2006 New York Code - Terms Of Trustees.

 
    § 4. Terms  of trustees. 1. The persons first elected trustees of such
  lodge, chapter, commandery, consistory, council, temple or  post,  if  a
  lodge  of  Free  and Accepted Masons, or a chapter of Royal Arch Masons,
  shall be divided by  lot  by  the  officer  making  the  certificate  of
  election,  so  that  the  term  of  one  shall  expire on the day of the
  festival of Saint John the Evangelist, next thereafter, and  another  in
  one  year,  and the third in two years thereafter. If other than a lodge
  or chapter of Free and Accepted Masons, the trustees first elected shall
  be divided by lot by the officers making the certificate of election, so
  that the term of one will expire in one year, one in two years, and  one
  in  three  years  thereafter.  One  trustee shall annually thereafter be
  elected by such lodge, chapter, commandery, consistory, council, temple,
  grotto, post, tribe, tent, nest, camp, encampment or canton,  or  Degree
  of  Pocahontas  council,  by  ballot, in the same manner and at the same
  time as the first three officers  thereof  severally  are  or  shall  be
  elected  according  to  its constitution, by-laws and regulations; and a
  certificate of such election under the hands of such  officers  and  the
  seal  of  the  lodge,  chapter, commandery, consistory, council, temple,
  grotto, post, tribe, tent, nest, camp, encampment or canton,  or  Degree
  of  Pocahontas  council,  if  it  has  any,  shall be made, and shall be
  evidence of such election and entitle the person so elected  to  act  as
  trustee. If any trustee dies, resigns, demits, is suspended or expelled,
  removes  from  the  state,  or  becomes incapacitated for performing the
  duties of his office, his office shall be  deemed  vacant.  Such  lodge,
  chapter,  commandery,  consistory, council, temple, grotto, post, tribe,
  tent, nest, camp, encampment or canton, or Degree of Pocahontas council,
  may, at any regular  communication,  convocation,  encampment  or  other
  regular  meeting, by whatever name known, fill any vacancy in the office
  of trustee, by ballot, which election shall be certified in like  manner
  and  with  like  effect as an annual election, and the person so elected
  shall hold his office during the unexpired term of  the  trustee,  whose
  place he was elected to fill.
    2.  In the event that any such lodge, chapter, commandery, consistory,
  council, temple, grotto, post, tribe, tent, nest,  camp,  encampment  or
  canton,  or  degree  of Pocahontas council shall, in accordance with the
  constitution and general rules  and  regulations  of  its  grand  lodge,
  chapter, commandery, council or other governing body to which it belongs
  or  with which it is connected, and in conformity to its own by-laws, if
  it has any, determines to increase the number of its trustees from three
  to five, the two additional trustees shall be first elected at the  same
  time  as  the  trustee  elected  to  succeed whichever of the previously
  elected trustees whose term first expires. At such election each of  the
  three  trustees elected shall, by lot, be assigned a term of one, two or
  three years, as the case  may  be.  Thereafter  all  trustees  shall  be
  elected for terms of three years.
    3.  In the event that any such lodge, chapter, commandery, consistory,
  council, temple, grotto, post, tribe, tent, nest,  camp,  encampment  or
  canton,  or  degree  of Pocahontas council shall, in accordance with the
  constitution and general rules  and  regulations  of  its  grand  lodge,
  chapter, commandery, council or other governing body to which it belongs
  or  with which it is connected, and in conformity to its own by-laws, if
  it has any, determines to increase the terms of its trustees from  three
  to five years, the trustees hereafter elected shall be elected for terms
  of five years each.
    4.  Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this section,
  trustees of lodges of Free and Accepted  Masons  shall  be  elected  and
  their  terms  commence  at  the  first  stated  lodge communication next
  following the Grand Lodge Annual Communication.