UUCGV By-laws

BYLAWS OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF THE GRAND VALLEY

    Any qualified person may become a member of this society by meeting with the minister or the person(s) designated by the Membership Committee regarding responsibilities of membership and signing the membership book, indicating general agreement with the mission statement of the UUCGV and the principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

     Section D: Voting Members

    Voting Members shall be those members who have made a financial contribution of record (Board may approve “in kind” donation of work time or talent) during the last 12 months and have signed the membership book. Only those who have been voting members a minimum of 60 days will be allowed to vote in church affairs. In case of an emergency meeting, the Board may reduce the 60-day requirement. The official membership number submitted annually to the Unitarian Universalist Association shall be the number of voting members.

     Section E: Termination/Removal

    Termination and/or removal from membership shall be by written request, by moving from the community (unless such person requests continuance), or by voluntarily being inactive for a period of one (1) year.

     Section F: Membership List

    A list of all current and voting members shall be maintained by the church office. The list shall be open to inspection by any member of the church.

     Section G: Delegates

    Only voting members shall be delegates to the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Mountain Desert District annual meeting.

Article VI: MEETINGS

    Section A: Annual Congregational Meetings

    There shall be an annual congregational meeting, called and led by the Board of Trustees, at which official business of the Church will be transacted.

    1. Date of meeting: the annual congregational meeting shall be held each year in the month of May or June at such time and place as designated by the Board of Trustees.                     

    2. Purpose: the purpose of the annual congregational meeting shall be to elect board officers and trustees, team leaders, members of the leadership development team, and delegates to the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association and to the annual meeting of the Mountain Desert District, to adopt the budget for the following fiscal year, and to adopt the yearly reports of the Minister, officers and teams.

     Section B: Special Congregational Meetings

    Special congregational meetings may be called by the Board of Trustees when deemed necessary. A special congregational meeting shall be called by the Board when ten percent (10%) of the voting members submit a written request stating the purpose for the meeting.

     Section C: Notice of Meetings

    Written or printed notice stating the place, day and time of any congregational meeting shall be delivered personally, by US mail, or by e-mail to each voting member at least ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. The purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called shall be stated in the notice.

     Section D: Quorum

    A quorum for the annual congregational meeting, or for any special congregational meeting, shall be twenty percent (20%) of the voting members (including votes by proxy). For meetings called to issue a call to a minister, or to dismiss a minister, or to assume a debt of over $5,000, the quorum shall be sixty percent (60%) of the voting members.

     Section E: Voting

    1. Proxy Votes: Proxy votes shall be available to members who cannot attend a given meeting for reasons of incapacitation or travel. A member may cast a proxy vote for only one other member. The Board of Trustees shall establish procedures for the administration of the proxy vote as needed.

    2. Secret Ballots: The vote on any matter shall be by secret ballot on the request of any member. Votes to call or dismiss a minister or assume a debt of over $5,000 shall be by secret ballot.

    3. Voting Majorities: A simple majority of the voting members present (including votes by proxy), providing that a quorum is present, will be sufficient to pass any item presented at the annual congregational meeting, or for any special congregational meeting, with the exceptions of 1) amendments to the bylaws 2) the calling of a minister, or 3) the dismissal of a minister, all of which shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote.

Article VII: BOARD OF TRUSTEES

    Section A: Qualifications

    Only voting members of the Church may serve on the Board of Trustees.

    Section B: Membership

    Members of the Board of Trustees shall include the immediate Past President, the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer(or his/ her representative as the vice Treasurer) and three (3) Members-at-Large. The Minister and Director of Religious Education (DRE) shall serve as an ex- officio, non voting members.

    Section C: Terms of Office

    The terms of office for the members of the Board of Trustees shall be as follows: for the officers the term will be one year, starting at the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1, and ending on June 30 of the following year. The term of office for at-large members of the Board of Trustees shall be two (2) years, with one (1) at-large member elected each uneven year, and two (2) at large members elected in even years, so that the terms are overlapping.

    Section D: Term Limits

    Term limits for the Board of Trustees shall be two consecutive terms for officers and one term for at-large members. At least one year must elapse from the end of the previous term before an officer or at-large member is eligible for re-election to the Board of Trustees in the same role.

   Section E: Termination/Removal

    1. Automatic Termination: Failure of an officer or trustee to attend three consecutive regular board meetings or four of any six consecutive regular board meetings without prior notification to the President or Secretary shall be an automatic resignation without further action or notice.

    2. Removal for Cause: Removal for cause of an officer or trustee requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Trustees.

