By-Laws

By-Laws and Manual of Procedures

By-Laws of the
Georgia Baptist Religious Educators Association

Article I:           Purpose

The purpose of the Georgia Baptist Religious Education Association (GBREA) is to equip its Members to assist their churches in accomplishing their mission by providing a networking organization, professional development, resource awareness, opportunities for voicing to the GBC and SBC boards and agencies religious education concerns and needs of local churches, spiritual and personal development, and a caring fellowship.

Article II:          Membership

1. Membership in GBREA is open to persons preparing for, currently serving in, or retired from the ministry of religious education in a church, institution, or agency; and who pay the annual membership fee.

2. A membership fee will be received at the annual meeting and/or by mail to provide for the expenses of the Association. Program fees may be charged to defray expenses of workshops or special meetings.

Article III:         Officers

1. Officers of GBREA shall be president, president-elect, vice-president, secretary-treasurer, and historian.

2. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of members present at the annual workshop/business meeting to serve for a period of one year beginning at the conclusion of the annual workshop.  The secretary-treasurer and historian my serve indefinitely; but must be re-elected annually.

3. Officers shall be nominated by a Nominating Team; other nominations may be received from the floor following the report of the Nominating Team.

Article IV:        Teams

1. The Executive Team, composed of the officers and team leaders, shall have these duties:
   A.     Perform the business of the Association between annual meetings.
   B.     Make recommendations to the Association necessary to the achievement of its adopted purposes.

2. The Association shall have various teams to help it accomplish its purpose.

Article V:          Meetings

1. There shall be an annual workshop/business meeting of the association.

2. Additional meetings may be proposed and arranged by the Executive Team.

3. Except as otherwise stated in these By-laws, all procedures shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order (latest edition).

Article VI:        Manual of Procedure

The Association shall develop and maintain a Manual of Procedure, which shall describe and/or define the functions and responsibilities of the associational officers and teams.  Compliance with the provisions of the Manual of Procedure is required.

Article VII:       Amendments

These By-laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Association by a majority vote of members present, notice having been given at least one day in advance of voting.

Manual of Procedure of the
Georgia Baptist Religious Education Association

I.          Preamble

          Article VI of the By-laws of the Georgia Baptist Religious Education Association states:

The Association shall develop and maintain a Manual of Procedure which shall describe and/or define the functions and responsibilities of the associational officers and teams.  Compliance with the provisions of the Manual of Procedure is required.

II.         Procedural Guidelines

1. Officers and team leaders of the Association shall be active members of GBREA.

2. Membership and program fees are set by the Executive Team.  Membership fees received by January 1 through October 31 are for the current year; membership fees received in November and December will apply to the succeeding calendar year.

3. Nominees must be elected in accordance with the By-laws.

4. The president designates a team leader unless otherwise stated.

5. Teams shall file a report of their work at each annual business meeting.

6. The president-elect will become president at the conclusion of the president's term, and the vice-president will become president-elect at the conclusion of the president-elect's term.

7. This manual shall not be in conflict with the By-laws of the Association.

III.       Function and Responsibilities of Officers

1.                  President

1. Serve as spokesperson for the group.

2. Work with GBC and SBC agencies in communicating the needs and concerns of religious educators.

3. Lead the Executive Team.

4. Preside at each meeting of the Association or delegate another officer to do so.

5. Serve as a member of the GBC Executive Committee.

2.                  President-elect

1. Work with the Membership Team to contact new religious educators to encourage their membership and participation in GBREA.

2. Work with the program planning team to plan for the year he assumes the presidency.

3. Should the president-elect have to assume the office of president, he will complete the term to which he was originally elected.

4. Become a member of the GBC Executive Committee beginning December before he takes office as president.

3.                  Vice-president

1. Enlist a program planning team to assist him in planning the program for the year of his presidency.

2. Should the vice-president have to assume the office of president-elect, he will complete the term to which he was originally elected.

3. Shall help promote attendance at meetings and preside as delegated by the president.

4.                  Secretary-treasurer

1. Present a financial report and minutes at the annual workshop/business meeting.

2. Present to the Executive Team a quarterly financial report.

3. Serve as a signatory on the GBREA checking account.

4. Communicate to members their membership status.

5. Be responsible for securing plaques for the outgoing president and retiring members.

6. Work with the historian in updating the historical table.

5.                  Historian

1. Maintain an up-to-date historical table of membership.

2. Maintain a current written and pictorial history.

3. Work with the president to conduct a new member orientation at the annual workshop.

6.                  Vacancies shall be considered in the following manner:

1. President: The president-elect shall assume the office.

2. President-elect: The vice-president shall assume the office of president-elect.

3. Vice-president: The office shall be left vacant until the next annual meeting.

4. Secretary-treasurer, historian, and team leaders: The Executive Team shall appoint an active member to fill the unexpired term.

   
   

    

   IV.       Functions and Responsibilities of Teams

   1.                  Membership:  All teams shall be composed of five to seven members with consideration given to representation from the geographic areas of the state and to church/institution/agency positions.  These teams will be nominated at the end of the annual workshop/business meeting and will serve through the next annual workshop/business meeting.

   2.                  Program Planning Team:  To be appointed by the vice-president.  This team's duties include working with the vice-president to plan the program for the year that he will be president.

   3.                  Nominating Team:  To be appointed by the president, in consultation with the president-elect (two past presidents must serve as a part of this team).  This team's duties include nominating all officers at the annual workshop/business meeting and to inform nominees of their duties before presentation.

   4.                  Time and Place Team:  To be appointed by the president, in consultation with the president-elect.  This team's duties include recommending the date and location of the annual workshop/business meeting two years hence, and assisting the vice-president in supervising the arrangements and hosting of the meeting.

   5.                  Publicity Team:  To be appointed by the president, in consultation with the president-elect.  This team's duties include product a quarterly GBREA newsletter and promoting and informing religious educators of the activities and concerns of the Association.

   6.                  Membership Team:  To be appointed by the president, in consultation with the president-elect.  This team's duties include establishing and maintaining contact with religious educators in their regions, introducing new religious educators to Georgia to GBREA, promoting membership and participation in GBREA, and informing the president of achievements and/or special concerns of religious educators in their regions.

   7.                  History Team:  To be appointed by the president, in consultation with the president-elect.  This team's duties include maintaining an up-to-date membership historical table, maintaining an up-to-date written and pictorial history, relating the history of the Association to new members during a new member orientation.

    

   V.        Revision of Amendment of Manual of Procedure

   This Manual of Procedure may be amended at any regular meeting of the Association by a majority vote of members present, notice having been given at least one day in advance of voting.

     

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