The Duties of OSIA Officers

PRESIDENT

ART. 22. The president is the highest ranking officer and the leader of the Local Lodge and as such:
a) Calls and presides over all the meetings of the Council and of the assembly.
b) Sees that the laws of the Local Lodge are observed and the deliberations of the Council and of the assembly are carried out.
c) Sees that the laws of the Order are respected and observed, and the orders of the Supreme Lodge and of the Grand Lodge are obeyed.
d) Controls the affairs of the Local Lodge and supervises, the performance of duties by the other officers of the Council.
e) Signs the minutes of the meetings of the assembly and all orders of payment, checks, correspondence and all documents which invest the responsibility of the Local Lodge.
f) Unless the laws of the Local Lodge provide otherwise, the President appoints all committees of the Local Lodge, of which the President is an ex-officio member.
g) Refrains from making proposals at the meetings of the assembly; participates in discussions only to clarify the issues presented, and votes only in the case of a tie.
h) After hearing the opinion of the Orator, the President rules upon controversies involving the application of the laws. The member who disagrees with the ruling and the interpretation of the President shall appeal within 10 days to the State President, in case the Local Lodge is under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge, and to the National President, in case the Local Lodge is under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Lodge.
i) When disorder arises in the meeting of the assembly or of the Council, the President may silence or censure the member or members causing such disorder. If such member or members persist in causing disorder, the President may fine, silence or expel the member or members from the hall or suspend the meeting.
j) May appoint a Chaplain whose primary duties shall be to conduct, whenever practicable, all religious exercises of the Local Lodge. The Chaplain shall also perform such other duties relating to the office, as shall be assigned to the office from time to time by the President.

VICE PRESIDENT

ART. 23. The Vice President is the second ranking officer of the Local Lodge. As such, the Vice President assists the President and takes the President's place when the President is absent or unable to act. In the absence of the President, the Vice President performs the duties and exercises the prerogatives of the President to the same extent and with like power which the President would have, if present.

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

ART. 24. The office of the Immediate Past President shall be given to the member who has served one complete term as President of the Local Lodge immediately preceding the incumbent. If, on account of death, disqualification, resignation or removal, the office of Immediate Past President becomes vacant, the office shall be filled from the preceding former Presidents in the inverted order of their tenure of office. In case there is no preceding Presidents, the office of the Immediate Past Presidency shall be filled by electing such officer from among the members of the Local Lodge who have served a full term as officers of such Local Lodge. The Immediate Past President assumes the office of President whenever the President and the Vice President are unable to act or are absent from the meeting of the Council or of the assembly, and performs the duties and exercises the prerogatives of the President to the same extent and with like powers as the President, if present.

ORATOR

ART. 25. The Orator gives opinions concerning the application and interpretation of the laws of the Order and sees that the laws of the Order are observed and properly applied. In matters which relate to the administration of the affairs of the Local Lodge, the Orator is subordinate to the President, to matters relating to the exercise of Judicial Power, the Orator is subordinate to the State or National Orator. The Orator, either on the Orator's own initiative or upon complaint being made to the Orator, shall have power to prefer written charges against a member who has violated the laws of the Order.

RECORDING SECRETARY

ART.26. The Recording Secretary is the custodian of the archives and the keeper of the seal of the Local Lodge. The Recording Secretary's duties are:
a) To take and record the minutes of the meeting of the Council and of the assembly, which minutes are to be read at the successive meeting.
b) To make up and keep up to date the membership roll of the Local Lodge.
c) - assigned to the Corresponding Secretary.
d) - assigned to the Corresponding Secretary.
e) - assigned to the Corresponding Secretary.
f) To act as the clerk of the Local Lodge Arbitration Commission when such Commission is in session, except in case the Recording Secretary is an interested party.
g) Within ten days after receipt, to forward to the State Recording Secretary all appeals referred or presented to the Recording secretary by members because of administrative irregularities. The appeals when forwarded, shall be accompanied by a report of the views expressed by the Council.
h) To carry out all orders which the Recording Secretary may receive, in matters pertaining to the office, from the President or from higher ranking officers of the Order.

