By-laws of the Pamlico Emmaus Community

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this community shall be the Pamlico Emmaus Community, hereinafter referred to as the Community.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

Section 1. The purpose of the Community shall be to inspire, challenge, and equip church members for Christian action in their homes, churches, places of work, and the world community through the Emmaus experience.

Section 2. The Community is affiliated with the International Emmaus Movement of the Upper Room (P.O. Box 189, Nashville, Tennessee 37202-0189), a unit of the Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church.

Section 3. In recognition of its ecumenical nature, all activities conducted by Pamlico Emmaus shall be conducted in such a manner as to encourage ecumenism and avoid discrimination against any Christian belief. Announcements made at Gatherings, in the Newsletter, and on the website shall be limited to those regarding either the local Pamlico Emmaus Community functions or those of similar communities (such as Cursillo, Chrysalis, Rainbows, Tres Dias, etc.). Sponsoring or endorsement of speakers, meetings, or other functions shall be limited to those open to all Christian faiths and pertaining to the Emmaus movement.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. All persons who have completed a weekend experience of the Pamlico Walk to Emmaus shall be members of the Community.

Section 2. Persons who are members of another Emmaus community or of a Cursillo, Via de Cristo, Tres Dias, Chrysalis, KAIROS, or other recognized 72-hour program, who have had a Weekend or Flight experience, may become members of the Community by participating in the activities of the Community, and by registering with the Community Lay Director or the Secretary for receipt of the Community newsletter.

ARTICLE IV. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. Purpose: The direction of the Community shall be vested in a representative body known as the Board of Directors, hereinafter referred to as the Board.

Section 2. Composition: The Board will consist of fifteen (15) elected positions; twelve (12) of which are filled by lay persons or couples, and three (3) of which are filled by clergy persons or couples. The Board may consist of as many as seventeen (17) positions if the Community Spiritual Director is elected from the Community at large and not from the current clergy members, and if the immediate past Community Lay Director is serving another year beyond the elected term in an "ex officio" status. When a husband and wife serve on the Board, they share responsibility for one position and constitute one (1) vote.

Section 3. Election of Board Members:

a. Board members shall be elected at annual elections held in November for terms beginning the following January.

b. The Nominating Committee shall submit to the Board a slate of at least seven (7) individuals/couples for the laity category and three (3) for the Clergy category along with a biography (Emmaus, church, reunion groups activities) for each.

c. The Nominating Committee shall prepare ballots (including biographies) to be printed in the October Newsletter (both the printed newsletter and the one on the website) and distributed to the Community.

d. Ballots shall be signed and returned before October 31st.

e. Returned ballots shall be received by the Secretary and opened and counted at the November Board meeting by three (3) Board members. The secretary shall keep the ballots for one (1) year after the election.

f. The Community Lay Director shall notify all nominees of the results of the election. The results shall be reported to the community in the following newsletter, and announced at Gathering.

Section 4. Terms of Office:

a. Board members shall be elected for three (3) year terms.

b. Board members may not succeed themselves in consecutive three (3) year terms. Re-election is allowed after a waiting period of two (2) years.

c. Terms of office shall begin January 1 and shall terminate December 31.

d. Five (5) new Board members will be elected each year; four (4) lay members and one (1) clergy.

e. The Community Lay Director is the Chairperson of the Board, votes only to break a tie, and serves a term of one (1) year in that capacity.

f. The Community Spiritual Director will serve a term of one (1) year and may succeed him/herself one (1) time.

g. The Secretary and Treasurer shall serve terms of one (1) year, and may succeed themselves two (2) times.

Section 5. Officers:

a. Officers shall be Chairperson, who also is known as the Community Lay Director, Assistant Community Lay Director, Secretary, and Treasurer. In case of absences, they will chair the meetings in this order.

b. Officers shall be responsible for committee work areas in addition to elected positions on the Board.

Section 6. Election of Officers:

a. Officers, with the exception of the Community Lay Director, will be elected annually by the Board at the January meeting for a one-year term of office, effective upon election.

b. The Assistant Community Lay Director will be elected from the second year class at the November meeting and will succeed to the office of Community Lay Director the next year.

c. The Chrysalis Board Representative shall not be an officer of the Board of Directors.

