First Unitarian Church of Dallas, Texas
Women’s Day Alliance Bylaws
Adopted October 1986; revision March 5, 2013; revision May 2020, revision Feb. 2, 2021,
revision November 15, 2021
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this organization shall be The Women’s Day Alliance of the First Unitarian
Church of Dallas, Texas. (WDA)
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
The purpose of the Women’s Day Alliance shall be to serve the social and spiritual needs
of its members by offering opportunities for sisterhood, education, and service to our
church and the community.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Any person who is interested in the purpose of this organization may become a member
upon payment of annual dues. All members share alike in the duties, responsibilities,
and privileges of the organization.
ARTICLE IV – BOARD
Sec. 1 The Board shall consist of the President and a Team Leader for each of the following areas: Members, Programming, Outreach, Connections, Records and Resources. Each Board position, even if shared, shall have one (1) vote on the Board. The Board shall have charge of all business affairs of the Women’s Day Alliance that may arise between monthly meetings of the membership. Board members shall be current members of WDA and First Unitarian Church of Dallas.
Sec. 2 The terms of the President and Team Leaders shall be two (2) years, and they shall be installed at the May meeting of the membership. During the first year of implementation, four board members will be elected for two-year terms, three for one year terms; in following years, board members will be elected to two-year terms on a rotating basis.
Sec. 3 A board member may serve no more than four consecutive years. Previous board
members may be elected to the Board after a one-year period.
Sec. 4 The Board shall hold a minimum of nine (9) monthly meetings during the year. At any meeting of the Board, five (5) board members shall constitute a quorum.
Sec. 5 The Board shall be responsible for stating the purposes and duties of the Standing Committees and of any special committees appointed by the Board.
Sec. 6 Board meeting time from May installation through June, July and August will primarily be devoted to planning for the year. The Board, with the leadership of the President, shall annually review the activities of the organization and approve a plan and budget for the coming year, which they shall report to the membership at the September membership meeting.
Sec. 7 The Board will annually review and update, “Guidelines for Duties and Responsibilities of Board Members and Standing Committee Chairs” which documents more specific, detailed, and current information on the
responsibilities of WDA leadership.
ARTICLE V – DUTIES OF PRESIDENT AND TEAM LEADERS
Sec. 1 The board members shall collectively be responsible for establishing policies and procedures that maintain and forward the mission of the organization and for recruiting and managing volunteers from the General Membership to accomplish the work of their team.
Sec. 2 The President shall provide overall organization and oversight of the activities of Women’s Day Alliance, serve as liaison to the church, oversee long- and short term planning, and perform such specific duties as are outlined in the “Guidelines for Duties and Responsibilities of Board Members and Standing Committee Chairs.”
Sec. 3 Each Team Leader shall be elected to provide organization and oversight of one of the following areas and recruiting and organizing sufficient volunteers to perform tasks assigned to her team:
a) Members Team, responsible for recruitment, member relations, membership records, and such specific duties as are outlined in the “Guidelines for Board Members and Standing Committee Chairs.”
b) Programming Team, responsible for organization and oversight of programs at regular and special membership meetings, including presentations, food service, room arrangements, and such specific duties as are outlined in the “Guidelines for Board Members and Standing Committee Chairs.”
c) Outreach Team, responsible for organization and oversight of service activities, including projects, donations, fund-raising, and such specific duties as are outlined in the “Guidelines for Board Members and Standing Committee Chairs.”
d) Connections Team, responsible for communication with members, maintenance of digital resources, liaison with other church and community organizations, and such specific duties as are outlined in the “Guidelines for Board Members and Standing Committee Chairs.”
e) Records Team, responsible for secretarial duties such as minutes of meetings, preserving current versions of governing documents, maintenance of archives, and such specific duties as are outlined in the “Guidelines for Board Members and Standing Committee Chairs.”
f) Resources Team, responsible for treasury duties, accounting, budget recommendations, maintenance of financial records, and such specific duties as are outlined in the “Guidelines for Board Members and Standing Committee Chairs.” The Resources Team Leader shall also chair the Finance Committee, which shall be considered a part of the Resources Team.
ARTICLE VI – COMMITTEES
Sec. 1 The Standing Committees shall be: Finance and Nominating.
Sec. 2 The Finance Committee shall consist of the Resources Team Leader, who is the Chairperson, and a minimum of two (2) additional members, one nominated by the Nominating Committee and elected by the membership, and one appointed by the WDA Board, and as many more members as may be deemed necessary to discharge its responsibilities related to financial planning and budgeting, development of and compliance with financial policies, financial reporting, and
fiscal operations in compliance with WDA Board adopted procedures, including appropriate segregation of duties. The Finance Committee members shall serve one-year terms.
