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ARTICLE
I. NAME
This
organization shall be known as the Holy Name Society of _____________
Parish. The Parish Charter was granted by the Dominican Order
on the _______ day of _______________, ____.
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ARTICLE
II. PURPOSES
Section
1. General Purposes
The
general purposes of this society shall be:
To
promote reverence for the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to praise and venerate
the Most Holy Name of God.
To promote the spiritual welfare of the members of the Parish
by encouraging and assisting them to observe the practices of
the Confraternity of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, namely, the
frequent reception of the sacraments, the honoring of the Most
Holy Name by an active religious life, and by working against
all things which offend the Most Holy Name.
To foster the observance of the promises contained in the Holy
Name Pledge.
To assist the members to participate more intimately in the life
of the Church to fulfill the demands of the Lay Apostolate.
To cooperate with the Diocesan Union of Holy Name Societies in
the execution of all works entrusted to it by the Most Reverend
Bishop.
Section
2. Specific Purposes
The
specific purposes of this Society shall be:
To
receive monthly corporate Communion at the Mass established as
the Holy Name Mass by the Reverend Pastor (Nationally, the regular
Holy Name Sunday is the second Sunday of the month).
To promote the Cause for the Canonization of Blessed John of
Vercelli.
To educate the members, through lecture and discussion programs,
in the works of the Lay Apostolate.
To promote closed retreats for members and to sponsor an annual
retreat for members of the parish.
To supply and train volunteers in parish youth work and assist
in the maintenance of that work in the Diocese.
To foster the Apostolate of the Catholic Press. This includes
the official diocesan and National Holy Name publications.
To encourage the distribution of Catholic literature and work
against the display and sale of immoral literature.
To do all other things in the apostolate of lay action according
to the mandate given by the Most Reverend Bishop.
ARTICLE
III. MEMBERS
All
members of the parish whose applications for membership have
been approved by the Reverend Pastor, who have been formally
received, and whose names have been inscribed in the official
register, shall be members of this Society.
[NOTE:
Each Diocesan Bishop may decide whether membership in the Holy
Name Society in his Diocese shall be restricted to men, or open
to both men and women. Sometimes, a Bishop will mandate a uniform,
diocesan-wide policy, but he may explicitly defer this discretion
to the pastor of each individual parish. If the Bishop takes
no action, then he has implicitly delegated this authority to
the pastor.
When
the pastor has discretionary authority, he may make the decision
unilaterally, but if a new society is being formed, he will probably
seek the input of the lay ìorganizersî. Obviously,
if these organizers consist of both men and women, they will
recommend an ìopenî Society. If only men are the
initial organizers, they may prefer to limit membership eligibility
to men, or they may prefer to retain the flexibility to admit
women in the future].
ARTICLE
IV. OFFICERS
Section
I. Ex-Officio
The
Reverend Pastor who, either personally or by his delegate, shall
hold the office of Spiritual Director, shall be, Ex-Officio,
an officer of the Society.
Section
2. Elective Officers
The
elective officers shall be the president, three vice presidents,
secretary, treasurer, marshal and two delegates (The number of
vice presidents is optional along with the marshal and delegates.
Delegates are useful if there is a Diocesan Holy Name Union in
your Diocese).
Section
3. Appointive Officers
The
appointed officers shall be the Chairs of the Standing Committees.
Section
4. Board of Advisors
The
board of advisors shall consist of the Past Presidents of the
Society (NOTE: In the case of a new Society, the Advisory Board
can be appointed by the Spiritual Director).
ARTICLE
V. EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section
1. Executive Board
The
Executive Board shall consist of the Ex-Officio, elected officers,
chairs of the Standing Committees and the Board of Advisors.
ARTICLE
V1. NOMINATIONS ELECTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS
Section
1. Nominations
The
nominating committee shall be appointed at the regular meeting
in the month before the election is to take place. The Nominating
Committee shall be appointed by the President with the approval
of the Executive Board.
