Bylaws

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St. Louis Catholic Deaf Society

ICDA-US, Chapter 6

BYLAWS

(As approved May 4, 2014)

CONTENTS:

ARTICLE I NAME

ARTICLE II AFFILLATION

ARTICLE III PURPOSE

SECTION 1 FAITH COMMUNITY
SECTION 2 EDUCATIONALLY

ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1 ACTIVE
SECTION 2 ASSOCIATE
SECTION 3 HONARARY
SECTION 4 MASS

ARTICLE V OFFICERS

SECTION 1 (8) DUTITES
SECTION 2 DIRECTOR
SECTION 3 SOCIETY
SECTION 4 MODERATOR
SECTION 5 TRANSACTION
SECTION 6 MEETING

ARTICLE VI ELECTION OF OFFICERS

SECTION 1 TERMS
SECTION 2 ACTIVE
SECTION 3 ODD/EVEN
SECTION 4 UNABLE ATTEND
SECTION 5 NOMINATIONS
SECTION 6 ORDER
SECTION 7 ASSUME
SECTION 8 VACANCY

ARTICLE VII OFFICER’S DUTIES

SECTION 1 PRESIDENT
SECTION 2 VICE-PRESIDENT
SECTION 3 SECRETARY
SECTION 4 TREASURER
SECTION 5 MEMBER AT LARGE
SECTION 6 MODERATOR

ARTICLE VIII COMMITTEES

SECTION 1 EVENTS
SECTION 2 AD HOC

ARTICLE IX MEETINGS

SECTION 1 REGULAR
SECTION 2 SPECIAL
SECTION 3 QUORUM

ARTICLE X ORDER OF BUSINESS

ARTICLE XI AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1 ADVANCE
SECTION 2 PROPOSED
SECTION 3 2/3 VOTE

ARTICLE XII PATRONAGE

PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH

ARTICLE XIII DISSOLUTION

REVISION HISTORY

• Established June 1, 1941 (Rev: A)
• First Amended January 9, 1944 (Rev: B)
• Second Amended September 9, 1973 (Rev: C)
• Revised March 8, 1992 (Rev: D)
• Revised March 9, 2003 (Rev: E)
• Revised November 13, 2005 (Rev: F)
• Revised November 14, 2010 (Rev: G)
• Upgraded October 26, 2015 (Rev: H)

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of the organization shall be St. Louis Catholic Deaf Society, hereafter referred to as the Society.

ARTICLE II – AFFILIATION

The Society shall be affiliated as a Chapter in good standing with the International Catholic Deaf Association – United States Section (ICDA-US).

ARTICLE III – PURPOSE

Section 1> To pray, reflect, study and develop a Catholic Christian faith community among persons who are deaf.
Section 2> To encourage and engage in good works that advance deaf persons spiritually, socially or educationally.

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Society is open to Catholic persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, their spouses, and any interested Catholic person. The Society shall be a membership association with three (3) classifications: Active, Associate, and Honorary.
Section 1> ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP

1. Is maintained through payment of annual dues and participation in Society meetings and functions.
2. Active members must be at least 18 years of age.
3. Active members must be:
   
   1. Deaf or hard-of-hearing practicing Catholics; or
   2. Those hearing, deaf, or hard-of-hearing religious or lay pastoral workers devoted to ministry with the Deaf; or
   3. A Catholic hearing spouse of a deaf and hard-of-hearing member.

Section 2> ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP

1. Is maintained through payment of annual dues.
2. Associate members must be at least 18 years of age.
3. Associate members are hearing persons who have any active interest in the Chapter's purposes.

Section 3> HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
may be conferred on any person, through the suggestion of the Board and the consent of the membership.
Section 4> A Mass shall be offered each November for deceased members of the Society.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS

Section 1> The governing board shall consist of the following eight (8) officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, three Members At-Large, and Moderator.
Section 2> These officers shall be known as the Board of Directors, hereafter referred to as the Board.
Section 3> All officers of the Society are encouraged to be members in good standing with the International Catholic Deaf Association – United States Section.
Section 4> Officers, with the exception of the Moderator, shall be limited to two consecutive full two-year terms of office, unless if there is no other candidate.
Section 5> Four (4) members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 6> There shall be at least three (3) Board meetings a year, especially February, June, and October.

ARTICLE VI – ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section 1> All officers shall be elected to two-year terms of office in the order in which they are named in the Bylaws, Article V Section 1.
Section 2> The offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, three Members At-Large, and Moderator must be filled from the active membership of the Society.
Section 3> Elections shall be held in the November meeting of the general membership. Elections for President, Vice President, and Moderator shall be held in even numbered years. Elections for Secretary, Treasurer, and three Members-At-Large shall be held in odd numbered years.
Section 4> Any active member, of necessity unable to attend the election meeting, may submit their name to the President to be nominated for a particular office.
Section 5> Nominations will be accepted from the floor.
Section 6> The order of elections will be for the office of President, then Vice-President, then Moderator or Secretary, then Treasurer, then three Members At-Large.

