Proposed Bylaw Changes - 2015
The following changes to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Sterling’s bylaws are proposed. These
changes will be voted on at this year’s Annual Meeting on May 17th, 2015. In preparation for the meeting, please
read through the changes and carefully consider them. The changed portions of each bylaw are bold underlined
in the “Proposed change” section of each, with the exception of deleted portions, which are bold strikethrough.
The current version can be found at http://uusterling.org/wordpress/leadership/governance/bylaws/. For
questions, please contact Teagan Kutz, Board Secretary.
Proposed Change 1 – Officer’s terms to two years; remove ambiguity with respect to
Treasurer
Article VI, Section 6.2
First sentence currently reads: The term for each Board member shall be two (2) years and each officer one (1)
year (except the Treasurer whose term is specified in section 7.5 hereof).
Proposed change: The term for each Board member shall be two (2) years. and each officer one (1) year
(except the Treasurer whose term is specified in section 7.5 hereof).
Article X, Section 10.2
First sentence currently reads: For each annual election to be held at each Annual Meeting of the
Congregation, the Nominating Committee shall submit one (1) nominee for the following available positions:
President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Board of Trustees (in accordance with Section 6.3), Search
Committee (in accordance with Section 10.1), Nominating Committee.
Proposed change: For each annual election to be held at each Annual Meeting of the Congregation, the
Nominating Committee shall submit one (1) nominee for each of the following available positions on the
President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Board of Trustees (in accordance with Section 6.3), Search
Committee (in accordance with Section 10.1), and Nominating Committee.
Proposed Change 2 – Extend maximum consecutive Board service
Article VII, Section 6.2
Third sentence currently reads: No member may serve more than four (4) consecutive years without being off
the Board for at least one (1) year.
Proposed change: No member may serve more than four (4) consecutive terms without being off the Board for
at least one (1) year.
Proposed Change 3 – Notification of members for congregational meetings
Article V
First sentence currently reads: Written or printed notice stating the place, day and hour of any Congregational
meeting shall be delivered either personally or by mail to each member entitled to vote at such meeting not less
than ten (10) days nor more than fifty (50) days before the date of such meeting, by or at the direction of the
Board.
Proposed change: Written or printed A notice stating the place, day and hour of any Congregational meeting
shall be published on the UUCS website and delivered personally, either by email to members for whom the
Congregation has valid email addresses or by postal mail to each member entitled to vote at such meeting not
less than ten (10) days nor more than fifty (50) days before the date of such meeting, by or at the direction of
the Board.
Proposed Change 4 – Notification of members for bylaw amendments
Article XVI
First sentence currently reads: These Bylaws may be amended at any Congregational Meeting by a two-thirds
(2/3) vote of the members of the Church eligible to vote at the meeting at which such matter is considered,
provided, however, that the text of any proposed changes has been published and mailed to all members at
least thirty (30) days prior to such meeting.
Proposed change: These Bylaws may be amended at any Congregational Meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of
the members of the Congregation eligible to vote at the meeting at which such matter is considered, provided,
however, that the text of any proposed changes has been published on the UUCS website and emailed to all
members for whom the Church has valid email addresses, at least thirty (30) days prior to such meeting.
Proposed Change 5 – Replace “church” with “congregation” throughout Bylaws
Articles II, III, IV, VI, VII, VIII, X, XI, XII, XIII, XVI
“Church” appears 41 times in the Bylaws; all changes are too numerous to list here. The proposed change will
replace “Church” with “Congregation” as well as any plural or possessive forms of the word.
Proposed Change 6 – Clarify minister’s role with respect to employees
Article XI
Add to Section 11.3: The full-time minister shall be the Chief of Staff for all employees of the Congregation. In
such role the minister will counsel, evaluate, and recommend for merit increases. The minister has the authority
to terminate any employee for any reason he/she sees fit.
In the case of a part-time minister, or in the absence of the full-time minister for illness, maternity, sabbatical, or
other leave, the Board President will assume the duties detailed in the previous paragraph.
Proposed Change 7 – Allow for Treasurer designee
Article XI
Beginning of the second sentence currently reads: The Treasurer shall: receive and safely keep all money and
other property...
Proposed change: The Treasurer, or his or her designee, shall: receive and safely keep all money and other
property...