Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church

ARTICLE I -- NAME
The name of this religious organization shall be the Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church.

ARTICLE II -- PURPOSES
We the members of the Congregation of the Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church covenant to affirm and promote a community of people dedicated to seeking religious, social, and ethical values essentially following the guidelines established by the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Grateful for the religious pluralism which extends and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free men and women, we enter into this covenant, promising one another our mutual support.

ARTICLE III -- MISSION
The AUUC is an open and nurturing community of faith. We foster each individual’s spiritual journey and we share common values while honoring a diversity of beliefs. Together we cherish our connection to nature and we act to transform our world into a more embracing and just community.

ARTICLE IV -- MEMBERSHIP
The Congregation affirms and promotes the full participation of persons in all its activities without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, language, citizenship status, economic status, or national origin and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.

Members of the Congregation enter into a covenantal relationship. To become or remain an active member, a person must be fifteen years of age or older, subscribe to and be willing to support the purposes and mission of the Congregation, sign the membership book, and support the work of the church through contributions of time, talent, and funds, as able. Voting privileges for members shall begin, or be reinstated, 30 days after all conditions of membership are met.

Active membership expires in the absence of contributions of time, talent, or funds during the previous thirteen months in accordance with the procedures defined in the Policies and Procedures Manual. Additionally, a person may terminate membership by submitting a letter of resignation to the Board of Trustees. The Board may waive the annual contributions under extenuating circumstances, with due consideration for confidentiality.

When used elsewhere in these by-laws, the term "member" refers to an active member.

ARTICLE V -- MEETINGS
Congregational Business Meetings
An annual business meeting shall be held in March or April at a time and place designated by the Board of Trustees.

Special business meetings shall he held at the written request of ten percent of the members or upon a majority vote of the Board of Trustees.

The agenda to be considered at all business meetings shall be set forth in a notice of the meeting which shall be sent to all members by mail at least fifteen days prior to the meeting.

Twenty percent (20%) of the membership shall constitute a quorum, except that, if the agenda includes business under Article IX (Real Property) or Article X (Minister), a quorum of forty percent is required. At any business meeting, any member may hold the written proxy of one other member. Such proxies shall be recorded as members present in voting and determining the quorum.

At any business meeting where elections are held, nominations may be made from the floor, subject to the consent of the nominee.

Business meetings shall be conducted under Robert's Rules of Order.

Other Meetings
All meetings shall be open to all members of the Congregation except when, by majority vote, the Board of Trustees or Human Relations Committee resolves itself into a “Committee of the Whole.” Such committee may, at its discretion, limit the persons in attendance.

ARTICLE VI -- GOVERNANCE
Recognizing the special character of religious organizations, the Congregation has chosen to organize itself with a governance philosophy consisting of three parts. Long term policy is the task of the Board of Trustees. Day-to-day business guidance is the primary task of the Executive Committee. Program execution is the task of the Program Council.

OFFICERS OF THE CONGREGATION

The Congregation shall elect the following officers:

• President: The President shall preside at meetings of the Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, and Congregational meetings and may represent the Congregation to the public.
• Vice President: The Vice President shall act in the absence of the President.
• Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for the records of the Congregation.
• Financial Advisor: The Financial Advisor shall provide management and advice to the Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, and the Congregation relative to financial matters.
• Program Council Chair: The Program Council Chair shall be the primary contact for carrying out the mission of the Congregation through its membership and programs.

The duties and responsibilities of officers are detailed in the Policies and Procedures Manual.

REMOVAL OF OFFICERS AND OTHER ELECTED COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Any elected officer of the Congregation shall be recalled by a four-fifths majority vote of the members at a duly called business meeting where a quorum is present. The agenda for the meeting, mailed to the members in accordance with Article V, must contain notice of the motion to recall the officer.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Responsibilities
The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the church, including financial and program decision-making within the policy guidelines provided by the Board of Trustees. The Executive Committee makes its own rules for its procedures.

Membership
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the Program Council Chair, the Financial Advisor and the senior Minister.

Terms of Office
Officers of the Executive Committee serve terms concurrently with their elected terms on the Board of Trustees or Program Council Chair, as specified in the following sections.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Responsibilities
The Board of Trustees shall set policy, provide general supervision, and direct the affairs of the Congregation. The Board makes its own rules for its procedures.

