BY-LAWS
Knights of
COUNCIL No.
3
Adopted: November 8th, 2010
BY-LAWS
Section 1.
This Council shall be known as
FOREST CITY
COUNCIL NO. 3, Knights of
Section 2.
The initiation fee shall be nil.
Section 3.
Each member shall pay annual
dues. The dues
shall be payable in advance at the first regular meetings in January.
The
annual dues of members shall be $30, except honorary members who shall
pay
$10.00, and honorary life members who shall pay nothing. Except as
stated
above, the dues of associate and insurance members shall be the same.
Section 4.
The Financial Secretary shall
receive annual
compensation, payable in quarterly installments at the end of each
quarter,
from the council an amount equal to 10 percent of the moneys collected
on
account of dues from both insurance and associate members.
Section 1.
The annual election of officers
shall take
place at a regular business meeting held between May 15 and June 15 of
each
fraternal year. At least 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.
Section 2.
The election of officers shall
be by ballot
and a majority of all votes cast shall be necessary to elect. When only
one
candidate is proposed for a particular office and no further
nominations have
been made from the floor, the presiding Grand Knight shall declare the
individual
elected by acclamation.
Section 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 Grand Knight.
Section 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.
Section 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.
Section 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.
Section 2.
The elective offices 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.
Section 3.
The appointive officers shall be
as follows:
Financial Secretary, Lecturer, and Chaplain. 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
appoint the
Lecturer.
Section 4.
At the last regular business
meeting in June
of each year, the Council shall determine the amount of bond to be
given by the
Treasurer and Financial Secretary in addition to the bond furnished by
the
Supreme Council. 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.
Section 5.
The Council Officers shall
perform the
duties required of them by the Laws and Rules of the Order,
and by these By-Laws and such other duties as the Council may direct.
Section 6.
Except when notice of
application shall be
published as provided by Section 110 of the Laws and Rules of the
Order, 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.
Section 7.
At the end of each semiannual
period, the
Board of Trustees shall meet and audit the several books of this
Council. In
each January and July, the Board of Trustees shall make a full report
of their
findings, including the receipts and disbursements of the moneys 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 the Council. The Grand Knight shall issue the call
for such
meeting of the Board of Trustees.
Section 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. The notice shall state with particularity the
reason for
the forfeiture and the date the forfeiture occurred. 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 Retention Committee shall contact the member and endeavor to have
him
retain his membership.
Section 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.
Section 1.
The first monthly business
meeting of the
Council shall be held on the second Monday of the month and the second
monthly
meeting shall be held on the fourth Monday of the month. The meetings
shall be
held at such time and place as the Council may designate.
The
first monthly meeting shall be the regular business meeting. Ten
members shall
constitute a quorum at business meetings.
Section 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.
Section 3.
The order of business and
procedure for all
regular business meetings of this Council shall conform to Section 125
of the
Laws of the Order.
Section 4.
Special business meetings can be
convened:
(1) by vote of the Council at a preceding regular business meeting; (2)
by
direction of the Grand Knight; (3) by the Grand Knight upon the written
request
of seven members stating 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.
Section 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 an asterisk may be omitted.
Section 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 and
Rules
of the Order as the District Deputy deems appropriate.
Section 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 and
Rules of
the Order.
Section 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.
Section 1.
The Grand Knight and Deputy Grand
Knight shall
privately inspect the ballot box, both before and after the ballot, and
the
Grand Knight shall announce the result. The Warden shall be responsible
for the
balloting of candidates and shall distribute ballots to all members
present. He
shall place the ballot box on the salutation table and take his place
six feet therefrom. 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. 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 if not more than one-half of those present shall
cast
negative ballots upon the such general
ballot, no
other ballots shall be taken. If such announcement is made, and no 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.
Section 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 or may be established by the Council or
its Grand
Knight.
Section 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. 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 transaction of
business.
Section 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 will give his
official
receipt therefore and who will report at each meeting the amounts so
received
and from what source and shall deliver the same to the council
Treasurer and
take his receipt therefore.
Section 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 Deputy Grand Knight shall have the authority
to sign
council drafts only in the event of the Grand Knight’s absence.
The depository bank
shall be furnished with a copy of this section.
Section 3.
No money in excess of two
hundred dollars 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.
Section 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.
Section 1.
Upon 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.
Section 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.
Section 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.
Section 2.
Procedure and debate shall be in
accordance
with the Laws and Rules of the Supreme Council, the Supreme Board of
Directors,
these By-Laws and the Rules of Parliamentary Law known as "Robert's
Rules
of Order."
These By-Laws amended by vote of the Council, November
8th, 2010.
Salvatore Pennuto
Grand Knight
Joseph M. Marino
Recorder
Bylaws Revision
Committee
Chair: Eugene E
Russo
Bruce Driska
Joesph Formica
Joesph Tine
Victor Lafredo
Ed Symthe
Date of Institution:
Approved: November 8th, 2010
JOHN A. MARRELLA
Supreme Advocate