The Diocese of Virginia

The Diocese of Virginia

By-Laws of The Regional Council

Region IX

(East Richmond)

ARTICLE I

The Region

S1. Composition. Region IX is composed of a portion of East Richmond and Eastern Henrico County, New Kent County, and Charles City County, and consists of the following churches: St. Paul’s, Richmond; St. Peter’s Richmond; St. John's, Richmond; Varina Church, Varina; Trinity, Highland Springs; Westover Church, Charles City; and St. Peter’s, New Kent; and future Church plants in Region IX.

S2. Change of Region. The Vestry of any Church in the Region, which desires to change to another region in the Diocese, shall petition the Standing committee of the Diocese for such change, stating its reasons and including with the petition the views of both this Regional Council and the Regional Council to which the church desires to be transferred.

ARTICLE II

The Regional Council

S1. Election. In accordance with Canon 8, section 4 of the Diocese of Virginia, this Region shall have a regional Council. Each Church in the Region shall be represented by its active clergy and as many lay persons, elected by its Vestry or Vestry Committee, as it has lay delegates to the Council of the Diocese. When a Church has more than one delegate to Council, at least one of these delegates must be a delegate to the Regional Council. Qualifications for election to the Regional Council shall be the same as for election to a Vestry.

S2. Term. Each lay delegate shall serve for a term of (3) three years. A lay delegate may be elected for successive terms.

S3. Alternates. Each Church in the Region may be represented by as many lay alternates as it has lay delegate alternates to the Council of the Diocese, provided such alternates are communicants in good standing and canonically resident in the Region, and are duly elected by its vestry. Such alternates shall be entitled to notice of meetings of this Regional Council, and may attend but without voice or vote unless the presiding officer shall be notified at or prior to the commencement of the meeting of this Regional Council that such alternate attends such meeting in the place of the named elected lay delegate whose vote he shall thereupon be entitled to cast.

S4. Non-parochial Members. Active non-parochial clergy whose place of work is located within the region shall have seat, voice and vote in this Regional Council.

ARTICLE III

Duties of the Regional Council

ARTICLE IV

S1. General. This Regional Council shall be responsible for seeing that the ministrations of the Episcopal Church are made available to every person living within the boundaries of the Region, and shall exercise authority for the Region as a whole in safeguarding the interest and extending the ministrations of the Church throughout its borders, so that the Region may function as a unit in matters of common concern and responsibility.

S2. Diocesan Programs. This Regional Council shall execute such portions of the Diocesan program as are approved by its members, except as the Council of the Diocese may otherwise specify. For these and other purposes, and subject to the approval of the Executive Board of the Diocese, this Regional Council may adopt and administer a budget. The Churches in the Region that are financially able are requested to pledge 75 cents per baptized member over the age of 16 per year in order to fund the budget.

S3. Missions. Any proposal to begin missionary work or to found a church within the boundaries of the Region shall be submitted for endorsement to this Regional Council at any regular or special meeting.

S4. Appeals. In any case where a Church is aggrieved by any action of this Regional Council, with the advice and consent of its vestry, it may appeal such action to the standing committee of the Diocese, whose decision shall be final.

S5. Failure to act. In any case where this Regional Council, upon request to its dean by the Ecclesiastical Authority, fails to meet and act within 60 days of such request, the Executive Board of the diocese shall exercise the authority of this Regional Council with respect to the matter under consideration, subject to the right of appeal set forth in S4 above.

Meetings

S1. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of this Regional Council shall be held on the second Thursday of the following months: February, May, September, and November. Special meetings may be called by any Bishop of the Diocese, by the Dean, by the President, or at the request of at least one representative from any two member Churches of the Region. Notice of any special meeting shall be given to each member of the clergy, lay delegate and alternate delegate by mail postmarked at least five days before the meeting. Such notice shall contain the purpose of any meeting, except that the names of nominees for election and any proposal to amend these By-Laws shall be set forth in the notice of meeting.

S2. Quorum. One clergy representative from a majority of the Churches in the Region, and a majority of the elected lay delegates (or their alternates), shall constitute a quorum for any regular or special meeting of this Regional Council. Less than a quorum may adjourn the meeting to a fixed time and place, and notice of any such meeting shall be required.

S3. Voting. Clergy and laity shall deliberate in one body. Every member who is in attendance at a meeting of this Regional Council shall be given a vote unless this Regional Council for special reasons excused such member. No member shall vote upon a question or decision in which such member is immediately and personally interested. Voting by proxy shall not be allowed, but nothing herein shall deny the right of a lay alternate to vote when substituted in place of a lay delegate as provided in S3 of Article II above. No presiding officer shall be denied the right to vote solely by reason of serving as presiding officer of the meeting.

S4. Balloting. In every election where more persons are nominated than are to be elected, the balloting shall be:

(a) On the first ballot, any nominee having a majority of all votes cast shall be declared elected.

(b) If any office then remains to be filled, a second ballot shall be taken. On this and subsequent ballots, the nominees remaining shall be reduced by half, but such reduction shall not result in less than twice the number of offices remaining to be filled, and the manner of such reduction shall be by retaining as nominees those persons receiving the higher number of votes on the preceding ballot.

(d) In the event of an impasse, declared to be such by the presiding officer, this Regional Council may change or modify subsection (b) by a majority vote of the members present.

