THE
CONSTITUTION
Adopted by Vote of the
Congregation at the
ARTICLE I – NAME
The
name of this congregation shall be The Unitarian Universalist Church of
Annapolis, Inc., (hereinafter “UUCA,” or “the Church).
The purpose of this society shall be to provide for public worship according to the liberty of individual belief, the free discussion of religious and moral questions, the opportunity for children to discover through broad religious education an evolving faith of their own, and the transformation of individual and social life in the light of religious principles. To these ends all persons are welcomed to membership without regard to race, color, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ableness or prior religious persuasion.
Section A.
Any
person fourteen (14) years of age or older, in sympathy with UUCA’s program and
purpose, shall become a member of UUCA by entering his/her name in the Registry
of Membership and by making an identifiable annual monetary contribution to the
Church, thereby subscribing to this Constitution. Voting rights shall be restricted to
those who have been members for at least thirty (30) days.
Section B. Members
under eighteen (18) years of age will be designated as “Junior Members.” Junior Members shall have voting rights
but will not be expected to make more than a token annual monetary contribution.
Junior Members will be expected to reaffirm their membership upon attaining
eighteen (18) years of age.
Section C. Members no
longer resident in this area, or who may have entered into none of the
activities of this society for more than six months, and who do not respond
affirmatively to a letter of inquiry, may be dropped from membership; provided,
however, that prior approval of the Board of Trustees shall have been obtained
for such procedure in each case.
Section D.
Members no longer resident
in the area, or who may be unable to participate actively in the activities of
the society, but who wish to maintain their connection with the society, may, at
the discretion of the Board, be designated as “inactive members.” Such members will not have voting
rights, and will not be counted in the official membership report to the
denomination or in determining a quorum for the transaction of
business.
Section E. The
Registry of Membership is the official list of members of UUCA and, as such
defines the “Congregation.”
UUCA shall maintain
denominational membership in the UUA and in its Joseph Priestley
District.
ARTICLE V –
MEETINGS
Section A – Annual
Meeting. The Annual Meeting of UUCA shall be held
in April of each year on a date fixed by the Board of Trustees.
Section B – Congregational
Meeting. A Congregational Meeting shall be held
annually before the beginning of the following fiscal year for the purpose of
adopting the annual budget proposed by the Board of Trustees for that subsequent
fiscal year.
Section C – Special
Meetings. Special Congregational Meetings shall be
called by the Board of Trustees upon petition from ten percent (10%) of the
voting membership. The Board of
Trustees may call additional meetings of the Congregation when deemed
necessary.
Section D -
Notice. Notice of Congregational Meetings,
stating the business to be transacted at the meeting, shall be mailed by U. S.
Mail to all active members at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting
date.
Section E -
Quorum. At any Congregational Meeting, with the
exception of a meeting for the purpose of calling or dismissing the Minister,
twenty percent (20%) of the voting membership shall constitute a quorum. (Voting requirements for calling or
dismissing a minister are set forth in Article VIII.) The tally of all votes of
UUCA Annual, Congregational or Special Meetings shall be of members present and
voting. The vote shall be taken by
secret ballot upon the request of any member.
Section A. – Officers. The Officers of UUCA shall consist of a President; Vice President; Finance Officer; and Secretary.
Section B.- Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees of UUCA shall consist of the Officers of UUCA, three (3) Trustees at Large; the Minister; and ex officio with vote, the Chair of the Nominating Committee.
2.
The Board of Trustees shall have the authority
to establish policies for UUCA which enact the principles of Unitarian
Universalism by protecting the dignity of individuals and the integrity of the
church community. The Board of Trustees shall be
the planning committee of UUCA, shall have general charge of the property of
UCCA, and, except as limited by Article VIII, shall oversee the conduct and
administration of all of the activities of UUCA, including the hiring and
dismissing of employees.
3.
The Board of Trustees shall
be responsible for all financial matters, including the planning and
implementation of the annual budget; except that no transaction or transactions
involving a sum of money or value in excess of two and one-half percent (2-1/2%)
of the annual budget or aggregate transactions in excess of ten percent (10%) of
the annual budget, not provided for in the budget, shall be made within any one
year without a vote of the church membership. This limitation does not apply to
expenditures from established reserve accounts, investment transactions, or to
properly determined disbursements of the Endowment Board of Trustees which shall
be made in accordance with the Endowment Board of Trustees of the Unitarian
Universalist Church of Annapolis, Inc. By-laws approved May 12, 2001 and
appended to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, Inc, By-laws as
Appendix A.