Sec. 3 The Nominating Committee shall consist of three (3) members, two (2) of which shall be elected by the membership and one of which shall be appointed by the Board. Each elected member shall serve a two-year-term, succeeding as chair during her second year. Terms of elected members shall be staggered so that one person is elected each year at the April meeting. The appointed member shall serve for one year and be
appointed by the Board at its May meeting.
Sec. 4 At least once every five years, the Board shall appoint a Bylaws committee to review the bylaws of the organization and make recommendations for changes as needed.
Sec. 5 Special Committees, when needed, shall be appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Board. Each Special Committee shall be responsible for the duties assigned to it by the Board.
ARTICLE VII – FINANCES
Sec. 1 The Women’s Day Alliance Fiscal Year shall begin on October 1 and end on
September 30 of the following year.
Sec. 2 The Finance Committee shall adopt guidelines regarding sources of income, approval of special gifts, and other guidelines and procedures necessary for the ethical, efficient and transparent operation of WDA finances.
Sec. 3 The annual budget shall be designed to support the annual and long-term plans, and shall be prepared by the Finance Committee and submitted to the Board during its summer planning meetings. The Board shall recommend adoption of the proposed Budget at the September membership meeting, to be voted on at that time.
Sec. 4 From the annual income, the Resources Team Leader shall arrange for payment of budgeted items. On recommendation of the Board, unbudgeted funds may be disbursed by vote of the membership.
ARTICLE VIII – MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Sec. 1 At least nine membership meetings shall be held each year. Monthly
membership meetings shall usually be held on the first Tuesday of each month, September through May. The Board may approve a different meeting schedule for certain months, when needed. A quorum shall consist of 15 members of WDA.
Sec. 2 The annual election of officers and standing committee chairpersons shall be held in April, with installation of new Board members at the May meeting.
Sec. 3 Special meetings may be called by the President at the request of five (5) members of the Women’s Day Alliance.
ARTICLE IX – NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS
Sec. 1 The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of nominees consisting of one (1) or more candidates for each open board position, and one (1) or more candidates for each open elected position on the Finance and Nominating Committees. Prior consent of all nominees shall be obtained based on an understanding of the duties associated with each position.
Sec. 2 The Nominating Committee shall present its slate of candidates to the WDA Board at its February meeting and in writing to the members present at the March General Meeting. Voting shall take place at the April Meeting. Other candidates may be nominated from the floor, provided each has consented to be named.
Sec. 3 The President, Team Leaders, chairpersons of the Standing Committees, the second member of the Finance Committee, and second member of the Nominating Committee shall be elected by the membership at the April Meeting.
Sec. 4 Any vacancy in any elective position shall be filled by action of the Board. If the vacancy occurs in the first year of a two-year term, the Board will appoint a replacement to complete that year. The nominating committee will then present a candidate to fill the position for the remaining year during the next election cycle. If the vacancy occurs in a one-year term or the second year of a two-year term, the Board will appoint a replacement to complete the term.
Sec. 5 The President and Programming, Connections, and Resources positions shall be elected in even numbered years, and Membership, Outreach, and Records positions shall be elected in odd numbered years. Starting in 2023-24, all positions shall be elected to two-year terms.
To transition to the two-year staggered terms:
• For elections in spring 2022 for the 2022-23 year, all board positions will
be elected, the President and Programming, Connections, and Resources
positions for two-year terms, and the Membership, Outreach, and
Records positions for one-year terms.
• In spring 2023, the Membership, Outreach, and Resources positions will
be elected to a 2023-2025 two-year term.
• In spring 2024, the President and Programming, Connections, and
Records positions will be elected to a 2024-2026 two-year term
• Current Board members may be nominated for a position on the Board in 2022 provided their total years of consecutive service on the Board shall
not exceed four (4) years before completion of their new term of service.
• For elections in the spring of 2022, the Chairperson of Nominating
Committee will be elected to a one-year term and the Chair-elect to a
two-year term. In the spring of 2023, the Chair-elect will become
Chairperson and a new Chair-elect will be elected to a two-year term. In
each subsequent year a new Chair-elect will be elected each year to a
two-year term, while the previous Chair-elect becomes Chairperson.
• For elections in the spring of 2022, the Chair of Nominating Committee
will be elected to a one-year term and the second member to a two-year
term. In the spring of 2023, the continuing member will become Chair
and a new member will be elected to a two-year term. In each
subsequent year a new member will be elected to a two-year term, while
the continuing member becomes Chair of the committee.
The Board shall appoint a transition advisory team to recommend resolution of any issues that arise during the transition period.
In January 2024, this transition section of the BYLAWS will be automatically deleted.
ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS
ARTICLE XI –PROCEDURAL GUIDES
Sec 2. Officers and Committee Chairpersons are expected to follow the WDA “Guidelines for Duties and Responsibilities of Board Members and Standing Committee Chairs.”