     Section F: Board Duties and Responsibilities

    The Board shall administer and manage the business of the church. The Board shall be responsible for: 1) monthly meetings; 2) financial oversight; 3) recommending the budget of the church; 4) seeking grants to further the work of the church; 5) approving all publicity, fund raising, and public relations of the church; 6) hiring and discharging of employees; 7) care of the church property; 8) calling and leading congregational meetings; 9) filling vacancies as recommended by the Leadership Development Team; 10) annually reviewing the by-laws; 11) entering and performing contracts; 12) appointments of ad-hoc committees; 13) communicating with committees; and 14) reviewing and approving policies and procedures. 15) Ensuring that a minimum of two calendar planning meetings occur annually, with team leaders or representatives from each team present.  16) Individual board members will serve as liaisons to 2-3 teams each so that collectively all teams have representation at board meetings and have a standard process to communicate information to the board.

     Section G: Executive Committee

    The executive committee of the Board shall include the President, Vice President and one of the following as the third voting member: Treasurer, vice – Treasurer, or and immediate past president and it shall be its responsibility to meet one week prior to the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees in order to set the agenda, make recommendations for appointments, and other matters assigned by the Board.

     Section H: Officer Duties and Responsibilities

    1. President: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Trustees and all meetings of the Congregation, and shall represent the Church on all appropriate occasions. The President shall fill vacancies on the Board between Annual Meetings by appointment with the consent of the Board. The President shall perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office, such as signing legal documents, etc. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Teams.

    2. Vice President: The Vice President shall act in the absence of, or at the request of, the President, at which time the Vice President shall have all powers and functions applicable to the President. The Vice President shall be an ex-officio member of all teams.  In addition, the Vice President shall perform such functions and duties as may be specified by the Board.

    3. Secretary: The Secretary shall take minutes of all meetings of the Board of Trustees and all congregational meetings. The Secretary shall conduct the correspondence of the Board. The Secretary shall perform such other functions as may be specified by the Board.

    4. Treasurer: The Treasurer shall receive, safely keep and account for all money and other property of the church entrusted to his or her care, and shall disburse the same under the direction of and to the satisfaction of the Board. The Treasurer shall maintain 1) a current roster of the pledging units and their pledges; 2) a complete accounting of the financial record of the church which shall remain the property of the church, and which shall be open for inspection by any member of the church. The Treasurer shall ensure that all federal, state or local returns, reports or other items required by law are properly prepared and filed with the appropriate authorities in a timely manner. The Treasurer shall present a report of all transactions and of the financial status of the church at the monthly board meetings, and shall prepare the annual financial report of the church for the annual congregational meeting. The Treasurer shall furnish a statement to all pledge units at least twice a year, detailing the status of their pledges. The Treasurer and vice – Treasurer shall be a member of the Finance Team. In the absence of the Treasurer, the vice – Treasurer will have attendance and voting privileges in Executive committee meetings and Board Meetings. The Treasurer shall perform such other functions as may be specified by the Board. (At the discretion of the Board the Treasurer shall be bonded by the church in such amount the Board may determine.)

Article VIII: MINISTRY FAMILIES AND TEAM LEADERS

     As an obligation of membership, all church members must participate on one of four church families, which together encompass all the team functions of the congregation.  Friends of the church are also encouraged to participate.

    Critical teams grouped into the 4 families include:  1) Worship, 2) Special Events, 3) Care, 4) Adult Religious Education, 5) Children’s Religious Education, 6) Leadership Development, 7) Finance, 8) Membership, 9) Stewardship, 10) PR/ Marketing, 11) Property, 12) Long Range Planning, and 13) Personnel.

    Section A: Qualifications

    Only voting members of the church may serve as Team leaders.

     Section B: Terms of Office and Term Limits

    Terms of office for each of the elected team leaders shall be one year.   Team leaders appointed to fill vacancies mid-year do not incur term limits until elected.  Term limits shall be two consecutive terms as leader of the same team. Co-team leadership counts as 1/2 term with respect to term limits.  The board may infrequently waive the two term maximum requirement for a single year only with approval from the congregation.  At least one year must elapse from the end of the previous term before a team leader is eligible for re-election as leader of the same team

     Section C: Termination/Removal

    Removal for cause of a Team Leader requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Trustees.

     Section D: Team Leader Duties

    Team leaders (or their representatives) shall 1) meet a minimum of twice annually for  calendar planning meetings.   The board will set the date, time and place for these meetings, 2) report monthly one week prior to board meetings via their specific board member liaison, 3) submit all scheduled activities to the church office, 4) communicate with the PR team prior to independently publicizing upcoming events, 5) coordinate activities of the teams for which they are responsible, 6) submit fund raising recommendations and requests for funding adjustments to the Finance team, 7) submit to the Board an annual report twenty (20) days prior to the Annual Congregational Meeting.