Section 7. Meetings: The Board shall meet monthly in regular meetings unless otherwise ordered by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board in a regular meeting. Special meetings may be called by the Community Lay Director, or by two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Board.

Section 8. Quorum: Eight (8) voting members of the Board present at a duly called meeting shall constitute a quorum.

Section 9. Spiritual Director: The Board shall elect the Community Spiritual Director annually, at the September meeting. The term of office shall be for one year from January 1 to December 31.

Section 10. Past Chairperson: The immediate past Chairperson of the Board (Community Lay Director) shall serve on the Board one (1) additional year in an "ex officio" status with voting privileges.

Section 11. Vacancies on the Board: The Board will elect, upon nomination by the Community Lay Director, persons to fill vacancies. A replacement to the Board will fulfill the term of office of the person being replaced. Such persons are eligible for election by the Community to a full term at the next regular election after the expiration of the replacement term only if that replacement term is 18 months or less.

Section 12. Qualifications and Responsibilities of Board Members:

 a. Board members should be active in their local church, covenant/reunion group, and gathering community.

 b. Board members oversee the quality, integrity, and balance of the Community and the Walks.

c. Attendance is important. Two (2) unexcused absences in a twelve-month period shall constitute self-withdrawal from the Board.

d. Board members may be retired by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board, taken by secret ballot.

e. Board members are accountable to the Community, to each other, and to the International Emmaus Movement.

f. Each member of the Board shall chair a standing committee.

g. Voting:

(1) The Community Lay Director votes only to break a tie.

(2) Ex-officio members, with the exception of the immediate past Community Lay Director, serve without voting privileges.

ARTICLE V. COMMITTEES

Section 1. Standing Committees: The Board shall name Board members to chair the following committees:

(1) Registration and Housing

(2) Agape Acts, Pilgrim Chapel, and Supplies (ark)

(3) Newsletter, Website, and community database

(4) Meals and Refreshments

(5) Luggage and Transportation and Weekend Photo

(6) Literature, Music, Entertainment, Clothing

(7) Team Selection and Training

(8) Follow-up Meetings, Audits, and Fourth Day Reports

(9) Gatherings and Group Reunions

(10) Sponsors’ Hour and Candlelight

(11) Speakers Prayer Chapel and 72-hour Prayer Vigil

(12) Prison Ministry, Community Growth, and Ecumenical Outreach.

(13) Weekend facility set up and clean-up

(14) Community Lay Director is an ex-officio member of all committees and also chairs the Pilgrim Selection Committee.

(15) Community Spiritual Director

Each committee shall prepare a document describing its roles and responsibilities, with reference to the official Emmaus guidelines, which shall become part of the Rules of Operation Document of the Community. The Board may add committees or reallocate functions within committees from time to time as it sees fit.

Section 2. Nominating Committee:

a. The Board shall establish a five (5) person Nominating Committee in May to report to the Board at the September meeting with a recommended list of individuals or couples to be placed on the ballot for the annual Board elections, using records supplied by the Community database.

b. The Nominating Committee will submit names of at least seven (7) individuals/couples for the laity category, and at least three (3) individuals/couples for the Clergy category.

c. The names in both categories, and a brief biography (Emmaus, church, and reunion group activities) of each nominee, will be published and distributed to the Community as a ballot, with instructions, in the October newsletter.

Section 3. Ex-Officio Members:

a. The Community Lay Director will be an ex-officio member of all committees with voting privileges. b. International or National Emmaus Movement Representatives, along with the assigned International or National Emmaus Steering Committee members, are also ex-officio members of the Community and the Board, but without voting privileges.

ARTICLE VI. WALK TO EMMAUS

Section 1. Letter of Agreement: All members of the Board will sign a Letter of Agreement with the International Director of the Walk to Emmaus to conduct the three-day (72-hour) experience, “Walk to Emmaus”, according to the model as presented in The Upper Room Handbook on Emmaus, and the other supporting Upper Room Handbooks and Manuals. A copy of the annual Letter of Agreement shall be attached hereto and automatically become a part of the By-Laws of the Pamlico Emmaus Community.

