The name of this church is the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canandaigua. The name of this Church may not be used for the purposes of endorsement, advertising, etc. without the written permission of the Board of Trustees. No persons may speak on behalf of this church without the express permission of the Board of Trustees, except the ministers and the President (or either of the co-Presidents); and all statements made on behalf of this church shall be consistent with the principles of Unitarian Universalism.
This church is a member of and upholds the principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
The members of this Church unite to create a loving spiritual community
- that seeks out, nurtures and gains strength from our diversity of thought, belief background, and life choices
- that accepts, supports, and encourages individuals of all ages and life conditions in their spiritual and intellectual growth.
- that works to obtain justice, freedom, and equality for all individuals and communities
- that cherishes our interdependence with the natural world and promotes respect for all living things
The members of this Church acknowledge and accept these goals as our shared responsibility to present to future generations.
Any person can become a member of the congregation who:
Membership may be terminated by a member by written notice to the Secretary, or by the Board of Trustees for due cause.
The Board of Trustees consists of seven Trustees. Trustees must be members of this church.
Two Trustees are elected for a term of three years and one Trustee is elected for a term of one year at each Annual Congregational Meeting. Trustees begin their term of office on July 1 following their election.
If a Trustee fails to complete the term of office, the Board of Trustees appoints a replacement to serve until the next Annual Congregational Meeting, at which time the members of this church elect a replacement to serve the balance of the predecessor's term. A Trustee other than the President may be removed by a two-thirds majority of Trustees present and voting at a meeting of the Board of Trustees or by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting at a congregational meeting.
The Board of Trustees is entrusted with these responsibilities:
The President and Vice-President of this church are elected by the congregation from the members of the Board of Trustees at the Annual Congregational Meeting following the election of the Trustees.
The congregation may choose to elect Co-Presidents, instead of a President, provided that both individuals have been elected to the Board of Trustees. The allocation of duties between the Co-Presidents may be formulated by the Co-Presidents but must be approved by the Board. During those years when Co-Presidents are serving, the term President in these Bylaws shall be deemed to refer to the two Co-Presidents together.
The President and Vice-President each serve for a term of one year to beginning on July 1 and the new Board's first Board Meeting shall be in July each year. It is intended that Board's year shall coincide with the Church's fiscal year.
If a President, Co-President or Vice-President fails to complete a term of office, the Board of Trustees appoints a replacement to serve until a congregational meeting is called to elect a replacement. The President or Vice-President may be removed by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting at a congregational meeting.
Each Officer of this church other than the President and Vice-President is appointed by the Board of Trustees and serves until the Board of Trustees appoints a replacement. Officers must be members of this church. The Officers of this church are the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. However, the board may choose not to have a Secretary in any given year, provided the duties of the Secretary, as set forth in these Bylaws, are delegated to others on the Board. The duties of each officer are as follows:
The President serves as the presiding Officer at all church meetings and is the official representative of this church. In addition, the President is responsible for the proper functioning of the Board of Trustees in accordance with these Bylaws and delivering an annual report to the members of this church at the Annual Congregational Meeting.
The Vice-President will be vested with the duties and authority of the President in the absence or disability of the President.
The Secretary is responsible for recording an accurate record of the proceedings of all Board of Trustees and congregational meetings and for managing and maintaining a record of all formal church correspondence.
The Treasurer is responsible for the management of church funds as directed by the Board of Trustees.
If not elected as Trustees, the Secretary, Treasurer, Minister(s), and Director of Religious Education are non-voting, ex-officio members of the Board of Trustees.
A regular meeting of the Board of Trustees will take place every month. Additional meetings may be held as required. Board of Trustees meetings require a quorum of four Trustees to conduct church business. Each board member is required to attend all meetings.
If any board member has more than 1 unexcused absence or more than 2 excused absences from Board Meetings in any given church year, the Board may take whatever action it deems appropriate to ensure proper functioning of the Board, including termination of that person's membership on the Board of Trustees, upon a removal vote as specified in section V, above.
The Annual Congregational Meeting will take place every June. The first orders of business at this meeting are:
A Special Congregational Meeting may be called by the Board of Trustees or by the written petition of 10 members of this church. If called by written petition, the Board of Trustees must hold the Special Meeting for the purposes described in the petition within 30 days of the filing of the petition with the Secretary.
Notices stating the time, date, place, and purpose of all meetings must be sent to each member at least ten days prior to each meeting. A quorum is not required to adjourn a meeting. The minutes of all congregational meetings must be posted upon approval in a prominent location for at least 30 days. The latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order applies to the conduct of church business at all meetings.
Each member is eligible to vote, except when restricted by law. All actions requiring congregational approval are decided by a majority vote of members present and voting at a congregational meeting, unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws. Any member may nominate a qualified candidate for an elective position. Elective position elections are decided by a plurality vote of members present and voting.
The standing committees of this church are:
Chairs of all standing committees, except the Nominating Committee, are elected by the congregation at the Annual Congregational Meeting. Each Chair serves for a term of one year beginning upon election. If a Chair fails to complete the term of office, the Board of Trustees appoints a replacement to serve until the next Annual Congregational Meeting. The Board of Trustees may create additional committees as necessary. The Chairs must be members of this church.
The Nominating Committee shall consist of four members who are elected by the congregation at the Annual Meeting. If more than four candidates are presented for the Nominating Committee, the four who receive the highest vote counts shall be elected.
The members of the Nominating Committee shall choose a Chair from within their committee. The Nominating Committee is responsible for presenting a slate of candidates for all elected positions, including the Nominating Committee, at the next Annual Meeting.
A minister may be called or removed by two-thirds majority of members present and voting at a congregational meeting, provided this vote was mentioned in the notice for the meeting. Each minister must sign a letter of agreement that sets forth the minister's or intern's responsibilities, compensation, and benefits. The letter of agreement must be approved by the Board of Trustees. Ministers of this church are free to express in the pulpit their ideas and opinions on any subject.
Amendments to these Bylaws must be approved by two-thirds majority of members present and voting at a congregational meeting, provided this vote was mentioned in the notice for the meeting.
A proposed amendment must be presented to the members of this church for review no later than three weeks before it is scheduled for vote.
Polices requiring a commitment by the congregation for finances or public positions will be approved and amended by two-thirds majority of members present and voting at a congregational meeting, provided this vote was mentioned in the notice for the meeting.
A proposed policy or amendment to an existing policy must be presented to the members of this church for review no later than three weeks before it is scheduled for vote.
The congregational policies that must follow this process are:
In the event of dissolution, and after payment of all necessary expenses of dissolution, all of the remaining property and assets of this Church will be transferred to one or more of the entities which qualify for exemption under either section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or Section 1116(a)(4) of the Tax Law. Specifically, the remaining assets and property shall be distributed to The Unitarian Universalist Association, a Unitarian Universalist Association District a Unitarian Universalist Association member society, an associate member of the Unitarian Universalist Association, or an independent affiliate organization of the Unitarian Universalist Association, as determined by the UUCC Board. However, if none or these entities are qualified under 501(c)(3) or 1116(a)(4), then the assets shall be distributed to another organization (which does qualify under these sections) to be used in such manner as in the judgment of a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York will best accomplish the general purposes for which this church was formed and will be most consistent with the principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association.