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Bylaws of the WRJ Northeast District
BY-LAWS OF WOMEN OF REFORM JUDAISM, NORTHEAST DISTRICT ARTICLE I – Name Section A The name of this organization shall be Women of Reform Judaism, The Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, Northeast District. Section B It shall include Women of Reform Judaism sisterhoods in Eastern Canada, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York State, Rhode Island, Vermont and the Virgin Islands. ARTICLE II – Objectives Section A To support and implement the vision of WRJ by serving as the liaison between WRJ and the individual Sisterhoods in the Northeast District. Section B To bring the Sisterhoods in the District in closer cooperation and association with one another to further their respective activities. Section C To help Sisterhoods participate effectively in the activities of Women of Reform Judaism. Section D To assist in the organization of new Sisterhoods in the District. Section E To increase spiritual nourishment through worship and prayer and study. ARTICLE III – Membership Section A Any organization of women (herein referred to as "Sisterhood") affiliated with Women of Reform Judaism and located within the geographical boundaries of the District shall be deemed a member of the Northeast District. Section B Any woman who is living in a community without a Sisterhood and who is too distant from a neighboring Sisterhood to make a membership feasible and who is a member of Women of Reform Judaism shall be a member-at-large and shall enjoy all the privileges of membership except voting. ARTICLE IV – Dues Section A Each affiliated Sisterhood shall pay annual dues to the District treasury based upon per capita membership. The per capita amount, not to exceed that authorized by Women of Reform Judaism, shall be determined by the Executive Committee and approved by the delegate body at Convention. Section B The fiscal year shall extend from July 1st to June 30th to conform with the fiscal year of Women of Reform Judaism. Section C A Sisterhood whose dues are in arrears for two (2) consecutive fiscal years may be suspended from membership in the District. Section D A Sisterhood that has been suspended may be reinstated with the approval of Women of Reform Judaism. ARTICLE V – Board of Directors Section A The Board of Directors shall include Officers, Area Directors, Past District Presidents, Committee chairs, members-at-large, and the President of each affiliated Sisterhood in good standing, or her duly appointed representative. Section B Every member of the Board of Directors of Women of Reform Judaism residing in the area, by virtue of her membership on said Board, shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors with power of voice and vote. Section C The Board of Directors shall act for the District in the interim between Conventions. It shall not modify any action taken by the delegate body unless such action is found to be contrary to the policies of Women of Reform Judaism. Section D A regular meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held annually. In the year of the District Convention it shall be held in conjunction with the District Convention. Section E Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the President in consultation with the Executive Committee. Section F Twenty per cent of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum. ARTICLE VI – Officers Section A The officers of the District shall be: a President, a First Vice President, Four (4) Departmental Vice Presidents, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, a Membership Secretary, a Treasurer and the immediate past president. Section B To be eligible for office a member must be Jewish, be a member of a Sisterhood in good standing and be a member of a URJ affiliated congregation. Section C In the event of the death of, or inability of, the President to serve her full term, the First Vice President shall succeed to that office. Section D If the office of the First Vice President becomes vacant, a successor to that office shall be chosen from the four Departmental Vice Presidents. Selection shall be made by the Executive Committee at a meeting called by the Corresponding Secretary. Section E If the office of a Departmental Vice President or any other office becomes vacant, it shall be filled immediately from the members of the Board of Directors. Officers thus chosen shall hold office for the balance of the unexpired term. Selection shall be made by the Executive Committee. ARTICLE VII – Duties of Officers Section A It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings; to appoint Committee Chairs, up to 5 (five) Members-at-large and special task forces in consultation with the Vice Presidents; she shall serve as an Ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee; she shall have general supervision of the interests of the District and perform such duties that are indigenous to the office. Section B The First Vice President shall serve as an administrative aide to the President. She shall provide direct supervision to the Area Directors, to the Program Chair for the Interim Meeting and the District Biennial, and shall work with the President in the planning of both the Interim and Biennial meetings of the District. Section C The four (4) Departmental Vice Presidents shall, when called upon by the President, assist the President in the performance of her duties. They are responsible for assuming a portfolio corresponding with a WRJ Department and the functioning of its committees. Section D The Recording Secretary shall keep an accurate record of all meetings as well as conference calls. She shall distribute minutes within one month of a meeting and maintain copies of all minutes, recordings and official documents. She shall maintain old records and material from prior officers and maintain a copy of the District By-Laws and Standing Rules. Section E The Corresponding Secretary shall attend to all correspondence of the District and send notification of all meetings. She shall compile and keep current a directory of Officers, Directors and Committee Chairs. Section F The Membership Secretary shall send dues bills to affiliated Sisterhoods and keep a record of the monies received and shall report at all Board meetings. Section G The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the District and deposit same in banks