Council By-Laws
Knights of Columbus
St. Timothy Council
No. 12255
Walkersville,
Maryland
Adopted July 22, 1998
ARTICLE I
Sec. 1 - This Council shall be
known as St. Timothy Council, No. 12255,
Knights of Columbus.
Sec. 2 - The initiation fee shall be $15.00 except
that for applicants under 26 years of age it shall be $10.00 and for
Priests and religious it shall be
nil. One-half of the
initiation fee shall accompany the application but it
shall be refunded if the
applicant is rejected.
Sec. 3 - Each member shall pay annual dues, the
same to be payable quarterly in advance at the first regular
meetings in January and April, July, October. The
annual dues of members shall be $30.00,
excepting insured members under 26 years of age whose dues shall be one-half
that sum, honorary members who shall
pay $10.00, and honorary life members who shall pay nothing. Except as above stated, the dues of
associate and insurance members shall be the
same.
Sec.
4 - The officers shall receive annual compensation, payable in quarterly
installments at the end of each quarter,
as follows: Financial Secretary: From the Council an
amount equal to eight per cent
of the moneys collected on
account of dues from both
insurance and associate members,
payable in quarterly installments at the end of each
quarter.
ARTICLE II — Elections
Sec. 1 - The annual election of officers shall take
place at a
regular meeting held between May 15 to and including June 15.
Not less than two months before the
annual election the Grand Knight shall appoint a
Nominating
Committee of three, who shall
prepare a slate of candidates for the elective
Council offices. This slate shall be presented to the
Council not later than the regular
business meeting preceding the meeting at which annual elections are to take
place.
Other nominations may be made from the floor and
nominations may not be closed until the
election meeting has convened and the members are ready to ballot.
Sec. 2 - The election of officers shall be by ballot. A
majority of
all votes cast shall be necessary to elect;
except that where several of equal degree are
to be chosen, a majority shall not be necessary, but all shall be
voted for on
one ballot and no ballot containing names of
more or less candidates than there are such
offices to be
voted for shall be counted, and those receiving the highest
number of votes shall be declared elected in the
order of the number of votes received.
Sec. 3 - The Grand Knight shall appoint two members to act as Tellers.
After all who are entitled to do so have voted, the ballot shall be declared
closed and the Tellers
shall then proceed to count the votes in full view of the
Council. One of the Tellers shall examine each ballot
singly and pass the same to his
associate, who shall read
aloud the name or names written or printed on all legal
ballots.
The Recorder shall tally the same and the result
thereof shall be announced by the
presiding officer.
Sec. 4 - Each officer elected must qualify and fill the
office to which
he is chosen, with or without installation, at the first regular meeting in the
month of July succeeding his election, unless excused by a vote of the Council,
and
must present himself for installation at the time
specified in
the notice issued by or through the State
Deputy or District Deputy, unless excused by
such officer. Otherwise such office shall be considered vacant.
Sec. 5 - Vacancies in elective offices shall
be filled, after
notice to the members, by election at the regular business
meeting next succeeding the regular meeting at
which the vacancy was created.
ARTICLE III — Officers
Sec. 1 - Only members who are in good standing and
who have been
initiated in the first three Degrees of the
Order shall be eligible to hold office
in this Council. No
member shall hold more than one office at the same
time.
Sec. 2 - The elective officers shall be as follows: Grand
Knight, Deputy
Grand Knight, Chancellor, Recorder, Treasurer, Advocate, Warden, Inside Guard,
Outside
Guard (two Outside Guards may be elected) and Board
of Trustees.
Sec. 3 - The appointive officers shall be as
follows:
Financial
Secretary, Lecturer and Chaplain and Organist.
The Financial Secretary shall be appointed by
the
Supreme Knight.
The Chaplain shall be selected by the Grand
Knight, Deputy Grand Knight and Board of Trustees in accordance
with any rules established by the Bishop of the
Diocese.
The Grand Knight shall select the Lecturer
and Organist.
Sec. 4 - At the last regular business meeting in
June of each year the
Council shall determine the amount of the bond
to be given by the Treasurer and Financial Secretary in addition to the bond
furnished by the Supreme Council, and the
Treasurer and Financial Secretary
shall not take office or be installed or receive
any money or property of the Council until they have furnished
such bond and the same has been approved by
the Board of Trustees. The premium on said
bond shall be paid by the Council.
