Section 4.2. AFFILIATIONS. The Region may approve affiliation with other organizations similarly dedicated to the furtherance of Conservative Judaism.
Section 4.3. UNITED SYNAGOGUE DUES. United Synagogue dues are determined, fixed and allocated by the national board of United Synagogue, and are due and payable in advance on July 1 each year. They are collected by United Synagogue with assistance from the Region.
Section 4.4. REGIONAL DUES. Dues or assessments by the Region shall be determined only by a two-thirds majority of the Board of Directors present and voting, to be effective the following July 1, and are subject to approval by United Synagogue. Said dues shall be allocated by the Executive Committee.
Section 5.2. DIRECTORS. The following persons shall be members of and constitute the Board of Directors: all officers, all chairs of regional councils, all past Presidents of the Region, all present and central officers of United Synagogue residing in the Region, two persons from each member congregation (one of whom should be the congregation's President). There shall be ex-officio members as follows: all Presidents or designated representatives of other organizations of the Conservative Movement active in the Region (E.g., Rabbinical Assembly, Women's League).
Section 6.2. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS. Regular meetings of the Executive committee shall be held at least four times per year, at a time and place designated by the President. Special meetings, for a designated purpose or purposes, may be called by the President or any two members of the Executive Committee.
Section 6.3. MEETING NOTICES. Notices of meetings shall be sent to all participants at least ten days in advance of the meeting, provided, however, that notices of meetings where bylaws changes are proposed must be sent at least 30 days in advance of the meeting.
Section 6.4. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE QUORUM. A quorum for the conduct of business of the Executive Committee shall be four officers.
Section 6.5. BOARD OF DIRECTORS QUORUM. A quorum for the conduct of business of the Board of Directors shall be at least 20 per cent of the congregations represented, with those representatives being either Regional Officers or Directors.
Section 7.2. TERM OF OFFICE. The term of office for officers is two years, commencing at the close of the biennial and continuing until their elected successors' terms commence.
Section 7.3. NOMINATING COMMITTEE. A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Executive Committee which shall consist of five Directors. The Nominating Committee shall nominate a slate of officers, with at least one candidate for each office, and shall cause its slate of candidates to be distributed to the Directors no later than 30 days before the election.
Section 7.4. CANDIDATES BY PETITION. Additional candidates may be nominated by a petition in writing, addressed to the Secretary, and received by the Secretary no later than 10 days before the election.
Section 7.5. TERM RESTRICTION. No officer shall serve more than two terms in the same office. No person shall simultaneously hold more than one office.
Section 7.6. VACANCIES. Should a vacancy occur for any reason in any office in the middle of a term, the President shall appoint a successor to complete the remainder of the term, subject to the confirmation of the Executive Committee. If the vacancy is in the office of the President, the Executive Committee shall select one of its members to complete the remainder of the term. Should an officer be absent from two consecutive regular meetings of the Executive Committee without good reason, the office may be declared vacant by the Executive Committee and the incumbent shall be so notified by the President.
Section 8.2. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The power to act for the Board of Directors between meetings thereof are vested in the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall adopt an annual budget no later than the deadline set by United Synagogue for the following fiscal year, act on applications for affiliation of congregations, assist in the collection of delinquent dues, fees, assessments or other charges, and recommend to United Synagogue the appointment of the Region's executive professional personnel.
Section 8.3. PRESIDENT. The President is the chief executive officer of the region and has all of the power and responsibility appertaining to that title, including, but not limited to, call and preside at meetings of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, appoint and designate the chair of committees or councils, assign special duties to individual members of the Board of Directors, serve as liaison on behalf of the Region and its member congregations to and from United Synagogue, sign all agreements and documents on behalf of the Region, oversight of the President's Council, and work in a cooperative relationship with the Executive Director. The President shall be the principal liaison to the Council of Regional Presidents. Shortly after assuming office, the President is expected to attend an intensive orientation session at United Synagogue in New York. (modified 1/99)
Section 8.4. PRESIDENT-ELECT/EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT. The Executive Vice President shall serve when the President is temporarily absent, exercising all of the powers otherwise reserved to the President. The Executive Vice President shall work closely with the President and may be delegated any functions by the President that are otherwise reserved to that office. The President-elect shall be a secondary liaison to the Council of Regional Presidents. (added 1/99)
Section 8.5. VICE PRESIDENT. Each Vice President will be assigned a portfolio by the President, confirmed by the Executive Committee, which will include, but not be limited to, responsibility for at least one-fifth of the member congregations in the Region, oversight of at least one standing committee, and other specific tasks and responsibilities.
Section 8.6. SECRETARY. The Secretary shall keep (or cause to be kept) an accurate account of all Executive Committee and Board of Director meetings and maintain minutes in a minute book. The minute book shall be turned over to the incoming Secretary at the end of the term. The Secretary may be assigned responsibility for one or more congregations, oversight of a committee and other specific tasks and responsibilities.
Section 8.7. TREASURER. The Treasurer is the chief financial officer and has all the power and responsibilities appertaining to that title, and the duties shall include, but not be limited to, keep (or cause to be kept) an accurate account of the financial transactions of the Region, monitor adherence to the budget, cause a financial report to be made at each regular Executive Committee meeting. The Treasurer shall ensure adherence of the Region to the Code of Fiscal Practices of United Synagogue, as amended from time to time. The Treasurer shall turn over all records to the incoming Treasurer at the end of the term.
Section 8.8. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT. At the conclusion of the President's term in office, the individual shall serve a term as Immediate Past President during the successor's term as President. The Immediate Past President shall give advice and counsel to the President, shall serve ex officio on the Executive Committee, and shall be a liaison to the council of Regional Presidents.
Section 9.2. REGIONAL COUNCILS. The Region shall maintain the following Regional Councils: Adult Education (Program), Finance, Israel, Membership, Social Action, Standards and Practices, Youth Activities (USY/Kadima), Youth Education.
Section 9.3. CHAIR RESPONSIBILITY. The chair of each Regional Council is expected to maintain a list of representatives to the committee from each congregation, engage in periodic communications, to solicit problems and successes of member congregations, implementation of Regional objectives, and, in consultation with the council, define goals and objectives.
Section 9.4. MISSION STATEMENT, MINUTES. Each Regional Council shall draft and maintain a Mission Statement, which shall be approved when changed by the Executive Committee. The chair shall cause minutes to be kept of each meeting of the council, which shall be delivered promptly after each meeting to the Secretary for distribution to the Executive Committee.
Section 9.5. REGIONAL COMMITTEES. The Region shall maintain the following Regional committees: Affiliations (to advise the Executive Committee or Board of Directors on applications for affiliation), Conference and Convention, Newsletter, Nominating (see Section 7.3.), Publicity, Regional Budget (to prepare and monitor the annual budget of the Region), and a Speaker's Bureau.
Section 9.6. AD HOC COMMITTEES. The President may, from time to time, appoint ad hoc committees for specific purposes. The President will appoint the members of such committees and designate their chairs. Ad hoc committees shall be appointed for a limited duration, not to exceed the term of office of the appointing President.
Section 11.2. AMENDMENTS. Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by either (1) an ad hoc committee appointed by the President for that purpose, (2) The Presidents of two member congregations, (3) any four Directors, or (4) the President. To be effective they must be first presented to the President at least 60 days in advance and to the Directors, Officers, and United Synagogue at least 30 days in advance of the Board of Directors meeting scheduled to consider their approval, and then approved by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors present and voting, subject to the approval of United Synagogue.