BY- LAWS OF WOMEN OF REFORM JUDAISM, ATLANTIC DISTRICT Amended October 2012

ARTICLE I Name Section A The name of this organization shall be Women of Reform Judaism, The Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, Atlantic District. Hereinafter, the federation shall be referred to as Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), and the Atlantic District shall be referred to as the district. The Atlantic District shall include the sisterhoods in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with the exception of the sisterhood in Erie, PA. The district shall also include the sisterhood in Steubenville, Ohio, and the sisterhood in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Section B

ARTICLE II Objectives Section A Section B To promote the aims, programs and projects of WRJ. To bring the sisterhoods and womens groups (hereinafter referred to as sisterhoods) in the district in closer cooperation and association with one another to further their respective activities. To serve as a liaison between sisterhoods and WRJ. To help sisterhoods participate effectively in WRJ activities. To assist in the organization of new sisterhoods in the district.

Section C Section D Section E

ARTICLE III Membership Section A Section B Any organization of women affiliated with WRJ and located within the geographical boundaries of the district shall be eligible for membership. Any woman who is living in a community without a sisterhood and who is too distant from a neighboring sisterhood to make a membership feasible and who is a member of WRJ shall be a member-at-large and shall enjoy all the privileges of membership as a non-voting member.

ARTICLE IV Dues Section A Each affiliated sisterhood shall pay annual dues to the district treasury based upon per capita membership. The per capita amount, not to exceed that authorized by WRJ, shall be determined by the Atlantic District Board of Directors and approved by the delegate body at the biennial district convention (henceforth referred to as the biennial). A member-at-large shall pay dues in accordance with the constitution of WRJ. The fiscal year shall extend from July 1st to June 30th to conform to the fiscal year of WRJ. A sisterhood whose dues are in arrears for two (2) consecutive fiscal years may be suspended from membership in the district by WRJ. A sisterhood that has been suspended may be reinstated with the approval of WRJ.

Section B Section C Section D Section E

ARTICLE V Board of Directors Section A The board of directors shall include officers, area directors, past district presidents, committee chairs, and the president of each affiliated sisterhood in good standing, or her duly appointed representative. Every member of the WRJ Board of Directors residing in the district, by virtue of her membership on said board, shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Atlantic District Board of Directors as a voting member. The board of directors shall act for the district in the interim between biennials. It shall not modify any action taken by the delegate body unless such action is found to be contrary to the policies of WRJ. A regular meeting of the board of directors shall be held annually. In the year of the district biennial, the meeting of the board of directors shall be held immediately prior to and in the same place as the biennial. Special meetings of the board of directors may be called by the president in consultation with the Executive Committee. Such meetings may be held by conference call. Votes may be taken electronically. Twenty per cent of the board of directors shall constitute a quorum.

Section B

Section C

Section D

Section E

Section F

ARTICLE VI Officers Section A Section B The officers of the district shall be: president, first vice president, four (4) vice presidents, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, and treasurer. To be eligible for office a member must be Jewish, be a member of a WRJ affiliated sisterhood in good standing, and be a member of a Union For Reform Judaism (URJ) affiliated congregation. In the case of a newly formed congregation, the congregation must have applied for and be actively pursuing affiliation with URJ. If a board members sisterhood becomes disaffiliated with WRJ or her congregation becomes disaffiliated with URJ during her term, she shall be allowed to complete her term; but she shall not be eligible for election to the Executive Committee for future terms as long as disaffiliation continues. In the event of the death of, or inability of, the president to serve her full term, the first vice president shall succeed to that office. If the office of the first vice president becomes vacant, a successor to that office shall be chosen from the four vice presidents. Selection shall be made by the Executive Committee at a meeting called by the corresponding secretary. If the office of a vice president or any other office becomes vacant, it shall be filled immediately from the members of the board of directors. Officers thus chosen shall hold office for the balance of the unexpired term. Selection shall be made by the Executive Committee.

Section C

Section D Section E

Section F

ARTICLE VII Duties of Officers Section A It shall be the duty of the president to preside at all meetings; to appoint committee chairs, members-at-large and special task forces; to serve as an exofficio member of all committees, except the Nominating Committee; to be responsible for overseeing the planning of both the interim and biennial meetings; to provide general supervision over the interests of the district; and to perform such duties that are indigenous to the office. The first vice president shall serve as an administrative aid to the president. She shall provide direct supervision to the program chair for the interim meeting and the district biennial, and work with the president in planning both these meetings. She shall supervise the area directors. The four (4) vice presidents shall, when called upon by the president, assist the president in the performance of her duties. They are responsible for a portfolio that shall be assigned to them by the president, in accord with WRJ.
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Section B

Section C

Section D Section E

The recording secretary shall keep an accurate record of all meetings. She shall have custody of the By-Laws and Standing Rules. The corresponding secretary shall attend to all correspondence of the district and send notification of all meetings. She shall compile and keep current a directory of officers, directors, committee chairs, and sisterhood presidents. The treasurer is responsible for monitoring the financial operations of the district. She shall keep a record of the payments received and deposit same in banks approved by the Executive Committee. She shall pay all approved bills. She shall serve as chair of the Budget Committee. The treasurer shall present a detailed report at the interim and biennial meetings.