Section C. - Election, Term
and Vacancies. Board of Trustees Members
shall be elected at the Annual Meeting of UUCA from among the voting members of
the Congregation who are twenty-one (21) years of age or older.
1.
The President, Vice
President, Finance Officer and Secretary shall be elected for a term of one
year, and shall serve no more than three consecutive terms in the same
office.
2.
Three Trustees-at-large
shall be elected for terms of three years in rotation, one Trustee being elected
each year. A Trustee-at-Large shall
be eligible for a second full term in that position only after a lapse of a
minimum of one year.
3.
No person, except the
Minister, shall serve more than six consecutive years on the Board of Trustees,
except that the President shall be eligible to serve three terms in that office
regardless of previous service on the Board of Trustees.
4.
Officers and Trustees shall
take office on the first day of the month following their election, and shall
serve until their successors have been elected and installed. The Board of Trustees shall fill any
vacancies occurring in its membership until the next Annual Meeting; except that
a vacancy in the position of President shall be filled by the Vice
President.
Section D. -
Responsibilities.
1.
President. The President of UUCA shall be the
presiding officer of the Board of Trustees, the chief executive officer of UUCA,
and ex-officio member of all Committees except the Nominating, Audit, and
Ministerial Selection Committees; and shall have such other responsibilities as
may be set forth in the By-laws or properly required by the Board of Trustees or
Congregation.
2.
Vice
President. The Vice President of UUCA shall have
all the powers and responsibilities of the President in the absence or
disability of the President; and shall have such other responsibilities as may
be prescribed in the By-laws or assigned by the Board of Trustees or the
President.
3.
Finance
Officer. The Finance Officer of UUCA shall be in
charge of the preparation and supervision of the annual budget of UUCA, shall
submit to the Board of Trustees regular reports of income and expenditures by
budgeting account; and shall have such other responsibilities as may be
prescribed in the By-laws or assigned by the Board of Trustees or the
President.
4.
Secretary. The Secretary of UUCA shall be the
custodian of all official documents of UUCA; shall keep minutes of all
Congregational and Board of Trustee meetings, and provide members of the Board
of Trustees with these minutes; and upon request certify the eligibility of
members to vote; shall give notice of Congregational Meetings as required in
Article V; and shall have such other responsibilities as may be prescribed in
the By-laws or assigned by the Board of Trustees or the
President.
5.
Trustees-at-large. The Trustees-at-large of UUCA shall
serve as liaisons between the Board of Trustees and the operating Committees of
UUCA and shall have such other responsibilities as may be assigned by the Board
of Trustees or the President.
Section F. - Meetings of the
Board of Trustees. A minimum of six (6) meetings of the
Board of Trustees of UUCA shall be held annually at whatever time and place its
members shall direct. Meetings
shall be open to any member of UUCA.
A majority of the members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a
quorum. Provisions may be made in
the By-laws for an Executive
Committee of not fewer than three (3) members of the Board of Trustees to act
when the Board of Trustees is not in session, subject to ratification of any
action taken at the next regular meeting of the Board of
Trustees.
2.
Additional Officers.
Additional Officers of UUCA may be
appointed by the Board of Trustees as provided for in the By-laws, with terms
and responsibilities prescribed therein.
Section H. – Removal of UUCA
Officers and Trustees. Upon petition of ten percent (10%) of
the voting members of the Congregation, and notice as required by Article V, any
Officer or Trustee may be suspended or removed from office by a two-thirds vote
of a quorum of the voting membership at any regular or special meeting of
UUCA.
ARTICLE VII –
COMMITTEES
Section A. – Nominating
Committee.
1.
Nominating Committee
Members. There shall be a Nominating Committee of
five voting members of UUCA elected at the Annual Meeting for terms of two years
in rotation, two members being elected in each even-numbered year, and three
members in each odd-numbered year.
A member shall be eligible for election to a second full term. Nominating Committee members shall take
office on the first day of the month following their election, and shall serve
until their successors are elected and installed. The Nominating Committee shall select
its own Chair annually, and the Chair shall be, ex officio with vote, a member
of the Board of Trustees. The Chair
may serve in that position for up to two years.
2.
