BYLAWS OF DIGNITY NORTHERN VIRGINIA
ARTICLE
I. NAME
Section
1. The name of the organization shall be Dignity Northern Virginia (D/NoVA).
ARTICLE
II. PURPOSE
Section
1. The primary purpose of D/NoVA shall be to sponsor a weekly mass in the Roman
Catholic tradition for the local Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community, their family and friends, and to
support ancillary activities as further described in D/NoVA's statement of mission and goals below.
Section
2. Mission Statement
D/NoVA
is a welcoming community of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Catholics, our families and friends, with a common
mission to:
a. establish a nurturing community of worship, celebration, ministry, spiritual development,
education and fellowship;
b. provide a healing outreach to GLBT Catholics by affirming that all people are children
of God; and
c. be a prophetic witness of Jesus' teachings and message to the Church, to the GLBT
community, and to society through the unique and individual spiritual experiences of GLBT persons.
Section
3. Goals
D/NoVA
seeks to provide, facilitate, and /or sponsor religious, educational, community service and charitable activities to unite
GLBT individuals as well as all Roman Catholics regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, age, race, ethnic origin,
political affiliation, or any other classification, in a way that is consonant with Christ's teaching, to be an instrument
of Christ, to develop leadership, to worship together in full communion, and to be recognized as a positive example of Christian
community by the Church and by society.
D/NoVA
seeks to openly express our Christian faith through the tenets of our Roman Catholic faith, to achieve Christian maturity,
and to demonstrate our love of God through our actions, our interactions, and our example.
D/NoVA seeks to focus and demonstrate our faith by sponsoring a weekly Mass, the sacraments, scripture, personal prayer,
and the love of neighbor, in a warm, welcoming environment for the GLBT community, their friends and relatives, and the greater
society.
D/NoVA
aims to provide a place and time for religious services that include the sacraments, prayer, worship, and fellowship. D/NoVA aims to provide Liturgical (including Worship and Music) and Social Ministries.
D/NoVA
aims to provide the basis for performing charitable (religious) acts which may include but are not limited to AIDS Ministry,
Hospital Ministry, Homebound Ministry, Homeless and Abandoned Ministries, and Ministries to Gays and Lesbians.
D/NoVA
aims to educate members, friends, and outside community in matters of faith as well as concerns of the GLBT communities so
that sexuality and spirituality are integrated rather than exclusive of each other.
This may include but not be limited to outreach ministries such as personal contact, seminars, speaker events, printed
material, and networking.
D/NoVA
aims to educate the Church and society of the importance of inclusivity in all matters through our own example and in such
a way so that all people feel welcome and comfortable in their knowledge that anyone can achieve the goals they work toward
without being excluded based on classification, real or imagined. To limit anyone
by using excluding actions, statements, words or deeds, limits everyone from achieving their full potential.
D/NoVA
aims through education and example to eliminate all forms of harassment, particularly sexual harassment, from society. All harassment and particularly sexual harassment is degrading not only to the person
on which it is perpetrated, but also to the society as a whole. Harassment of
any form shall not be allowed at any D/NoVA function, event or activity whether the function, event or activity be public
or private, religious or secular, social or personal.
Section
4. Positions
a. D/NoVA supports the DignityUSA “Vision Statement,” works to achieve the
goals outlined in the “Statement of Position & Purpose” of DignityUSA, and herein below adopts those statements
and any successor statements as part of the D/NoVA Bylaws.
b. The DignityUSA Vision Statement: DignityUSA
envisions and works for a time when Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Catholics are affirmed and experience dignity through
the integration of their spirituality with their sexuality, and as beloved persons of God participate fully in all aspects
of life within the Church and Society.
c. The DignityUSA Statement of Position and Purpose:
DignityUSA believes that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics in their diversity are members of Christ's
mystical body, numbered among the People of God. We have an inherent dignity
because God created us, Christ died for us, and the Holy Spirit sanctified us in Baptism, making us temples of the Spirit,
and channels through which God's love becomes visible. Because of this, it is our right, our privilege, and our duty to live
the sacramental life of the Church, so that we might become more powerful instruments of God's love working among all people.
Further,
DignityUSA believes that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons can express their sexuality in a manner that is consonant
with Christ's teaching. We believe that we can express our sexuality physically, in a unitive manner that is loving, life-giving,
and life-affirming. We believe that all sexuality should be exercised in an ethically responsible and unselfish way.
