Adopted September 1967
Revised September 1980
Revised November 2002
Revised May 2009

ARTICLE I NAME

The name of this organization is “Unitarian Universalist Church in Fullerton”, herein referred to as the Church.

ARTICLE II DENOMINATIONAL AFFILIATION

The Church shall be a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and of its Pacific Southwest District, or of their successors. It is the intention of this Church to make annual financial contributions equal to its full fair share as determined by the Association and the District.

ARTICLE III PURPOSE

The primary purpose of the Church is to provide for its members an opportunity to pursue the study and practice of the Unitarian Universalist religion. We affirm our commitment to the Unitarian Universalist Association’s seven principles and are united in a fundamental belief in the unity of humankind, faith in the potential for human betterment, and a common quest for religious and ethical values.

ARTICLE IV AUTHORITY

Ultimate authority is vested in the members of the Church and is exercised through congregational meetings, and by delegation to the Board of Trustees, subject to Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation. When in the best interest of the congregation, the Board can make specific limited exceptions to the Bylaws that are in keeping with the spirit of the Bylaws and which must be renewed annually. No member or employee may speak for the Church unless so authorized by the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE V MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Members
Whoever is in sympathy with the general purposes of the Unitarian Universalist movement, and wishes to participate in activities of this Church may become a member by signing the register of members. There shall be no creedal obligation or test for membership in this Church. Membership is open to all qualified persons 16 years of age or older regardless of race, color, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, age, or national origin. The exception to the minimum age requirement would extend to those persons who have successfully completed a Unitarian Universalist sponsored Coming of Age class.

Section 2. Voting
Any person who is 16 years of age or older, has been a member of this Church for at least 30 days and has made a contribution of record to the Church within the current fiscal year may vote in a congregational meeting.

Section 3. Termination
A. The Membership Committee may recommend, and the Board may approve, the termination of membership of any member by reason of written resignation, permanent removal from the area, lack of participation in Church activities for at least one year, or death. Any terminated member may be reinstated upon request. B. Any member who persists in behaving inappropriately toward any other member(s) or friend(s) (for example, disruptive behavior during church activities; discriminating against another member on the basis of racial, ethnic, religious, sexual, or physical status; physical or verbal abuse of another member; sexual harassment of another member; misappropriation or theft of church property or funds) may, upon recommendation of the Board of Trustees, have membership terminated. The Board will determine the procedures to be followed for termination. Any terminated member may appeal to the Board for review of the termination.

ARTICLE VI CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS

Section 1. Semi-annual Business Meetings
Business meetings shall be held each year during the months of November and May at such times and places as shall be fixed by the Board of Trustees. The purpose of the May meeting shall be election of Trustees, adoption of the budget, and the conduct of such other business as is properly before the meeting. The purpose of the November meeting shall be election of any Trustees necessary to fill vacancies, reporting on plans for the balance of the year, and such other business as is properly before the meeting.

Section 2. Other Meetings
A Congregational Meeting may be called at any time by direction of a majority of the Board of Trustees. In addition, a Special Congregational Meeting shall be called and convened with 30 days after receipt by the Board of a written request specifying the proposed purpose of the meeting and signed by any ten (10) voting members.

Section 3. Notification
The Secretary/Recorder shall notify the membership, in writing, of any Congregational Meeting. The notice shall specify the date, time, place, and tentative agenda, and shall be published at least two (2) weeks prior to the date of the meeting. The list of candidates nominated for elective offices shall be included in the tentative agenda. At the discretion of the Board, publication of meeting notices may be in one or more of the following: newsletter, web site, order of service insert, or special mailing.

Section 4. Quorum
A quorum for all purposes except adjournment shall be 20% of the voting membership.

Section 5. Voting
All voting shall be conducted in person at the meeting. No absentee or proxy votes or mail ballots shall be allowed.

Section 6. Parliamentary Authority
Congregational Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with generally accepted Parliamentary Procedure. In case of conflict with these Bylaws, the Bylaws shall govern.

