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Message from the President about the Constitution and By-Laws Changes
UMCD has been working on its By-Laws
and Constitution. Many thanks to the efforts of
the UMCD Task Force: Dan Kenyon, Tom Hudspeth, Lisa Harvey, David Ennis, Julie
Howard, Wineva Hankamer, Curt Keller and Marian Aiken. They cut, simplified and
streamlined our organization's governing rules, bringing us up to date with
today's way of doing things. The UMCD Officers UNANIMOUSLY voted to accept the
new By-Laws and we are presenting them to you, our members, in this newsletter, The first change we made was to combine the By-Laws and the
constitution into one document which will be known as our By-Laws. Again, this
is in keeping with current practice for nonprofit organizations. Then, we created a clear and concise mission statement that
gives our organization a sense of purpose and direction: The United Methodist
Congress of the Deaf celebrates and promotes Christian leadership and
discipleship within the Deaf community. Committee Chairs are no longer officers. Their work is
vital to UMCD, and it will continue as Committee work rather than Officer work.
The new Board will consist of the Jurisdiction Presidents, a new International
or Central Conference representative, and a President, Vice-President, Secretary
and Treasurer. Once the new By-Laws are voted on by the membership and passed at the Global Conference, all elections will be done by mail after the UMCD Conference every other year. This will allow all members to be involved in our organization and free up time during the Conference for other matters. You will decide. Article I Name,
Territory, and Principal Office Section 1: Name. The name of this organization shall be known as the United Methodist Congress of the Deaf, Inc., hereafter referred to as UMCD. The primary service area of UMCD shall include the five
Jurisdictions and the Central Conference of the UMCD shall maintain a registered office at the General Board of Global Ministries Health & Welfare United Tel: (212) - 870 - 3870 Fax: (212) - 870 – 3624 Article II Purpose Section 1: The United Methodist Congress of the Deaf celebrates and
promotes Christian leadership and discipleship within the Deaf community. Section 2: UMCD shall use the Book of Discipline of
the Article III Membership Section 1: Members of UMCD are those who share the
goals of UMCD as stated in Article II Purpose and are current in their dues to
UMCD. Section 2: Voting members of UMCD meet all of the
requirements of Article III Section 1 and, in addition, are lay or clergy
members of the Article IV Committees Section 1: There shall be an Executive Committee
consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and the Treasurer. Section 2: There shall be a Nominations Committee
consisting of members of the Executive Committee and two at-large voting members
of UMCD. The nominations committee shall be chaired by the Vice-President. Section 3. The President and the Board may establish standing and ad hoc committees whenever the need arises. A. The President shall have the power to appoint committee chairs and to appoint committee members subject to the approval of the Board. Much important work of UMCD is done by its Committees. B. The President is an ex-officio
member of all committees. Board Members Section 1: The Board shall consist of the following officers: A. President B. Vice-President C. Secretary D. Treasurer E. Northeast Jurisdiction President F. Southeast Jurisdiction President G. North Central Jurisdiction President H. South Central Jurisdiction President J.
International (Central Conference) President Section 2: During Board meetings, only Board members shall have voting privileges, the President voting only in case of a tie. Section 4: The President of the United Methodist
Committee on Ministries with Deaf, Late-Deafened, Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind
People shall be an ex-officio member of the UMCD Board without vote. Section 5: Past Presidents of UMCD shall have ex-officio membership on the Board without vote. Article VI Vacancies on
the UMCD Board Section 1: If a vacancy occurs between general
membership meetings of UMCD, the Board is empowered to fill the vacancy until
the next general membership meeting of UMCD. At the next general membership
meeting, an officer will be elected to serve a full four-year term. The person
selected by the Board to fill the vacant position in the interim shall be
eligible for election to that position. Section 2: In the case of the death or resignation
of a President, the Vice-President assumes the duties of the President and
completes the term of office. Article VII Qualifications
of Officers Section 1: The officers of UMCD must be members in
good standing in the Article VIII Election of
Officers Section 1: Officer terms are for four years.