     Section E: Team Duties

    1. Finance Team:. The Finance Team shall be responsible for all financial matters concerning the Church. It shall: 1) assist the Board of Trustees in the formulation of the annual goal budget, prior to the Annual Canvass; 2) oversee all fund raising drives and projects; 3) assist in the periodic adjustment of the budget in terms of actual income; 4) review all insurance policies and recommend any needed changes to the Board; 5) supervise payroll, retirement plan, and employee health insurance payments and 6) select an individual or individuals who is/are neither treasurer, co-treasurer, or a board member to review the books annually.

    2. Personnel Team: The Personnel Team shall be composed of three Voting Members.  The Personnel Team shall report to the Board and perform the following functions subject to Board approval 1) create and update job descriptions for all paid positions as needed, 2) conduct personnel search and interviewing of candidates in coordination with appropriate committees, 3) make hiring recommendations to the Board, for Board action and/or approval, 4) develop personnel policies and procedures,  5) draft contracts and working agreements. 6) develop an evaluation tool for each position, 7) conduct periodic evaluations (annually at a minimum) and 8) select a Web Editor to troubleshoot website or computer difficulties, and assist administrator in keeping website current

    3. Stewardship Team: The Stewardship Team shall be responsible for planning and implementing the annual every member canvass and canvassing new members.

    4. Leadership Development Team: The Leadership Development Team shall be composed of three Voting Members serving alternating terms of 3 years. Upon adoption of this resolution by the Congregation, it shall elect three (3) members of the leadership development team: one (1) for a term of three (3) years; one (1) for a term of two (2) years; and one (1) for a term of one (1) year. Thereafter, at each Annual Meeting, the Congregation shall elect one member for a term of three (3) years.

    The Leadership Development Team shall solicit qualified candidates for all team leaders. positions on the Board of Trustees, Moderator, Standing Committee Chairpersons, and the Nominating committee. It shall submit the names of nominees to the Board of Trustees at least thirty (30) days before the annual Congregational Meeting. It shall be the responsibility of the Leadership Development Team to canvass the congregation and identify interested parties to fill open positions.

    In the event of a vacancy on the leadership development team, the Board shall appoint a member to fill the vacancy until the next Annual Meeting of the Congregation, at which time the Congregation shall elect a member to fulfill the term of the vacancy.

    5. Property Team: The Property Team shall be responsible for seeking and proposing to the Board, a suitable site for the Church to use as its meeting place, and after such acquisition, its maintenance and repair. It shall: 1) carry out the terms of the church contract with regard to space rental; 2) function as the liaison between the Board and other parties (landlord); 3) assure the good management and stewardship of entrusted properties and resources; 4) identify problems related to the space rental or owned property and make recommendations to the Board; 5) shall be responsible for the maintenance and repair of any other real property or major equipment and furniture which the Society may own or acquire.

    6: Long Range Planning Team: The Long Range Planning Team shall develop a long range plan in keeping with the UUCGV Vision Statement.

    7: Care Team: The Care Team shall develop and provide a system to meet the needs of members and friends.

    8: Worship Team: The Worship Team shall be responsible for assisting the minister in planning and conducting the regular worship services of the church. In the absence of a Minister, the Worship Team shall be responsible for worship services.

    9: Membership Team: The Membership Team shall be responsible for welcoming and assimilating visitors, encouraging new members, and enrollment of new members. It shall 1) schedule orientation meetings periodically, 2) provide for greeting and registering visitors and follow-up to interest them in becoming members, 3) provide for refreshments and hospitality following Sunday Worship Services, 4) provide new members with information that will encourage their participation in the life of the church, 5) maintain current membership roster, updated annually in December with report to board to allow board to report accurate annual APF numbers to UUA, and 6) prepare a list of voting members at lease thirty(30) days before any congregational meeting that requires a vote.

    10: Special Events Team: The Special Events Team shall be responsible for social activities of the Church. Special Events Team shall initiate and establish interest groups, evening movies, talent shows, special gatherings, seminars, workshops, conferences, and other activities for adult education and personal growth. The special events team is to offer or provide assistance to all other teams or groups planning large congregational events or events open to the public, such as auction, campouts, Easter cookout, etc.  The Special Events Team shall be responsible for the organization and implementation of both adult and inter-generational social activities for the congregation.