ARTICLE VII BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Section 1. Membership
The Board of Trustees shall consist of nine (9) members as follows:
1. The President.
2. Eight (8) Trustees at large, of whom one shall be Vice-president, one Secretary/Recorder, and one Treasurer. The President, Vice-president, Secretary/Recorder and Treasurer shall be officers of the Church.
3. All Trustees shall be voting members of the Church, 18 years or older.

Section 2. Function
The function of The Board of Trustees shall be to implement the policy decisions of the Membership, hold and administer the property of the Church; conduct its business affairs; assume general management of all employees; and exercise all rights, powers, duties and obligations conferred on it by the Membership, these Bylaws, and the Articles of Incorporation.

Section 3. Terms of Office
A. President: Shall be elected by the voting membership at the May Congregational Meeting, and take office July 1. The term of office shall be for one (1) year. No member may serve as President for more than two (2) full terms in succession. A Trustee who is elected President must resign the Trusteeship.

B. Trustees: Four (4) of the eight (8) Trustees shall be elected for a term of two (2) years each year by the voting members at the May Congregational Meeting, and shall take office July 1. Additional Trustees shall be elected at either November or May Meeting to fill any unexpired term existing due to vacancies on the Board, and shall take office prior to adjournment. No two (2) members of the same family shall be elected or appointed to the Board to serve at the same time. No Trustee may serve for more than two (2) full terms in succession.

C. Vice-president, Secretary/Recorder, and Treasurer shall be elected by the Board of Trustees from among its membership at the first meeting of the new Board. The term of office shall be one (1) year.

Section 4. Nomination and Election
At least two (2) weeks before the May meeting, and November meeting if necessary, the Nominating Committee shall publish a list of one (1) or more candidates for each Board vacancy. Candidates for the same vacancies may also be nominated from the floor provided the nominator(s) has ascertained that the candidate is willing to serve.

Elections shall be conducted first for the office of President, second for the two-year term Trustees as a group, and third for the unexpired-term Trustees, if any, as a group. If there is only one candidate for office the position may be filled by acclamation; otherwise the voting shall be by secret ballot. The offices shall be filled by candidates in the order of the number of votes received. In case of a tie, a run-off election shall be held.

Section 5. Duties of Officers
A. President: is chief executive officer of the Church and chair of the Board of Trustees; and shall preside at Board and Congregational meetings and to represent the Church on appropriate occasions. The President shall be empowered to co-sign legal documents with the Secretary/Recorder for the Church as authorized by the Board.

B. Vice-president: shall act in place of the President when the President so requests or is absent; and shall perform such other duties as prescribed by the Board.

C. Secretary/Recorder: shall be responsible for maintaining the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Church, and filing of same as necessary with denominational or governmental authority. Secretary/Recorder shall maintain a permanent accurate record of all business meetings of the Congregation and the Board of Trustees; notify the membership of all Congregational meetings; serve as Parliamentarian when necessary; and be empowered to co-sign legal documents with the President for the Church as authorized by the Board.

D. Treasurer: shall receive and keep all monies and other property of the Church, and disburse them at the direction of the Board; keep a list of Voting members, and perform all other duties as listed in Article IX FINANCES. With Board approval the Treasurer may delegate any or all of these responsibilities as necessary.

Section 6. Meetings
The Board shall hold no fewer than 10 regularly scheduled monthly meetings each year. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum, one of which must be the President, or the Vice-president, in the President’s absence.

Section 7. Recall and Replacement
Any member of the Board of Trustees may be recalled by a majority vote at a Congregational Meeting. All elective vacancies occurring during a term of office shall be filled by the Board through temporary appointment. A permanent replacement for the balance of the term shall be elected at the next regular Congregational Meeting.

Section 8. Voting
All voting at Board meetings must be done in person. No absentee or proxy voting shall be allowed.