DignityUSA is organized to unite gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics, as well as
our families, friends and loved ones in order to develop leadership, and be an instrument through which we may be heard by
and promote reform in the Church. To be such an organization, DignityUSA accepts it's responsibilities to the Church, to our
Catholic heritage, to society, and to individual gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics.
1. To the Church: DignityUSA works for the development of sexual theology
leading to the reform of its teachings and practices regarding human sexuality, and for the acceptance of gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender peoples as full and equal members of the one Christ.
2. To society: DignityUSA works for justice and equality through education
and by supporting social and legal reforms.
3. To individual gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics: DignityUSA
reinforces their sense of self-acceptance and dignity and encourages full participation in the life of the Church and society.
DignityUSA
members promote causes of interest to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics in five primary areas of concern and
commitment:
1. SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT: DignityUSA strives
to achieve Christian maturity through the sacraments, Scripture, prayer, an active love of neighbor as ourselves, and liturgical
celebrations, especially the Mass.
2. EDUCATION: DignityUSA informs itself
in all matters of faith and of interest to our communities, so that we may grow in maturity and may nurture fulfilling lives
in which our sexuality and spirituality are integrated.
3. SOCIAL JUSTICE: As Catholics and members of society, DignityUSA members involve themselves
in those actions that bring the love of Christ to others and provide the basis of social reform in the Church and society. DignityUSA members are actively involved with:
a.
Individuals: DignityUSA members lead a life of service to ourselves and others,
rendering visible the love of Christ and assisting in the creation of love
centered communities.
b.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Groups: DignityUSA members work
with a variety of other groups to seek justice for all persons and to
promote a
sense of solidarity within the communities.
c.
Religious and Secular Groups: DignityUSA members work with many groups
and organizations so that their members might better understand gay,
lesbian, bisexuals
and transgender persons and thus recognize and
eliminate present injustices.
d.
Health Care: DignityUSA members work to promote equal access and justice in
all areas of health care and healing.
e.
Women's Justice Issues: DignityUSA members strive to eradicate sexism and
patriarchy in all areas of Church and secular life so that women are wholly
included,
accepted and welcome.
4. EQUALITY ISSUES: DignityUSA dedicates
itself to develop the potential of all persons to become more fully human. To do this, DignityUSA works toward the eradication
of all constraints on our personhood based on the ascribed social roles of women and men and to promote inclusivity in all
areas of liturgical and community life.
5. SOCIAL EVENTS: DignityUSA provides activities
of a social and recreational nature in an atmosphere where friendships can develop and mature, and where our sense of self
acceptance and dignity is affirmed.
ARTICLE
III. MEMBERSHIP
Section
1. Generally, all liturgies, activities and Board of Directors (BoD) meetings
shall be open to all interested individuals regardless of whether or not they are members of D/NoVA. However, membership in D/NoVA is highly encouraged and open to all those interested individuals who attend
events sponsored by D/NoVA and/or to persons who support the purpose, mission and goals of D/NoVA.
Section
2. Membership is required to vote in D/NoVA elections and/or to hold office
in D/NoVA.
Section
3. There are no membership dues, but to be a member, an individual must
submit personal identifying information including at a minimum his or her name and address so that he or she might be contacted
during the election cycle, and:
a. Provide financial or other support to D/NoVA; or
b. Indicate a desire to be a member of D/NoVA when they provide financial or other support
to DignityUSA; or
c. Express a desire to become a member of D/NoVA.
Section
4. Membership must be renewed annually.
Section
5. Membership is a privilege, not a right.
Membership shall not be denied to any person based on classification factors which include but are not limited to age,
gender, race, ethnic origin, political affiliation, or sexual orientation. Membership
may be denied or canceled by a simple majority vote of the BoD meeting in a closed door session(s) to any person who violates
the Bylaws of D/NoVA or breaks any laws which can affect D/NoVA, or abuses or violates the rights of another member, jeopardizes
D/NoVA, renders harm to D/NoVA by actions, deeds, or statements, or harasses another member or guest at any D/NoVA sponsored
function.
Section
6. Exercising discretion as an Officer or Director of D/NoVA, any Officer or
Director of D/NoVA may expel any individual from any D/NoVA sponsored event upon report of any incident of abuse, harassment,
disruptive behavior or harm to another individual at the event. D/NoVA makes
every effort to provide and maintain a safe environment for its activities, but D/NoVA cannot be held responsible for any
criminal or other illegal activity by those attending the event.