Membership
The Board of Trustees shall consist of not more than eight members, including the President, Vice President, Secretary, Financial Advisor, three Members-At-Large, and a Youth Representative. In addition, the Minister shall serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of the Board.

The Board of Trustees may, at its discretion, task the Leadership Development and Nominating Committee to seek candidates of specific demographic characteristics (e.g. race, gender, youth, etc.) to serve as Members-At-Large to achieve equitable representation of constituencies of the Congregation.

All persons elected to the Board shall be members of the Congregation. In addition, the Youth Representative must be an active member of the Young Religious Unitarian Universalist (YRUU) youth group, want to be on the Board of Trustees, be willing and able to attend Board meetings, and be willing to report back to the YRUU on a regular basis about Board meetings. There shall be no youth representative on the Board when there is no qualified candidate in the YRUU youth group. Nomination and approval of the Youth Representative shall be in accordance with the procedure defined in the Policies and Procedures Manual. The Youth Representative exercises full voting privileges on the Board.

Terms of Office
Officers and At-Large members of the Board shall be elected to two year terms by ballot by the voting members of the Congregation. The Youth Representative shall be elected to a one year term. An officer or member of the Board shall not be elected for more than three consecutive terms and may not stand for election for one year following the end of the third term. The terms of elected officers and board members shall begin on July 1 following the annual meeting.

The Board shall have the power to fill any vacancy in its membership by appointing a member of the Congregation until the next annual business meeting. Appointment by the Board or election to an unexpired term shall not disqualify that person for election to a full term immediately thereafter nor count as one of the three consecutive terms defined in this section.

PROGRAM COUNCIL

Responsibilities
The Program Council coordinates the activities of committees in executing the mission of the Congregation through its membership and programs. The elected Chair shall preside at meetings and represent the Council on the Executive Committee. The Council makes its own rules for its procedures.

Membership
The Program Council shall consist of the Program Council Chair and representatives from the following programmatic areas within the committee structure of the Congregation: lifespan education, logistics, membership support, ministry, outreach, and stewardship. The Council may elect other officers as it sees fit. The Program Council Chair shall be a member of the Congregation.

Terms of Office
The Program Council Chair shall be elected to a two year term by ballot by the voting members of the Congregation. The Program Council Chair shall not be elected for more than three consecutive terms and may not stand for election for one year following the end of the third term. The term of the Program Council Chair shall begin on July 1 following the annual meeting.

Committee Chairs or other representatives from programmatic areas defined under Program Council Membership in this section serve as defined in the applicable section of the Policies and Procedures Manual.

The Board shall have the power to fill a vacancy in the Program Council Chair by appointing a member of the Congregation until the next annual business meeting. Appointment by the Board or election to an unexpired term shall not disqualify that person for election to a full term immediately thereafter nor count as one of the three consecutive terms defined in this section.

COMMISSION ON OUR MINISTRIES

Responsibilities
The Commission on Our Ministries (the Commission) shall report to the Congregation at each annual meeting on the state of our ministries, including the status of progress on the Congregation’s long range plan. They may make additional reports as appropriate. At each annual meeting they shall provide, for Congregational approval, recommendations for changes to church priorities with respect to our ministries and the long range plan and a charge for the Commission to execute in the following year.

Membership
The Commission shall consist of at least three and no more than five members. Members of the Commission shall be members of the Congregation and may not hold any other elected office within the Congregation, nor be chairs of committees, nor be employees of the Congregation.

Terms of Office
Each member of the Commission shall be elected by ballot by the voting members of the Congregation to a three year term. A member shall not be elected for more than two consecutive terms and may not stand for election for one year following the end of the second term. The term of each member of the Commission shall begin on July 1 following the annual meeting.

The Board shall have the power to fill a vacancy in the Commission by appointing a member of the Congregation until the next annual business meeting. Appointment by the Board or election to an unexpired term shall not disqualify that person for election to a full term immediately thereafter nor count as one of the two consecutive terms defined in this section.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Responsibilities
The Leadership Development and Nominating Committee shall develop the future leadership of the Congregation and present a selection of candidates for all vacant elective positions annually. These include: President, Vice President, Secretary, Financial Advisor, Board Members-At-Large, Program Council Chair, Commission on Our Ministries, Leadership Development and Nominating Committee, and Endowment and Bequests Committee. The report of the Nominating Committee, including the slate of candidates for vacant elective positions, will be included in the notice of the annual meeting.

