Article I — Name of Lodge
The Lodge was created by the Grand Lodge of Texas at the Grand Annual Communication of December 2–4, 1999, as Tranquility Lodge No. 2000 of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, whose see is in the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon of the Planet Earth, now sitting in Waco, Texas. Its purpose is to promote the humanitarian principles of Freemasonry and to assist in promoting the health, welfare, education, and patriotism of children. The Lodge is at all times under the control of the Grand Master and the Grand Lodge Trustees, and it has no authority to confer degrees, receive petitions, hold Masonic trials, or conduct Masonic funerals — membership in it does not affect a Brother's Masonic status elsewhere.
Article II — Membership
Regular: any Master Mason in good standing in a regular Texas Lodge, or a Lodge in fraternal relations with the Grand Lodge of Texas, may join.
Endowed: a one-time, irrevocable payment of $700 in lieu of dues; a member who is the top-line signer on petitions of fifteen new members is awarded an Endowed Membership.
Astronaut: a Master Mason who is an astronaut may join without a joining fee or annual dues. A member who has landed on the Moon or another space location is designated an Honorary Past Master of the Lodge — a distinction first held by Brother and Dr. Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin.
Article III — Fees and Dues
A one-time joining fee of $100 is required (waived for Endowed Members). Annual dues are $35, due by January 1 each year; Endowed Membership is $700. Endowed Members and fifty-year members are exempt from dues. Per Lodge communications, these amended rates take effect January 1, 2027 — through December 31, 2026, dues remain $25/year and Endowed Membership $500.
Article IV — Meetings of the Lodge
The Lodge holds at least four stated meetings a year, called by the Worshipful Master or, in succession, the Wardens. The election and installation meeting is held as close as practical to July 20th, at the Grand Lodge's Memorial Temple or another suitable location in Waco. Called meetings may be held anywhere within the Texas jurisdiction, with at least fifteen days' mailed notice, and only the business named in the call may be transacted.
Article V — Officers of the Lodge
Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Treasurer, Secretary, Chaplain, Senior Deacon, Junior Deacon, Senior Steward, Junior Steward, Marshal, Master of Ceremonies, Musician, and Tiler. Only members of Texas Lodges may serve as Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, or Junior Warden. All officers are installed on or before September 1 each year.
Article VI — Selection of Officers
The Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Treasurer, and Secretary are elected by majority vote. The Chaplain, Senior Deacon, Marshal, Musician, and Tiler are appointed by the Worshipful Master; the Junior Deacon and Master of Ceremonies may be recommended by the Senior Warden and appointed by the Worshipful Master; the Senior and Junior Stewards may be recommended by the Junior Warden and appointed by the Worshipful Master (both revised 2025). A single nominee may be elected by voice vote; contested elections are decided by secret ballot, repeated until a majority is reached.
Article VII — Duties of Officers
Officers perform the duties required by the installation ceremony and Grand Lodge law. The Treasurer, Secretary, Marshal, and Tiler serve without payment of dues. The Secretary authenticates official Lodge papers, notifies Brothers elected or appointed to office, and files the Lodge's annual returns with the Grand Secretary. The Tiler guards the door and sees that the Lodge room is in proper order.
Article VIII — Standing Committees
Audit — three qualified members, or a CPA, audit the Treasurer's and Secretary's books annually. Membership — recruits members anywhere in Texas with three or more Lodge members present. Time and Place — chaired by the Senior Warden, assisted by the Marshal, arranges meeting venues. Goals and Activities — chaired by the Junior Warden, proposes projects within the Lodge's charter. Financial Assistance — five members on staggered terms evaluate assistance applications; between meetings, the three principal officers may unanimously authorize up to $5,000 in emergency aid. Investment (added 2025) — the Senior Warden, Junior Warden, and Treasurer, plus three elected members on staggered three-year terms, set the Lodge's investment policy and report at least twice a year.
Article IX — Amendments
A proposed amendment must be submitted in writing, read at one stated meeting, and voted on without further amendment at the next. If approved by a majority present, it goes to the Grand Lodge Trustees for approval — except changes to the joining fee or annual dues, officer-pay rules, or the Lodge's required charitable work, which the Lodge may set on its own.
Article X — Adoption & amendment history
Approved by the Trustees of the Grand Lodge of Texas on June 30, 2002, and adopted by Tranquility Lodge No. 2000 on July 20, 2002, under Secretary Randal Smallwood.
- Amended July 31, 2010 — approved by the Grand Lodge Board of Trustees
- Amended April 7, 2011 — approved by the Grand Lodge Board of Trustees
- Amended December 4, 2017 — Article VIII, Section 2 removed
- Dues changed December 19, 2019 — no Grand Lodge approval required
- Amended October 16, 2021 — approved by the Grand Lodge Board of Trustees
- Amended April 4, 2025 — Investment Committee added
- Amended October 18, 2025 — endowment raised to $700, annual dues to $35; approved by the Grand Lodge of Texas January 14, 2026