ARTICLE
IV. ORGANIZATION
Section
1. D/NoVA shall be incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia (Commonwealth).
Section
2. D/NoVA shall operate as a non-profit organization for purposes exclusively
religious, educational and charitable within the meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the US Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as
amended, and no substantial part of D/NoVA's activities shall be for carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to
influence legislation, nor shall it participate or intervene (including the publishing or distributing of statements) in any
political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Section
3. D/NoVA does not contemplate pecuniary gain or profit, incidental or otherwise. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, D/NoVA shall not carry on any
activities not permitted to be carried on under the codes and statutes of the Federal or Commonwealth governments, and in
particular to be carried on (1) by an organization exempt from Federal income
tax under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future US
IRC or Law), or (2) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170 (c) (2) of the IRC of 1954
(or the corresponding provision of any future US IRC or Law).
Section
4. D/NoVA may undertake any other activities that do not contradict the described
purpose or mission, or which do not conflict with the Internal Revenue Service's definitions of allowable activities under
Section 501 (c) (3), described above.
Section
5. D/NoVA is a chapter in the national organization DignityUSA and supports the
DignityUSA’s vision statement; but D/NoVA is a completely separate organization independently incorporated under the
laws of the Commonwealth and retains the option to surrender in writing its DignityUSA chapter charter at any time and for
any reason without any effect on the D/NoVA organization or these Bylaws.
ARTICLE
V. GOVERNANCE and ADMINISTRATION
Section
1. D/NoVA shall be governed and administered by a Board of Directors (BoD). The BoD shall be comprised of four elected officers, two elected Directors at-large,
plus one Director appointed by the President (if the President so chooses). The
elected officers shall be identified as (1) President, (2) Vice-President, (3) Secretary, and (4) Treasurer. They together shall comprise the Executive Committee of D/NoVA responsible for the day-to-day administration
of the organization under the guidance of the policies set forth by the BoD. The
four elected officers, plus the two elected Directors at-large, plus one Director appointed by the President (if the President
so chooses) shall comprise the voting members of the BoD. At least one member
of the BoD shall be a resident of the Commonwealth and a citizen of the United States of America.
Section
2. The BoD shall be responsible to govern all organizational aspects of D/NoVA,
to include, all financial decisions, all organizational decisions, and all “official business” as required under
Federal and Commonwealth law. The BoD shall approve or disapprove the operations,
methods and/or implementations of all D/NoVA activities. The BoD shall be responsible
but not personally liable for the viability of the organization financially and legally, and no effort shall be made to subvert
the legal authority or responsibilities of the elected or appointed Officers and Directors of the BoD.
Section
3. Duties of the Elected Officers and Directors of D/NoVA.
a. The President of D/NoVA by virtue of his or her office shall be the Chairperson of
the BoD and of the Executive Committee of D/NoVA and shall perform all the duties of the President which shall include but
not be limited to the following:
o
prepare and distribute copies of the agenda to the BoD and chair meetings of
the BoD and all general membership meetings;
o
set and revise goals and objectives for D/NoVA;
o
submit an annual budget to the BoD for approval;
o
have the option to appoint a seventh member of the BoD;
o
designate BoD member areas of responsibility;
o
approve all final committee chair appointments and create any additional
committees
to support the mission and carry out the functions of D/NoVA;
o
designate a specific Board member to work with and represent each of the
D/NoVA committees at the BoD meetings;
o
solicit and designate BoD members or other members of D/NoVA to represent
D/NoVA at official functions of other organizations;
o
appoint new Officers and Directors in the event of a resignation or incapacitation
subject to
a confirmation by a simple majority of the BoD;
o
have signature authority on D/NoVA's bank account(s) and investments;
o
ensure that all books, reports and certificates required by law are properly kept
or filed;
o
regularly report to the BoD and general membership.
b. The duties of the Vice-President of D/NoVA shall include but not be limited to the
following: assist the President in performance of his/her duties and fill in
for the President when the President is temporarily absent or cannot fulfill the duties of office for any reason. The Vice
President shall in the event of the prolonged absence (defined as more than three months) or inability of the President to
exercise the duties of office, become Acting President of D/NoVA with all the rights, privileges and powers as if duly elected
president.
