Proposed Bylaw Amendments

Proposed Bylaw Amendments. In the following, deletions are indicated by ~~strikethrough;~~ additions are indicated by CAPITAL LETTERS IN BOLD PRINT. Not included below are changes made to Article V Board of Trustees, Section 2, and Article VIII General Provisions, Section 6, which both included language that self-deleted them from the Bylaws. These sections were initially in place to facilitate transition from Districts to the Region.
BYLAWS MidAmerica Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association	Changes Proposed January 2019
Article V. Board of Trustees Section 1.2. Officers. The officers of the Region shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. OFFICERS SHALL BE ELECTED BY THE BOARD FROM AMONG THEIR MEMBERS AT THE FIRST MEETING AFTER JUNE 30TH OF EACH YEAR. OFFICERS SHALL SERVE UNTIL THE FIRST MEETING FOLLOWING JUNE 30TH OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR, UNLESS REMOVED UNDER SECTION 6 BELOW, AND MAY BE RE-ELECTED IF THEY REMAIN ON THE BOARD. IF AN OFFICE BECOMES VACANT, THE BOARD SHALL ELECT A REPLACEMENT AT THE NEXT MEETING FROM AMONG ITS MEMBERS TO COMPLETE THE REMAINING TERM. SHOULD THE BOARD BE UNABLE TO REACH AGREEMENT ON AN OFFICER APPOINTMENT, THE BOARD PRESIDENT SHALL MAKE THE APPOINTMENT. The officers ~~shall be elected as provided in these Bylaws, and~~ shall serve until completion of their terms and until their successors shall have been duly elected or appointed.	Changes from election of 4 Officers and 5 At-Large seats to election of 9 At-Large Trustees. Outlines new process for selecting Officers. Purpose is to more easily fill vacancies that occur mid-term. Removes language made moot by above change.
Section 2.1. Enumeration of the Regional Board (a) The Board of Trustees of the Region (“Regional Board” shall consist of nine (9) voting members ~~(including the officers)~~ and 1 ex-officio non-voting member, ~~1) four (4) elected officers of the Region,~~ ~~2) five (5) at-large trustees,~~ and 3) the UUA-appointed MidAmerica Regional Lead Staff Person, or that person’s designee (ex-officio, non-voting) (b) All voting trustees shall serve three (3) year terms, with three (3) trustees being elected every year. No trustee shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms.	Reorders sections 1 and 2 for better flow. Deletes language made redundant by above change.
Section 3. Qualifications and Limitations for Election. Each member of the Regional Board and each member of the Nominating Committee shall be a member in good standing of one of the member congregations of the Region, BE A MINISTER SERVING A MIDAMERICA CONGREGATION, or be a CLF member residing within MidAmerica geography. If someone is a member of both CLF and a MidAmerica congregation, for the purpose of this section their membership will be deemed to be in the congregation physically located in MidAmerica. The Board of Trustees and the Nominating Committees, together, shall not have more than two (2) members from the same congregation serving at the same time. No person shall simultaneously hold more than one elected position.	Clarifies the eligibility of ministers who are not members of the congregations they serve to be elected to the Board.
Article VII. Nominations Section 1. A Nominating Committee shall consist of seven (7) persons. The committee shall elect its own chair no later than August 31st of each year. (a) The seven (7) members of the Nominating Committee shall serve terms of two (2) years. In even years four (4) members will be elected by delegates at the MidAmerica Region Annual Meeting; in odd years three (3) members will be elected at the Annual Meeting. Members will serve no more than 3 consecutive 2 year terms (b) The Nominating Committee shall nominate at least one person for each open position on the Regional Board and for each open position on the Nominating Committee. (c) The Nominating Committee will nominate members for open positions on the Midwestern Unitarian Universalist Conference board each year, in accordance with MUUC’s governing documents. (d) The report of the Nominating Committee shall be submitted to the Secretary not less than sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting. The Secretary shall publish the report of the committee and distribute it to member congregations not less than thirty (30) days before the Annual Meeting. (e) The Nominating Committee shall endeavor to nominate individuals so that the membership of the Board of Trustees and each elected committee reflects the full diversity of the Region, especially in regard to historically marginalized communities, but also balancing amongst size of congregation, lay and ordained, geography, age (including youth and young adults), and gender, among others.
(f) In addition, the Nominating Committee shall recommend to the MidAmerica Board one (1) member of the Camp UniStar Foundation Board of Directors each year TO MAINTAIN STAGGERED TERMS, drawing their pool of candidates from those who have attended Camp UniStar and are members of good standing in a UU congregation. This recommendation shall be made no later than June 30 of each year. Section 2. Nominations by Congregational Action. A member of a congregation in good standing with the Region may be nominated for any position to be elected by formal endorsement of the governing bodies of at least ten (10) congregations within the Region. Nominations by congregational action must be received by the Secretary no fewer than thirty-five (35) days in advance of the Annual Meeting at which the election is to be held.	Clarifies reason for one per year.
SECTION 3. VACANCIES. VACANCIES ON THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE MAY BE FILLED BY ACTION OF THE REGIONAL BOARD UNTIL THE NEXT ANNUAL MEETING AT WHICH TIME THE VACANCY SHALL BE FILLED BY ELECTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE UNEXPIRED TERM OF THE PREVIOUS INCUMBENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE BYLAWS. INDIVIDUALS APPOINTED OR ELECTED TO SERVE FOR LESS THAN ONE-HALF (1/2) OF AN UNEXPIRED TERM WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO BE ELECTED FOR TWO (2) ADDITIONAL CONSECUTIVE TERMS.	Adds missing language pertaining to Nominating Committee vacancies.
Article VIII. General Provisions Section 7.6. Reports: All reports and notices required by Bylaws may be published electronically.	Renumbers final section after automatic deletion of previous section.
Article IX. Special Relationships to Other Organizations Section 1. Camp UniStar Foundation (CUF). The MidAmerica Region is the sole corporate member of the Camp UniStar Foundation. The membership rights of the MidAmerica Region are described in the CUF bylaws. Three of the seven voting members of the CUF Board are appointed by the MidAmerica Region Board UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE. ~~Such appointments shall follow the guidelines expressed in the Article titled “Nominations” of these bylaws.~~ These Directors shall meet with the MidAmerica Regional Board upon request and provide a written report for distribution at the Annual Business Meeting of the Region. MidAmerica Directors shall serve a term of three (3) years. Appointments shall be so arranged that approximately one-third of the total number of MidAmerica CUF Directors are elected each year. ~~The MidAmerica Board will appoint the first three MidAmerica Directors of the CUF Board to staggered terms no later than September 1, 2013.~~	Adds clarification language. If appointed by the Board, then this process does not follow Nominations Process in these bylaws. Deletes obsolete language designed to facilitate transition from Districts to Region.