Candidates for each office listed in Article IV, Section 2 shall
be selected by the Nominating Committee. Additional nominations
may be made from the floor
Section
2. Elections
Each
officer shall be elected for a term of _____ years and shall
not be eligible for reelection to the same office in successive
terms, except that the secretary and the treasurer shall be eligible
for reelection.
At the regular monthly meeting designated for the election, the
majority of the ballots cast shall decide the election.
The officers elect shall be installed and take office at the
regular monthly meeting following the election.
ARTICLE
VII. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section
1. Ex Officio
The
Reverend Pastor or his delegate shall be entitled to exercise
supreme authority in this Society. He may plan and direct all
religious activities, and require that all other actions of the
Society be subject to his approval.
The foregoing power is permissive only, and shall not be deemed
to require the Reverend Pastor or his delegate to exercise such
close supervisory governance; he may choose, in his prudent discretion
to leave governance to the elected officers and Executive Board.
Section
2. President
The
President shall:
Preside
at all meetings of the Society and of the Executive Board.
Appoint the Chairs of the Standing Committees.
Plan the meetings and activities of the Society and hold the
officers and chairs responsible for the activities entrusted
to them.
Represent the Society at the meetings of the Deanery (area, cluster,
county, region or vicariate) Society and when required at the
Diocesan Union meetings and present a report of the transactions
of these meetings to the Society and to the Executive Board.
Sign all official documents and papers of the Society.
Perform all such other duties as are usually attached to the
office of President.
Section
3. Vice Presidents
The
Vice President(s) shall be the chair(s) of the committee(s) they
have (has) been assigned.
They shall perform such other duties as are assigned by the President.
A Vice President, when designated by the Secretary and according
to ROBERTíS RULES OF ORDER, shall preside in the absence
of the President, and shall perform such duties normally devolving
upon the office of the President.
Section
4. Secretary
The
Secretary shall:
Keep a record of the proceedings of the Society and Executive
Board meetings and have copies of those records available at
both the subsequent regular and executive board meetings.
Conduct the correspondence of the Society.
Notify the members of the date and time of the monthly Communion,
regular and Executive Board meetings.
Receive and file the reports of all Committee Chairs.
Maintain an accurate membership roster.
Sign all documents and papers of the Society.
Section
5. Treasurer
The
Treasurer shall:
Collect the annual contributions and all other monies of the
Society and deposit the same in an authorized depository.
Pay all obligations of the Society after they have been authorized
by the Executive Board.
Keep vouchers for all disbursements.
Keep a record of all monies received and disbursed.
Present a report on the financial condition of the Society at
all meetings of the Society and of the Executive Board.
Section
6. Marshal
The
Marshal shall:
Direct all processions of the Society and maintain order at all
its meetings. He shall also keep under his custody all supplies
of the Society and distribute them to the proper officers upon
their request.
Be responsible for the distribution of copies of the minutes
of the regular and Executive Board meetings as well as reports
of the elected officers and the committee chairs. Other members
may be appointed to assist the Marshal in this assignment.
Section
7. Delegates
The
Delegates shall:
a. Be responsible for attending all meetings of the Deanery (area,
cluster, county, region or vicariate) Society and when required
all Diocesan Union functions. Along with the President, they
shall be the legal representatives of this Parish Society.
ARTICLE VIII. DUTIES OF ADVISORY AND EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section
1. Advisory Board
The
Advisory Board shall:
Advise the officers on all matters affecting the policy of the
Society and they shall be consulted whenever new activities are
contemplated by the Society.
Section
2. Executive Board
The
Executive Board shall, by a majority vote of the members present,
decide all matters coming before it. _____ members of the Executive
Board shall constitute a quorum.
The Executive Board shall fill any vacancy that may exist among
the Elective officers.
All actions of the Executive Board shall be subject to the approval
of the Pastor or his delegate, to the extent that he chooses
to exercise his authority under ARTICLE VII, Section 1, Sub-sections
a & b.