Elections will be held once every two years on years ending with an odd number
via mail balloting, in August, following the general membership meeting held in
July. Though terms are for four years, the Officer’s terms are staggered so
that at no one time will the entire Board composition be voted upon. Section 2: The Nominating Committee shall prepare a
slate of nominees for approval by the UMCD Board. The nominees will be
introduced at the general membership meeting of UMCD, held the third week of
July every other year on years ending with an odd number. Section 3: The Treasurer and the UMCD member who is
in charge of keeping the membership database up to date shall determine the
correct listing of voting members and shall send mail ballots to all eligible
voting members at their most recent mailing addresses. Section 4: The Nominating Committee shall oversee
the collection and counting of the ballots under the supervision of the
Vice-President. Impartial observers will be involved in each step of the
process, from collecting the mail to counting the ballots in order to ensure
that the election is conducted with the highest integrity and honesty. Section 5: Jurisdictional Presidents and the
International (Central Conference) President are elected by their respective
Jurisdictions or Central Conference. Section 6: In the event of a resignation of an
Officer between general meetings of UMCD, the Board is empowered to fill the
vacancy until the next general membership meeting of UMCD (or Jurisdictional or
International meeting in the event of the resignation of a Jurisdictional or
International President). The President has the authority to appoint a person as
an Interim Officer with the approval of the Board and this person will serve
until the next mail balloting at which time the Interim Officer shall be
eligible to run for election to the appointed position. Article IX Duties of Officers Section 1: ......................................................... The President shall function as chief executive officer of UMCD and shall: a. Preside at all business meetings of UMCD. b. Provide liaison between UMCD
and theUnited c. Work closely with the staff of the Health and Welfare Ministries Program of the General Board of Global Ministries for promoting Deaf ministries. d. Work closely with the Jurisdictional and International Presidents and Committee Chairs. e. Officially represent UMCD at
national conferences of the f. Maintain contact with the membership of UMCD through regular contributions to the UMCD newsletter. g. Be an ex-officio member of all
UMCD Committees. Section 2: ......................................................... The Vice-President shall perform all the duties of the President in case of the absence of the President and shall: a. Work closely with the President on all matters related to UMCD. b. Shall be in communication with the Jurisdictional and International Presidents of UMCD and receive information concerning activities concerning Deaf ministries within each Jurisdiction. c. Shall be the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee. Section 3: ......................................................... The Secretary shall keep a record of all regular and special meetings of UMCD and shall a. Provide all Officers with a copy of minutes of all meetings. b. Correspond in relation to any business of the UMCD when requested to do so. c. Be responsible for notification of all meetings and elections. d. Discharge all other duties
usual to the office of Secretary. Section 4: ......................................................... The Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial affairs of UMCD and shall a. Collect dues and donations from members and other monies, giving appropriate receipts. b. Have the responsibility to write and sign all checks for UMCD, but only upon receiving written authorization from the President. c. Oversee the UMCD Endowment Fund serving as Chairperson. d. Provide the Board and membership with accurate financial statements. e. Discharge all other duties
usual to the office of Treasurer. Section 5: ......................................................... The Jurisdictional Presidents and International President are responsible for their Jurisdiction and/or Conference and shall: a. Work to increase the numbers of UMCD members from their area. b. Hold a biennial Jurisdictional/International Conference on the even years. c. Preside over meetings of the Jurisdictional or International Officers and the general membership meetings of the Jurisdiction or International Conference. d. See that the Jurisdictional Officers or International Officers carry out their duties and assist in writing a Jurisdictional/ International newsletter when possible. e. Follow the By-Laws written for their respective Jurisdiction or International Central Conference and ensure that the By- Laws support the work of UMCD. f. Work with the larger church in
the respective Jurisdiction or International Conference to establish new Deaf
ministries and encourage the growth of existing Deaf ministries. Article X Conferences/Meetings Section 1: Conferences/meetings of the UMCD shall be held in accordance with the following guidelines: a. The biennial conference and general membership meeting of UMCD shall be held the third week of July once every two (2) years. These meetings shall be held on years ending with an odd number. b. The dates of the biennial conference and general membership meeting can be adjusted by majority vote of the Board. c. All conferences/general membership meetings shall be accessible to persons who are Deaf, Late-Deafened, Hard of Hearing or Deaf-Blind. d. The UMCD Board will select a
primary site for the upcoming biennial conference/general membership meeting and
an alternative meeting site. The sites should alternate between the various
Jurisdictions and the Central Conference. Section 2: The agenda of the general business meetings shall be as follows: a. Invocation b. Roll Call c. Reading of the minutes d. Treasurer’s Report e. Reports of Officers and Committees f. Unfinished Old Business g. New Business h.
