EDICT NO. 175-C

APPOINTMENT OF GRAND MASTER'S DULY AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OR GRAND MASTER'S DEPUTY

WHEREAS, Edict 175-B issued by Most Worshipful Eugenio S. Labitoria, PGM harmonized all existing edicts pertaining to Grand Honors and Reception of Dignitaries;

WHEREAS, paragraph 17 on Grand Master's Duly Authorized Representative or Grand Master's Deputy of Edict 175-B creates a situation wherein a Past Master or Incumbent Master or a Warden of a Subordinate Lodge appointed as Grand Master's Deputy shall be entitled to wear the hat when being received and be presented with the gavel even in the presence of elected Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge;

WHEREAS, while Edict 175-B states that in the appointment of Grand Master's Deputy, the Grand Master shall give preference to the elective officers of the Grand Lodge in the following order of priority: Deputy Grand Master, Senior Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden, Grand Treasurer and Grand Secretary and only when the elected officers are unavailable shall the Grand Master appoint a member of the Grand Lodge who is not an elected officer of the Grand Lodge, members of the Grand Lodge are appointed as Grand Master's Deputy without observing the order of priority;

WHEREAS, the appointment of a member of the Grand Lodge as the Grand Master's Deputy if the elected officers are unavailable creates a situation wherein the former is received wearing a hat and presented with the gavel in the presence of an elected officer of the Grand Lodge who presumably was unavailable but eventually attended the same occasion;

WHEREAS, paragraph 17 of Edict 175-B may further create a situation wherein a Past Master, Incumbent Master or Warden of a Subordinate Lodge appointed as Grand Master’ Deputy outranks the elected officers of the Grand Lodge present in the same occasion;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, TOMAS G. RENTOY, III, Grand Master, by the powers in me vested by the Constitution under the jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines, hereby decree the following amendments to the current law governing the Reception of Grand Master’s Duly Authorized Representative or Grand Master's Deputy;