BYLAWS OF THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF TUCSON
Adopted March 5, 2006, Revised bylaws adopted April 26, 2009 and May 1, 2011

Article I
Name

Article II
Purpose

Section 2. This congregation is organized exclusively for religious purposes within the meaning of section 501c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue law.

Section 3. This congregation shall maintain membership in and cooperate with the Unitarian Universalist Association. Should the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson (UUCT) disband, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the church, remaining assets shall be distributed to the Unitarian Universalist Association, 25 Beacon Street, Boston to further Unitarian Universalism in the Tucson area.

Section 4. Not withstanding any other provisions of these articles, the UUCT shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law.

Article III
Membership

Section 2. Rights and Responsibilities: Members and Associate Members shall be enrolled upon signing the membership register.  Members and Associate Members shall commit time, energy, and monetary resources, as well as commit to the purpose as set forth in Article II Sect. 1 and the adopted Mission-Covenant Statement.   All meetings of the Congregation, Board of Trustees, and standing and ad hoc committees shall be open to Members and Associate Members, except in instances of mandated confidentiality. Voting rights require evidence of financial contributions of value at least as large as a minimum established annually by the Board of Trustees.  The Parish Minister or President of the Congregation can make exceptions to the financial requirement.

Article IV
Congregation

Section 2. The Annual Meeting of the Congregation shall be held each year at a time and place designated by the Board of Trustees, between the dates of April 15 and May 15. The Purpose of the meeting shall be to elect the President, the Finance Committee Chair, the Trustees, and the Nominating Committee and Leadership Development Team (NCLDT), to adopt the annual budget and to vote on any other business prescribed by the Letter of Call. The newly elected officers, Board members and NCLDT shall assume office on July 1st .

Section 3. Special congregational meetings shall be called by the Board of Trustees or by the written request of twenty percent of the voting membership at a date agreed upon by the board.

Section 4. Congregational meetings shall be called by mailing a notice of the meeting to every voting member of the Congregation at his or her last known address at least fourteen days before the meeting. The business to be transacted at any congregational meeting shall be specified in the notice of that meeting.

Section 5. A majority of voting members present and voting shall decide any question except as required in Article IX, Section 1 and Article X, Section 1 of these bylaws. Twenty percent of the Congregation shall be present to constitute a quorum for conduct of congregational business.  The Board of Trustees may authorize voting by mail, except for the election of candidates presented by the NCLDT. A written ballot shall be used upon a majority vote of the members present and voting or by pre-designation by the board in the Letter of Call.

Section 6. The President shall appoint a parliamentarian and teller to serve at any Regular or Called Congregational Meeting.

Section 7. Robert’s Rules of Order (revised) shall be used to govern the conduct of all congregational meetings.

Article V
Board of Trustees

Section 2. The number of Trustees of the Congregation shall be seven. The terms for six members shall be three years with a staggered rotation of two going off and two coming on each year.

• The seventh member shall be the Congregation’s President who shall serve a two-year term.
• The NCLDT shall present all candidates for election at the Congregation’s Annual Meeting. No person shall serve more than two full terms consecutively.
• A quorum shall be defined as four members.
• Other than its President, the board may elect those officers it deems necessary to fulfill its function.

Section 3. The Board of Trustees shall lead the Congregation toward its vision. The Board’s responsibilities shall include setting policies and the management and operation of the Congregation’s affairs and facilities.

Section 4. In addition to presiding over the Trustees’ Meetings, the Congregation’s President shall preside over all of the Congregation’s Called Meetings and serve as its titular head.

Section 5. The Trustees shall have authority over all Congregation finances and shall incur no debts or liabilities except those specified by operational policy or authorized by the Congregation.

Section 6. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held monthly at the same time each month. Meeting dates may be changed by a majority vote of Board members when circumstances deem this appropriate.

Section 7. The Board shall propose a budget for the up-coming fiscal year to the Congregation at its Annual Meeting. The fiscal year shall run from the first day of July through the last day of June. The process of developing the budget shall be left to the board’s discretion.

Section 8. The Board shall see that the church is organized in any way it deems to be in the best interest of fulfilling the Congregation’s mission through appointments or empowerment of its designees.

Section 9. In the event of a vacancy occurring for any elected position between the Congregation’s Annual Meetings, the Board may select members, outside its own body, to fill the unexpired portion of the term. Upon the completion of the term, this person may be nominated for this position for a (first) full term.