Adjournment and Benediction Section 3: Two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the
Board must be present to constitute a quorum for Board meetings. Board meetings
can be conducted in person or via email. Section 4: In case of questions regarding procedure
of any UMCD meeting not otherwise covered in the By-Laws, the Book of Discipline
of the Article XI Finances Section 1: The fiscal year shall be from January 1st through December 31st. Section 2: There shall be an annual fee for membership dues set by the Board. Section 3: UMCD Jurisdictions/Conferences shall establish and collect their own dues, set up their own By-Laws, and elect their own officers but shall work with and coordinate with UMCD, the parent organization, and shall follow the purpose of UMCD in all Jurisdictional/International affairs. A financial statement and listing of Jurisdictional/International members shall be submitted to UMCD at least once per year: on even years these reports need to be submitted within 30 days of the Jurisdictional/International Conference. On odd years, the reports should be submitted prior to the UMCD International Conference in July. Article XII Resignation and
Removal of Officers Section 1: Any Officer who wishes to resign must submit a letter of resignation to the President at least thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of resignation. In the event that the President resigns, the letter must be submitted to the entire Board. Section 3: The Board may declare the position of an Officer vacant and may remove such Officer for cause on the occurrence of any of the following events: a. The Officer has been declared of unsound mind by an order of the Court. b. The Officer has failed to attend the last three meetings of the Board. c. The Officer has committed a
chargeable offense under the Book of Discipline of the d. The officer is no longer a
member of the Article XIII Dissolution Section 1: .................................................. In the event UMCD dissolves, any and all money, assets, and liabilities shall be transferred to the General Board of Global Ministries. Article XIV Amendments Section 1: ......................................................... These By- Laws, all or in part, may be amended, altered, suspended, or repealed by a majority vote of the voting members of UMCD or by a 2/3 vote of the Officers of the UMCD Board.
UNITED METHODIST CONGRESS OF THE DEAF CONSTITUTION ARTICLE I Name, Territory, and Principal Office Section 1: Name. This organization shall be known as the United Methodist Congress of the Deaf, Inc., (UMCD), hereafter known as the Congress. Section 2: Territory. The primary
service area of the United Methodist Congress of the Deaf, Inc. (UMCD) shall
include the five Jurisdictions and other related Conferences of the Section 3: Principal Offices: The Congress shall maintain a registered office at the President, Secretary and the Treasury addresses. ARTICLE II Purposes Section 1: The goals of the Congress shall be as follows: a. To promote and to encourage Christianity among the Deaf, Deafened, Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf/Blind through Christian ministry. b. To help develop the spiritual, social, and vocational aspect of the Deaf, Deafened, Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf/Blind individual. c. To encourage Christian ministry that would meet the needs of the Deaf, Deafened, Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf/Blind persons, through the training of Deaf, Deafened, and Hard-of-Hearing and hearing pastors. d.
To encourage training of interpreters in religious interpreting to serve
as needed in the e. To provide assistance to annual conferences in the establishment of Deaf ministries, and encourage accessibility through the use of technology to assist persons with hearing losses to gain effective control of their lives. f. To provide Christian fellowship and spiritual growth to promote better understanding between those who hear and those who don't. g.
To relate to the annual conferences
of the h.
To promote the use of the Book of Discipline
of the i.
To encourage the Deaf, Deafened, Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf/Blind to become
active members in the ARTICLE III Membership Section 1: The membership of the Congress shall be composed of persons who meet the criteria according to the specific classifications listed below. a. Full Membership Full members of the Congress are members of the United Methodist Church who share the goals of the Congress as stated in Article II; participate in the general ministry of the Church while striving to accomplish these goals for themselves and others, express a willingness to live as witnesses of Jesus Christ among all people, especially among Deaf, Deafened, Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf/Blind people; and pay the prescribed annual membership dues. Full members include all United Methodist attendants, voting delegates, United Methodist serving on special committees, and officers of UMCD. b. Associate Membership Associate Members of the Congress are persons who are not members of the United Methodist Church, but do enthusiastically share the same goals of the Congress with the exception of those goals which pertain specifically to the United Methodist polity (g and h); actively strive to accomplish these goals for themselves and others; express a willingness to live as witnesses of Jesus Christ among all people especially among Deaf, Deafened, Hard of Hearing and Deaf/Blind people; and pay the prescribed annual membership dues. Associate members shall have all rights and privileges of Full Members with the exception of being elected as voting delegates or officers of UMCD or serving on the Nominating Committee. Associate Members can serve on committees in an advisory capacity only. Associate Members include all non-United Methodist attendants, non-United Methodist speakers, workshop leaders, advisors, and committee members. c. UMCD Chapters Upon consent of the Advisory Board any Annual conference of any Jurisdiction may establish a UMCD Chapter where at least 10 dues-paying members in good standing are associated together to provide support, coordination, information, and in-service. (1) Each area Chapter shall be named after the