ARTICLE 12 CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS

12.01 Name. 

All annual and special meetings of the Members shall be called "Congregational Meetings."

12.02 Annual Meeting. 

An annual congregational meeting shall be held each year during the month of January. Proposed motions and agenda items from outside the Council must be submitted in writing following the usual format to the Clerk of the Council postmarked or hand delivered with receipt given by the fifteenth of November preceding the Annual Meeting. 

12.03 Special Congregational Meetings.

Special Congregational Meetings may be called either by a petition submitted to the Clerk, or by a majority vote of the Council members. If by petition, this petition must be signed by at least 75% of the Members. Such special meetings shall be governed by the Council following the same rules of order as those pertaining to the annual congregational meeting. The nature and purpose of each special meeting must be stated in the petition or Council notice, and written into the agenda of the special meeting. Written notice and a copy of the agenda must be mailed or personally delivered to all Members at least two weeks prior to such meeting. 

12.04 Notice of Annual & Special Congregational Meetings. 

Written notice, including a copy of the proposed agenda, must be mailed or personally delivered to all Members at least two weeks prior to the Congregational Meeting. 

12.05 Meeting Rules of Conduct. 

. All annual and special congregational meetings shall be conducted under the same rules of order as govern the conduct of meetings of the Council.

12.06 Quorum.

In order to transact any business, a quorum of 25% of the Members must be present before the meeting may be called to order. It shall be the duty of the Clerk to determine that a quorum is present and announce that fact to the Members before any congregational meeting may transact business. Once a quorum is established, it shall remain in effect even if members absent themselves from the meeting.

12.07 Order of Business. 

The Order of Business for any congregational meeting shall be established by the Council in advance of each meeting if it is to vary from the order of business prescribed for Council Meetings. If not, the order of business employed by the Council shall be used at the Congregational Meeting. 

12.08 Absentee and Proxy Voting.

Voting by proxy or absentee ballot is not permitted at any Congregational Meeting.

12.09 Participation by Other Than Members At Meetings.

Only Members of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ may vote at any Congregational Meeting. Friends of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ and other interested persons are welcome to attend Congregational Meetings. These persons may not vote at these meetings but may, at the option of the Moderator, participate in discussion of any of the items under consideration.