    11:  Religious Education Team (RE): The RE team with separate Adult RE and Children’s RE leaders shall be responsible for the philosophy, content, planning and implementation of religious education curriculum and activities for all ages in coordination with the Director of Religious Education (DRE)

    12: Social Action Team: The Social Action Team shall be responsible for projects of social action undertaken by the church and shall propose projects to be sponsored by the entire congregation.

    13: Ad Hoc Teams: The Board of Trustees may appoint ad hoc committees and assign them to one of the four church families as deemed necessary. Such teams shall cease to exist when the purpose for which they were appointed has been accomplished.

Article IX: COMMITTEE ON MINISTRY (COM)  

     The Committee on Ministry is separate and different from all other teams.  It shall be established within thirty (30) days of the arrival of a Minister. It shall be made up of voting members of the Church, chosen jointly by the Board of Trustees and the Minister. The function of the Committee on Ministry shall be to recognize and nurture the needs of the minister and to maintain a channel of communication between the minister and the congregation. In consultation with the minister, the Committee on Ministry shall recommend to the Finance Team a salary and benefits package for a minister who is continuously employed.

Article X: ADMINISTRATOR

     The Administrator shall be responsible for: 1) maintaining the Church Membership Database; 2) assist membership committee in maintaining membership list, 3) remind board to submit current church information to UUA and MDD in December of each year, 4) assist Church webmaster in keeping church website current, 5) producing weekly Order of Service; 6) producing the Newsletter; 7) maintaining a planning calendar of all church events and coordinating building use with rental facility; 8) preparing mailings for Board of Trustees; and 9) performing other office duties as required.

Article XI: DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (DRE)

 The DRE is hired by the Board with recommendation from the Personnel Team.

    Section A: Qualifications

    1. Education:  Possession of or seeking a degree in education, child development, or child psychology  is preferred; however, equivalent experience will be considered.

    2. Experience: Experience working with children and adults in an organizational setting or directing programs involving children.

     Section B: Supervision

    The DRE is supervised by the Minister in conjunction with the Personnel Team, and is responsible to the Board of Trustees.

     Section C: Professional Development

    Attend training (Renaissance Modules) and encourage teachers and parents to attend RE workshops at district and national levels.  Encouraged to become member of Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA).

Article XII: MINISTER

     Section A: Calling the Minister

    A minister shall be called by two thirds (2/3) vote of the voting members for the congregation present and voting at a special Congregational Meeting, provided a quorum of sixty percent (60%) of the Voting Members is present.    

     Section B: Qualifications

    Only ministers who are in fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association shall be called.

     Section C: Duties

    The Minister shall be responsible for: 1) worship services, with the assistance of the Worship Committee Team; 2) assisting in the development and implementation of the Religious Education program for youth and adults; 3) providing pastoral care to members as needed; 4) conduction of ordinance of dedication, union and marriage ceremonies; 5) funeral and memorial services; 6) such other religious observances as she or he may deem suitable and 7) attending and reporting at the monthly Board meetings. The Minister shall make a report to the Congregation at the annual congregational meeting.

     Section D: Committee Membership

    The Minister shall be a non-voting ex officio member of the Board of Trustees and all teams. The Minister is expected to attend the Board of Trustees and calendar planning meetings, and shall bring to the attention of the Board of Trustees all matters which seem pertinent to the general welfare of the congregation and shall make recommendations as seem proper. However, the decision in matters of policy and procedure shall remain with the Board of Trustees.

     Section E: Freedom of Expression

    The Minister shall have freedom of the pulpit. The minister shall have the freedom to express her or his opinions outside the pulpit, but shall not represent the Church without authorization from the Board of Trustees.

     Section F: Resignation or Retirement

    The Minister shall give at least ninety (90) days notice in writing to the Board of Trustees of her or his resignation or retirement.

     Section G: Dismissal

    A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the voting members of the congregation present and voting at a special congregation meeting, provided a quorum of 60% of the voting members is present, shall be necessary for dismissal of the Minister. In the event of dismissal, the minister’s salary and allowance shall be continued as stipulated in the minister’s contract.

Article XIII DISSOLUTION

     Should the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley cease to function and the membership vote to disband, all of its property, real and personal, after payment of all just claims upon it, shall be conveyed to and invested in, the Mountain Desert District of the Unitarian Universalist Association, or its legal successor. Trustees of UUCGV shall perform all actions necessary to effectuate such conveyance.

Article XIV: AMENDMENTS

     The Bylaws may be amended or replaced at the Annual Congregation Meeting or a Special Congregation Meeting of the Society, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those Voting Members present, providing that a quorum is present at the meeting. The notice of the meeting at which amendments will be considered shall include a copy of the proposed amendments. The text of any proposed amendment may be changed at the meeting prior to adoption by a simple majority vote of the voting members present.