c. The duties of the Secretary of D/NoVA shall include but not be limited to the following:
o record the minutes of the BoD meetings;
o prepare and distribute copies of minutes
to each Board member;
o maintain the official membership list;
o supervise the conduct of elections;
o supervise the preparation of the weekly
bulletin;
o submit the required annual report and
any other legally required reports to maintain D/NoVA's incorporation in the Commonwealth;
o assure that all official D/NoVA historical
records are maintained.
d.. The duties of the Treasurer of D/NoVA shall include but not be limited to the following:
o maintain D/NoVA bank accounts and investments;
o have signature authority on D/NoVA's
bank account(s) and investments;
o pay legitimate bills for service rendered;
o maintain accurate accounting records;
o assist in the preparation of a budget;
o report to the BoD and general membership
on a regular basis.
e. The duties of the two elected At-Large members of the BoD and the appointed member
shall include but not be limited to performing assignments and responsibilities as directed by the President and taking an
active role in the over-all functioning of D/NoVA.
Section
4. A member of the BoD receives no compensation except for reimbursement for
extraordinary expenses as approved by a majority of the BoD in connection with official duties, i.e., attending and representing
D/NoVA at conferences or meetings at the direction of the BoD.
Section
5. All Board members shall serve a term of one year and are eligible for re-election.
Section
6. When a vacancy on the BoD exists, the President shall submit a nomination
for a new member to the incumbent BoD members for confirmation. The vacancy will be filled only to the end of the vacant Board
member's term. The nominee shall be confirmed with a vote of a simple majority
of the BoD.
Section
7. Resignation from the Board shall be in writing and received by the President
and Secretary. In the event of a resignation by the President, the resignation
shall be in writing to the Vice-President and Secretary. In the event of a resignation
by the Secretary, the resignation shall be in writing to the President and Vice-President.
Section
8. A Board member shall be dropped for excess absences by a simple majority vote
of the other Board members if he or she has three unexcused absences from Board meetings in a year. A Board member may be removed for other reasons by a simple majority vote of the remaining Directors. In the event of resignation by three or more members of the BoD at one time, the resignations
shall be made in writing to the general membership.
Section
9. The BoD by majority vote shall hire, fire, and affix the compensation of all
employees who are determined to be necessary for the conduct of the business of the organization.
ARTICLE
VI. MINISTRIES AND COMMITTEES
Section
1. The following committees may be established by the President and/or the BoD
to perform the functions of D/NoVA:
a. Liturgy Committee. Shall be responsible
for all liturgies sponsored by D/NoVA to include scheduling Presiders, lectors, music, readers, and others; preparing readings
for special liturgies such as Holy Days; setting-up before and cleaning-up after liturgies; and other functions as needed. The Liturgy Committee shall be responsible for maintaining the liturgical style
and tone of D/NoVA services and help to establish changes as needed.
b. Social Committee. Shall be responsible
for all social gatherings including scheduling, set-up, clean-up, publicity, and other functions.
c. Outreach Committee. Shall be responsible
for all activities involving outreach to other Dignity Chapters, outside organizations, groups or individuals, and other functions.
d. Membership Committee. Shall be responsible
for maintaining the active membership rolls, securing membership renewals, welcoming members and guests to liturgies and other
functions.
e. Financial Operations Committee. Shall
be responsible for implementing key aspects of D/NoVA's annual financial plan, fund raising, taking collections at liturgies,
and other functions.
f. Election Committee. Shall be appointed
by the President and established in August of each year for the limited purpose of assisting the Secretary in conducting D/NoVA
elections.
g. Executive Committee. Shall consist of
the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer, and shall be responsible for the day-to-day administration
of the organization under the guidance of the policies set forth by the BoD.
h. Other
Committees. The responsibilities of other committees, when established, shall
be detailed by the President in a memo to the committee.
ARTICLE
VII. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS
Section
1. Meetings of the BoD shall generally be open to all interested individuals
except that meetings or parts of meetings dealing with confidential or personal information, when prudence prevails in discussion
of individuals, or when required or allowed by law, may be restricted by the President to BoD members only.
Section
2. The President of D/NoVA shall preside at and conduct all meetings. When the President is unavailable to preside, the succession rule shall be, in order, Vice-President, Secretary,
and Treasurer.
Section
3. A quorum consisting of a simple
majority of the Board members must be achieved before official business can be transacted, i.e., there must be four of the
six or seven members of the BoD present before an official meeting can be held.