1. Nominations will be listed for the first office and then voting held for that office.
2. Nominations will be listed for the second office, followed by voting for that office.

Section 7> Newly elected officers assume office on January 1st following their election.
Section 8> With the exception of the office of President, in the event an office becomes vacant an election shall be held as soon as possible to fill the vacancy.

ARTICLE VII - OFFICER'S DUTIES

Section 1> The President shall:

1. Preside at all meetings of the Society; state and put all questions properly brought up, preserve order and decorum, and decide questions of order.
2. Call special meetings when necessary.
3. Select three persons to serve as Auditors.
4. Exercise general supervision of all matters pertaining to the Society.

Section 2> The Vice-President shall:

1. Preside at meetings in the absent of the President.
2. In the event that the President cannot fulfill his/her term of office, the Vice-President shall serve the expired term.

Section 3> The Secretary shall:

1. Keep a record of the proceedings of Society meetings.
2. Have custody of all papers belonging to the Society, not especially under the charge of any other officer.
3. Handle any correspondence of the Society as directed by the President.
4. Open the regular meetings of the Society in the Absence of the President and Vice-President and preside until a temporary President is chosen.

Section 4> The Treasurer shall:

1. Be responsible for collecting and depositing Society funds.
2. Collect all dues and assessments, including funds obtained from Society activities.
3. Pay Society bills and make other disbursements from all Board approved activities.
4. Enter all funds received and payments made in an understandable manner in a ledger and make a report at each Board meeting.
5. Make an annual audited report at February Board meeting consisting of: the amount on hand at the beginning of the year, the amount received during the year (stating from what sources received), the total amount paid out, and the balance on hand.
6. Submit the financial records to a group of Auditors, appointed by the President, each January. This group chosen by the President shall report any irregularities to the President. They will sign the annual report of the Treasurer. They may be chosen from the membership or from outside the membership, but may not be chosen from the Board.
7. Pay combo tickets, economical travel and half of hotel room expense (double occupancy) for delegate and moderator to every conference of ICDA-US and ICDA-US Midwest Region through General Fund and Special Projects Fund respectively, subject to available funds.

Section 5> The three Members At-Large:

1. Be a chairperson of Events Committee or Kitchen Committee or Pastoral Care Committee.
2. Events Committee shall be responsible for any social or fundraising event; annual retreat; and workshops.
3. Kitchen Committee shall be responsible for hot lunch quarterly and after-Mass refreshment every Sundays that has no hot lunch except the first Sunday of June through Labor-Day Sunday.
4. Pastoral Care Committee shall be responsible for any updates of any member’s illness or death and any non-member’s illness or death with President’s authorization.

Section 6> The Moderator shall:

1. Be an ex-officio Active Member of the Society and the Board, as spiritual advisor.
2. Be a pastoral worker with persons who are deaf, recognized by the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
3. In the event there is no one hired by the Archdiocese the Society shall elect a Moderator.
4. Shall be responsible for encouraging the spiritual growth of all the members.

ARTICLE VIII – COMMITTEES

Section 1> The standing committees shall be: Events Committee, Kitchen Committee, and a Pastoral Care Committee. The three (3) standing committee chairpersons are Board of Directors as Members-At-Large.
Section 2> The Board may establish Ad Hoc Committees at any time.

ARTICLE IX – MEETINGS

Section 1> Regular meetings shall be conducted two times a year in March and November.
Section 2> The President with the approval of the Board may call special meetings.
Section 3> A quorum (the number needed to transact business) shall be one fourth of the Active and Associate Members of the Society.

ARTICLE X - ORDER OF BUSINESS

The order of business for Society meetings shall be:

• Call to order.
• Opening Prayer
• Report of the Secretary
• Treasurer's Report
• Admission of new members
• Reports from officers
• Reports from committees
• Unfinished business
• New business
• Election
• Announcement
• Closing prayer
• Adjournment

ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS

Section 1> Any Active Member may present an amendment to the Bylaws in writing to the Secretary at least 30 days in advance.
Section 2> A proposed amendment to the Bylaws shall be sent to members two (2) weeks before regular or special meeting of the Society by email or postmarked mail. The President will put the proposition to a vote at regular or special meeting.
Section 3> A two-third vote of the Active Members present shall be sufficient to carry the amendment.

ARTICLE XII – PATRONAGE

The society places itself under the patronage of St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church and of the Workers.

PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH

Blessed St. Joseph,
who desires nothing more
than to see Jesus loved,
obtain for us a strong
love for holy Jesus,
so that we may love Him
with all our strength.
St. Joseph, adopted
father of Jesus,
pray for us.

ARTICLE XIII – DISSOLUTION

Upon dissolution the Society’s remaining assets shall be distributed to non-profit organizations serving the Catholic Deaf Community. The Society’s Board of Directors shall make such distribution.

(download a pdf copy of the bylaws)