area in which it is located, but may retain its original name, if different, to be accompanied by the official name given by UMCD. (2) Area Chapters may make by-laws for their own government, not inconsistent with the by-laws and regulations promulgated by the UMCD, as interpreted by the Advisory Board of this organization. The Chapter shall furnish a copy to the Advisory Board for approval by September 1st each year. (3) Each area Chapter may create an expense fund out of which to defray all legitimate expenses of said chapter. (4) The UMCD shall not be financially responsible for any of the debts, obligations, contracts or undertakings of any nature of any of the area Chapters, except as specifically approved by the Advisory Board of UMCD when petitioned by the area Chapter. (5) Each year, on July 1st, area chapters shall provide to the UMCD treasurer, a financial statement detailing expenditures and income related to UMCD activities. (6) Each year, on September 1st, a listing of current chapter members shall be provided to the president of the UMCD. (7) Representation on advisory board of UMCD??????? (8)
In case of the dissolution of an area chapter, all records and funds
shall be turned over to the UMCD
treasurer, subsequent to an audit. Section 2: Voting Delegates are Full Members of the
Congress who are elected by and represent their own Section 3: Each Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church which has a full time Conference Ministry to persons who are Deaf, Deafened, Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf/Blind is allowed three (3) voting delegates, at least one of the three must be Deaf, Deafened, Hard-of Hearing or Deaf/Blind. Voting delegates from a Conference program will be recognized by a designation placed on their Congress name tag. Section 4: All non-delegate members of the Congress, both
Full Members and Associate Members,
shall have all rights and
privileges of Voting Delegates,
except to vote. ARTICLE IV Officers Section 1: The Advisory Board shall consist of the following officers: a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Chairperson of each standing committee f. Permanent Liaison Officers from the Board of Global Ministries, National Division g Jurisdiction Presidents h.
Liaison Officers to General Boards Section 2: All officers of the Advisory Board shall have voting privileges, the President voting only in case of a tie. Section 3: The officers, except the Liaison Officers, shall serve a term of four years. (This four-year term shall begin in 1985. Officers elected in 1982 shall serve a three-year term.) Section 4: All officers, except the Liaison Officers, shall not serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. Section 5: There shall be an executive committee consisting of the following officers: a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer Section 6: All Past Presidents shall have ex-officio membership on the Advisory Board with vote. Section 7: The President of the National Committee on Developing Deaf Ministries shall be an ex-officio member of the UMCD Advisory Board without vote. ARTICLE V Committees Section 1: The Congress shall have various standing committees. Section 2: The standing Committees are as follows: a. Lay Leadership b. Curriculum c. Church Promotion of Deaf Ministries d. Church Promotion of Hard of Hearing and late Deafened Ministries. e. Interpreters f. Law g. Petitions h. Parents of Deaf Children i. Youth Ministries j. Archives and History k. Communication Technology l. Deaf/Blind m. Certification Section 3: The congress may establish other Standing Committee whenever the need arises. a. A delegate may propose a Standing Committee and explain why it is needed. b. The delegates may vote on whether a particular Standing Committee should be formed. l. If adopted, a delegate may nominate no more than one (1) person to be the Committee Chairperson. 2. The Committee Chairperson is elected by majority vote. ARTICLE VI Vacancies on Advisory Board Section 1: If and when a vacancy occurs between meetings of the UMCD, the Advisory Board is empowered to fill the vacancy until the next meeting of UMCD. At the next meeting of UMCD, and officer shall be elected to serve a full 4-year term (staggered term). The person selected by the Advisory Board to fill the vacant position shall be eligible for election to that position. Section 2: In the case of the death or resignation of a president, the Vice-President assumes the duties of the president and completes the term of office. ARTICLE VII Dissolution Section 1: In the event the Congress dissolves, any
and all money, assets, and liabilities shall be transferred to
the General Board of Global Ministries. ARTICLE VIII Amendments Section 1: This Constitution, all or part of it, may be amended, altered, suspended, or repealed by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the delegates at any meeting of UMCD. ARTICLE IX Miscellaneous Section 1:
No officer, individual, Standing or Ad hoc Committee member, or volunteer may
represent to any legislative body of the This revised Constitution was adopted on July 21, 1982
by the members of the UMCD, at the meeting held in
United
Methodist Congress of the Deaf By-Laws ARTICLE I Qualifications
of Officers Section 1: The officers of the Congress must be
members in good standing in the Section 2: The officers must be of sound character,
competent, and mature in judgment and experience. Section 3: At least two of the officers of the
Executive Committee shall be Deaf, Deafened, Hard-of-Hearing or Deaf-Blind. Section 4: A person nominated for office must be a
member of UMCD and have attended one Congress, or a Jurisdictional meeting,
previous to the Congress at which he/she is nominated. ARTICLE II Qualifications
of Committees Section 1: Each standing Committee shall consist of
at least three (3) members. At least one (1) person must be Deaf, Deafened, Hard
of Hearing or Deaf-Blind. The Chairperson of the Lay Leadership must be Deaf,
Deafened, Hard of Hearing or Deaf-Blind. Section 2: There shall be a Nominating Committee composed of the five (5) Jurisdiction Presidents. The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee shall be chosen by the five Jurisdiction Presidents and must be Deaf, Deafened, Hard of Hearing or Deaf-Blind.