Sec. 5 - The Council Officers shall perform
the duties
required of them by the Laws and Rules of the Order and these By-Laws and
such other duties as the Council may
direct.
Sec.
6 - Except when notice of applications shall be
published as provided by Section
110 of the Laws and Rules, it shall be the duty of the Grand Knight, as early
as practicable before each
regular meeting, to file with the
Recorder a list of candidates to be balloted upon at such
meeting.
Sec. 7 - At the end of each semiannual period the Board
of Trustees
shall meet and audit the several books of this
Council and shall in each January and July
make a full
report of their findings. The report shall include the
receipts and
disbursements of the monies of this Council
for the previous semiannual period, the
balance on hand
to the credit of each of the various funds at the end of
each
semiannual period, and the assets and liabilities of
this Council.
To assist the Board of Trustees with their
audit responsibility, the Treasurer shall
provide a copy of
Council receipts and disbursements on a monthly basis.
The Grand
Knight shall issue the call for such meeting of the Board of Trustees.
Sec. 8 - Where a member ipso facto forfeits his
membership the Grand
Knight and Financial Secretary shall
immediately notify the Supreme Secretary of such forfeiture
and shall immediately send notice in writing to the
member, including the date and
the reason therefore. In
those cases relating to ipso facto forfeiture for failure
to pay Council dues, such
notice shall not be sent to the
Supreme Secretary or to the member until an officer or a
member of the
Conservation Committee shall contact the member
and endeavor to have him retain his
membership.
Sec. 9 - The Recorder shall file all reports in a
filing book to be provided
for that purpose and the same shall be preserved as a part of the records of
this Council.
ARTICLE IV — Meetings
Sec. 1 - Regular meetings of the Council shall be
held on the
first and third Tuesday each month. The
first meeting each month shall be a regular
business meeting. All meetings shall commence at 7:30 P.M.
twelve members
shall constitute a quorum at business
meetings.
Sec. 2 - All meetings of the Council shall be presided over by the Grand
Knight, who will ascertain from the
Warden if all present are possessed of the current
membership card.
Sec.
3 - The order of business and procedure at regular
business meetings of this Council shall conform to
Section 125 of the Laws of the Order.
1.
Call to Order.
2.
Warden's
Report on Membership Card.
3.
Prayer.
4.
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag or
some other suitable patriotic display of
loyalty.
5.
Roll Call of
Officers.
6.
Opening Ode.
***
7.
Reading of
Minutes of Previous Meeting.
8.
Report of
Admission Committee and Reading of Applications.
9.
Balloting for
Membership.
10.
Reading of Notices of Applications
in other Councils.
11.
Initiations
***
12.
Grand Knight's Report
13.
Chaplain's Report
14.
Treasurer's Report ***
15.
Reading by Grand Knight of Receipts
of Treasurer to Financial Secretary and Treasurer's Voucher
of Deposit ***
16.
Reading
of Bills and Communications ***
17.
Financial Secretary's Report of
Receipts of Meeting
18.
Report of Auditors and Trustees ***
19.
Chancellor's Report***
20.
Report of
Committees***
21.
Unfinished
Business
22.
New Business (When elections are in
order, this is the first item under New
Business). ***
23.
Insurance Agent's Report
24.
District Deputy's Report
25.
Good of the Order ***
26.
Chaplain's Summation
27.
Closing Prayer
28.
Closing Ode ***
***Parts
of the order of business marked with asterisks may be omitted at regular
meetings other than regular business meetings.
At regular business meetings, minutes of all
meetings to and including the
last regular business meeting shall be read.
Sec. 4 - Special business meetings shall be convened as
follows: By
vote of the Council at a preceding regular
business meeting; by direction of the Grand
Knight; by the Grand Knight
upon the written request of seven members,
which request shall state the object of the
meeting. Due notice of special business meetings and
their purpose shall be given to each member
in the usual way and no other
business shall be transacted at any
such meeting.
Sec. 5 - The following shall be the order of
business and procedure at
special business meetings:
1.
Call to Order
2.
Warden's
Report on Membership Card
3.
Prayer
4.
Roll Call of
Officers
5.
Opening Ode
***
6.
Special Order
of Business
7.
Prayer
8.
Closing Ode
***
***Parts of the order of business marked with asterisks may
be omitted at the special business meeting.
