If a constituent organisation within the United Grand Priories is not yet officially sanctioned as a Grand Priory, then that Commandery or Grand Commandery or Delegation will be allowed to send one, or two, Representatives to the Grand Council. Representatives may offer opinions and suggestions to the Members of The Grand Council but may not vote on any issues laid before The Grand Council.
Procedures in The Grand Council
(1) The Grand Council shall be convened by the authority of the Supreme Grand Prior not less than once in each year upon not less than fourteen days’ previous notice.
(2) The Grand Council may at any time convene a Special Council Meeting, and shall so convene it on the requisition of two thirds of its members, or in pursuance of a resolution of The Grand Council containing a requisition to that effect, such requisition in either case to contain a statement of the propositions or particular matters to be submitted to The Grand Council. The notice convening a Special Council Meeting shall set forth the propositions or particular matters to be submitted to The Grand Council. In special circumstances the ordinary previous notice of fourteen days may, with the approval of The Grand Council, be reduced to seven days. At a Special Council Meeting no business shall be transacted other than that specified in the notice.
(3) The Grand Council Meeting shall be held according to ancient usage, and shall always be opened and closed with prayer.
(4) The Grand Council may make Regulations as to the manner in which The Grand Council shall conduct its business and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, such Regulations may prescribe who shall preside in the absence of the Supreme Grand Prior, the numbers of members forming a quorum, the filling of casual vacancies in the membership of The Grand Council, the method of voting and the circumstances in which persons who are not members of the Chapter-General may be admitted to be heard at any meeting.
The Grand Council
(1) There shall be a Grand Council which shall have the power to authorise any executive or other appropriate action in the name of the Order. The Grand Council shall furnish to each meeting a report of any action taken by the Supreme Grand Prior on behalf of The Grand Council, together with any recommendations of the Supreme Grand Prior which The Grand Council may wish to consider.
(2) Any Representative of a constituent Grand Priory must be of Knight rank and shall be appointed by the Supreme Grand Prior after a nomination by his Grand Priory. The appointed Representative may attend all meetings of The Grand Council and may put forward for consideration any proposals and suggestions from their constituent Grand Priory, and may vote on any matters laid before The Grand Council.
(3) Should representatives of Grand Priories not be able to attend any regular meeting of the Grand Council, the former can, by means of a signed and original proxy document properly endorsed, delegate their voting rights to another member of the Grand Council who will be physically present for the Grand Council meeting.
(4) The Grand Council may make Regulations as to the manner in which The Grand Council shall conduct its business, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing such Regulations may prescribe the frequency of The Grand Council meetings, who shall preside in the absence of the Supreme Grand Prior, the fixing of a quorum, the filling of vacancies in The Grand Council, the method of voting, the circumstances in which persons who are not members of The Grand Council may be admitted and heard at meetings and the manner in which the work of any Committee shall be co-ordinated with that of The Grand Council or any other Committee.
(5) Changes may be made in the composition of The Grand Council by a resolution passed at a Special Council Meeting by not less than two-thirds of those present and voting.
11. Grand Priories
(1) A Grand Priory may properly be constituted with the widest practicable degree of autonomy in any part of the world according to the tradition of the Order.
(2) Where in any case, having regard to the foregoing provisions and to Statute 11, the Supreme Grand Prior and The Grand Council may constitute a Grand Priory and declare its style and title, its area of authority and its membership. In addition the Knights in Council shall make Rules for the government of the Grand Priory including its powers and functions and the composition of its Grand Priory Chapter and thereafter such Rules shall be capable of addition, amendment or revocation from time to time (as shall be stated therein) by The Grand Council on the recommendation of the Grand Prior and the Grand Priory Chapter.
(3) The Grand Council shall have the power to suspend temporarily all or any part of the operations of a Grand Priory and all or any Rules applicable thereto and, on recommendation of the Grand Priory Chapter and after receiving the views of The Grand Council, may vary the constitution of the Grand Priory, or dissolve it or any of its dependent Establishments.