The Nominating Committee shall
serve a term of two years. Section 3: A member of UMCD may not serve on more
than one Standing Committee. However, a member of UMCD may serve simultaneously
on a Standing committee and any other committee of UMCD. ARTICLE III Election of
Officers Section 1: Each Deaf church/ministry within the
Congress shall be limited to three (3) voting delegates, at least one of whom
shall be Deaf, Deafened, Hard of Hearing or Deaf-Blind. Section 2: The officers shall be elected by the delegates by ballot at the meetings of UMCD. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of nominees. Election of officers shall be held once each four years. No more than (3) officers or
standing committee chairpersons shall represent the same local church/ministry
at any one time. Section 3: Any candidate for office who receives a
majority of votes cast shall be the winner. In the event that no candidate receives a majority, there shall be a run-off election following the same guidelines as used for election of all officers. The run-off election shall be held between the two candidates receiving the most votes. All newly elected officers shall become delegates from their local church/ministry at future UMCD meetings. All Chairpersons of Standing
Committees shall become delegates from their local church/ministry at future
UMCD meetings. Section 4: The term of office for all elected officers
shall begin at the time of their installation, which shall be held at the
closing session of the UMCD meeting at which they were elected. ARTICLE IV Duties of
Officers Section 1: The President shall: Preside at all business meetings of the national organization of the United Methodist Congress of the Deaf. Provide liaison between UMCD and the National Boards of the
Work closely with the staff of the Health and Welfare Ministries Program of the General Board of Global Ministries for promoting Deaf ministries. Work with the General Council on Ministries to coordinate the annual consultation between UMCD and the four program board. Officially represent UMCD at
national conferences of the Work closely with the Jurisdictional Presidents in providing insight and advice. Maintain contact with the chairpersons of UMCD committees, encouraging them to submit reports at appropriate intervals. Be the official “trouble-shooter” should problems and conflicts arise. Maintain contact with the membership of UMCD through regular contributions to the UMCD newsletter. Will/May call an annual meeting of the Advisory Board to be held at the site of the biennial conference of UMCD during odd years and at the site of a Jurisdictional conference of UMCD, or, if applicable, in the same city where United Methodist General Conference is meeting, during even years. Be an ex-officio member of the planning committee for all biennial conferences of UMCD. Work with the host Church in planning for the biennial UMCD meetings, letting them know of certain needs. When necessary in carrying out
UMCD business between biennial UMCD meetings, form committees not specified in
the By-Laws and appoint committee chairpersons with the approval of UMCD
Advisory Board members. Section 2: The Vice-President shall: Perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President. Work closely with the President on all matters related to the UMCD. Coordinate with each of the chairpersons the work of the various committees of the UMCD Advisory Board and receive their reports for the Executive Committee in advance of each Executive Committee meeting. Receive reports of the various committees of the Board in advance of each biennial meeting of the UMCD and shall be responsible for making such reports available to all members. Shall be in communication with Jurisdictional Presidents (Regional Presidents) of UMCD and receive information concerning activities of Deaf ministries within each Jurisdiction. Shall assume the duties of the
president in case of the death or resignation of the president and complete the
term of office. Section 3: The Secretary shall: Keep a record of the minutes of all meetings. Provide all officers with a copy of minutes of all meetings. Correspond in relation to any business of the UMCD. Inform members of all announced meetings. Be responsible for obtaining current names and addresses of all persons involved in active Deaf ministries in UMCD. Discharge all other duties usual
to the office of Secretary. Section 4: The Treasurer shall: Make financial reports of all funds received and disbursed by the UMCD. Be responsible for obtaining a current listing of delegates to UMCD from all local ministries active in UMCD. Such listings should be completed no less than sixty (60) days prior to any meeting of UMCD. Have the responsibility to write and sign all checks for UMCD, but only upon receiving written authorization from the President. Collect dues from all members. Establish and chair a finance committee for the purpose of establishing a biennial (two year) budget for UMCD. The Treasurer shall appoint two (2) UMCD members to serve on the finance committee. Discharge all other duties usual to the office of Treasurer. Establish a UMCD Endowment Fund. Serve as Chairperson of the UMCD
