Pacific Central Chapter UUMA Proposed Bylaw Revisions

February 20, 2018

Pacific Central Chapter UUMA Proposed Bylaw Revisions

Proposed deletions are crossed out like this

Proposed revisions are underlined

Explanations are in italics.

To be voted on at the Business Meeting of the Pacific Central Chapter of the UUMA, March 20, 2018, 9:30 – 11:30 AM

St Francis Retreat Center 549 Mission Vineyard Rd. San Juan Bautista, CA

Bylaws of the Pacific Central Chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers’ Association

Last Revised October 19, 2017

The Purpose of thePacific Central chapter of the Unitarian Universalists Ministers’ Associationis to be:

Note: a work group of Mary Ganz, Elaine Gehrmannand Sue Magidson will be drafting a revised purpose for future consideration by the members.

* a forum in which we discuss and act on our professional issues
* a community in which we tell our stories, write our histories, and continue our educations in the arts of ministry
* a crucible in which we teach, learn and practice justice
* a context in which we develop collegial support, connections and friendships
* a haven for worship, rest, and refreshment of our spirits
* a colloquium in which we study theology and ethics
* a confessional in which we can frankly acknowledge our flaws, and receive both understanding and good counsel
(9/06)
COVENANT

The members of the Pacific Central chapter of the Unitarian Universalists Ministers’ Association,

United in our call to serve the spirit of love and justice through the vocation of ministry in the liberal religious tradition, we, the members of the Pacific Central Chapterof the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association, covenant with one another:

• To conduct ourselves with integrity, honoring the trust placed in us;
• To embody in our lives the values that we proclaim on behalf of our faith;
• To support one another in collegial respect and care, understanding and honoring the diversity within our association;
• To hold ourselves accountable to each other for the competent exercise of our vocation;
• To use our power constructively and with intention, mindful of our potential unconsciously to perpetuate systems of oppression;
• To seek justice and right relations according to our evolving collective wisdom, and to refrain from all abuse or exploitation;
• To cultivate practices of deepening awareness, understanding, humility, and commitment to our ideals;
• To labor earnestly together for the well-being of our communities and the progress of Unitarian Universalism.

As members of this Pacific Central UUMA chapter, we will make conscientious participation in activities of our chapter – retreats, meetings, ordinations, installations – a high priority.and will hold in confidence all personal and professional matters.Through fidelity to this covenant and our UUMA Code of Professional Conduct, we aspire to grow in wholeness, and bring hope and healing to the world.

Note: A member raised the concern that admonition to hold in confidence personal and professional matters has resulted in protection of predators in the past. Her suggestion: “I'd suggest just leaving it out - the national guidelines cover the confidentiality issue anyway and include a statement that collegial courtesy doesn't apply when misconduct is involved.”

​MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Pacific Central (PC)Chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers’ Association is open to members of the continental UUMA residing in the Pacific Central Chapter geographic area. Membership requirements include payment of annual chapter dues and
agreement to the covenant and statement of purpose incorporated in these bylaws.
In the spirit of shared leadership, members agree to be willing to serve in leadership and support positions.
TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Pacific Central Chapter of the Unitarian Universalists Ministers’ Association shall be terminated by request, or when a year has passed since last dues payment, or when the individual is no longer a member of the UUMA.

If a member has violated the UUMA Code of Conduct, action is handled by the continental UUMA. Loss of UUMA membership includes loss of access to all UUMA gatherings and resources.

Members who move from the area will be removed from membership unless they request otherwise; if so, they will remain members as long as they continue to pay annualdues.

MEETINGS

The Chapter shall typically gather in retreat format at least two times a year. Business meetings will be held at least once a year.

Members of the continental UUMA are welcome to attend chapter meetings.

Non-UUMA members are welcome at chapter events (other than check-ins) by invitation of, or previous arrangement with, the chapter president.

Chapter leadership endeavors to structure events to make them accessible from the varying perspectives of cost, geographic location, event design, special need, days of the week, and length of event, and to coordinate event scheduling with other UUMA and UUA programs for ministers.

Note: The Exec recommends the above addition considering the recent collision between the dates for Finding Our Way Home and the Spring Retreat.

DUES
Upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, yearly dues are to be established by vote of the membership. Dues reduction due to financial hardship are at the discretion of the Treasurer, in conversation with the President. (10/02) Full scholarship for up to two retreats per year will be offered to the visiting TransylvanianBalazsscholar at Starr King School.
(adopted 5/00).