Sec. 6 - It shall be the duty of all officers to attend each
meeting of the
Council. In case of inability of any officer
to attend a meeting, due notice shall
be given to the
Grand Knight and arrangements made to have all necessary
books and papers in the possession of such officer
at the meeting. If a Chair Officer is absent
from a meeting, the presiding officer shall designate a member to act
for him. If an
elected officer, without reasonable excuse
approved by the Grand Knight, is absent
from three consecutive regular business meetings, the Grand Knight
may report this fact to the
District Deputy for such action under
Section 92(b) of the Laws of the Order as
the District Deputy deems appropriate.
Sec. 7 - In the absence or inability of the Grand Knight
the Deputy
Grand Knight shall preside and he shall execute all of the duties of the Grand Knight.
In the absence
of the Grand Knight and Deputy Grand Knight the duty of
presiding shall devolve on the other
officers of the Council in the order in
which they are named in Section 126 of
the Laws of the Order.
Sec. 8 - If any meeting shall fall on a legal holiday said
meeting shall be held the following
day unless the Council, by vote at a previous
business meeting, annuls such meeting
or fixes a different date for such meeting
within the month for which it is scheduled.
ARTICLE V —
Balloting for Candidates
Sec. 1 - The Grand Knight and Deputy Grand Knight
shall
privately inspect the ballot box, both before and
after the ballot, and the former shall
announce the result. Balloting of candidates shall be in charge of the Warden
who
shall distribute ballots to all members present He
shall place the ballot box on the salutation
table and take
his place six feet there from. He shall then request that all
officers vote
and after they have voted, he shall request
the members to vote. They shall advance in
single file and deposit their
ballots, but no member shall pass the Warden
until the member preceding him has voted. After
all who desire to do so have voted, the Warden shall
exhibit the ballot box to the Grand Knight
and Deputy Grand Knight and they shall
count the votes. If the number of
negative ballots cast does not exceed one-half of the
members present, the applicant shall be
declared elected, otherwise rejected. The exact number of negative ballots
shall not be stated. If more than one
candidate is to be balloted for at a
meeting, the Grand Knight may announce
that the first ballot shall be a general one
upon all the candidates, and that if
not more than one-half of those present shall cast negative ballots upon such
general ballot no other ballots shall be taken. If such announcement is
made, and not more than one-half negative ballots are cast
upon said general ballot, all candidates so
balloted for shall be declared
elected. If more than one-half negative
ballots are cast upon said general ballot, then an individual ballot
shall be taken on each candidate.
ARTICLE VI — Committees
Sec. 1 - In addition to the Committees provided for
in the Laws
and Rules of the Order, the following Service
Program Directors shall be appointed:
(a) Program Director whose goal will be the direct
involvement
and personal commitment of the Council
and membership in a program that will
establish the
Knights of Columbus as truly a Catholic, family, fraternal,
service
organization.
(B) Membership
Director to have supervision of a comprehensive program of recruitment and
retention for his
Council.
(c) Director
of Church Activities to promote a program
that will enable the membership to respond to
the constant call for the active participation of the laity in the
work of the
Church.
(d) Director
of Community Activities whose responsibility it will be to make the Council aware
of its life
within the community and to develop programs that will
be of service
to the community.
(e) Director of Council Activities who will be concerned
with the promotion of brotherhood through athletic, cultural and social
programs. Additionally, he will
be responsible for the development of public relations in
the
Council.
(f) Director of
Youth Activities to provide the youth in
the community with the means and the
opportunity to
become personally committed and involved in meeting the challenges of our
times. He will also be responsible
for the promotion of the Order's junior
organization, the
Columbian Squires.
(g) Director
of Family Life Activities to promote activities and programs within the Council that would
strengthen and support the family life of
its members.
(h) Such other Committees as may be required by
these By-Laws.
Sec. 2 - Except as herein provided, all Committees shall
be appointed by
the Grand Knight and the first person
named on the Committee shall act as Chairman
thereof.
By virtue of
his office, the Chancellor will serve as the
Chairman of the
Council's Vocation Committee. Standing
Committees shall serve for the current fiscal
year or until
their successors have been appointed. A majority of the
Committee
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction
of business.
