N.Y. BVO Law § 4 — New York Code / Act BVO / Article 2 / Section 4
Terms of trustees
Status: in_force

§ 4. Terms of trustees. 1. The persons first elected trustees of such\nlodge, chapter, commandery, consistory, council, temple or post, if a\nlodge of Free and Accepted Masons, or a chapter of Royal Arch Masons,\nshall be divided by lot by the officer making the certificate of\nelection, so that the term of one shall expire on the day of the\nfestival of Saint John the Evangelist, next thereafter, and another in\none year, and the third in two years thereafter. If other than a lodge\nor chapter of Free and Accepted Masons, the trustees first elected shall\nbe divided by lot by the officers making the certificate of election, so\nthat the term of one will expire in one year, one in two years, and one\nin three years thereafter. One trustee shall annually thereafter be\nelected by such lodge, chapter, commandery, consistory, council, temple,\ngrotto, post, tribe, tent, nest, camp, encampment or canton, or Degree\nof Pocahontas council, by ballot, in the same manner and at the same\ntime as the first three officers thereof severally are or shall be\nelected according to its constitution, by-laws and regulations; and a\ncertificate of such election under the hands of such officers and the\nseal of the lodge, chapter, commandery, consistory, council, temple,\ngrotto, post, tribe, tent, nest, camp, encampment or canton, or Degree\nof Pocahontas council, if it has any, shall be made, and shall be\nevidence of such election and entitle the person so elected to act as\ntrustee. If any trustee dies, resigns, demits, is suspended or expelled,\nremoves from the state, or becomes incapacitated for performing the\nduties of his office, his office shall be deemed vacant. Such lodge,\nchapter, commandery, consistory, council, temple, grotto, post, tribe,\ntent, nest, camp, encampment or canton, or Degree of Pocahontas council,\nmay, at any regular communication, convocation, encampment or other\nregular meeting, by whatever name known, fill any vacancy in the office\nof trustee, by ballot, which election shall be certified in like manner\nand with like effect as an annual election, and the person so elected\nshall hold his office during the unexpired term of the trustee, whose\nplace he was elected to fill.\n  2. In the event that any such lodge, chapter, commandery, consistory,\ncouncil, temple, grotto, post, tribe, tent, nest, camp, encampment or\ncanton, or degree of Pocahontas council shall, in accordance with the\nconstitution and general rules and regulations of its grand lodge,\nchapter, commandery, council or other governing body to which it belongs\nor with which it is connected, and in conformity to its own by-laws, if\nit has any, determines to increase the number of its trustees from three\nto five, the two additional trustees shall be first elected at the same\ntime as the trustee elected to succeed whichever of the previously\nelected trustees whose term first expires. At such election each of the\nthree trustees elected shall, by lot, be assigned a term of one, two or\nthree years, as the case may be. Thereafter all trustees shall be\nelected for terms of three years.\n  3. In the event that any such lodge, chapter, commandery, consistory,\ncouncil, temple, grotto, post, tribe, tent, nest, camp, encampment or\ncanton, or degree of Pocahontas council shall, in accordance with the\nconstitution and general rules and regulations of its grand lodge,\nchapter, commandery, council or other governing body to which it belongs\nor with which it is connected, and in conformity to its own by-laws, if\nit has any, determines to increase the terms of its trustees from three\nto five years, the trustees hereafter elected shall be elected for terms\nof five years each.\n  4. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this section,\ntrustees of lodges of Free and Accepted Masons shall be elected and\ntheir terms commence at the first stated lodge communication next\nfollowing the Grand Lodge Annual Communication.\n