Nominations of Officers,
Trustees and Nominating Committee Members. - The Nominating Committee
shall submit a slate of nominees for all Officers, Trustees, a Moderator, and
Nominating Committee members to be elected at the Annual Meeting of UUCA in time
for inclusion in the notice of that meeting. Additional nominations may be made from
the floor at the Annual Meeting, with the consent of each person nominated. It shall recommend to the Board of
Trustees persons to fill any vacancies in elected or appointed positions that
may occur during the year.
3.
Nominations of Chairpersons
of Operating Committees.
The
Nominating Committee shall provide to the Board of Trustees recommendations for
Chairperson of the Operating Committees of UUCA, and for any additional officers
prescribed in the By-laws at the meetings specified for such appointments. It
shall recommend to the Board persons to fill any vacancies in elected or
appointed positions that may occur during the year.
4.
Operating Committee
Chairpersons. The Nominating Committee shall
also assist Committee Chairpersons in carrying out their responsibilities,
including recruiting committee members, and shall recommend to the Board of
Trustees any changes in organizational structure, job descriptions, or committee
responsibilities it deems desirable.
5.
Other Duties as
Assigned. The Nominating Committee shall
develop recommendations on other personnel matters assigned to it by the Board
of Trustees.
Section B. - Audit
Committee. The Board of Trustees of the
society shall appoint a committee to audit the financial records of UUCA. The audit shall be completed following
the end of the fiscal year of at least every other year. The committee shall report to the Board
of Trustees one month prior to the Annual Meeting of UUCA. The President, Finance Officer and any
other officers provided for in the By-laws who handle funds or keep financial
records shall not be eligible to serve on the Audit
Committee.
Section C. – Ministerial
Selection Committee. Whenever a vacancy exists or is
anticipated in the position of Minister, a Ministerial Selection Committee of
seven (7) voting members of UUCA shall be chosen. Four (4) members shall be elected by the
Congregation, and three (3) members appointed by the Board of Trustees. The Ministerial Selection Committee
shall choose its own Chair, and shall conduct the interviews and select a
candidate to fill the vacancy in accordance with recommended standards and
procedures of the Department of Ministry of the Unitarian Universalist
Association, and Section VIII of this Constitution.
Section 4. – Operating
Committees. The day-to-day operations of UUCA shall
be the responsibility of Operating Committees as appointed by the Board of
Trustees, and set forth in the Committee
Manual. In May of each year
the Board of Trustees shall appoint the Chair of each Committee from among the
voting members of UUCA.
Chairpersons of Committees shall serve for a term of one year beginning
on June 1. Each Chair shall submit a list of at least three (3) committee
members to the Board of Trustees at its June meeting. Committee members need not be members of
UUCA, and their term of appointment shall coincide with that of the Chair. Committee Chairpersons and members may
be re-appointed in successive years.
ARTICLE VIII –
MINISTER
The Minister of UUCA shall
be responsible to the Congregation.
The Minister shall be called by vote of the Congregation. At a meeting
set by the Board of Trustees, after receiving a recommendation from the
Ministerial Selection Committee, and in accordance with Article V. Sections C.
and D. of this Constitution, the Minister shall be selected and engaged upon
written terms, which from time-to-time may be modified by the Congregation at an
Annual Meeting or Special Meeting of the Congregation. The Minister shall be a member of the
Board of Trustees, and shall be, ex-officio, a member of all committees except a
Ministerial Selection Committee to select his/her
successor.
Any meeting called for the
purpose of calling a minister shall require a quorum of thirty-five percent
(35%) of the voting membership of the Congregation. An eighty percent (80%) vote
of voting members present shall be necessary to call the Minister. Three months
notice by either party, unless waived by both, shall be necessary to terminate
the Minister’s tenure. Any meeting
called for the purpose of dismissing a minister shall require a quorum of fifty
percent (50%) of the voting membership.
A Two Thirds (2/3) vote of voting members present shall be necessary to
dismiss the Minister.
ARTICLE IX – FISCAL
YEAR
The
fiscal year of this society shall be from January 1 through December 31.
ARTICLE X –
BY-LAWS
The Board of Trustees shall
propose By-laws under this Constitution that may be adopted, and amended from
time-to-time by a majority vote of a quorum of voting members present at an
Annual Meeting or Special Meeting of UUCA in accordance with Article V of this
Constitution.
ARTICLE XI -
AMENDMENTS
This Constitution, insofar
as permitted by the laws of Maryland, may be amended or repealed by a two-thirds
(2/3) vote of a quorum of voting members present at an Annual Meeting or Special
Meeting of UUCA, provided that notice of any proposed change be given as
provided in Article V. of this Constitution.