Section
4. The BoD shall attempt to meet monthly, but shall meet not less than 6 times
per year, at an agreed upon and publicized time and place, and subject to the call or waiver of the President. The President can cancel a regularly scheduled meeting, but such meeting can be rescheduled by any member
of the BoD. Any member of the BoD can call for a special meeting of the membership
or of the BoD at any time.
Section
5. Anyone in attendance at a meeting shall be given the right to speak
as long as the speaker respects the rights of others in the meeting, adheres to acceptable practice as set forth in Robert's
Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10th edition (2000) which shall govern the conduct of meetings, does not engage
in profanity or verbal abuse, and is not excessively long for the topic being discussed as judged by the President. The order of speaking shall be in the order in which the President recognizes the individual. When consensus cannot be reached, the President may limit further discussion of an issue or table it for
a later date.
Section
6. At all meetings, except for the election of officers and directors when paper
ballots are used, all votes shall be by voice or a show of hands as determined by the President and the results shall be announced
by the President and recorded by the Secretary. A recorded vote will be taken
only upon request of a person attending the meeting. Each member of the
BoD shall have one vote and such voting may not be done by proxy.
Section
7. The Order of Business at all meetings except for the election of officers
and directors shall be as follows:
a. Opening Prayer.
b. Roll Call.
c. Reading and approval of the Minutes of the preceding
meeting.
d. Reports of Officers.
e. Reports of Committees.
f. Old and Unfinished Business.
g. New Business.
h. Adjournment.
Section
8. BoD meetings shall be conducted in such a way as to build consensus. Although
any interested individual may attend and speak at a BoD meeting, an individual must be a member of D/NoVA at the time of the
meeting to make or second a motion. Any such motion or second by a D/NoVA member
who is not serving on the BoD may be ruled as “Out of Order” if such
motion or second circumvents the responsibilities of the Executive Committee or of the Board of Directors as determined solely
by the President.
Section
9. All motions may be voted upon by all members of D/NoVA who are in attendance
at the meeting except the President has sole authority to limit voting to members of the BoD in instances where the President
determines that the motion concerns the authority of the BoD to carry out lawful responsibilities, prevent infringement on
the Bylaws, or where the motion causes harm to D/NoVA.
Section
10. If a motion is made and seconded, a simple majority of fifty-one percent
of the persons eligible to vote must be achieved for a motion to pass. If a motion
passes without a majority of the BoD present voting in the affirmative, upon request of any Board member made within two weeks
of the meeting, implementation of the motion may be suspended for up to 90 days from the date of the meeting to permit a subsequent
BoD meeting or general membership meeting to further discuss, consider and vote on the issue.
Section
11. Except as otherwise herein specified, all meetings shall be conducted in
accordance with Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10th edition (2000).
ARTICLE
VIII. ANNUAL MEETING
Section
1. The President shall preside over and conduct an annual meeting.
Section
2. The annual meeting shall take place after mass on a Saturday in May (the month
in which D/NoVA was founded) or as close thereto as possible as determined by the President.
Section
3. The Secretary shall provide notice to all the members of the date of the annual
meeting via the weekly bulletin or other means at least two weeks before the scheduled date of the meeting.
Section
4. The meeting shall be opened to members and all interested individuals; and
a quorum shall consist of all those present at the annual meeting.
Section
5. Unless otherwise specified, the sole purpose of the annual meeting shall be
to provide the President and Officers of D/NoVA with an opportunity to inform the members of current issues relating to D/NoVA
and to provide the members and other interested individuals with an opportunity to question the leadership on any issues of
interest.
Section
6. The annual meeting is not a BoD meeting, per se. Any motions, etc. may be ruled as “Out of Order” by the President. The Order of Business and conduct of the annual meeting shall be as determined by the President, and Robert's
shall not apply except as determined by the President.
Section
7. The President in the exercise of his or her own discretion and absent
the specific request for an annual meeting as set forth in this Article by any member of D/NoVA, may fulfill the requirements
for an annual meeting at any time and at any place and in any manner as he or she so choses.
Section
8. When the annual meeting is for the sole purpose of informing the members of
current issues relating to D/NoVA and to provide the members with an opportunity to question the leadership on any issues
of interest, the Secretary shall not make any record of the meeting except to note that it has taken place.
Section
9. With appropriate advance notice to all members, the President may call for
a special meeting of the general membership at any time for the purpose of conducting any and all official business following
the procedure described in Article VII, above.