Section F

ARTICLE VIII Area Directors Section A Section B There shall be elected area directors, the exact number to be determined by the Nominating Committee. The requirements to be eligible to serve as an area director are the same as those of officers. See article VI sections B and C.

ARTICLE IX Duties of Area Directors Section A Area directors shall communicate directly on a regular basis with the sisterhoods in their designated areas and provide written reports of those communications to the first vice president. Each area director shall plan and conduct at least one meeting per biennial period, separate from the district biennial conference and WRJ assembly, for the sisterhoods in her area.

Section B

ARTICLE X Executive Committee Section A Section B The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers, area directors, and the immediate past president of the district. The Executive Committee shall manage the affairs of the district between board meetings, but may not reverse or alter any decisions of the delegate body or the board of directors. The Executive Committee shall meet as necessary at the call of the president.

Section C

ARTICLE XI Committees Section A The president shall establish standing and special committees as deemed necessary. These committees shall correspond to those of WRJ, or meet the specific needs of the district.

ARTICLE XII Nominations and Elections Section A The president shall appoint, with due geographic consideration, a Nominating Committee of seven members, to include a chair, three members of the districts board of directors, and three representatives from member sisterhoods. The Nominating Committee chair shall request sisterhoods to submit names, approved by its board of directors, for consideration as candidates for district offices. The Nominating Committee shall submit its proposed slate to the districts officers and the board of directors no less than sixty (60) days prior to the biennial. 1. Further nominations for any position may be made by sending a notice to the chair of the Nominating Committee at least two (2) weeks prior to the district biennial. A nominee may be proposed by a sisterhood member in good standing and must have consented to serve. 2. The expenses of the Nominating Committee shall be met by the district treasury. The work of the committee may be conducted by telephone, e-mail, conventional mail, or in person. Section D Section E Section F Section G The officers and area directors for the district shall be elected at the district biennial. The officers and area directors shall be elected for a term of two (2) years. No officer or area director may serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in any one position on the Executive Committee. Eligibility for election to the Executive Committee shall be: The nominee must be Jewish, shall be a member of a congregation affiliated with URJ, and hold membership in a sisterhood affiliated with WRJ and the district. In the case of a newly formed congregation, the congregation must have applied for and be actively pursuing affiliation with URJ. 1. The nominee for president must have served on the district board in an elected capacity for at least one (1) two-year term.

Section B

Section C

ARTICLE XIII Budget and Finance Section A Section B The president shall appoint the Budget Committee consisting of not more than five women. The treasurer shall serve as the chair of this committee. The Budget Committee shall prepare a two-year budget and submit it to the District Board of Directors for a vote. The board-approved budget shall be submitted to WRJ for its approval. At least thirty days prior to the biennial, the budget shall be sent to member sisterhoods for their review. The district budget will then be voted on at the district biennial.

ARTICLE XIV District Biennial Section A Section B Section C Section D Section E The district shall meet in convention biennially in the alternate fiscal year to that of the WRJ Assembly. The voting body of the biennial shall consist of the board of directors and the delegates or alternates appointed by each sisterhood in good standing. Any sisterhood delinquent in dues to the district or to WRJ for the previous fiscal year shall not have the privilege of vote. Each sisterhood may appoint five delegates and five alternates to the biennial. An alternate may vote only in the absence of a delegate. The quorum for voting at a biennial on matters other than amendments to the bylaws shall be a majority of those in attendance eligible to vote.

ARTICLE XV Amendments Section A The president shall appoint a By-Laws Revision Committee of at least five (5) members to consider proposed amendments to the by-laws. The committee shall consist of a chair, three members of the districts board of directors, and two members from representative sisterhoods. Amendments to the by-laws must be proposed by any of the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. Section C An affiliated sisterhood The Atlantic District Board of Directors The Executive Committee The By-Laws Revision Committee

Section B

All proposed revisions must be approved by the Atlantic District Board of Directors, and then by WRJ, prior to being sent to each sisterhood.

Section D

Amendments shall be sent in writing or electronically to all board members and each sisterhood at least thirty days prior to the biennial at which they will be acted upon. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of those in attendance and eligible to vote shall be required to adopt any amendments.

ARTICLE XVI Parliamentary Authority Section A The governing authority shall be Roberts Rules of Order, Revised in all cases not provided for in these by-laws and not inconsistent with the WRJ Constitution.