S5. Resolutions. Resolutions should (but need not) be submitted in writing to the Secretary. When a motion is made and seconded, it shall be stated by the presiding officer or, if in writing, be read by the Secretary. After a motion is so stated or read, the mover may withdraw it at any time before amendment or decision, with the consent of the second. This Regional Council shall be governed by the rules of order of the (next preceding) last regular meeting of the Council of the Diocese, except where:

(1) (such) Diocesan Council rules are inconsistent with (these) Region IX By-Laws; or (2) the Diocesan rules of order are changed or modified for the purpose of the meeting of this Regional Council then in session by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members of this Regional Council then present.

ARTICLE V

Officers and Representatives

S1. Dean

(a) The Dean is appointed by the Bishop, with the advice and consent of the Standing Committee of the Diocese, and serves at the pleasure of the Bishop, but in no event for more than four consecutive years. The Dean is the official representative of the Bishop to the Region. A Priest may serve as Dean without resigning the Priest’s cure.

(b) The Dean shall be the chief administrative officer of the Region. As such, The Dean shall be responsible for advising the clergy and lay delegates (and their alternates) of this Regional Council as to all communications from the Diocese for this Regional Council relative to the duties of the Regional Council. In addition, the Dean shall be the chief liaison officer with all clergy within the Region.

(c) The Dean shall serve as the presiding officer at the meetings of this Regional Council, and at other regular and special meetings thereof in the absence of the President and any Vice President.

S2. President.

(a) The President shall be a lay person canonically resident in Region IX. The President shall be elected at the February meeting of this Regional Council, every third year. The President shall preside at all regular and special meetings of this Regional Council. If neither the President nor any Vice President's is present or then serves, and the Dean is absent, this Regional Council shall elect its own chairman for such meeting.

(b) The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Region. The President shall also serve as chief liaison officer with the lay delegates and alternates to this Regional Council, but nothing herein is intended to restrict the President's dealings with and communications to the clergy of the Region.

S3. Secretary. This Regional Council shall elect a Secretary for a term of three years at the annual meeting that at which the President and Treasurer are elected. The Secretary shall be a lay or clerical member of the Regional Council, and shall be responsible for sending notices of all regular and special meetings of this Regional Council, keeping minutes of such meetings, assisting the Dean and President in the handling of correspondence directed to this Regional Council, and carrying out such other duties as may generally pertain to such office as well as such powers and duties as may from time to time be delegated to the Secretary by this Regional Council.

S4. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall serve for a period of three years and shall be elected at the annual meeting at which the President and Secretary is elected. The Treasurer shall be a lay or clerical member of this Regional Council, and shall be responsible for maintaining the books and accounts of this Regional Council, sending pledge requests to the churches of the Region, and reporting on the financial condition of this Regional Council to each regular meeting of this Regional Council. The Treasurer shall have such other duties as generally pertain to the Treasurer's office as well as such powers and duties as may, from time to time, be delegated to the Treasurer by this Regional Council. The Treasurer, with the consent of this Regional Council, may from time to time delegate part of the Treasurer's duties to such person, firm or institution, under such bond (if any), as may be approved by this Regional Council.

S5. Other Officers. This Regional Council may from time to time elect one or more Vice Presidents and such other officers as it may deem appropriate, and specify the duties to be performed by each. Any officer may hold more than one office, except that the same person shall not be President and Secretary.

S6. Removal. Any officer of this Regional Council (other than the Dean) may be removed summarily, with (or without) cause, at any time by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members of this Regional Council. Vacancies among the officers shall be filled at a meeting of this Regional Council.

S7. Succession. Any officer of this Regional Council may be elected for successive terms.

S8. Representative to Executive Board. This Regional Council shall elect a representative to the Executive Board of the Diocese. This member must be a lay-person eligible for election to the Vestry of a church in the Region or one of its active clergy, and may not be the Dean of the Region or a member of a Standing Committee. Such a representative need not be a member of this Regional Council, but, if not a member when elected, the representative shall thereafter be an ex officio member of this Regional Council with full vote. Such representative shall be elected for a term of three years, such term expiring at the conclusion of the regular meeting of the Council of the Diocese in the appropriate year, and position shall alternate between lay and clerical incumbents. Any vacancy shall be filled by this Regional Council for the unexpired term, with due regard as to order, except that, when the unexpired term is for three months or less, the replacement member may be of either order.

ARTICLE VI

Committees of Regional Council

S1. General. There shall be one (1) standing committee of this Regional Council, namely the Executive Committee. In addition, this Regional Council may establish such other committees, task forces and commissions, as it may from time to time deem advisable.

S2. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Dean of the Region, the Region’s Executive Board Representative, and the President. The President shall be chairman of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is empowered to make decisions on behalf of the full Regional Council if such a decision is required prior to the next meeting of the Regional Council. A full report of the actions of the Executive Committee shall be given to the next meeting of this Regional Council. The Executive Committee may make rules for the holding and conduct of its meetings, the notice thereof required and the keeping of its records. The Executive Committee may propose a budget for this Regional Council and, subject to approval of such budget by the Executive Board of the Diocese, submit such budget for approval to this Regional Council at its annual February meeting.

ARTICLE VII

Amendments

These by-laws may be amended from time to time by a two-thirds vote of the members of this Regional Council then serving and entitled to vote; provided that a copy of such amendment has been sent with the notice of the meeting at which such amendment is presented. Unless otherwise provided, an amendment shall become effective upon adjournment of the meeting of this Regional Council at which it is approved.