ARTICLE
IX. ELECTIONS AND TERMS OF OFFICE
Section
1. Board members shall be elected for a term of one year. The terms will run from January 1 of the year following election through December 31 consistent with the
D/NoVA Fiscal Year which will run annually from January 1 through December 31 beginning January 1, 2007. The year 2007 is a transition year as D/NoVA will be operating under the existing bylaws until these new
revised bylaws are adopted. Accordingly, those Officers and Directors elected
to office in 2007 will serve a term of office which runs from November 1, 2007 through December 31, 2008.
Section
2. Elections shall take place in October or November of each year. Elections shall be either by
a. ballot at a meeting of the general membership conducted after mass on the first Saturday
in November or as close thereto as possible; or
b. ballot processed through the US Postal Service; or
c. ballot by electronic device such as e-mail;
or
d. in the event there is only one or no candidate for each available position, the election
may be conducted by voice vote of the general membership at a meeting conducted after mass on the first Saturday in November
or as close thereto as possible.
Section
3. No “write-in” candidates will be permitted when the election is
conducted using ballots, and no new nominations will be in order when the election is held at a meeting. In counting the votes, any “write in” ballots for a specific office will be rejected as if
they had never been cast.
Section
4. When the election is conducted at a meeting for the purpose of electing Officers
and Directors, all those members who attend the meeting will constitute a quorum for the express purpose of conducting the
election by ballot or voice vote. With the exception of the office of Vice-President as noted in section 5, below, the candidate
who receives a simple majority of the ballots or voice votes cast for the specific
office shall be declared the winner.
Section
5. In keeping with this Chapter’s long-standing commitment to diversity,
there shall not be a President and Vice President of the same gender. The Secretary
shall declare as the winner of the office of President that person who receives the largest number of votes in an election. The Secretary shall declare as the winner of the office of Vice-President that
person who receives the largest number of votes in an election and who is not of the same gender as the elected President.
When there is no contested election, i.e., when there is only a single candidate for a specific office, the gender policy
is waived.
Section
6. The Secretary will have responsibility for determining the appropriate type
of election to conduct and for supervising the election and certifying the results.
All decisions by the Secretary in conducting elections shall be final and binding.
Section
7. Any member of Dignity NoVA is eligible to hold office in the organization. For the purposes of the elections, membership rolls will be closed as of March 31
of each year, and only individuals who are members by March 31 may run for and
hold office during the ensuing election cycle. If there are no such qualified
individuals, this may be waived by the Secretary.
Section
8. For contested and for non-contested elections conducted by ballots or voice votes of the general membership at a meeting conducted after mass on the first Saturday
in November or as close thereto as possible, the following procedures shall apply:
a. The Election Committee shall publish in the weekly bulletin or otherwise, as appropriate,
a call for nominations no later than the last Saturday in August. No third party
nominations may be made without the consent of the potential candidate. All candidates
for office must submit a written statement to a member of the Election Committee, to any incumbent member of the BoD, or to
the Secretary by September 30. The written statement must include the candidate's
name and address, an indication of the office sought, and a brief statement of qualifications and reasons for seeking office. Such statements can also be submitted by mail to the Dignity NoVA Election Committee
at P. O. Box 100566, Arlington, Virginia
22210-3566, or to the current mailing address. These mailed statements must be received
by the Election Committee by September 30. In the event that there is not at
least one candidate for each Officer and/or Director position, the Secretary may extend the deadline for nominations up to
and through the date of the election.
b. The Secretary will certify that all candidates are members and eligible to hold office
in D/NOVA by October 1, or later if the deadline for nominations has been extended.
When appropriate in the exercise of his or her discretion, the Secretary shall chair a “meet the candidates”
meeting by October 21.
c. The Election Committee will advertise
the election and candidates names, statements, and date of the meeting being held to conduct the election in the weekly bulletin, by electronic communications, and/or
by other effective means. The Election Committee will also prepare the ballots
for use by all eligible members of D/NoVA in time for the meeting when there is a contested election. The ballots will include the statements that the candidates submitted with their statement of availability
for office. No personally identifiable information such as date of birth, Social
Security number, etc. shall be included on the ballots. For the purposes of the
elections, membership rolls will be closed as of September 30 of each year, and any individual who is a member by September
30 will be eligible to vote during the ensuing election cycle.
d. The Secretary (or designee) will serve
as the meeting chair and as the Election Official who shall oversee the voting process.