​

LEADERSHIP
The business and affairs of the Chapter shall be conducted between meetings by an ExecutiveCommittee, comprisedcomposedof the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. At theabusiness meeting at the spring retreat, the membership shall elect new people to open positions on theNominating Committee. Also at the spring retreatabusiness meeting, the Nominating Committee will present a slate of officers for open positions to be voted on. All elected positions must be voted in by a majority vote of aquorum. Members of the UUA Regionalstaff shall not serve on the Chapter's Executive Committee. (5/03)

Note from a member:“Members of the UUA Regional staff not on Exec.” We have had some members who work for the UUA national staff, either full time or part time. Do we want to restrict them from this UUMA service, or make it clear it is open “so long as the colleague and the Exec or Nominating Committee do not perceive a role conflict”… I’d hate to lose the talents of someone who’s got three paying gigs, one of which is the UUA, if they are willing to serve. On the other hand, we should be clear”

Recommendation from Exec: leave this as is – role conflicts aren’t worth risking.

Recommendation from the Exec: Remove the specificity of having to do elections at the Spring Retreat.

VOTING
A quorum shall be one-third the number of dues-paying members of the chapter, in a business meeting called with 30 days’ notice. At the discretion of the executive committee, electronic voting may be undertaken between meetings. In the case of more than two candidates for an office, Instant Runoff Voting shall apply.multiple candidates those with the most votes are elected,New terms begin on June 1st.

Input from Member: “Multiple candidates, “those with the most votes are elected.” We’ve never had a contested election but if we did have three candidates, it might be good to say “…using Instant-Runoff Voting (IRV) in the case of more than two candidates.”

​ELECTED OFFICIALS ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. The President shall preside at meetings, convene the Executive Committee, and represent the chapter to the UUMA.

1. The Vice President shall facilitate the planning and coordination of the worship and program components of the retreats and shall preside in the absence of the President.

1. The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Chapterand ensure the Chapter membership roll is maintained.”

Input from Member: “I don’t see any mention of how the membership roll is kept, if the Treasurer is not doing it. I sense that it is an appointed position now, which seems fine, but it seems that the responsibility for ensuring that the rolls are maintained belongs to the Exec, if not to one officer.”

Input from Member: “In Elected Official Roles, keeping the roll is crossed out for the Treasurer. Who is now responsible for this? Is this mentioned elsewhere in bylaws?”

Recommendation from the Exec: The Membership Coordinator is responsible now for keeping the roll. The Treasurer works closely with the Membership Coordinator. Agree with suggestion to add back to Treasurer’s oversight responsibility.

D.The Secretary shall record minutes for chapter business meetings and Executive Committee meetings and distribute them, as well as maintain calendar on chapter website and Chapter page on UUMA website.

E.Good Offices ministers shall serve the members of the chapter as minister to ministers. There shall be three people elected to serve in this capacity at all times. (10/02)

F.The Continuing Education Representative shall act as a liaisonbetween the chapter and the continental CENTER Committee, the UUMA Collegial Development Team and other continental UUMA offerings for continuing education, communicating relevant information and collaborating with the chapter Vice President about programming needs.

G. The Nominating Committee shall nominate individuals for open elected positions and present the slate to the membership at the spring retreat. There shall be at least three elected Nominating Committee members.

H.The President, in consultation with the Executive Committee, shall appoint chapter members to such roles as may be needed to carry out the purposes of the Chapter.

Input from Member: “I … wonder about where retreat registrars, email chat managers, and my role as Membership Coordinator fits into the by-laws, if that’s even needed at all. Those positions do not appear to be alluded to here, at least to my eyes. Do we need a line that says something like, “the president may appoint members to fill positions not listed in our by-laws”? Maybe that’s understood and unnecessary?”

Input from Member: “The bylaws posted on-line do not include the office of Membership Coordinator. Can you check the most up to date version of the bylaws to see if this office still needs to be added?”

Recommendation from the Exec: Currently the Membership Coordinator is an appointed role – as are a number of other functions and there is nothing about appointed positions in the Bylaws or the Policies. Broad language is proposed above to address this oversight

TERMS
The Executive Committee members and the Continuing Education Representative shall serve for terms of two years. The good offices persons, and the Nominating Committee members shall serve for a term of 3 years with staggered terms.

Input from Member: “Terms of two years. We should say if there is no limit on the number of terms one person may hold an office or say what the term limit is.”

Recommendation from the Exec: Invite the Nominating Committee to make a recommendation about term limits as they have had discussions about staggering terms and/or pairing officer positions, as well as looking at sharing positions in order to make serving more possible, especially for people from traditionally marginalized groups.

PARLIAMENTARYAUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern this chapter at all business meetings.

AMENDMENTS
These by-laws may be amended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the eligible voting members present and voting at any duly called quoratemeeting of the chapter, provided that a statement of such proposed amendment or amendments has been included in the call of the meeting.

Recommendation from the Exec: A question was raised at the 2017 Fall Retreat about how to handle quorum count when we have many retired members who do not pay dues. Quorum is defined as “one third the number of dues paying members.” The Exec has not had time to sufficiently research and discuss this issue and has no recommended action at this time. The Exec will do its best to prepare a recommendation for the incoming Executive Committee members to bring to the membership.