ST.

VINCENT DE PAUL
COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC WOMEN
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

Organized March 13, 1956

Revised 2001.2003,2008,2010,2015,2021
 CONSTITUTION
Article I: NAME
Section 1: This organization shall be known as “St. Vincent de Paul Council of Catholic Women” or “CCW”.

Section 2: This organization shall have Our Lady of Good Council as its Patroness.

Section 3: This Council shall be affiliated with the Deanery Council of Catholic Women (DeCCW), Diocesan Council of
Catholic Women (LDCCW), and National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW).

Article II: PURPOSE STATEMENT

Section 1: The Goal of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Catholic Women is to enrich our spiritual life and provide fellowship
and service to others.
Section 2:

A) To serve as the medium, through which the women of the parish act together in manners of interest
to the parish.
B) To aid the Pastor in his respective parish duties.
C) To maintain relations with other Parish organizations in an endeavor to create interest in and to aid in
present day leadership and service programs of the Church and society in the modern world.
D) To further spiritual and material endeavors which may be recommended by the Pastor or by the
Deanery, Diocesan, od National Council of Catholic Women.

Article III: Membership

The Membership of this organization shall consist of all women of the parish.

Article IV: OFFICERS

(Section 1: The officers of the Council shall be President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer. The Pastor shall be the
Spiritual Advisor of the St. Vincent de Paul CCW.)

Section (2)

A) All officers shall be elected biennially for a term of two years. (The term may be extended upon the
mutual agreement of the officer and the membership).
B) No officer shall be eligible for the same office for more than two consecutive terms.
C) New officers will assume their position in the month of September.
D) Non-attendance of an officer for two consecutive meetings without sufficient reason may be
equivalent to resignation. (The vacancy, if created, shall be filled according to the terms of Article VI
below.)
E) Each officer shall, upon or within thirty days after the expiration of her term of office, turn over to her
successor all records pertaining to her office.
F) (Immediately after election of officers, the President and the Treasurer shall sign the signature cards at
the depository bank of the CCW. In the Treasurers absence, past president may continue to sign for
financial obligations.
 ARTICLE V: DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1: The President shall:

A) Preside at all meetings and shall be ex-officio member of all committees.

B) Perform such other duties as required by her office.
C) Appoint the chairs of commissions, standing and special committees.

Section 2: The President-elect shall; In the absence of the President, assume the duties of the President.

Section 3: The Secretary shall:

A) Keep the minutes of all meetings and provide a copy to the President for proofreading within two
weeks of said meeting.
B) Have custody of all records pertaining to her office.
C) Be responsible for all correspondence.
D) Update the Officer, Chairs, and membership rosters yearly.
E) Notify membership of CCW activities through the Sunday bulletin, CCW Facebook page, Parish
website, and/or post on Parish bulletin boards.

Section 4: The Treasurer shall:

A) Be responsible for all money belonging to the St. Vincent de Paul Council of Catholic Women.
B) Collect money from individual members.
C) Issue checks for bills approved for payment. (The president will sign in her absence.)
D) Keep an accurate record of the standing of each paid membership.
E) Arrange for a Mass to be offered for the repose of the soul of deceased members annually during the
month of September.
F) Prepare an annual financial report for distribution at the September meeting.
G) Prepare a fiscal financial report, for the parish office, for the parish fiscal year July 1 st to June 30th.

ARTICLE VI: ELECTIONS

Section 1: Election of officers shall be held in May.

Section 2:

A) Candidates for offices are encouraged and shall be finalized at the May elections.
B) Nominees from the floor will be accepted at the time of election.
C) To be eligible, candidates shall be present or have verified their willingness to accept the office that is
being voted on.

Section 3:

A) Each officer shall be voted separately.

B) Voting shall be in person for each office to be filled for the ensuing term of office.
C) A majority vote shall elect.
D) When there is more than one candidate, voting shall be by ballot.
a. When voting by ballot, there shall be three tellers appointed
b. The tellers shall oversee the ballot box.
c. The tellers shall report the result of the voting.
 BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I:

Section I: General meetings: The regular Council year of the St. Vincent de Paul Council of Catholic Women begins
September 1.

A) St. Vincent de Paul Council of Catholic Women shall meet four times each year. Meetings
generally held the second Tuesday of September, November, February, and May.
B) Additional meetings shall be held as needed.

Section 2: Order of Meetings: Order of the meeting can be changed at the discretion of a quorum of officers.

A) Prayer
B) Allegiance to the cross and the American flag
C) Minutes of Previous meeting / Correspondence
D) Treasurer’s Report
E) President’s Report
F) Commission reports
G) Standing committee reports
H) Activities reports
a. Fundraisers
b. Projects
I) Program if scheduled
J) OLD/NEW Business
K) Closing Prayer
L) Social

Section 3: Attendance at NCCW Convention

A) The CCW treasury shall pay $500 toward the expenses of one CCW member attending National
Convention.
B) Member must petition the CCW to use said funds and give a report upon return from the
convention.

ARTICLE II – RELIGIOUS DUTIES

Section 1: Members are expected to attend weekly Mass

Section 2: Members are encouraged to attend daily Mass and participate in other devotions.
 ARTICLE III – DUES

Section 1: Annual membership dues for the St. Vincent de Paul Council of Catholic Women shall be $10 per year.

Section 2: Membership dues shall before September 1 st to August 31st.

Section 3: Honorary Membership for older women confined to home, nursing home, or assisted living. Any member of
our CCW that can no longer attend meetings or take part in functions because of chronic illness, physical infirmities, or
mental incapacitation, will be considered a lifetime member of our organization. To recognize their past contributions,
yearly dues will no longer be required.

Section 4: Membership weekend will be the weekend before the September meeting, usually the second Sunday.

ARTICLE IV- Commissions

Section 1: This organization shall have the following named commissions:

A) Spirituality Commission (Church and Legislative concerns)

B) Service Commission (Family, Community, and international concerns)
C) Leadership Commission (Organization Concerns)

ARTICLE V - ACTIVITY COORDINATOR

Section 1: Any CCW fundraisers or projects shall have a Project Coordinator.

Section 2: The coordinator shall render a written report of the activity to the president within thirty days of the
completion of the activity.

Section 3: The coordinator shall turn in all funds and receipts to the treasurer within thirty days of completion of the
activity.

ARTICLE VI - AMENDMENTS

Section 1: These by-laws may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of members present.

Section 2: Notice of proposed amendment shall have been made at least thirty days before the meeting.