BYLAWS
of the
NORTHEAST IOWA UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP
1.01 The name of this religious fellowship shall be the “Northeast Iowa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship”, hereafter referred to as “this fellowship.”
2.01 This fellowship shall be a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association and of the Prairie Star District or the legal successors thereof. This fellowship subscribes to their constitution and bylaws, but also reaffirms the independence and autonomy of local churches and congregations, both as to individual freedom of belief and congregational freedom of decision and action.
2.02 It is the intention of this fellowship to make annual financial contributions equal to or greater than its full Fair Share as determined by the Association and the District.
3.01 This fellowship shall devote its resources to and exercise its corporate powers for religious, educational and humanitarian purposes. The primary purpose of this fellowship is to affirm and promote the principles of Unitarian Universalism, assisting its members to meet their own spiritual needs and their ethical responsibilities to others and to the environment.
3.02 This fellowship declares and affirms its special responsibility to promote the full participation of persons in all its activities and in the full range of human endeavor without regard to race, color, sex, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age (with the exception of a minimum age for voting membership), or national origin and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.
3.03 This fellowship aims to provide for its members activities including but not limited to regular religious services, educational programs for all ages, community service opportunities, and avenues for charitable giving.
4.01 Any person 18 years of age or older who is in sympathy with the purposes and programs of this fellowship may become a member by signing the fellowship membership book.
4.02 Members are expected to support the fellowship through financial and/or personal participation and are encouraged to seek understanding of the history and current situation of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
4.03 New members shall be officially welcomed by the fellowship in such a manner as determined by the Board of Trustees. Each new member shall receive a copy of these bylaws.
4.04 All members shall receive copies of revised bylaws.
4.05 Withdrawal of membership may be made by notifying in writing the Secretary of the fellowship and such notice shall be transmitted to the Board of Trustees. In the event that a member has died, moved away, cannot be located, or remains inactive (i.e. failing to participate in any manner in the life of the fellowship) for a period of two (2) years or more, the Board of Trustees may vote to terminate membership. If a member poses a threat to the well-being of the fellowship, the Board of Trustees reserves the right to terminate her/his membership.
5.01 This fellowship is committed to the process of decision-making by consensus of all members present whenever possible. When consensus cannot be reached on a matter, however, the Chair shall so declare and actions shall be taken by a majority vote with a two-thirds (2/3) majority ruling unless otherwise specified in these Articles. If an item put to vote or election of trustees/officers by ballot is initially carried by less than two-thirds (2/3) majority, the vote or ballot shall be repeated until such time as a two-thirds (2/3) majority is reached.
5.02 The dates of regular non-business meetings of the fellowship shall be determined by the fellowship itself, or by any person or persons designated by it.
5.03 The annual business meeting shall be held each year in the month of May at such time and place as shall be fixed by the Board of Trustees. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the voting members shall constitute a quorum at such a meeting. The agenda for the annual meeting shall include adoption of the annual budget, election of Board of Trustees members and officers, election of Nominating Committee members, reports of officers and staff, and other business as appropriate. Notice of the meeting in written form shall be sent to all members at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting.
5.04 Special business meetings may be called at the written request of any five members. The business to be transacted at such meetings shall be set forth in the notice of the meeting, which shall be sent to all members in written form at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the voting membership shall constitute a quorum at such a meeting.
5.05 The resolution of the following matters in this fellowship is reserved to the exclusive jurisdiction of membership meetings at which regular rules regarding a quorum, consensus, and voting apply: (1) Adoption and amendment of the bylaws; (2) Election and dismissal of Trustees; (3) Expenditures in excess of the budgeted amounts approved by the fellowship.
5.06 The resolution of the following matters in this fellowship is reserved to the exclusive jurisdiction of membership meetings at which a quorum shall consist of forty percent (40%) of the voting membership, and should no consensus be reached by the assembled voting members, a vote must be carried by at least a three-fourths (3/4) majority: (1) The purchase of, encumbrance upon, or conveyance of real property; (2) Election and dismissal of a minister; (3) Dissolution of the fellowship.
6.01 At each annual meeting the fellowship shall elect by ballot members of the Board of Trustees and the officers thereof, as specified in Article 6.02.
6.02 The Board of Trustees initially shall be seven (7) in number and shall consist of four officers and three general trustees. Additionally, the past Chair shall serve on the Board of Trustees ex officio without the right to vote for the year following her/his office as Chair. The officers shall consist of the Chair, the Vice-Chair (who shall be the Chair-elect for the coming year), the Secretary, and the Treasurer.
6.03 Terms of office shall correspond to the fiscal year and shall be as follows: General trustees shall serve for two (2) years in staggered terms until their successors have been elected and qualified, with initial terms of one year for two trustees and two years for the third trustee. General trustees shall be limited to two (2) consecutive terms in that position. Serving more than one-half of a term shall be considered a full term. After being out of a particular position for at least one (1) term, a general trustee may serve again in that position as if s/he had not previously served. The Secretary and Treasurer shall hold their offices for two years and until their successors have been elected and qualified; both shall be limited to two (2) consecutive terms in that position. The Chair shall hold office for one year and then serve ex officio, without voting privileges, for one additional year in an advisory capacity to the Board. The Vice Chair shall hold office for one year, then serve as the Chair in the following year. An individual who has served in the cycle of Vice-Chair, Chair, past Chair may begin service in this cycle again after a three-year waiting period.
