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BY–LAWS
of the
FIRST UNITARIAN-UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
Detroit, Michigan

 

Originally Established September 28, 1979.
As amended January 17, 1981, June 14, 1981, January 16, 1982,
April 24, 1983, April 8, 1984, April 12, 1987, January 24, 1988,
April 29, 1990, December 19, 1993, May 22, 1994, and December 17, 2006.

 

Table of Contents

 

ARTICLE  I – SERVICES

ARTICLE II – AFFILIATION

ARTICLE III – NONDISCRIMINATION CLAUSE

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP

ARTICLE V – MEETINGS

ARTICLE VI – THE GOVERNING BODY

ARTICLE VII – THE MINISTER

ARTICLE VIII – DUTIES OF OFFICERS

ARTICLE IX – COMMITTEES

ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS

ARTICLE  I – SERVICES

Section 1. Public services for worship shall be conducted on each Sunday of the year, except as otherwise determined by the Governing Board.

 

Section 2. Other public services for worship shall be conducted as may be determined from time to time by the Governing Board.

ARTICLE II – AFFILIATION

The Church shall be a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations and the Heartland District or their successors.

                              

ARTICLE III – NONDISCRIMINATION CLAUSE

Section 1. It is specifically understood that membership in this Congregation is not, and cannot be, predicated upon race, color, sex or sexual orientation, class, economic status, age, level of ability or nationality.

 

Section 2. This Congregation shall hire employees based on their qualifications and without regard to the categories set forth in Article III, Section 1.

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP 

Section 1. Any person age sixteen (16) or over who wishes to become a member of the Church is requested to inform the Minister, or Moderator, or a member of the Governing Board. The Governing Board will provide an opportunity for more information via an orientation meeting and/or written material and/or personal contact before the prospective new member signs the Membership Book.  The prospective member may sign as part of a service to welcome new members or at another time, in the presence of the Minister or a member of the Governing Board.

 

Section 2. Membership is open to all people who are in sympathy with the Church’s principles and purposes without discrimination as put forth in Article III Section 1.

                   

Section 3. The Secretary’s List of Members shall be the official membership list for all purposes.

 

Section 4. Categories of Membership

 

  1. Voting Member – A Unitarian Universalist who is 16 years of age or older, active in Congregational life and provides financial support.  The member is eligible to vote 60 days after signing the Membership Book.

 

    1. The right to vote at any meeting shall be limited to the members of the Church who have made a financial contribution of record to the general operating fund within the previous fiscal year, or within the current fiscal year, at least four (4) weeks prior to the meeting.

 

    1. Only Voting Members shall be eligible to serve on the Governing Board, the Board of Review, as delegates to General Assembly, and as members of the Nominating Committee.                                                           

 

  1. Historical Member – A former Voting Member who can no longer participate in the Congregation’s activities nor support it financially, but who desires to retain membership identity with the Church, may make a request to become an Historical Member. This category is not included in membership figures reported to the UUA, and Historical Members cannot vote or hold elected office.

 

  1. Youth Member – A Unitarian Universalist who is 13 years of age or older and active in congregational life. This category is not included in membership figures reported to the UUA and Youth Members are without vote or elected office.

 

  1. To withdraw membership, the member shall send a letter of withdrawal to the Church.

 

Section 5. Letters of withdrawal or recommendation to any other church may be given by the Minister or the Secretary of the Governing Board.

 

Section 6. By the October Board Meeting, the Membership Committee shall submit a list of members to the Governing Board. The Board shall review and update the list and give it to the Secretary of the Governing Board as the Secretary’s List of Members, which shall be the official list for all purposes. The Secretary shall also add the names of people who sign the church membership book between Membership Committee updates.

ARTICLE V – MEETINGS

Section 1. The Annual Meeting of the Church shall be held each year in the month of May at such time and place as set by the Governing Board.

 

Section 2. At the Annual Meeting the voting membership shall elect a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Trustees and all other elected positions as provided by the By-Laws. The Voting Membership shall consider the budget for the next fiscal year, receive committee reports, and transact any and all other business of the Church.

 

Section 3. The officers so elected shall take office on July 1 of the same year and shall hold office during the term for which they are elected or until their successors take office.

 

Section 4. Special meetings of the Church may be called by the Governing Board  or shall be called by the President upon written request of not less than twenty-five (25) Voting Members of the Church.

 

Section 5. Notice of the time and place of all congregational meetings described above shall be read from the pulpit on the two (2) Sundays immediately preceding the Sunday of the meeting and shall be published in the Church Newsletter mailed or e-mailed to the last known address of each member thirty (30) days prior to the meeting. The notice of all special meetings shall state the purpose thereof.

 

Section 6. Forty (40 %) percent of Voting Members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting and a majority of those voting shall govern.  If a quorum is not present the lesser number may adjourn to a specified date.

                                                                                                        

Section 7.  At any meeting called for any one or more of the following purposes a vote of three quarters (3/4) of those voting shall be required to:

 

  1. call or dismiss a minister:
  2. take any action regarding the title of the real estate occupied by this Church:
  3. amend the Constitution or By-Laws:

 

Section 8. All meetings of the Church shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order (Revised) unless otherwise specified by the By-Laws.

ARTICLE VI – THE GOVERNING BODY

Section 1. The programs and business affairs of the Church shall be administered by the Governing Board. It shall be the general governing body of the Church and shall:

 

  1. have charge of all business and financial affairs of the Church, custody of all its property, real, personal, or mixed, and the employment and supervision of all personnel (excluding the calling of a minister).  