Endowment Fund. Section 5: Each of the Committee Chairpersons shall: Work closely with the Congress in administering the duties assigned that committee. Be responsible for selecting at least two (2) persons to serve on that committee. Coordinate the activities of the
committee and report those activities to the President within thirty (30) days
of the completion of each activity. Section 6: The Jurisdiction Presidents: Shall conduct meetings a few times a year to plan Jurisdictional workshops and coordinate with Design Team members to find keynote speakers, workshop leaders, interpreters, and a site for the workshops. Shall attend Jurisdictional convocation(s) on local church issues if offered in his/her Jurisdiction. Shall help with selecting individuals to lead workshops on Deaf Ministry, etc. Shall conduct meetings to plan workshops in Jurisdictions and coordinate with the UMCD Board. Shall write articles for UMCD newsletters. Shall conduct a survey of Deaf ministries in all conferences with the Jurisdiction by sending questionnaires to all District Superintendents. Coordinate efforts with other UMCD Jurisdictional Presidents. Assist in writing Jurisdictional newsletters. Be informed by Church Promotion Committee Chairperson of events happening in his/her Jurisdiction. Send letters to all Methodist Bishops and District Superintendents to inform them about Deaf Jurisdictional workshops to be held. Chair and be involved in the Design Team when planning meetings and activities for the Jurisdiction. Work with conferences within the respective Jurisdiction to set up and run workshops related to Deaf ministries, Deaf culture, etc. Keep in contact with other Jurisdictional Presidents as to what is happening in their Jurisdiction. Also, share with other Jurisdictional Presidents as what is happening in your own Jurisdiction. Inform Deaf Methodists and advocates of Deaf ministries in their Jurisdiction of Happenings occurred during UMCD biennial meetings. Promote UMCD in each Conference of
the Jurisdiction. Section 7: The Jurisdiction Secretary-Treasurer shall: Assist the Jurisdiction President with the biennial Jurisdictional meeting. Take care of fiscal and
record-keeping activities for the Jurisdiction, including minutes of all
meetings. Section 8: The Liaison Officer to the General Boards shall: Coordinate with the General
Boards, National staff in Coordinate with the Petition
Committee and the General Board’s National staff in Advise as to which UMCD petitions
are presented to the appropriate General Boards for consideration. ARTICLE V Duties of
Committees Section 1: The Advisory Board shall be responsible
for planning the program of all general UMCD meetings held in odd years.
Advisory Board members can assist the Jurisdiction Presidents in their own
Jurisdiction during the even years. Section 2: The Executive Committee shall be
responsible for conducting the business of the UMCD between general meetings.
Business should be conducted in consultation with the Liaison Officers. Section 3: The Lay Leadership Committee shall be responsible for developing leadership training programs for interested members of the UMCD who desire to lead their members in some capacity. Shall suggest various workshops to be presented by UMCD. Shall discuss with the UMCD president on possible future directions of the UMCD (provide visions). Shall encourage Deaf individuals to become Lay Leaders in their Churches. Shall encourage Deaf ministries to
assist Deaf individuals to become Lay Speakers. Section 4: The Curriculum Committee Shall keep in touch with Deaf Ministries (Methodist and other church denominations) about their curriculum. Shall collect various samples of
curriculum materials from Deaf Methodists and other Church groups outside the Shall keep in contact with United
Methodist Publishing House in Shall invite a representative of the Untied Methodist Publishing House to UMCD general meetings. Shall make and update a resource catalog of curriculums that would be useful to Deaf Untied Methodists. Shall develop a format sample curriculum to recommend to the Untied Methodist Publishing House for each level: Adult, Adolescent, and Elementary. Shall be involved, directly or
indirectly, with videotaping religious curriculum for the Deaf to use. Section 5: The Church Promotion of Deaf Ministries
Committee shall be responsible for expanding the Deaf ministry in various
conferences where the Shall start or be involved with Church camps for adults, youths, children, and families. Shall begin Deaf ministries in various churches. Shall encourage Churches to have sign language classes. Shall give speeches on Deaf ministries at various churches. Shall work with Regional Presidents in each Jurisdiction to develop and send out questionnaires to each United Methodist conference to determine if they have Deaf ministries in some form or another (Deaf church, interpretive ministries using sign language or lip-reading, Deaf program of any kind, etc.). Shall work closely with Regional
Presidents as well as UMCD members serving on the National Coordinating