approved by the Executive Committee. She shall pay all approved bills. The Treasurer shall present a detailed report at all Board Meetings. ARTICLE VIII – Area Directors Section A There shall be elected Area Directors, the exact number to be determined by the Executive Committee. Section B To be eligible for Area Director, the candidate must be Jewish and be a member of a Sisterhood in good standing and a member of an affiliated URJ congregation. ARTICLE IX – Duties of Area Directors Section A Directors shall communicate directly on a regular basis with the Sisterhoods in their designated areas and provide written reports of those communications to the First Vice President. Section B Each Area shall hold at least one meeting per biennial period, separate from the District Convention and the WRJ Assembly. ARTICLE X – Executive Committee Section A The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers, Area Directors, and the Immediate Past President of the District. Section B The Executive Committee shall manage the affairs of the District between Board meetings, but may not reverse or alter any decisions of the delegate body of the Board of Directors. Section C The Executive Committee shall meet not less than twice a year at the call of the President. . Section D The Executive Committee shall have the power to expend beyond the Budget amounts in that interim, including capital expenditures deemed necessary. ARTICLE XI – Committees and Departments Section A Each of the four departments shall be headed by a Vice President. Section B The President shall establish standing and special committees as deemed necessary and those to correspond to those of Women of Reform Judaism or to meet the specific needs of the District. Section C Committees shall be aligned into Departments to correspond with those of Women of Reform Judaism. ARTICLE XII – Nominations and Elections Section A The District President, in consultation with the Vice Presidents, shall appoint a Nominating Committee at least six months prior to the District Biennial Convention. The president shall appoint with due geographic consideration a Nominating Committee of seven members, to include a chair, three members of the Board of Directors and three representatives from member Sisterhoods and two alternates. At least one member shall be a carryover from the previous committee. One alternate shall be appointed from the Board of Directors and the other from the membership-at-large. In the absence of a Committee member, an alternate shall vote. This committee shall stand until the appointment of a new Nominating committee, at least six months before the next District Biennial Convention. Members of the Nominating Committee shall not be eligible to be nominated as an officer during the term of service. Section B The Nominating Committee Chair shall request Sisterhoods to submit names, approved by its Board of Directors, for consideration as candidates for District offices. Section C The Nominating Committee shall submit its proposed slate to the Officers and the Board of Directors no less than sixty (60) days prior to the District Biennial Convention. 1. Further nominations for any position may be made by request sent to the Chair of the Nominating Committee two (2) weeks prior to the District Convention. A nominee must be proposed by her own Sisterhood in good standing and have consented to serve. 2. These meetings can be in person, via telephone, or via mail or e-mail. Section D The Officers and Area Directors shall be elected at the Biennial Meeting. Section E The Officers and Area Directors shall be elected for a term of two (2) years. Section F No Officer or Area Director may serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in any one position on the Executive Committee. Section G The Nominees for officers must have served on the District Board for at least one (1) two-year term. ARTICLE XIII – Budget and Finance Section A The President on consultation with the Executive Committee shall appoint the Budget Committee, comprised of not less than 5 (five) members from the Board of Directors one of whom is the Treasurer. Section B The Budget Committee shall prepare a two-year budget and submit it, after approval by the Women of Reform Judaism, to member Sisterhoods and the Board of Directors at least thirty days before the Convention. The Budget Committee Chair shall submit the approved budget to the Convention for acceptance. ARTICLE XIV – Convention Section A The District shall meet in Convention in the Fall biennially in the alternate fiscal year to that of the Assembly of the Women of Reform Judaism. Section B The voting body of the Convention shall consist of the Board of Directors and the delegates or alternates appointed by each Sisterhood in good standing. Section C Any Sisterhood delinquent in dues to the District or to WRJ for the previous fiscal year shall not have the privilege of vote. Section D Each Sisterhood may appoint delegates and alternates to the Convention based on the size of their membership. An alternate may vote only in the absence of a delegate. Section E The quorum for voting at a convention on matters other than amendments to the By-Laws shall be a majority of those in attendance eligible to vote. ARTICLE XV – Amendments Section A The President in consultation with the Vice Presidents shall appoint a Constitutional Revisions Committee of at least 5 (five) members to consider proposed amendments to the By-Laws at least six month prior to the Biennial Convention. Section B Amendments to the By-Laws may only be proposed by: 1. A local Sisterhood 2. The Board of Directors 3. The Executive Committee 4. The Committee on Constitutional Revisions Section C Amendments shall be acted upon at a Biennial Convention of the District Federation after all District Board Members and each Sisterhood shall have received thirty (30) days written notice of the proposed changes. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the delegates present shall be required to adopt any amendments. Section D All proposed revisions must be approved by Women of Reform Judaism prior to being presented to the District Biennial Convention. ARTICLE XVI – Parliamentary Authority Section A The governing authority shall be Roberts Rules of Order, Revised in all cases not provided for in these By-Laws and are not inconsistent with The By-Laws of the Women of Reform Judaism, The Federation of Temple Sisterhoods.