Contested elections may be conducted using paper ballots. Non-contested
elections will be conducted by a voice vote.
e. The Secretary will certify and announce the election results privately to the various candidates and publicly
to the general membership after mass on the first Saturday in November or as close thereto as possible, and publish the results
in the weekly bulletin.
f. Elected candidates will take office as of the following January 1.
Section
9. For contested elections conducted by mail or by electronic ballot, the following
procedures shall apply:
a. The Election Committee shall publish in the weekly bulletin or otherwise, as appropriate,
a call for nominations no later than the last Saturday in August. No third party
nominations may be made without the consent of the potential candidate. All candidates
for office must submit a written statement to a member of the Election Committee, to any incumbent member of the BoD, or to
the Secretary by September 30. The written statement must include the candidate's
name and address, an indication of the office sought, and a brief statement of qualifications and reasons for seeking office. Such statements can also be submitted by mail to the Dignity NoVA Election Committee
at P. O. Box 100566, Arlington, Virginia
22210-3566, or to the current mailing address. These mailed statements must be received
by the Election Committee by September 30. In the event that there is not at
least one candidate for each Officer and/or Director position, the Secretary may extend the deadline for nominations up to
and through the date of the election.
b. The Secretary will certify that all candidates are members and eligible to hold office
in D/NoVA by October 1, or later if the deadline for nominations has been extended.
When appropriate in the exercise of his or her discretion, the Secretary shall chair a “meet the candidates”
meeting by October 21.
c. The Election Committee will advertise
the election and candidates names, statements, and the voting procedures to be adopted to conduct the election in the weekly bulletin, by electronic communications, and/or by other effective means. The Election Committee will also prepare the ballots for use by all eligible members of D/NoVA. The ballots will include the statements that the candidates submitted with their statement of availability
for office. No personally identifiable information such as date of birth, Social
Security number, etc. shall be included on the ballots. For the purposes of the
elections, membership rolls will be closed as of September 30 of each year, and any individual who is a member by September
30 will be eligible to vote during the ensuing election cycle.
d. The Secretary (or designee) will serve as the Election Official who shall oversee
the voting process. Contested elections may be conducted using paper ballots or electronic voting. By October 7 or by the date determined by the Secretary if the date for nominations has been
extended, the Election Committee will mail ballots to all eligible voters via the U S Postal Service or via e-mail. Only those ballots returned and received by the Election Committee by October 31 will be eligible to be
counted.
e. The Secretary will certify and announce the election results privately to the various candidates and publicly
to the general membership after mass on the first Saturday in November or as close thereto as possible, and publish the results
in the weekly bulletin.
f. Elected candidates will take office as of the following January 1.
ARTICLE X. DISSOLUTION OF D/NoVA
Section
1. When there is insufficient funds, attendance, membership, or otherwise a lack
of interest in the continuance of the volunteer operations, functions and organization of D/NoVA as determined by the D/NoVA
BoD following a general membership meeting, D/NoVA shall be dissolved by a simple majority vote of the BoD.
Section
2. The D/NoVA charter may be returned to DignityUSA with a statement of the reasons
for dissolution.
Section
3. Upon dissolution, the Treasurer shall first pay any and all debts from any
funds available.
Section
4. If there are any funds or assets remaining after payment of all legal
debts and obligations, the BoD shall by majority vote select one or more religious, educational, or charitable organizations
then holding exempt status within the meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding
provision of any future US Internal Revenue Code or Law, to receive the balance of D/NoVA's funds or assets, shall distribute
the remaining funds or assets to the Federal government, or to a state or local government for a public purpose.
ARTICLE
XI. AMENDMENTS
Section
1. These Bylaws may be altered, amended, repealed, replaced, rescinded or added
to by an affirmative vote of a majority vote of the membership at the Annual Meeting or at a special meeting of the BoD called
by the President for such purpose with notice of the date, time and place of such meeting being provided in the weekly bulletin
or by other means as determined by the Secretary to all members at least two weeks in advance.
CERTIFICATION
In accordance
with the existing Bylaws approved and adopted on October 3, 1993, these new Bylaws replace in its entirety those
existing Bylaws. As provided for in those existing Bylaws, these new Bylaws were
approved and adopted by a unanimous vote of the membership present at the regularly scheduled meeting of the general membership
on November 3, 2007, and are effective as of 12:01
AM, November 4, 2007. As
witness thereto, we here unto affix our signatures:
_________________________________________(date)____________Member,
Board of Directors
_________________________________________(date)____________Member,
Board of Directors
