Arrest of Charter

Arrest of Charter. For infraction of Masonic law, the Grand Master may order a lodge or its Master to suspend work until the matter can be investigated, and that may mean until the next Communication of Grand Lodge, the charter meanwhile being ordered into the custody of the Grand Secretary. That is called arrest of charter and, while it lasts, all activities of the lodge cease, except such as are expressly ordered by the Grand Master. In minor matters, the Grand Master may restore the charter upon adjustment of the difficulty but, in some cases the charter may remain under arrest through more than one Masonic year. Obviously such cases should be adjusted as soon as possible for, if the lodge or Master is shown not to have been c*lpable, sev*re inj*ry may nevertheless be done to the lodge. There is such a thing as voluntary arrest of charter in those instances where a Master loses control of an obstr*perous lodge. He has a very simple remedy by surrendering the charter to the Grand Master, whereupon, the lodge becomes cland*stine, for the time being at least, and is subject to sev*re discipline.