Trustees are responsible for the oversight and maintenance of Lodge property and financial integrity. Lodges may have one or three Trustees, depending on their structure.

Duties include:

• Attend all Lodge, Board of Officers, and Executive Session meetings.
• Annual inventory: Conduct a yearly inventory of all Lodge furniture, fixtures, paraphernalia, and property.
• Monthly merchandise inventory: Take monthly inventory of Social Quarters merchandise.
• Examine and approve bills: Review and approve all non-recurring bills weekly (recurrent overhead bills are excluded). Must verify accuracy and proper delivery of goods or services.
• Inspect Lodge property monthly:
  • Check cleanliness, safety, and condition of the Lodge home, Social Quarters, furnishings, and equipment.
• The One-Year Trustee also serves as Chairman of the Loss Prevention Committee.

Trustee Succession:

In Lodges that utilize three Trustees, the succession process is built into the election cycle:

• Each Trustee is elected to a three-year term, but the terms are staggered so that one Trustee position expires each year.
• This means each year, the Lodge elects one Trustee, ensuring a continuous rotation and preservation of institutional knowledge.
• This process ensures that at any given time, the Board of Officers includes Trustees with 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year terms of experience.

This structure is explained in the 2023 Officers’ and Committeemen’s Handbook:

“The Trustees shall be elected to a three (3) year term, providing their terms are so arranged that one (1) expires annually.”— Officers’ & Committeemen’s Handbook, p. 542023-Officer-Committeem…

If a Lodge operates with only one Trustee, then that Trustee is elected annually, and the above succession process does not apply.
 

Qualifications

• Attention to detail and organizational skills
• Understanding of financial management and property maintenance
• Commitment to upholding lodge integrity and compliance
• Ability to work collaboratively with the Board of Officers