Committee of Deaf Ministries (under the General Board of Global Ministries) in
developing new Deaf ministries. Section 6: The Church Promotion of Hard-of-Hearing and Late-Deafened Ministries Committee shall be responsible for: Shall be responsible for assisting churches and ministries to help individuals who recently lost their hearing. Shall be responsible for assisting churches and ministries to help individuals to deal with those who recently lost their hearing through meetings, workshops, etc. Shall be responsible for assisting churches and ministries become accessible to such individuals. Shall be responsible for obtaining information on the latest technologies and technical advancements that would be beneficial to those who are hard-of-hearing or became deaf. Shall work with Regional Presidents in each Jurisdiction to develop and send out questionnaires to each United Methodist conference to determine if they have in their churches parishioners who are hard-of-hearing or became deaf and can benefit in obtaining information on the latest technologies or technical advancements that would be beneficial to these parishioners. Shall work closely with Regional
Presidents as well as UMCD members serving on the National Coordinating
Committee of Deaf Ministries (under the General Board of Global Ministries) in
promoting ministries to the hard-of-hearing and those who became deaf later in
life. Section 7: The Committee on Parents of Deaf Children shall: Maintain contact with an organization called International Parents of Deaf Children (IPDA) to determine where parents of Deaf children are located and which are United Methodist. Shall work with the UMCD
Curriculum Committee on collecting and/or developing materials for parents of
Deaf children in the Shall print articles in various United Methodist newspapers and periodicals on the importance of having Deaf children become involved in the United Methodist community. Shall work with the UMCD
Curriculum Committee on developing Sunday School and other learning materials
for Deaf children in the Shall work with the Youth
Ministries Committee in planning activities for children and youth at UMCD and
Jurisdictional conferences. Section 8: The Law Committee shall: Review and suggest revisions of the UMCD Constitution and By-Laws. Shall contact and discuss with the UMCD president on possible revisions to the UMCD Constitution and By-Laws. Shall send a copy of the UMCD Constitution and By-Laws, after each revision as voted by the UMCD general members, to General Council on Financial Administration (GCFA). Shall review the latest Shall be responsible for ascertaining the incorporation status of the UMCD. Shall be knowledgeable in
parliamentary procedure. Section 9: The Interpreter Committee shall be responsible for: Shall search and schedule interpreters who are members of the United Methodist Church for all UMCD general meetings including areas requested by the Host Conference, i.e. worship, workshops, etc. Shall ensure that interpreters meet all individuals’ needs including ASL, PSE, SEE and oral interpreting as well as tactile modes. When UMC interpreters are not available, shall request for and use volunteers. Shall strive to find interpreters
who are in close proximity (range) of the host conference. Section 10: The Petitions Committee shall be responsible for: Coordinating the petitions to be presented to the General Conference. Shall be in communication with each of the UMCD Regional Presidents to learn of plans to recommend legislation to the General Conference. Shall request that any legislation that is proposed for General Conference by UMCD members that is related to Deaf ministries be sent to this committee so that it might be incorporated in UMCD’s legislative package to go to General Conference. Shall be in communication with each General Board, each annual conference, each Jurisdiction, and Health and Welfare Ministries to request copies of proposed legislation to go to General conference concerning Deaf ministries that might also be incorporated into UMCD’s legislative package. Shall request from the UMCD membership any ideas for legislation concerning Deaf ministries that they feel should go to General Conference. Shall be sensitive to the deadline for legislation to go to General Conference. Shall coordinate all of the
legislation which the committee received from UMCD, UMCD Jurisdictions, Annual
Conferences, General Boards, and Health and Welfare Ministries and shall develop
a UMCD legislative package to be presented to the Board of Global Ministries in
time to be included in their Board package of legislation. Section 11: The Nomination Committee shall be responsible for: Checking with Nominating Committee members on their choices of nominees for offices up for election. Coordinating a slate of nominees for each office up for election. Contacting nominees to inform them of being nominated to a particular office and find out if they are willing to serve if elected. Meeting with Nominating Committee
members during UMCD conventions and nominate candidates two years in advance.