Article VI
Finance Committee

Section 1. It shall be the function of the Finance Committee to establish policies, procedures and monitoring systems that assure the legal and ethical appropriateness and the financial well being of the Congregation as it pursues its religious mission.

Section 2. The committee shall be composed of no more than seven members inclusive of its Chair. The Chair shall be elected at the Annual Meeting for a term of two years. The remaining six members shall be recruited by the NCLDT in consultation with the Chair, President and appropriate staff and shall serve two year staggered terms.  The Chair and members may serve no more than two full terms consecutively.

Section 3. The committee may structure itself to fulfill its function.

Section 4. A Treasurer and a Financial Secretary shall be appointed by the Finance Committee for a term of two years. Both shall report to the Finance Committee but shall not have a vote. They may be appointed to no more than two terms consecutively.

Section 5. The committee shall be the locus for the development of the proposed annual budget and the annual canvass and for all other major recommendations regarding financial matters unless otherwise specified by the Board of Trustees or congregation.

Section 6. All agents representing restricted funds owned by the Congregation shall be under the supervision of the Finance Committee, shall have policies and procedures, and shall report to said committee at its behest.

Section 7. The Finance Committee shall report to the Board of Trustees on all matters within its responsibility

Article VII
Nominating Committee and Leadership Development Team (NCLDT)

Section 1. It shall be the function of the NCLDT to make recommendations to fill positions of leadership as indicated in the bylaws or by the Board of Trustees or its designee and to organize leadership development to prepare members for these positions.

Section 2. The NCLDT shall consist of six members who shall be elected at the Congregation’s Annual Meeting by nomination of the NCLDT. Members will serve two year staggered terms and may not succeed themselves without an intervening year.

Section 3. The NCLDT shall be a committee of the Congregation and shall seek advice and counsel of the President and appropriate staff before finalizing nominations.

Section 4. The NCLDT shall nominate one person for each office or position to be filled. At least twenty-eight days prior to the Annual Meeting it shall notify by mail the Congregation of these nominations and the procedure for nominating by petition. Additional nominations require a petition with signatures of at least twenty members and the nominee’s agreement.  The Congregation must receive notification of these additional nominees by mail at least fourteen days prior to the Annual Meeting.

Section 5. No nominations for office or position under the auspices of the NCLDT shall be made from the floor of the Annual Meeting.

Article VIII
Committee on Ministry

Section 1. UUCT shall maintain a Committee on Ministry (COM) to enable the highest possible fulfillment of its congregational and professional ministries.  The COM shall also provide the primary means for establishing ways to resolve conflicts among parties associated with the church using our Seven Principles and Covenant of Right Relations for guidance.

Section 2. To achieve its purpose, the COM shall provide assessments and recommendations to the congregation, minister(s), and Board of Trustees.

Section 3.  The COM shall consist of six members elected by the congregation to serve staggered terms of three years each.  Members shall serve no more than two consecutive full terms.

Article IX
Ministers

Section 1. All professional ministers shall be Called by a vote of the Congregation at a meeting specified for that purpose as indicated in Article IV Section 3 of the bylaws. The Letter of Agreement shall be voted on by the Congregation at the same meeting. The affirmative voting percentage required for a Call shall be at least ninety percent (90%) of those present at the meeting.

Section 2. The Parish Minister’s duties shall be defined in the Letter of Agreement and shall include the normal prerogatives and freedoms afforded a professional minister in the free church tradition. The minister shall commit to the ethical conduct guidelines of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s ministerial association.

Section 3. The Parish Minister shall make a report to the Congregation at its Annual Meeting and to any other of the Congregation’s ministry agents when the minister deems it appropriate.

Section 4. Any minister may be dismissed by a majority vote at a meeting specified for that purpose as indicated in Article IV Section 3 of the bylaws.  The call of such a meeting shall not violate the terms of the Letter of Agreement. The Board of Trustees shall determine the terms of the dismissal. It may, if deemed in the best interest of the Congregation, call on the services of a denominational consultant or negotiator.

Article X
Amendments

Section 1. These bylaws, so far as allowed by law, may be amended or repealed by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the Congregation present and voting at a duly Called Congregational Meeting.  Notice shall include written proposals of bylaws amendments.

Section 2. Amendments shall be filed by the secretary of the Board of Trustees with the Corporation Commission as part of the Articles of Incorporation within ten days of the approval at the congregational meeting.