Section 2: The Community shall follow the guidelines of The Upper Room Walk to Emmaus program in the presentation of the three-day (72-hour) experience Walk to Emmaus.

Section 3. General Oversight: The Board shall have general oversight in all matters relating to the Pamlico Community Emmaus Walks including scheduling the Walks twelve (12) months or more in advance, reviewing applications for Walks as the Registrar deems necessary, and reviewing and approving the prioritized list of candidate lay and clergy team members prepared by the Team Selection Committee. The Board shall also honor the Equal Commitment Rule of husbands and wives to Emmaus, so that it does all that it can to strengthen marriages, and to avoid practices that have the potential to affect marriage adversely. A board representative shall be a part of the Conference Room team on each walk to see that the walk follows the model.

Section 4. The Walk Spiritual Director: The Board shall make a prioritized list, from which they shall select a Spiritual Director for each Walk. The Walk Spiritual Director may not serve in that position more than one (1) time every twelve (12) months.

Section 5. The Walk Lay Director: The Board shall approve a prioritized list of individuals qualified to be Lay Directors who will then be contacted by the Community Lay Director, at least 6 months before the Walk dates. The Walk Lay Director shall be a person who has worked in the background on a support team, served as an Assistant Table leader, Table Leader, and twice as an Assistant Lay Director and should have thorough knowledge of the weekend’s events and service positions. No gifts exceeding five (5) dollars in value will be given to/by the Lay Director of a Walk by/to team members. The Hand Cross used in the chapel, and by each of the speakers, will be given to the Walk Lay Director at the Closing Service by the Community Spiritual Director or his/her designee. A Walk Lay Director may not serve in that position more than one (1) time every twenty-four (24) months.

Section 6. Conference Room Lay and Clergy Team Members: The Team Selection Committee, assisted by the person in charge of the community database, shall prepare a prioritized list of prospective team members, then shall select and agree to a set of prime and alternate Walk Team Member candidates from this prioritized list. [Conference Room Team candidates should be active in their church, be active in a covenant/reunion group, and have some experience serving on support teams prior to being considered for service on a conference room team. Sponsors of or immediate family of a pilgrim may not serve on the Conference Room Team] The Lay and Spiritual Directors may then contact team candidates accordingly. Team training dates will be given to candidates to assist in making their decision. Should a full team not be formed from the prime and alternate candidate list, the process shall be repeated, with prioritized input from the Team Selection Committee, until a full team is formed. Team vacancies, should someone have to leave the team, shall be filled by the same process. Once a full team has been formed, notification of the names of team members shall be given to the Registrar and Housing Committee and the Newsletter Committee. The names shall be published in the Newsletter at least one (1) month in advance of the scheduled Walk. Team membership follows the guidelines found in the Upper Room Handbook of Emmaus.

Section 7: Support Team Members: Each committee shall fill its support team from the list of available candidates as shown on the volunteer sign-up sheets provided by the Registrar and/or the Team Selection committee. In recognition that serving on the support team is an entry point for first time team members, preference shall be given to volunteers from recent Walks who have not served on teams before. Family members/sponsors of pilgrims may not serve on the support team in a visible role. Support Team membership follows the policies in the Upper Room Handbook of Emmaus.

Section 8: Sponsorship: A member of the Community, a sister Emmaus Community, or any of the similar 72-hour Communities as stated in Article III must sponsor applicants for the Pamlico Walk to Emmaus. Sponsors shall encourage spouses of applicants to take the Walk. Before they may sponsor a pilgrim, all sponsors must have attended a Fourth Day Meeting. Sponsorship follows the guidelines in the Upper Room Handbook of Emmaus.

Section 9: List of Walk Applicants: The Registrar shall allocate applicants to a target Walk when the application is received and reviewed by the Pilgrim Selection Committee, and the applicant and the sponsor shall be so notified. Applications for a Walk should be closed five weeks prior to the start date of a Walk. The registrar shall give a list of the complement of applicants assigned to a particular Walk to the Newsletter Committee, at least one (1) month in advance of the scheduled Walk, so that the list may be published and distributed in the Newsletter.

Section 10: Fourth Day Meeting: Soon after each set of Emmaus Weekends (a men’s and a women’s), a Fourth Day Meeting shall be held with the new pilgrims to encourage them to form Group Reunions, to support them in their Fourth Day experience, and to orient them to the Walk to Emmaus movement.

ARTICLE VII CHRYSALIS

Section 1. Relationship to the Emmaus Board. The Chrysalis Community shall be a standing committee of the Pamlico Emmaus Community. The Chrysalis Community Lay Director (individual or couple) shall serve as a full voting member of the Emmaus Board.

Section 2. The Pamlico Chrysalis Community: The name of the Chrysalis Community formed under this Article shall be the Pamlico Chrysalis Community. The Pamlico Chrysalis Board of Directors shall hold annual elections to name the Lay Director. The term of office shall begin January 1 and shall terminate December 31. The Pamlico Chrysalis Community shall operate under the umbrella of the Pamlico Emmaus Community liability insurance policies and its status as an Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) organization.

Section 3. General Oversight: Watchful and responsible care of all matters relating to the Chrysalis Community shall flow from a Chrysalis Board of Directors made up of youth and adult members organized in accordance with the general structure of the Emmaus Board, and operating in accordance with the International Emmaus/Chrysalis manuals and the Chrysalis committee rules and guidelines. A representative from the Emmaus Board shall be a voting member of this board.

Section 4. Chrysalis Rules and Guidelines: The approved Rules and guidelines for the operation of the Pamlico Chrysalis Community shall follow the suggestions in Emmaus/Chrysalis Upper Room documents. Any changes to the Pamlico Chrysalis Rules and Guidelines require Emmaus Board approval.

 

ARTICLE VIII. ORGANIZATION

The Community is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, religious or scientific purposes, within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code.)

 

ARTICLE IX. NET EARNINGS

No part of the Net Earnings of the community shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributed to its members, trustees, directors, officers or other private persons, except that the community shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of Section 501(c)(3) purposes. No substantial part of the activities of the community shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the community shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Not withstanding any other provision of these articles, the Community shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried out by a corporation exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code.)

 

ARTICLE X. DISSOLUTION OF ASSETS

 

Upon dissolution of this community, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; i.e., charitable, educational, religious or scientific, or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code, (preferably to another Emmaus Community or to the International Emmaus Movement of the Upper Room), or shall be distributed to the federal government or to a state or local government for a public purpose.

 

ARTICLE XI. DISSOLUTION OF ASSETS OPTION

 

If the assets cannot be distributed in accordance with instruction in Article IX, then the assets of the community shall be distributed to a fund, foundation, or corporation organized exclusively for the purposes specified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code.)

 

ARTICLE XII. AMENDMENTS TO AND REVISIONS OF THE BY-LAWS

 

Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing by a member of the Board one (1) month in advance of consideration.

If the Board votes to accept the change for consideration, a three- quarters (3/4) majority vote in the affirmative is necessary. The Community Lay Director will appoint a By-laws Committee to study the matter and make a recommendation. The By-laws Committee prepares and submits a report on the matter to the full Board. The Board shall place a copy of the By-laws Committee Report in the minutes and tables the matter for thirty (30) days to consider and pray about the proposed changes. The Board will consider the proposal at the next regular Board meeting and vote on the proposed change.

A three-quarters (3/4) majority vote of the full Board is required to send the proposed amendment to the Community for a vote. The Secretary will provide ballots to the Community via the Community Newsletter requesting signed votes for or against the proposed change(s) within thirty (30) days. The Board will open and tabulate all ballots at the next regular or called Board meeting. The proposed amendment will pass/fail by a simple majority. The Secretary will record the results in the minutes and make a full report in the next newsletter. The Secretary will prepare a revised set of by-laws before the end of the calendar year for use in subsequent years and they shall be recorded appropriately.

Revisions to the by-laws are made from time to time for clarity or to bring them into conformity with the current practices of the community. Any proposed revisions may be adopted by a 2/3 vote of the Board after a period of review and comment by the community of not less than 30 days. The revised by-laws will take effect upon their passage by the Board.