ARTICLE VIII AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS

Section 1. Affiliation
Organizations may be affiliated with the Church upon approval by the Board of Trustees of an application by five voting members of the Church. Affiliation may be withheld or withdrawn if the activities of the organization do not support the purposes and policies of the Church.

Section 2. Government
Affiliated organizations shall be governed by rules or bylaws that do not conflict with these Bylaws.

Section 3. Responsibility
Affiliated organizations shall report to the Board of Trustees on their membership, programs and activities, as requested by the Board.

ARTICLE IX FINANCES

Section 1. Fiscal Year
The Fiscal Year shall run from July 1 through June 30 of the following year.

Section 2. Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Church, responsible for the collection of all funds and the keeping of a complete account of the finances of the Church, which shall be open for inspection at any time by the Board or other Church members. Amounts of individual pledges, however, shall not be made public. The Treasurer shall make available the necessary financial information to enable the preparation and adoption of the budget.

Section 3. Budget
After approval by the Board of Trustees, the budget shall be presented to the membership at the Annual Budget Meeting for approval. The final decision on all matters budgetary shall rest with the Congregation.

Section 4. Bonding
The Treasurer and one other member of the Board of Trustees may be bonded at the expense of the Church in an amount to be fixed by the Board. The other designated member of the Board may substitute for the Treasurer when necessary.

Section 5. Financial Oversight
The Budget/Finance Committee shall, at least annually, or more often if necessary, review the monthly financial reports prepared by the Treasurer, along with such source documents or records as necessary; and report the status of the Church’s finances to the Board of Trustees. The Budget/Finance Committee shall also certify the status of the Church’s funds upon transfer of responsibility from one Treasurer to another. The Board shall have discretion to provide for an outside or independent audit at any time it deems it necessary.

Section 6. Approval of Expenditures
The Board of Trustees shall submit to the Congregation for approval all expenditures exceeding by 25% or $1,000, whichever is greater, of the amount authorized in the current budget, and any unbudgeted expenditure exceeding $2,000 (not to exceed $3,000 in aggregate of all unbudgeted expenditures during any fiscal year).

Section 7. Real Property
Any real property of the Church shall be administered by the Board of Trustees for the use and benefit of the Church. Upon two-thirds majority approval of the voting membership at a Congregational Meeting, the Board is authorized to purchase, lease, mortgage or otherwise acquire or sell or otherwise dispose of real property.

Section 8. Dissolution
In the event of the dissolution of the Church, all assets shall, after just debts are paid, revert to the Unitarian Universalist Association or its successors to be used for the extension of liberal religion in the Pacific Southwest District.

ARTICLE X MINISTER

Section 1. Selection
When, by majority vote of all voting members at a Congregational Meeting, the Congregation expresses a desire to call a minister, a pulpit committee shall be elected in accordance with Article XI. The minister shall be called and salary determined by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of voting members present at a Congregational Meeting. Qualifications of the candidate shall be given in writing to the Membership at least two (2) weeks prior to this meeting.

Section 2. Duties
The minister shall on the basis of professional judgment, conduct the ministry in ways that further the purposes of the organization. The minister shall at all times have freedom of expression on all subjects, but shall not claim to speak publicly for the Church without authorization of the Board of Trustees. The minister has full charge of worship services, serves ex-officio on all standing committees and may attend all meetings of the Board of Trustees.

Section 3. Resignation or Dismissal
The minister shall give the Board at least 90 days written notice of resignation. The Board, by an affirmative vote of at least five (5) members, or the Congregation by written petition to the Board signed by a least 25% of the voting membership, may require that a request for the resignation or dismissal of the minister be considered by the membership. The minister may be dismissed or resignation requested only by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the voting members at a special Congregational Meeting called for this purpose. Written notice of this meeting, as well as a summary of arguments pro and con, shall be transmitted to the membership in advance of the meeting as specified in Article VI, Section 3. In the event of a vote in favor of dismissal, the minister’s salary shall continue for a period of ninety (90) days. Should the minister resign in response to the request of the congregation, notice shall not be required; but ministerial salary shall continue for a period of at least ninety (90) days.