FINANCIAL SECRETARY

ART.27. The Financial Secretary is the collector and accountant of the Local Lodge. The Financial Secretary's; duties are:
a) To collect dues and assessments, giving proper receipt therefore.
b) To write orders of payment, affixing the Financial Secretary's signature thereon, together with that of the President.
c) To present orders of payment to the Treasurer, who issues checks thereon, which checks the Financial Secretary presents to the parties to whom they are payable, exacting at the same time money due from such parties to the Local Lodge.
d) To make up and keep up to date financial records, particularly those entrusted to the Financial Secretary by the Grand Lodge or Supreme Lodge. Those financial records are: the ledger, the journal book, the financial statements, and the orders of payment.
e) To notify by mail those members who are in default with the payment of dues and assessments.
f) To announce members in default with the payments of dues and assessments to the assembly.
g) To communicate, at the end of each meeting of the assembly, the total collections and disbursements matte on the day of the meeting.
h) To make a quarterly financial report, which report is to be audited and signed by no less than three trustees, a copy of which is to be sent to the State Financial Secretary.
i) To make payment of the Capita Tax, computed on the basis of the number of members listed on the membership roll at the end of each quarter, which payment shall be made, without deliberation on the part of the assembly of the Local Lodge, not later than January 15th, April 15th, July 15th and October 15th of each year.
j) To carry out all orders which the Financial Secretary may receive, in matters affecting the office, from the President and from higher ranking officers of the Order.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY

ART. 26. B.L.2. If the office of the Corresponding Secretary is established by a Local Lodge, pursuant to B.L.2 et seq. of Article 21 hereof, the duties of the Corresponding Secretary shall be as follows:
a) To maintain a file of all Local Lodge correspondence.
b) To write letters as directed by the President.
c) To notify members of meetings.
d) To make and keep up to date the Local Lodge membership list.
e) To be the sole officer through whom a member may communicate with the Grand Council.
f) To read all pertinent correspondence at meetings.
g) To perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President concomitant with the office of Corresponding Secretary.

TREASURER

ART.28. The Treasurer is the custodian of the funds of the Local Lodge. The Treasurer's duties are:
a) To receive at the end of each meeting all money collected by the Financial secretary and to issue proper receipt therefore.
b) To record in and keep up to dale the Cash Book of the Local Lodge, in which the Treasurer shall register monthly income and disbursements of the Local Lodge.
c) Not later than three days after each meeting, to deposit in previously designated banks the funds received by the Treasurer in accounts opened in the name of the Local Lodge.
d) To issue and sign checks upon the receipt of proper order of payment and consign them to the Financial Secretary for delivery to the payee thereof.
e) To withdraw funds from savings accounts opened in the name of the Local Lodge; provided the withdrawal slip bears the signature of the President, of the Financial Secretary, and of at least one Trustee, in addition to the Treasurer's; and provided further that the assembly of the Local Lodge may dispense with the signature of the Trustee when deemed advisable.
f) To carry out such orders which the Treasurer may receive, in matters pertaining to the office from the President or from the higher ranking officers of the Order.

TRUSTEES

ART.29. The Trustees supervise the affairs of the Local Lodge and are members of the Council. Their duties are:
a) To examine and audit the books kept by the Financial Secretary and the Treasurer of the Local Lodge.
b) To examine and audit the quarterly report of the Financial Secretary, certifying as to its correctness by affixing their signatures thereon; provided, however, that such report shall not be valid unless it bears the signature of no less than three Trustees in addition to that of the Financial secretary.
c) To perform such additional duties, in matters pertaining to their office, imposed upon them by the laws of the Order or by deliberations of the assembly of the Local Lodge.

MASTERS AND/OR MISTRESSES OF CEREMONIES

ART. 30. The Masters and/or Mistresses of Ceremonies are officers of the Local Lodge who participate in ceremonial activities prescribed by the laws of the Order during the course of the meetings of the assembly of the Local Lodge.

GUARD

ART. 31. The Guard is the doorkeeper of the Local Lodge. The Guard's duty is to exclude strangers from the meetings of the assembly and to admit those members who have identified themselves by announcing their presence to the President, who, in turn, orders the Guard to either admit or exclude such members.


NOTES:

ART. (Article number) refers to the General Laws of the Supreme Lodge revised August 1993.
B.L. (By Law number) refers to the By-Laws of the New York Grand Lodge revised June 9, 1995