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Article VII — Board of Trustees

VII-A. Election
The Annual Election of the Board of Trustees shall be held each year in the month of April at the regular Ritual for Business or at such time and place as shall be fixed by the Committee of the Whole. At this Ritual for Business, openings of vacant or soon to be vacated Board of Trustees shall be filled by election by private ballot. The Board of Trustees shall be at least seven (7) and no more than nine (9) in number, such number to be set by the Committee of the Whole. A quorum of the Board of Trustees is defined is defined in Article V-A.

Two separate ballots shall be used, one for Board Officers, and one for the remaining vacant Trustee positions. The Trustees may be those candidates who were not elected to Officer positions during the current annual election. The Officers of the Board shall run for election each year. The Trustees of the Board shall serve two year terms.

VII-B. Qualifications
All Trustees must be current Full Active or Associate (for non-officer Trustees) members of the community for at least one (1) year and have served actively on at least one (1) committee for at least six (6) months. The requirements for length of membership, committee service, and length of Board service may be waived by the Board of Trustees, meeting in executive session, or a Ritual for Business, after consulting with the candidate and considering all the appropriate factors involved. All Trustees shall be limited to four (4) consecutive years in office with a minimum of one year off the Board of Trustees before being eligible for reelection to the Board.

VII-C. Vacancies
Any vacancy occurring in the Board of Trustees shall be filled by a majority vote of the Committee of the Whole after consultation with the Nominating Committee. Any Trustee elected to fill a vacancy shall be elected to serve until the next occurring Annual election, at which time any position(s) shall be filled by a vote of the Committee of the Whole.

VII-D. Officers
The Officers of the Board of Trustees shall be president (who is the President of the Community), vice president, secretary, and treasurer. The Officers shall form the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees. Only current Full Active members are eligible to hold an Office. All Officers shall: represent the Community on all occasions and perform all duties incident to the office and such duties as may be requested by the Committee of the Whole from time to time.

    VII-D-1: The President
    The President shall: be the executive officer of the Community, serve as a member of the Board, and have authority to sign on behalf of the congregation any deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts or other legal instruments which the Committee of the Whole has authorized to be executed except in those instances where the signing and other execution of such instruments shall have been expressly delegated by the Committee of the Whole or by these bylaws or by statute to some other officer or agent of the Community. The President shall be responsible for organizing the agenda for all Regular and Special Rituals for Business.

    VII-D-2: The Vice-president
    The Vice-president shall: assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President, coordinate the working committees designated by the Committee of the Whole, maintain the Community's calendar, and shall perform such functions and duties as may be specified by the Committee of the Whole.

    VII-D-3: The Secretary
    The Secretary shall: have general charge of and responsibility for all non-financial records of the Community and shall keep accurate minutes of all Committee of the Whole Rituals for Business and Executive Sessions of the Board of Trustees, including names of those in attendance and make such minutes available to active members, and keep and preserve the Community's membership book.

    VII-D-4:The Treasurer
    The Treasurer shall: receive, safely keep and account for all money and other property of the Community entrusted to her or his care, and shall disburse the same under the direction and to the satisfaction of the Committee of the Whole. S/he shall maintain:

    1. A current roster of the Pledging Units and the Pledges;
    2. A complete accounting of the financial records of the Community, which shall remain the property of the Community, and which shall be open for inspection by any active member;
    3. The annual financial report of the Community, which shall be audited by a person, not a member of the Board, who is designated by the Committee of the Whole;
    4. Render a current statement at each regular Ritual for Business of the Committee of the Whole;
    5. Shall pay all bills and sign all checks as authorized by the Board of Trustees or the Committee of the Whole;
    6. Ensure that all federal, state or local returns, reports or other items required by law are properly prepared and filed with the appropriate authorities in a timely manner;
    7. Perform the duties of the President in the event of simultaneous absence or incapacity of both the President and Vice President;
    8. and may be bonded at the expense of the Community.

VII-E. Trustees at Large
The Trustees at Large shall: keep abreast of the business and programs of the Community, participate in Rituals for Business, and perform such other functions as assigned by the Committee of the Whole.

VII-F. Executive Committee

    VII-F-1: Composition
    The Executive Committee shall consist of the four (4) Officers of the Community.

    VII-F-2: Quorum
    Two (2) members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum. Minutes of meeting shall be kept, and actions taken shall stand unless disavowed by the Committee of the Whole.

    VII-F-3: Powers and Responsibilities
    The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the conduct of the affairs of the Community between Rituals for Business, and it shall have such other duties and perform such functions as are delegated to it by the Committee of the Whole. Any action taken by the Executive Committee must be ratified by the Committee of the Whole at the next Ritual for Business.

VII-G. Termination and Removal

    VII-G-1: Automatic Termination
    Failure of any officer or trustee to attend three (3) consecutive regular Rituals for Business or four (4) of any six (6) consecutive regular Rituals for Business shall be an automatic resignation from the Board without further action or notice.

VII-G-2: Removal for Cause
Removal of Board members for breach of trust or gross misconduct requires a vote by a four-fifths majority of the Committee of the Whole present at a Special Ritual for Business legally called for the purpose, as defined in Article V-A-1.