(Better to get input of committee members in person rather than go through a
long period of letter writing). Section 12: The Youth Ministries Committee shall: Contact United Methodist Churches near the state schools for the Deaf to determine if they have youth ministries for these students. Work with the UMCD Curriculum
Committee on developing Sunday School and other learning materials for Deaf
children in the Work with the UMCD Curriculum
Committee on collecting and/or developing materials for Deaf youth in the Work with the Committee on Parents
of Deaf Children in planning activities for children and youth. Section 13: The Archives and History Committee shall be responsible for: Developing an archival history of UMCD. Soliciting material on UMCD from its inception. Contacting the General Commission on Archives and History to make arrangements for such material to be properly filed and stored in appropriate archival storage. Using this historical data, update the history of UMCD and shall put it in such order as to provide chronological order of the history of UMCD from its beginning. Shall be requested after each quadrennium, to write a historical update on UMCD for that quadrennium. Shall consider using this
historical data to develop a book telling the exciting story of UMCD from its
very beginning to the present. Section 14: The Communications Technology Committee shall be responsible for: Editing and maintaining the UMCD Home Page on the Internet. Keeping the Advisory Board updated on Visual Technologies which could assist Deaf Ministries, e.g. Information about projects, developing methods to transmit full motion videos across the internet. About projects using digitalization to attach ASL signs to videos already produced. About projects explaining the use of digital projectors to increase visual access to worship. Keeping the Advisory Board updated on information on advances in amplification technologies, e.g. Joint use of FM transmission to cochlear implant processors. Advance in digital hearing aids. New developments in large-space
amplification. Section 15: The Deaf-Blind Committee shall be responsible for: Advocating to each Annual Conference as to who is Deaf-Blind within the Conference. Promoting already existing Deaf-Blind programs within Annual Conferences. Promoting participation of Deaf-Blind individuals at the UMCD meetings. Suggesting interpreters for the
Deaf-Blind participants at the UMCD meeting. Section 16:
The Certification Committee shall be responsible for: ARTICLE VI Meetings Section 1: Meetings of the UMCD shall be held in accordance with the following guidelines: Meetings shall be held the third week of July every two (2) years. These meetings shall be held on years ending with an odd number. By three-fourth (3/4) majority vote, any UMCD meeting can change the dates for the next UMCD meeting. All General meetings of the UMCD, Advisory Board, Jurisdictional meetings of the UMCD shall all be accessible to persons who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind, deafened and hard of hearing. The invitation for UMCD to meet in a particular church or city must be accompanied by a letter from the pastor of the inviting group. Any delegates may submit an invitation to meet in his/her city or church, providing the above-mentioned letter of invitation is included. UMCD shall select a primary meeting site and an alternative meeting site. When UMCD selects the site for its next meeting, the host group assumes full responsibility for all local arrangements and shall work closely with the President and Advisory Board in planning the next meeting. Each Jurisdiction of the Section 2: At all meetings of the UMCD, one-half
(1/2) of the delegates present constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business except for the Advisory Board Powers can transact business through
email, fax, or tty conference call. Section 3: The agenda of the general business meetings shall be as follows: Invocation Roll Call Treasurer’s report Reports of Officers Reports of Standing, then special committees Unfinished Old Business New Business Nomination and election of officers Installation of officers Selection of next meeting site Adjournment
and Benediction Section 4: In case of questions regarding procedure
of any UMCD meeting or UMCD committee meeting not otherwise covered in the
Constitution and By-Laws, or the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist
Church, the Robert’s Rules of Order, newly revised, shall determine
parliamentary procedure. Finances Section 1: The fiscal year shall be from January 1
through December 31. Section 2: UMCD Membership dues shall be $10.00 a
year and either shall be sent to the Treasurer or be paid at the time of
registration, which will be $20.00 for two years (biennial dues). Each UMCD
Jurisdiction shall establish and collect their own dues. Section 3: The National Division of the Board of
Global Ministries shall have general supervision of all funds received through
the Board of Global Ministries for Deaf Ministries. Section 4: Between meetings of the UMCD, the
Executive Committee shall decide on the disposition of all funds not received
from the National Division of the Board of Global Ministries. Section 5: When funds are available for such
purposes, the Advisory Board shall determine how to distribute tuition
assistance for delegates to UMCD meetings. Section 6: Accounting Procedure. Standard accounting
procedures shall be used. If financial records are maintained on a computer
system, backup procedures shall be utilized as established by a designated
person and approved by the executive committee. Section 7: Audit. Within two (2) months after the
end of the fiscal year an audit of UMCD
shall be made by an auditor familiar with standard accounting procedures
appointed by the executive committee. The
auditors shall not be current or outgoing officers. The audit need not be
certified. Section 8: Reports. The Treasurer shall make brief
reports at the executive committee and regular Advisory Board meetings, and a
comprehensive report at the end of the fiscal year to biennial UMCD meeting. Section 9: The Advisory Board members may receive up
to $200 for partial expenses to attend Advisory Board meetings in between UMCD
meetings for a total of $400 for the quadrennium during that four year term of
office, if funds are available. ARTICLE VIII Resignation Section 1: Any officer who wishes to resign must
submit a letter of resignation to the Secretary at least thirty (30) days prior
to the effective date of resignation. In the event that the Secretary wishes to
resign, the letter of resignation must be submitted to the President. Section 2: Any vacancy created through resignation
shall be filled by the procedure described in Article VI of the Constitution of
UMCD. ARTICLE IX These by-laws were adopted on July 21, 1982 by the
members of the UMCD, at the meeting held in |
