Newsletter from the Grand Secretary
Hollis G. Dixon, Grand Secretary
March 2007
Insurance Surveys: In my January Newsletter, I informed you that the Grand Lodge Insurance Committee is negotiating with two companies for a new Blanket Liability Insurance Policy that will provide adequate coverage for all of the Masonic lodges in the State of Maine. This is being done because our present policy was never meant to be a primary policy, only a secondary policy. These companies must have detailed information about the use of our lodge halls, in order to draft an adequate liability policy.
For that reason, Liability Insurance Survey Forms were sent out to all District Deputy Grand Masters, who were directed to present them to each of the lodges in their district and to ensure that they are completed and returned prior to January 15, 2007. We are now into the month of March and we still have lodges that have not provided the committee with the information that they need.
Additionally, these companies will include property insurance coverage for our Lodge Halls if additional information is provided. Most of our lodges meet in a lodge hall that is owned by a Temple Corporation or Building Association and they pay rent to that entity each month. The Temple Corporation (or Building Association) is considered to be a landlord and must be adequately covered for liability as well.
These Insurance Companies need the following additional information in order to offer us a separate property liability insurance policy:
1). The name of your lodge. 2). The exact name of the Corporation or Association that owns the lodge hall. 3). The dimensions of the foundation of your building. 4). The number of floors in your building from ground level.
Brethren, this committee is trying to draft a policy that will provide primary liability insurance designed to cover every possible situation, thereby eliminating the need for your lodge to pay for a secondary policy. Both the lodge policy and the property policy will be offered to all of our lodges. Lodges that elect not to take advantage of these policies will still be required to have adequate insurance coverage in effect.
It is imperative that your lodge provides that information to the committee. You can send it to Stephen Nichols, our Chief of Staff, electronically prior to March 12th.
His email address is: senichols@sacoriver.net
Election of Proxies: Please remember that your lodge must elect a Proxy at its April Stated Communication. Your Proxy is to represent your lodge in the event that neither the Master nor the Senior or Junior Warden is able to attend our Annual Communication on May 1, 2007. We will be sending you a Proxy Form, which you should use as it must be in the possession of the Proxy when he registers at Grand Lodge.
Fraternally,
Hollis G. Dixon
Grand Secretary
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