ARTICLE XI COMMITTEES

Section 1. Special Committees
The special committees of the Church shall be those which are organized to perform a specific function and will be disbanded when the Board decides that their services are no longer required. The special committees shall include but not be limited to the Nominating Committee and the Pulpit Committee.

A. Nominating Committee: consisting of three (3) Church members shall be elected at the November semi-annual meeting. Candidates shall be nominated from the floor to serve for one year at the request of the Board. No Trustee may serve on the Nominating Committee, but the Membership Trustee may meet with them. This committe shall prepare a list of qualified nominees for all forthcoming vacancies in elective offices.

B. Pulpit Committee: comprised of seven (7) Church members, shall be elected when needed. Nominations shall be made by the Nominating Committee and additional nominations will be accepted from the floor. Not more than two (2) Board members may serve on the Pulpit Committee. The committee’s sole duty shall be to recommend to the Congregation a candidate or candidates for Minister to the Church. They shall serve until the selection of a minister, or until they are replaced or dismissed by the Congregation. Vacancies on the Committee may be filled by the Board of Trustees by temporary appointment, until the next Congregational meeting, at which time vacancies will be filled by election of candidates nominated from the floor.

Section 2. Permanent Standing Committees
The permanent Standing Committees of the Church shall include the Budget/Finance Committee, the Newsletter Committee, the Religious Education Committee, and the Membership Committee. Any member of a permanent standing committee must be a member of the Church.

A. Budget/Finance Committee: The chairperson and members of this committee shall be appointed by the Board for terms of one year, and may serve for any consecutive number of terms. The Treasurer shall serve on this committee. Duties include assisting the Congregation and the Board in preparing and administering the budget, and raising funds required by the Church. They shall also provide financial advice as needed to the officers and Board, and perform such other duties as requested by the Board.

B. Newsletter Committee: The Newsletter is the official vehicle of notification to the membership. The publication and distribution of the newsletter shall be the responsibility of the Newsletter Committee. The Board shall appoint a chairperson who shall serve as coordinator/editor of the newsletter, and recruiter of staff (committee members) as needed.

C. Religious Education Committee: The chairperson and members of the Religious Education Committee shall be appointed by the Board for terms of one year, and may serve for any consecutive number of terms. The committee shall, subject to Board approval, serve the needs of the Membership and the community for liberal religious education.

D. Membership Committee. The chairperson and members of this committee shall be appointed by the Board for one year terms, but can serve unlimited consecutive terms. This committee shall work to welcome and maintain contact with visitors, transition visitors to members, and strive to retain members.

Section 3. Optional Standing Committees
The Board of Trustees shall have the power to establish such other committees as it shall consider desirable for the efficient operation of the Church. These committees may include, but shall not be limited to Social Activities, Sunshine, Social Action, Program, Worship, Planned Giving, and Denominational Affairs. The chairpersons of these committees shall be appointed by the Board for terms of one year, not limited to any consecutive number of terms.

Section 4. Reports
Each of the standing committees shall submit periodic reports to the Board and to the Membership, at intervals determined by the Board.

Section 5. Constitution
The Voting Members of the Church, by majority vote at any Congregational meeting, may require that the Board of Trustees establish, disband, or reconstitute any Standing Committee.

ARTICLE XII BYLAW AMENDMENT

The Board may appoint a committee of three (3) or more members to review the Bylaws and recommend any changes they consider necessary. Changes may also be recommended by written petition to the Board of Trustees signed by at least five (5) members. This petition must contain the pertinent existing section or paragraphs as well as the proposed changes. Bylaw amendment requires two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of Voting Members present at a Congregational Meeting. The published agenda for this meeting must include the pertinent sections or paragraphs of the then-existing Bylaws, as well as the proposed changes.