6.04 Any vacancy occurring in the Board of Trustees shall be filled by consensus of the Board or, when consensus cannot be reached, by vote of the Board as specified in Article 6.11. Any Trustee elected to fill the vacancy shall serve until the next occurring annual meeting, at which time any such position(s) shall be filled by consensus or vote of the fellowship.
6.05 Officers shall perform the duties usually pertaining to these offices.
6.06 All officers shall be voting members of the fellowship.
6.07 Any adult member of the fellowship may be a Trustee.
6.08 The Board of Trustees shall have general charge of the property of the fellowship, 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 committee vacancies with persons who shall serve until the next annual meeting.
6.09 The Board of Trustees shall hold at least two (2) meetings per calendar quarter at such times as the Board shall determine. Notice of these meetings shall be given to the fellowship at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance. A quorum initially shall consist of four (4) members of the Board (excluding the past Chair), two (2) of whom must be officers. The number constituting a quorum may be adjusted to two-thirds (2/3) of the total number of Trustees as required by expansion of the Board to accommodate more standing committee chairs, however two (2) officers must be present regardless of the number.
6.10 All meetings shall be open to any interested party, except that the Board shall have the authority to determine that it is in the best interests of the fellowship that a particular item or particular items of a confidential nature, such as confidential personnel issues, be considered in executive session. A decision to hold an executive session must be made in an open meeting. Only elected members of the Board may participate in an executive session.
6.11 As in fellowship business meetings, the Board of Trustees shall utilize the process of decision-making by consensus whenever possible. When consensus cannot be reached by the Board on a matter, the Chair shall so declare and actions shall be taken by majority vote with two-thirds (2/3) majority ruling unless otherwise specified in these Articles. If an item put to vote or an election of trustees/officers to fill vacancies is initially carried by less than two-thirds (2/3) majority, the vote or ballot shall be repeated until such time as: (a) a two-thirds (2/3) majority is reached, or (b) the Trustees present decide by consensus to allow less than a two-thirds (2/3) majority rule on the item or balloting.
7.01 The fellowship shall, in a business or special meeting, approve the establishment of standing committees as required or recommended by the Board. Leadership of these committees shall be assigned by the Board to the Vice-Chair and the three general Trustees of the Board. The Chair, Secretary and Treasurer of the Board are exempt from service as committee chairs, although the Chair shall serve as an ex officio member of all Board and Standing Committees without the right to vote. Should the number of standing committees exceed four (4), the number of Trustees shall be increased to accommodate additional committee chairs (c.f. Article 6.02).
7.02 A Nominating Committee of three (3) voting members who shall not be members of the Board of Trustees shall initially be chosen by a special meeting and thereafter at the annual meeting of the membership. Members who desire to serve on the Board of Trustees or the Nominating Committee shall apply to the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall submit the nominees to be voted upon at the annual meeting. Terms of service on the Nominating Committee shall be two years in length, with two members beginning their terms in even numbered years and one member beginning his/her term in odd numbered years. The initial election shall be for the single member beginning service in odd-numbered years, and the term of this member shall be one year. Henceforth, all terms shall be two years.
7.02a The Nominating Committee shall notify the voting members of the fellowship of its nominations for officers and trustees at least ten (10) days before the annual meeting by listing such nominations on the notice of the annual meeting, or by posting such nominations at the usual regular meeting place of the fellowship.
7.02b The Nominating Committee member with membership of longest duration in this fellowship shall hold the responsibility of convening the Committee.
7.03 In the event of a vacancy in the position of minister, the fellowship shall hold a special meeting to select a Ministerial Search Committee composed of seven (7) members from a slate prepared by the Nominating Committee. The composition of the Committee shall be two (2) Board members and five (5) voting members. The Nominating Committee shall submit the nominees to be voted upon at the special fellowship meeting.
8.01 The specific duties of the minister shall be as prescribed by the Board of Trustees. In general, the minister shall be responsible for the conduct of services within the fellowship and the fellowship’s spiritual interests and affairs. The minister shall have freedom of the pulpit as well as freedom to express his or her opinions outside of the pulpit.
8.02 The minister shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees and of such committees as the Board shall designate.
8.03 The minister shall be called upon recommendation of the Ministerial Search Committee by a consensus of a quorum of 40% of the membership in official meeting or, when no consensus can be reached, by three-fourths (3/4) majority vote of as prescribed by Article 5.
8.04 The minister may be dismissed by the same process as prescribed for calling a minister above and stated in Article 5.
8.05 In the event of the minister’s dismissal, his or her salary and allowance shall be continued for three months after the date of dismissal. Should the minister offer his or her resignation, three months’ notice must be given at the time the resignation is made, except as the Board of Trustees may allow an interval of less time.
8.06 When no professional minister serves the fellowship, the Board of Trustees shall share responsibilities for the duties normally performed by the minister.
9.01 The fiscal year shall begin July 1 and end June 30.
10.01 The membership may decide by consensus to dissolve the fellowship in a meeting at which a quorum shall consist of forty percent (40%) of the voting membership. Should no consensus be reached by the assembled voting members, a vote for dissolution must be carried by at least a three-fourths (3/4) majority of those present and voting.
10.02 In the case of dissolution of the fellowship, all of its property, real and personal, after paying all just claim upon it, shall be conveyed 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 fellowship shall perform all actions necessary to effectuate such conveyance.
11.01 These bylaws, so far as allowed by law, may be amended or replaced at any meeting of the fellowship by a consensus decision of a quorum representing at least 25% of the voting membership or, when consensus cannot be reached, by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote as specified in Article 5. Notice of any proposed change shall be contained in the notice of the meeting, which shall be sent at least fifteen (15) days in advance of the meeting.