- The Grand Secretary
B. From the Scottish Rite Supreme Council A.& A.S.R.
- The Sovereign Grand Commander
- The Venerable Lt. Grand Commander
- The Grand Secretary General
C. From the Grand York Rite Bodies
- A Grand York Rite Body Representative
- A Grand York Rite Body Deputy Representative
- The Grand Secretary Recorded
D. All presiding Officers of the following appendant orders or similar organizations:
- Order of the Eastern Star
- Order of the Amaranth
- Order of the DeMolay
- Order of the Rainbow for Girls
- Order of the Job's Daughters
- Royal Order of Scotland
- Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
- Masonic Charities for Crippled Children, Inc.
- Acacia Mutual Aid Society, Inc.
- And other associations that may be invited by the Grand Master
ARTICLE III. PROCEDURE FOR MEETINGS
A. Council Chairman. The Grand Master of Masons shall be ex-officio Chairman of the Masonic Coordinating Council (MCC) and shall be presided over by him.
B. Meetings of the Council. The Grand Master shall convene the council as often as he may deem it necessary but not oftener that once every three (3) months, provided, however, that either the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, A. & A.S.R. or the Grand York Rite Body Representative may at any time when circumstances so require, request orally or in writing, the Grand Master to convene the council.
C. Venue, Time and Date of Meetings. Unless otherwise provided for by agreement among the Members of the Council, the meetings of the Council shall be held at the office of the Grand Master at the Grand Lodge Temple, on the date and time designated by him in the Notice of Meetings to be given, orally or in writing.
D. Quorum. The presence of a majority of the Council members in every meeting shall constitute a quorum for that meeting to be valid to decide on any matter placed before it, provided, however, that at least one representative from each of the Scottish Rite Bodies is present for the meeting of the Council to be considered valid.
E. Recording of Minutes of Meetings. The meetings of every Council meeting shall be taken by the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge who shall be ex-officio Secretary of the Council and shall reduce the same in writing for distribution to all Council members as soon as possible.
F. Council Decisions and Binding Effect. The decisions of the Council in any valid meeting shall be by a unanimous consensus.
G. Implementation of Council Consensus on Cooperative Activities. The Grand Lodge thru the Grand Master, shall be responsible for the proper implementation of every cooperative endeavor decided upon by the Council and shall be supported by the other two Rites thru appropriate action by the highest official of the Rites.
ARTICLE IV. LIMITATIONS OF COUNCIL AUTHORITY
Notwithstanding the provision of Art. III, Par. F. the MCC is not intended to be a superbody with authority over the three basic Rites and will strictly adhere to its purpose and functions as stated above in Art. II. The MCC therefore, will neither interfere in matters pertaining solely to each Rite as defined in the respective constitutions of each, nor promulgate rules and regulations applicable only to each Rite, and nothing in this Edict shall be construed as diminishing and amending the power and authority of the Presiding Officers of each of the Grand Bodies as are granted to each of them by the landmarks, laws and traditions governing each Rite.
ARTICLE V. REPEALING CLAUSE
All Edicts relative thereto, specifically Edict Nos. 56 and 74 are hereby repealed.
ARTICLE VI. EFFECTIVITY
This Edict shall take effect immediately after issuance.
This Edict shall be read in open Lodge at the stated meeting following its receipt and that action thereon duly noted in the minutes.
GIVEN under my hand and the Seal of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines in the City of Manila, this 23rd day of September, 1991.
(Sgd.) JOSE REYES GUERRERO Grand Master
ATTEST: (Sgd.) RUDYARDO V. BUNDA, PGM Grand Secretary