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ARTICLE
IX: STANDING COMMITTEES
Section
I. Committees
The
Standing Committees of this Society shall be the Membership Committee,
Retreat Committee, Program Committee, Arrangements Committee,
Sick and Vigil Committee, Youth Committee, Community Affairs
Committee, Public Relations Committee, Legislative Committee
and a Committee for the Promotion of the Canonization Cause of
Blessed John of Vercelli. (NOTE: Committees may be added or deleted
or combined according to the needs of the parish and the wishes
of the Pastor).
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ARTICLE
X. DUTIES OF COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Section
1. General
The
Chairs of the Standing Committees shall appoint the members of
their respective committees. They shall direct the work entrusted
to the committees and present a report of their activities at
the meetings of the Society and the Executive Board. The elective
officers may also serve as chairs or members of a committee.
Section
2. Membership Chair.
The
Membership Chair shall:
Conduct the Membership recruiting of the Society.
Promote the attendance of members at the activities of the Society.
Keep a record of all members and of their attendance at the meetings
and corporate Communions of the Society.
Section
3. Retreat Chair
The
Retreat Chair shall:
Promote and sponsor various types of retreats (men, women, youth
and couples) for the members of the Parish.
Work in close contact with the Deanery (area, cluster, county,
region or vicariate) and Diocesan Union in their promotion of
retreats.
Work with Retreat Houses in the Diocese and those affiliated
with the Diocese.
Promote and arrange for Days of Recollection for all the members
of the Society.
Section
4. Program Chair
The
Program Chair shall:
Arrange for educational and entertainment programs for the meetings
of the Society.
Secure speakers for the meetings from the Diocesan Union Speakers
Bureau or other sources available and shall make the necessary
arrangements for the speakerís transportation, direction
and/or stipends, if required.
Section
5. Arrangements Chair
The
Arrangements Chair shall:
Supervise all physical arrangements for the meetings and other
special activities of the Society.
Section
6. Sick and Vigil Chair
The
Sick and Vigil Chair shall: a. Make visitations with his committee
to the sick members of the Society.
Promote the attendance of the members at the vigils for deceased
members.
Supply active or honorary pall bearers for the funerals of deceased
members.
Arrange to have an annual Communion Mass offered for the living
and deceased members of the Parish Society.
Section
7. Youth Chair
The
Youth Chair shall:
Coordinate projects considered to be valuable and of interest
to the young people of the parish, e.g. Scouting, Catholic Youth
Ministry, etc.
Train people for youth leadership and have them speak to the
youth of the Parish to make the youth feel an integral part of
the Holy Name Society.
Promote the National Youth Essay Contest [if their Diocesan Union
participates] and any other projects being considered by the
Diocesan Union for young people.
Encourage the young members to take an active part by inviting
them to serve on committees, hold office, attend special programs
and generally present suggestions and ideas for programs and
leadership courses to help them develop into leaders in their
Parish.
Section
8. Community Affairs Chair
The
Community Affairs Chair shall:
Attend and/or participate in community activities that are closely
associated with the goals of the Holy Name Society.
Inform civic officials of the current opinions and attitudes
of the people in the parish.
Keep informed of current events and issues in the community and
inform the members of the Parish Society.
Offer and make available to organizations other than those within
the Church the knowledge and expertise of the Holy Name Society.
These organizations may be civic or private.
Publicly commend civic officials and/or organizations when they
act to promote the dignity of man.
Section
9. Religious Activities Chair
The
Religious Activities Chair shall:
Depending upon the customs of the Diocese, promote such activities
as the Seven Church Walk on Holy Thursday, Holy Thursday Vigil,
Good Friday Closing of Stores in the area for three hours, or
similar activities in the area.
Promote other related spiritual programs and activities assigned
to the Society by the Diocesan Bishop or Pastor.
If permitted by the Diocesan Bishop, represent the parish at
the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday and bring the Holy Oils back
to the Parish, and carry them in procession for the presentation
at the designated time.