Membership
The Leadership Development and Nominating Committee shall consist of three members, two of whom are outgoing or former Program Council Chairs or outgoing or former members of the Board of Trustees. All persons elected to the Leadership Development and Nominating Committee shall be members of the Congregation.

Terms of Office
Each member of the Leadership Development and Nominating Committee shall be elected by ballot by the voting members of the Congregation to a two year term. A member shall not be elected for more than three consecutive terms and may not stand for election for one year following the end of the third term. The term of each member of the committee shall begin on July 1 following the annual meeting.

The Board shall have the power to fill a vacancy in the committee by appointing a member of the Congregation until the next annual business meeting. Appointment by the Board or election to an unexpired term shall not disqualify that person for election to a full term immediately thereafter nor count as one of the two consecutive terms defined in this section.

ENDOWMENT AND BEQUESTS COMMITTEE

Responsibilities
The Endowment and Bequests Committee shall administer the Endowment Fund as specified in Article VII of these By-Laws and the Policies and Procedures Manual.

The Endowment and Bequests Committee shall report to the Board on a semi-annual basis and to the Congregation at each annual meeting. At the annual meeting, their report shall render a full and complete account of the administration of the fund during the preceding year.

Membership
The Endowment and Bequests Committee shall consist of at least four and not more than six members. One member shall be an appointed representative from the Board of Trustees. Members of the committee shall be members of the Congregation.

Terms of Office
Members of the Endowment and Bequests Committee, with the exception of the Board of Trustees representative, shall be elected to three year terms by ballot by the voting members of the Congregation. A member shall not be elected for more than two consecutive terms and may not stand for election for one year following the end of the second term. In addition, the Board of Trustees shall appoint one of its members as required to maintain one Board member on the committee at all times. The term of each member of the committee shall begin on July 1 following the annual meeting.

The Board shall have the power to fill a vacancy in the committee by appointing a member of the Congregation until the next annual business meeting. Appointment by the Board or election to an unexpired term shall not disqualify that person for election to a full term immediately thereafter nor count as one of the two consecutive terms defined in this section.

ARTICLE VII -- MANAGEMENT OF FUNDS

The Board of Trustees shall maintain a written financial management system. This system will include, but not be limited to, procedures for the collection and disbursement of funds, the development of the budget, the establishment of special funds, investments, acquisition and disposal of capital equipment and real property, and regular status reports to the Board and to the Congregation.

Budget estimates developed in accordance with the financial management system shall be presented to the Congregation prior to Board approval. The operating budget shall be approved by the Board of Trustees.

An Endowment Fund shall be established. The Endowment and Bequests Committee shall administer the Endowment Fund in accordance with the Policies and Procedures Manual.

The fiscal year begins January 1 and ends December 31.

ARTICLE VIII -- COMMONWEALTH TRUSTEES

All real and personal property of the Congregation shall be vested in the Commonwealth Trustees of the Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church, in accordance with Section 57-8, Title 57 of the Code of Virginia, 1950. The Commonwealth Trustees of Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees and shall take no action with respect to such real or personal property except as the Board of Trustees may direct.

ARTICLE IX -- REAL PROPERTY

Acquisition or disposal of real property (land or building) must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present and voting at a duly called business meeting where a quorum is present.

ARTICLE X -- MINISTER

A minister will be called by a four-fifths majority vote of the members present and voting at a duly called business meeting where a quorum is present.

The minister shall be released by a four-fifths majority vote of the members at a duly called business meeting where a quorum is present. The agenda for the meeting, mailed to all members, must contain notice of the motion to release the minister.

The minister will be evaluated at least annually by the Board of Trustees with inputs from other members of the Congregation, as specified in the Policies and Procedures Manual.

ARTICLE XI -- AFFILIATED GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES

New and existing groups and activities must notify the Board of Trustees if they claim any affiliation with the Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church. The Board will approve or disapprove such affiliation and shall not provide funding to any group or activity whose affiliation has not been declared and approved. The Board shall review the status of current groups and activities annually.

ARTICLE XII -- AMENDMENTS

These by-laws, insofar as allowed by law, may be amended or replaced at any business meeting of the Congregation by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting. Notice of any proposed change shall be contained in the notice of the meeting.

ARTICLE XIII -- DISSOLUTION

Should this Congregation cease to function and the membership vote to disband, any assets of the Congregation will be transferred to the Unitarian Universalist Association insofar as this transfer is in accordance with state and federal statutes.