Bylaws
Index:
Article I. Name
Article II. Mission
Article III. Membership
Article IV. Denominational Affairs
Article V. Meetings
Article VI. Board of Trustees
Article VII. The Minister(s)
Article VIII. Fiscal Year
Article IX. Dissolution
Article X. Amendments
Article XI. Temporary Amendments and Changes to the
Bylaws
Bylaws adopted by....
Article I. Name
The name of this religious congregation shall be:
Hammond Unitarian Church
Article II. Mission
Hammond Unitarian Church promotes intellectual and spiritual growth through
acceptance, reason and freedom of expression. Active outreach to local and
global communities is a natural expression of this growth.
Article III. Membership
a. Any person may become a voting member of this congregation
who is in sympathy with its mission, program and the Unitarian Universalist
Principles; has signed the membership book; makes an annual monetary contribution
of record of at least their full Fair Share as determined by the Unitarian
Universalist Association and the Southwest District and is at least 18 years
of age. The Board of Trustees may waive the monetary contribution requirement
on an individual basis. Voting rights shall commence 30 days after
the above referenced conditions have been met. It is generally understood
that all members should have an understanding of the Unitarian Universalist
Association. It is especially understood that membership is open to all qualified
persons regardless of race, color, sex, affectional or sexual orientation,
age as referenced above, or national origin.
b. Withdrawal of membership may be made by written request to
the secretary of the congregation. Such a notice shall be transmitted to
the Board of Trustees.
c. Termination of official membership shall be recognized through
that person's written request, by death of the member, if the member moves
and cannot be located within a reasonable amount of time, by completion of
the Conflict Resolution procedures or by failure to make the annual contribution
of record unless otherwise waived.
Article IV. Denominational Affairs
This congregation shall be a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association
and of the Southwest District. This congregation will make annual
financial contributions equal to its full Fair Share per member as determined
by the Association and the District, when the Board of Trustees determines
that such a financial commitment is appropriate.
Article V. Meetings
a. The annual congregational business meeting shall
be held each year in the month of November at such time and place as shall
be fixed by the Board of Trustees. Special business meetings may be called
at the written request of any members.
b. Business meetings shall be conducted in a casual manner
to promote the participation of all involved. However, should any meeting
require a more formal format, by the request of any member, Robert's Rules
of Order shall be followed.
c. Twenty-five [25] percent of the membership members shall
constitute a quorum. Any item of business pertaining to the purchase
or sale of property, the calling or dismissal of a minister or other items
deemed similarly important by the Board of Trustees, shall require forty
[40] percent of the membership members to constitute a quorum.
d. The agenda for business meetings and items to be voted
on shall be made generally available to all members 72 hours prior to the
posted date of the meeting. Absentee voting is permissible and shall
constitute a written and signed paper submitted to the secretary prior to
the commencement of the meeting.
e. The agenda of the annual meeting, and whenever the Board
of Trustees deems it appropriate, shall include a financial report from the
treasurer presented to the congregation, the adoption of an annual operating
budget, relevant reports from the Trustees and the nomination and election
of new Trustees.
f. The dates of regular non-business meetings of the congregation
shall be determined by the congregation itself, or by any person or persons
designated by it.
Article VI. Board of Trustees
a. At each annual meeting the Board of Trustees
shall be chosen, all of whom shall hold their offices for one year beginning
on January 1 following their election and until their successors have been
elected, and who shall perform the duties usually pertaining to these offices.
Nomination and election of the Board of Trustees shall be done in an orderly
fashion as deemed appropriate by the current Board of Trustees.
b. The Board of Trustees shall be five [5] to seven [7]
in number and shall include the positions of president, vice-president, secretary,
treasurer and up to three [3] members-at-large, the final number to be determined
by the Board of Trustees.
c. The Board of Trustees shall have general charge of the
property of the congregation and the conduct of all its business affairs
and the control of its administration, including the appointment of such
committees as it may deem necessary. It may fill vacancies with persons
who shall serve until the next annual meeting.
d. All Trustees must be voting members of the congregation.
Article VII. The Minister(s)
When the Hammond Unitarian Church has reached the stage where a minister,
either full-time or part-time, is deemed desirable by general consensus,
a committee shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees to draw guidelines,
to be incorporated into the bylaws by majority vote with a forty [40] percent
quorum, on the details of the relationship between the congregation and the
minister.
Article VIII. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year shall extend from January 1 to December 31.
Article IX. Dissolution
In the case of dissolution of the congregation, all of its property, real
and personal, after paying all just claim upon it, shall be conveyed to and
vested in the Unitarian Universalist Association or its legal successor,
or to any Unitarian Universalist related organization, and the Board of Trustees
of the congregation shall perform all actions necessary to effectuate such
conveyance.
Article X. Amendments
a. These bylaws, so far as allowed by law, may
be amended or replaced at any meeting of the congregation by a two-thirds
vote of those present with a forty [40] percent quorum. Notice of any proposed
change shall be contained in the notice of the meeting.
b. Policies and procedures shall be determined by the
Board of Trustees and shall be incorporated into a Policies and Procedures
Manual and copies shall be made available to all members upon request.
c. Definitions
- Bylaws – Laws adopted by the organization.
- Policies – A position or plan for conduct or management
of affairs, ex.: Equal Employment Opportunity or Conflict Resolution position
statements.
- Procedures – methods for conducting business; method
by which policies are carried out, ex.: Equal Employment Opportunity or Conflict
Resolution review process and responsible persons roles.
Article XI. Temporary Amendments and Changes to the Bylaws
As the Hammond Unitarian Church is in the early growth stages of its development,
the following amendments shall be in effect as follows:
a. Article VI, section a, the Board of Trustees
shall consist of the current Steering Committee members. These Trustees
shall serve terms to end on December 31, 2001. The Board of Trustees
will appoint additional Members-at-Large as they deem necessary. The
annual meeting held in November of 2001 will elect new Trustees whose terms
shall start on January 1, 2002 in accordance with Article VI, a.
b. The Steering Committee will make the initial vote
to adopt these Bylaws. When the Steering Committee has adopted the
Bylaws, they become members and the Board of Trustees. As voting members,
they are expected to meet the criteria of Article III, a.
c. Future amendments to the Bylaws will be governed
by Article X.
These Bylaws are adopted this thirteenth day of August of the year 2000 by
the Steering Committee/Board of Trustees as signed below.
Edmund Spiller - President
Dorothy Furlong Gardner - Vice-President
Jacqueline Hall - Secretary
Rex Hall - Treasurer
Susan Spiller - Member-at-Large