ARTICLE
VII — Funds
Sec. 1 - All moneys obtained from any source, by or
through any
person or persons, acting for or in the name
of the Council or under its direction or
authority, shall be
considered Council Funds and shall be forthwith delivered
to the Financial Secretary, who shall give his official
receipt therefore and who shall report
at the close of each
meeting the amounts so received and from what source and
shall deliver the same to the Council Treasurer and
take his
receipt therefore.
Sec.
2 - The Treasurer shall deposit all moneys received
from the Financial Secretary in a bank to the credit
of the Council. Disbursements from this fund
shall be made only by check signed by
the Grand Knight and Treasurer. The depository bank shall be furnished
with a copy of this section.
Sec. 3 - No money in excess of $500.00 shall be paid
or transferred from the Treasury of this
Council, except such moneys as the Council
is called upon to regularly pay for
its current expenses and as provided by the Laws
of the Order or for purposes approved by the Supreme Council or
Board of Directors, unless by a two-thirds
vote of the members present and voting at a regular business
meeting held subsequent to a regular business meeting
at which notice in writing of a resolution of intention to pay or
transfer such money and the purposes and
amount to be paid or transferred shall have been given
and regularly read.
Sec.
4 - All bills shall be presented to the Recorder and
by him read to the Council
before being referred to the Board of Trustees. In case a bill is not approved
by the Board of Trustees, it shall be referred
back to the Council for action.
Relief Fund
Sec. 5 - The sum of $100.00 shall be
paid from the General Fund to the Grand
Knight and shall be known as the Relief Fund. The Grand Knight, Deputy
Grand Knight, Charity Committee Chairman and alternate Chancellor shall
constitute a Relief Committee. They shall investigate the case of any brother who is reported to be in
distress or in need of relief and if in their judgment the case is one
deserving of assistance, then the Grand
Knight shall have power to draw from this Relief
Fund such reasonable sum of money to afford assistance
as the circumstances of the case may
require, provided that in no single
case shall more than $25.00 be paid out
without reference to and approval by the
Council.
Building
Fund
Sec. 6 - All moneys received on account of
initiation fees and five per cent (5%) of all moneys received on account of dues
shall be deposited into a special fund to be known as the
"Building Fund" of this Council,
and such fund, together with the interest
thereon, shall be maintained for the purpose
of providing and maintaining a permanent home for the Council.
ARTICLE VIII — Funerals, Etc.
Sec. 1 - On the death of a member in good standing
the Memorial
Committee shall give notice to the members and, if time permits, shall request them
to assemble
and pay their respects to the memory of the deceased at a time and place
to be indicated in such notice.
Sec.
2 - When notice of the death of a member in good standing is received the
Memorial Committee shall forward to the family of the deceased a message of
condolence on behalf of the Council and the Memorial Committee
shall arrange to have five Masses said for the repose of the soul of the
deceased.
Sec.
3 - The Memorial Committee shall arrange for the
celebration during the month of
November of each year of a Mass for the repose of the souls of the deceased
members and shall cause
five days' notice to be given to
the members of the time and
place of such Mass. The Mass shall be celebrated by the Chaplain unless he is
indisposed.
Sec.
4 - The Council shall receive Holy Communion in a
body during the Easter period, at
a time and place to be
determined by vote of the Council.
ARTICLE
IX — Miscellaneous
Sec. 1 - These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds
vote of the members present and voting at a regular business meeting held subsequent to a
regular business meeting at which a resolution in writing providing for such
amendment shall have been read and notice of
the proposed amendment shall have been
given to the
members in writing or in the Council publication at least five days
prior to the second meeting.
Sec. 2 - Procedure and debate shall
be in accordance with the Laws and Rules of the Supreme Council, the Board of
Directors, these By-Laws and the Rules of
Parliamentary Law known as "Robert's Rules of Order."
The By-Laws adopted by vote of the
Council, July 22, 1998.
Gregory E. Loss, Grand Knight
Paul A. Fiumara, Recorder
Date of Institution June 7, 1998
Approved October 20, 1998
Ricardo H. Garcia, Supreme Advocate.
Revisions to the By-Laws by changes
in Supreme By-Laws are incorporated into the council By-Laws.
By-Laws amended June 14,2006 by
a vote or more than two thirds of the members present at the business meeting
changing the meeting date from the second and fourth Wednesday to the first and
third Tuesday.
Copyright © 1997-2007
Knights of Columbus, St. Timothy Council 12255. All rights reserved.
Revised:
February 03, 2008
.jpg)