BYLAWS OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF
ARTICLE I: Name
The
name of this religious society shall be the “Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
of Murfreesboro.”
ARTICLE II: Purpose
It
is the purpose of this society to stimulate individual spiritual growth; to
further ethical conduct, personal liberty, and freedom of conscience; to
promote human values and human rights; to affirm and celebrate the dignity of
the individual; and to serve our community.
ARTICLE III: Membership
Participation
in UUFM activities is open to all persons regardless of race, color, sex,
affectional or sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, age, class,
or national origin, who are sympathetic with the purpose and program of the
society.
Any person, regardless of race, color, sex, affectional or sexual orientation,
physical or mental disability, age, class, or national origin, may become a
voting member of this Fellowship who is at least 18 years of age, has signed
the membership book, thereby pledging time and financial support as an
indication of sympathy with its purposes. Those who meet those conditions will
be eligible to vote thirty (30) days after they sign the membership book.
A member who has not participated, nor contributed services and funds during
the current and preceding church years shall be placed on the inactive
membership roll and shall be ineligible to vote until return to active status.
ARTICLE IV: Denomination Affiliation
This
Fellowship shall be a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association and of
the Tennessee Conference of the Mid-South District.
ARTICLE V: Meetings
5.1 Regular
Meetings. The regular meetings of the Fellowship shall be determined by
the Fellowship itself or by any person or persons designated by it.
5.2 Annual Meetings. The Annual
Meeting shall be held each year in the month of May at such time and place as
shall be fixed by the Executive Committee.
5.3 Special Meetings. The Executive
Committee may call special meetings and special meetings shall be called by the
Chair at the written request of 20% of voting members; the business to be
transacted shall be mentioned in the call to the meeting.
5.4 Quorum. A quorum will be
constituted by thirty-five (35) percent of the voting membership at any
meeting.
ARTICLE VI: Officers
6.1 Nominations for Officers.
A nominating committee of three members shall be chosen by the Executive
Committee prior to the annual meeting, as necessary, to prepare a slate of
candidates.
6.2 Officers. At the Annual
Meeting (if necessary) there shall be chosen a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a
Chair-Elect who shall hold their offices for two years or until their
successors have been elected. (The chair-elect will become Chair after serving
two years as chair-elect.) All officers shall be chosen from voting members of
the Fellowship.
6.3 Executive Committee.
The elected officers, along with the immediate past Chair and Religious
Education Director constitute the voting members of the Executive Committee.
Additionally, at least one, and as many as three, at-large members may be
elected to the Executive Committee as voting members. The Executive Committee
will determine the number of at-large members needed based on fellowship
activities and growth in membership of the fellowship. The Nominating
Committee will be asked to include nominations for at-large member(s) with
their slate of officers to be voted on at the Annual Meeting. Terms of
at-large members are two years. Should a vacancy in at-large membership
occur during the year, a special election may be held at the discretion of the
Executive Committee. At-large members selected in special elections will
serve the remaining portion of the term until the next regular election for
officers.
6.4 Powers.
6.4.1 The Executive Committee shall be primarily
responsible for the programming of the adult group and the children’s’
religious education program.
6.4.2 The Executive Committee shall act for the
Fellowship between membership meetings/worship meetings; shall have general
charge of all property of the Fellowship; and the conduct of all business
affairs and administration, including the authority to enter into contracts and
borrow money. The Executive Committee may borrow an amount not to exceed 10% of
the annual budget without prior approval of the majority of voting membership.
Any amount in excess of 10% of the annual budget requires membership approval.
Real estate contracts must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the voting
membership.
6.4.3 The Executive Committee may appoint
committees, as it may deem necessary.
6.4.4 The Executive Committee will call Special
Meetings of the Fellowship as necessary to fill vacancies on the board and
persons so elected by the Fellowship shall serve until the next Annual Meeting.
6.4.5 Neither the Executive Committee nor any member
of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Murfreesboro may make policy or
speak for the Fellowship as a whole on any matter without the group’s specific
sanction. The Fellowship shall be notified in advance by the Chair of any
meeting concerning the giving of such sanction and a majority of voting members
present at such a meeting will be required for the granting of such sanction.
6.4.6 The Executive Committee shall be responsible
for the agenda of the annual meeting and shall present a budget for approval by
the membership.
6.4.7 The Executive Committee may, by majority vote,
approve any policies for the Fellowship that it deems proper and wise, provided
that Committee-approved policies do not conflict with the by-laws or the
membership-approved policies.
6.5 Officer Responsibilities.
6.5.1 Duties
of the Chair. The Chair shall
be the presiding officer at the Executive Committee meetings and at the annual
meeting and shall speak for the Committee to the membership when appropriate.
The Chair and another Fellowship officer shall sign all legal documents.
6.5.2 Duties
of the Chair-Elect. The
Chair-elect will serve the Chair term of office at the end of the current
Chair’s term. The Chair-Elect shall serve as the presiding officer in the
absence of the Chair at any meeting of the Committee or Fellowship. The
Chair-Elect serves as a member of the Worship Committee, which is responsible
for Sunday programs and services.
6.5.3 Duties
of the Secretary. The Secretary
of the Fellowship shall keep a true and complete record of all the Committee’s
meetings and all annual and special meetings of the membership. The Secretary
shall be responsible for maintaining a record of all membership-approved
policies and all board-approved policies. The Secretary shall be responsible
for maintaining the official list of membership and will share that list with
the Treasurer.
6.5.4 Duties of the
Treasurer. The Treasurer of the
Fellowship shall receive and disburse all Fellowship funds and shall keep true
and complete records of all of the Fellowship’s financial affairs. The
Treasurer shall report the status of fiscal affairs to the Committee at their
meetings and to the Fellowship members at each annual meeting.
ARTICLE
The fiscal year shall end April 30.
ARTICLE VIII: Amendments
These by-laws may only be amended by a vote of
two-thirds (2/3) of the entire voting membership. Notice of any proposed
changes shall be given in the announcement of the meeting at least two weeks
prior to the scheduled date of such a vote.
ARTICLE IX: Dissolution
Should this Fellowship cease to function and the
membership votes to disband, any assets of the Fellowship will be transferred
to the Unitarian Universalist Association for its general purposes. This
transfer shall be made in full compliance with whatever laws are applicable.
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of
Revised: Summer 2006
Updated:
Updated:
