I. Be it known that THE NAME OF THIS CONGREGATION shall be CONGREGATION SONS OF ISRAEL of Peabody, Massachusetts.
II. THE OBJECT OF THIS CONGREGATION shall be to establish a place for religious worship and generally promote the religious life among people of the Jewish faith, and to conduct religious, educational, humanitarian and cultural programs.
III.
1. THE OFFICERS OF THIS CONGREGATION shall be: a President, Vice President, Financial Secretary, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and a Board of Directors elected annually of with no fewer than twenty-two (22) members and a maximum of thirty-six (36), including the officers. In addition to the Board of Directors, Life Directors may be elected from time to time. The total number of Life Directors shall not exceed one-third the total number of members on the Board in one year. If the number of elected Directors causing the number of Life Directors to be more than one-third, the Life Directors already elected shall remain.
2. A Life Director shall be a Director of the Board for life with all the rights and privileges of a member of the Board paid or otherwise. A Life Director may be elected to serve as an officer of the Congregation subject to re-election annually.
3. The Nominating Committee shall recommend a candidate for Life Director. The Nominating Committee shall move to approve the candidate to be a Life Director at the next scheduled Board of Directors meeting or a special meeting as allowed under these by-laws. The candidate shall then be presented at a meeting of the Congregation for consideration to be elected a Life Director.
4. Life Director minimum requirements shall include all of the following:
Be in good standing ethically and financially and shall remain so throughout their elected position
Has served on the Board of Directors for a minimum of ten years.
Has chaired committees and and/or was an officer.
Has contributed time and effort resulting in a positive, religious and satisfying experience for the congregation and the community at large.
Whose presence will be sorely missed if no longer a part of the Board of Directors of the Congregation.
IV. THE PRESIDENT shall preside at meetings and shall see that order is preserved during said meetings. The President shall announce the business before the assembly in the order in which it is to be acted upon. The President will receive and submit, in the proper manner, all motions and propositions presented by the members. The President will put to a vote all questions, which are regularly moved, or necessarily aired in the course of the proceedings, and to announce the result. The President will restrain the members, when engaged in debate, within the rules of order and will enforce on all occasions the observance of order and decorum among the members. The President shall be ex-officio on all Committees and have all the rights of a member, but shall not vote on motions except in the case of a tie.
V. THE VICE PRESIDENT shall have the power of the President when the President is absent, or when the President surrenders to him (her) the chair for any purpose. It is the duty of the Vice President to take the chair when the President withdraws from the chair for the purpose of participating in the proceedings.
VI. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY shall:
1. Maintain books of accounts of all income received, including the following, but not limited to: membership dues, Holy Day seating reservations, memorial plaques, Yom Kippur pledges, gifts for prayer books, gifts for synagogue artifacts, furnishings and other property and gifts and contributions to the General Fund. Transmit information of the gifts to the Corresponding Secretary for acknowledgments.
2. Present bills to the members, seat holders and donors, when appropriate; make reasonable effort to collect the payments. If there is a delinquency in payment, refer the information to the Chairman of the Finance Committee, and comply with the advice and instructions of the Committee.
3. Deposit into the checking account or savings accounts of the Congregation all money received except those relating to the Trust Fund as described below.
4. Transmit to the Treasurer at the end of each month a report showing the totals of deposits, payments made, interest earned and closing balances in the checking account and savings accounts of the General Fund.
5. Transmit to the Chairman of the Congregation Sons of Israel Trust Fund the money received as follows: the amount received for memorial plaques, less the actual cost of the plaques; the amount designated in writing or orally for the Trust Fund by the person in whose name the gift was made, or by the person who made the gift in memory of another, or by the family of the person in whose memory the gift was made.
6. Maintain books of accounts for all expenditures incurred by and on behalf of the Congregation.
7. Examine all bills received and make reasonable effort to determine the validity of such bills, and pay these bills when due, subject to the following:
a. If there is a question in the mind of the Financial Secretary as to the validity of any bill, refer it to the Chairman of the Finance Committee, and comply with the advice and instruction of the Committee.
b. If the bill arises from any contract, written or oral between the Congregation and a provider, refer such bill to the Chairman of the Committee appointed to supervise the performance of the contract and comply with the advice and instruction by said Committee.
8. Present a Financial Report to the Board of Directors at its meetings and to the Congregation at its meetings, and at such other times requested by the Finance Committee.
9. Sign checks, as one of three authorized officers for payment of expenditures.
10. Perform such other duties that relate to the office of Financial Secretary as requested by the Board of Directors.
11. THE Financial Secretary shall not be responsible for any act of commission or omission in the performance of these duties in good faith.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY shall not be responsible for any act of commission or omission in the performance of these duties in good faith.
VII. THE TREASURER shall:
1. Maintain a record of the totals of deposits, payments made, interest earned and closing balances in the checking account and savings accounts of the General Fund as reported at the end of the month by the Financial Secretary.
2. Maintain a record of Time Deposit Certificates and all other securities owned by the Congregation, excluding those relating to the Trust Fund.
3. Confer with the Finance Committee and take such action voted by a two-thirds vote of the entire Committee regarding the balances to be maintained in the checking account and savings accounts of the Congregation General Fund, and regarding the renewal, extension, redemption, purchase or transfer of any of the securities owned by the Congregation General Fund. In the event that the Treasurer has any question concerning the vote by the Finance Committee, the subject matter may be presented to the Board of Directors for their decision.
4. Be the Chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee.
5. Be the Chairman of the Seating Committee for the Holy Days.
6. Be the Chairman of the Committee for the Yom Kippur pledges to the General Fund, and transmit to the Financial Secretary the pledge cards and such contributions relating to the Yom Kippur fund.
7. Perform such other duties that relate to the office of Treasurer as requested by the Board of Directors.
8. The Treasurer shall not be responsible for any act of commission or omission in the performance of these duties in good faith.
VIII. THE RECORDING SECRETARY shall keep records of all the minutes of the Congregation, including meetings of the Board of Directors. The Recording Secretary shall maintain the by-laws as they are updated.
IX. THE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY shall attend to all correspondence on behalf of the Congregation.
X. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS shall manage and administer the affairs and operation of this Congregation by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at any meeting, subject to the following exceptions:
1. Any policy relating to the religious purpose of this Congregation shall be recommended by a majority vote of the directors present, and if approved, to the Congregation members for their vote by a majority of the members present at such meeting. i
2. Any proposal relating to the sale of real or personal property of the Congregation shall be recommended by a two-thirds vote of the directors present, and if approved, to the Congregation members for their vote by a two-thirds majority of the members present at such meeting.
3. The operation and function of any Trust Fund of the Congregation, having been established by the Congregation, shall be vested in the Trustees of such Trust Fund.
XI. THE TERMS OF EACH OFFICER AND DIRECTOR (other than Life Director) shall be one year or until his or her successor shall be elected.
XII. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS shall be called by the President, on his own volition, or at the request of no fewer than five directors. A quorum for any meeting shall consist of ten directors.
XIII. IN THE EVENT THAT ANY OFFICER OR DIRECTOR SHOULD RESIGN or otherwise terminate his (her) position prior to the completion of such term, the seat shall remain vacant until the next general or special meeting of the Congregation members. This section shall not apply to Life Directors.
XIV. REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE CONGREGATION shall be held twice a year, in June and in December, the annual meeting to be in December, with the election of officers and directors, Life Directors and trustees of any trust fund. Additional meetings of the Congregation may be called by the President with the approval of no fewer than ten directors.
XV. A QUORUM for any meeting of Congregation members shall be 30 members.
XVI. RULES OF PROCEDURES at the meetings of the Board of Directors and of the Congregation members shall be in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.
XVII. Any person of the Jewish faith shall be eligible to become a member of this Congregation. Potential members shall apply for membership either by written communication to any director or by nomination of any director. The application shall then be voted upon by the membership committee and such application shall be approved by not less than a two-thirds vote of the membership committee.
XVIII. DUES for membership, charges for seat reservations, and charges for memorial tablet plaques or other assessments shall be determined by a two-thirds vote of the Congregation members upon the recommendation by a two-thirds vote of the directors present at its meeting.
XIX. A RITUAL DIRECTOR shall be annually elected by a two-thirds vote of the directors. The duties of the Ritual Director shall be to manage and administer the worship services and related religious programs of the Congregation, recommend the use of prayer books and bibles, recommend cultural and education programs, and recommend a budget. Such Ritual Director shall confer with members of the Ritual Committee appointed by the President.
XX. AN AMENDMENT TO THE BY-LAWS may be proposed by any members and must be presented to the Board of Directors for consideration. Upon approval by a two-thirds vote of the directors present, the amendment shall be presented to a regular or special meeting of the Congregation members. Upon a two-thirds vote of the Congregation members, it shall be incorporated by reference into the by-laws.
Approved by Board of Directors – December 10, 1992
Approved by Congregation at the Annual Meeting – December 20, 1992
Approved change to Articles VI and VII by Congregation at Semi-Annual Meeting – June 14, 1993
Approved change to Article III by Congregation at Annual Meeting – December 12, 2004
Approved change to Article III by Congregation at Annual Meeting – December 9, 2007
Approved change to Article XVII by Congregation at Annual Meeting – June 13, 2010