When the Master of a local body becomes incapacitated, the Electoral College must be notified immediately; and the local body’s charter is automatically suspended until the Electoral College appoints a new Master.
The Electoral College may appoint an Acting Master to maintain the local body during the period of suspension. The one duty of the Deputy Master of a local body is to be ready for appointment by the Electoral College to serve as Acting Master, to allow the Secretary and Treasurer to continue to perform their assigned duties.
When an orderly succession of mastership is being considered, it will usually be the Secretary (the officer most versed in local body operations), rather than the Deputy Master, who is recommended to the Electoral College for appointment as the new Master.