Section
10. Public Relations Chair
The
Public Relations Chair shall:
Be responsible for making known the constructive efforts of all
the committees within the Parish Society.
Publicize this information through the Parish Bulletin, Diocesan
newspaper and all local media and also notify the Diocesan Union
of all special activities by the Parish Society.
Section
11. Legislative Chair
The
Legislative Chair shall:
Seek ways and means to enlighten the members of the Parish as
to National and State legislation that concerns the welfare of
the Church and its members.
Section
12. Chair for the Canonization of Blessed John of Vercelli
NOTE:
This Committee shall consist of the Chair and all the members
of the Society. It is a rare opportunity for the members of the
Holy Name Society to aid a most edifying Cause ñ the Canonization
of a Saint ñ our own beloved Holy Name Founder.
They
shall:
Promote by personal devotion due reverence for the Holy Name
of God and Christ His Son, and by prayers through Blessed John
of Vercelli, request miraculous favors.
Promote a Novena of Blessed John of Vercelli in the Parish.
Use the special prayer of Blessed John to open all meetings.
Notify the Diocesan Union and/or National Association of any
miraculous favors that may have been granted through the intercession
of Blessed John.
Promote the use of the Blessed medal of Blessed John of Vercelli.
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ARTICLE
XI. MEETINGS
Section
1. Regular Meetings
The
regular meetings of the Society shall be held on the ____________
day of each month. At the discretion of the Society, meetings
may be omitted during the months of July and August.
Section
2. Executive Board Meetings
a.
The Executive Board shall meet on the ______ day of each month.
Section
3. Special Meetings
Special
Meetings of the Executive Board and the Society shall be held
on the call of the President.
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ARTICLE
XII. FINANCES
NOTE:
The payment of dues or contribution shall be optional in accordance
with the needs of the Parish, and wishes of the Pastor, although
failure to pay dues or a contribution shall not exclude anyone
from membership.
An
annual contribution is recommended to be paid at the beginning
of the fiscal year, although monthly dues are also acceptable.
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ARTICLE
XIII. AFFILIATION
This
Society shall be a member of the Deanery (area, cluster, county,
region or vicariate) Society and also the Diocesan Union of Holy
Name Societies, if such Society or Union exists.
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ARTICLE
XIV. QUORUM
One-third
of the members of the Society shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business.
NOTE:
In accordance with ROBERTíS RULES OF ORDER, NEWLY REVISED,
a quorum for a religious or non-profit organization may be stated:
A quorum at any regular or properly called meeting shall consist
of those who attend.
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ARTICLE
XV. AMENDMENTS
No
amendments shall be made to this Constitution except at a regular
meeting of the Society and passed by a three-fourths vote of
the members present. No amendments shall be made unless a formal
notice of the proposed amendment, submitted to the Pastor, and
not disapproved by him, has been presented at the previous regular
meeting of the Society. No amendment shall be made to this Constitution
that shall conflict with the Constitution of the Diocesan Union
of Holy Name Societies, if such body shall exist in the Diocese.
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ARTICLE
XVI. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The
parliamentary rules of procedure set forth in ROBERTíS
RULES OF ORDER, NEWLY REVISED, shall regulate and govern the
procedures and discussions in all matters not specifically covered
in the Constitution of the ________________ Parish Holy Name
Society, by present rules, and by any other special rules which
the Executive Board or Regular Meeting may accept.
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SUGGESTED
AGENDA
- Call
to Order
- Prayer
of Blessed John of Vercelli
- Roll
Call (can be circulated sign-in sheet)
- Reading
of minutes of previous meeting (Motion of Changes, Accepted as
Read)
- Correspondence
- Treasurerís
report
- Standing
Committee reports ~ Discussion of each report, as needed
- Old
Business
- New
Business
- President's
report
- Spiritual
Director's report
- Motion
to close
- Adjournment
with Holy Name Pledge
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