 

  1. prepare the annual budget of the Church and submit same at each Annual Meeting. The fiscal year for the Church shall be July 1 to June 30 of the following year.
  2. keep a permanent record of its proceedings and report thereon at each Annual Meeting.

 

Section 2.  The Governing Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, four (4) Trustees At Large and the Immediate Past President. The President with consent of the Governing Board shall fill Governing Board vacancies between Annual Meetings. All Members may serve for two (2) terms consecutively. Trustees are elected for three (3) year terms and may serve for two (2) terms. Two (2) are elected in one (1) year and one (1) each for the following two (2) years.

 

Section 3. Officers are elected for one (1) year terms.

                                               

Section 4.  Regular meetings of the Governing Board shall be held each month at such time and place as shall be fixed by the Governing Board.  Special meetings may be called by the President or by three (3) Officers/Trustees upon three (3) days written notice to each member of the Governing Board. Five (5) Voting Members constitute a quorum and a majority of those present shall decide all questions, the yeas and nays being recorded at the request of any members.

 

Section 5. The Governing Board shall carry out all policies established by a vote of the congregation at any duly constituted congregational meeting. Other decisions of the Governing Board that do not conflict with such congregational decisions shall be Church policy.

 

Section 6.  The Governing Board must approve all decisions to hire and fire paid staff.

ARTICLE VII – THE MINISTER

Section 1. The Minister shall perform such duties as are usual and customary and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Governing Board, sharing primary responsibility for the worship services, along with a lay committee constituted for that purpose.

 

Section 2. The Minister shall be called upon recommendation of the Ministerial Search Committee, the Governing Board, and by a four-fifths (4/5) affirmative vote of the members of the Church present at any meeting legally called for that purpose.

                                                          

Section 3.  The congregation reserves the right to call a minister whether or not the minister maintains fellowship in the UUA.

Section 4.  The Minister shall be an ex-officio member, without vote, of the Governing Board and of all standing committees.

 

Section 5. Upon two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership of the Governing Board signifying an irremediable breakdown of relations between the Minister and the Governing Board, the Governing Board shall recommend to the Minister that he or she should resign. If the Minister does not choose to resign, the request for resignation must be reported to the congregation within thirty (30) days.

 

Section 6. The Minister may be dismissed only by three-quarters (3/4) majority of the members of the Church present at any meeting legally called for that purpose

 

Section 7.  The Minister in consultation with the Governing Board will select three members to serve on the Committee on Ministry.

 

Section 8. The Minister, and in lieu of a Minister the President, shall supervise all paid staff and have the authority to hire and fire paid staff only with Governing Board approval.

ARTICLE VIII – DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. The President shall be the presiding officer of the Church and of the Governing Board and as such, shall be the managing director of activities not otherwise assigned. It shall be his/her duty and that of the Governing Board to increase in every possible way the usefulness of the corporation.

 

Section 2.  The Vice President shall act in the absence, illness, incapacity or other inability of the President to serve as stated in Article VIII, Section 1. Upon vacation of the office of President, for whatever cause, the Vice-President shall assume the office of

President. The vacant office of Vice President shall be filled by the Governing Board until a Special Meeting is called for the purpose of electing a Vice President or until the next Annual Meeting.

                 

Section 3. The Secretary shall:

  1. keep accurate records of all meetings of  the Church and the Governing Board.
  2. give all necessary notice of meetings.
  3. have custody of all records (including the list of members)
  4. with the Treasurer, keep an accurate list of current Voting Members.
  5. perform such other duties as may be customary or as may be prescribed by Governing Board.

 

Section 4. The Treasurer shall:

  1. furnish such bond as the Governing Board may direct,
  2. keep permanent records of financial affairs, reporting thereon at each Annual Meeting,
  3. perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office, and
  4. receive yearly statements from all Church-affiliated groups.

Section 5. Each Trustee will be an ex-officio member of committees designated by the Governing Board and shall perform such other duties as are usual and customary or may be prescribed by the Governing Board.

ARTICLE IX – COMMITTEES

Section 1. It is the prerogative of the Governing Board to call those Committees and Task Forces as deemed necessary to carry out the work of the Church.  Each committee that the Governing Board appoints must have a Trustee as an official liaison to that committee.

                                                                                                                            

Section 2. The Standing Committees of the Church and their responsibilities as constituted by these By-Laws shall be:

 

  1. The Nominating Committee shall:

1.      consist of five (5) members to be elected by the membership at the Annual Meeting,

2.      recognize that the person receiving the highest number of votes shall convene the committee, and the committee shall elect its own chair,

3.      nominate persons for President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Trustees, Board of Review, Delegates to General Assembly and the Heartland District, and the Nominating Committee. At least three (3) nominees of the Nominating Committee shall have served in elective office.

4.      include the slate of the Nominating Committee in the call of the meeting,

5.      nominate members of a Ministerial Search Committee at the direction of the Governing Board, and

6.      recognize that all nominations require the consent of the nominees to the Nominating Committee (verbally or in writing) or to the members present at the Annual Meeting.

  1. The Board of Review shall:

1.      consist of three (3) members, each of whom shall have served in an elective policy-making position in this Church for at least one (1) year, and shall not be currently a member of the Governing Board, to be elected for three (3) year terms from and by the membership at the Annual Meeting, one (1) new member each year,

2.      address situations or crises which the Governing Board either cannot or will not address. The Board of Review will recommend action which the Governing Board may take to remedy the situation or crisis, and

3.      meet as requested by the Governing Board or upon written request of member(s) in good standing.

ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS

The By-laws of this Church may be amended at any meeting of the Church called for that purpose, provided notice of the proposed amendments has been given in the call of the meeting, and provided the established quorum and voting requirements are met.