First Church in Dedham

By-Laws

(Adopted January 16, 1950; January 15, 1973, January 21, 1974, January 26, 1986)

I. The officers of the Church shall be a Clerk, three Deacons, and a Church Committee.

II. Deacons shall be elected for a term of six years. The unexpired terms of the Deacons now serving are hereby reduced from three and six to two and four years, respectively, at each Annual Meeting in even numbered years a Deacon shall be elected. If any vacancy occurs, it shall be filled for the unexpired term at the Church Meeting held next after the vacancy occurs. The Deacons shall, as provided by law, hold and manage the property of the church.

III. The Church Committee shall be composed at all times of the Deacons and other members of the Parish Committee of the First Parish in Dedham then in being ex officio. The Chairman of the Parish Committee shall be the Chairman of the Church Committee.

IV. The Church Committee may exercise all the powers of the Church except such as conferred by law or by these by-laws on the members of the Church or on the Deacons. The Church Committee shall be charged with the overseeing f the Church services, but this in no ways alters the responsibility of the Deacons for the maintenance of public worship. The Church Committee shall appoint such committees as it deems advisable.

V. The Clerk of the Parish shall be the Clerk of the Church.

VI. There shall be an Auditing Committee composed of the members of the then Auditing Committee of the Parish.

VII. There shall be a Nominating Committee composed of the members of the then Nominating Committee of the Parish.

VIII. The Annual Meeting shall be held concurrently with the Annual Meeting of the Parish. Committee. A special meeting of the

First Church By Laws p. 2 of 2

Church may be called by the Deacons or by the Church Committee or by twenty-five members of the Church. Notice of all meetings of the Church shall be given seven days at lest in advance by posting the call in the vestibule of the Meeting House or Parish House, stating the objects for which the meeting is called.

IX. Twenty –five members of the Church entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.

X. Any person of the age of sixteen years may be with the consent of the Church Committee, become a member of the Church on signing an agreement to conform to its rules and regulations.

XI. The Church shall recommend to the Parish such Minister as it may choose. The Church and the Parish by majority vote each on one part, or the Minister on the other, may terminate the connection on three month’s notice.

XII. These by-laws may be repealed or amended by vote of two-thirds of the members entitled to vote present at any meeting of the Church, provided notice of the changes proposed shall have been given in the call for said meeting.

XIII. No funds may be expended except pursuant to a budget approved at an annual or special meeting of the Parish, provided that the Parish Committee may reallocate budgeted funds and provided further, that the Parish Committee may approve of the expenditure of reserve and special funds consistent with the purpose of such funds.

XIV. These By-Laws may be repealed or amended by a vote of two thirds of the members entitled to vote present at any meeting of the Parish, provided notice of the changes proposed shall have been given in the warrant for said meeting.

First Parish in Dedham

By-Laws

(Adopted January 16, 1950; Amended January 15, 1968, January 15, 1973, January 18, 1982, December 8, 1985, January 26, 1986, January 24, 1988, January 26, 1977)

I. The officers of the Parish shall be a Clerk, Treasurer and Parish Committee.

II. The Parish Committee shall be a committee of eleven. The three Deacons of the First Church in Dedham and the Clerk and the Treasurer shall be members ex officio. The other six members shall be elected by the Parish as hereinafter provided. The Parish Committee may exercise all the powers of the Parish except such as are conferred by affairs shall be managed by the Parish Committee. It shall appoint such committees as it deems advisable. The chairman of the Parish Committee shall be the executive officer of the Church.

III. Following the adoption of these by-laws, six members of the Parish Committee shall be elected by ballot, two each for a term of one year, two each for a term of two years, and two each for a term of three years, and thereafter the Parish at each Annual Meeting shall elect two each for a term of three years. The Clerk and the Treasurer shall each be elected by ballot at each Annual Meeting each for a term of one year. All officers shall hold office until their successors shall have been chosen and qualified. There shall be an Auditing Committee elected at each Annual Meeting for one year. Any vacancies shall be filed at the Parish Meeting held next after the vacancy occurs.

IV. There shall be a Nominating Committee composed of the following persons: one Deacon chosen by the Deacons, one member of the Parish Committee chosen by the Parish Committee, in each case one whose term of office is not expiring, the Chairman of the Religious Education Committee, the President of the Women’s Alliance, and the President of the Men’s Club. In the event that either of the above named organizations is inactive, the Parish Committee shall choose a substitute member or members from the Parish-at-large. Any member of the committee unable to attend a meeting shall designate a member of his committee or organization, as the case may be, to attend in his place. During the meeting to which he is accredited a person so designated shall have all the rights and powers of a member of the committee. The committee shall make nominations for each office to be filled by election at any meeting of the Parish.

V. The Annual Meeting shall be held during the first and second weeks of May, at the discretion of the Parish Committee. The fiscal year of the Parish shall begin in July.

VI. Every Parish Meeting shall be called in pursuance of a warrant under the hands of the Parish Committee, or a majority thereof, which shall state the time and place of the meeting and the subjects to be acted upon thereat and which shall be posted in the Meeting House or Parish House, seven days at least before the Meeting.

VII. Twenty –five members of the Parish entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.

VIII. Any person of the age of sixteen years may be with the consent of the Parish Committee, become a member of the Parish on signing an agreement to conform to its rules and regulations.

IX. The Minister shall be called by the Parish on recommendation of the Church. The Church and the Parish by majority vote each on one part, or the Minister on the other, may terminate the connection on three month’s notice.

X. All pews shall continue to be free.

XI. No funds may be expended except pursuant to a budget approved at an annual or special meeting of the Parish, provided that the Parish Committee may reallocate budgeted funds and provided further, that the Parish Committee may approve of the expenditure of reserve and special funds consistent with the purpose of such funds.

XII. These By-Laws may be repealed or amended by a vote of tow-thirds of the members entitled to vote present at any meeting of the Parish, provided notice of the changes proposed shall have been given in the warrant for said meeting.

Standing Votes as Adopted at Church & Parish Meetings:

Voted: To authorize the Deacons and their successors, from time to time, to pay over the income from the property, both real and personal, held by them to the Treasurer of the First Parish in Dedham.

(January 16, 1950)

Voted: That the combined Church and Parish Committee be and hereby is authorized to appoint all other necessary committees not otherwise chosen or appointed.

(January 15, 1951)

Voted:

That the Deacons of the First Church in Dedham now or hereafter in office, whenever they see fit, from time to time, so to do have full power and authority to sell, assign, transfer and otherwise dispose of, for such consideration as seems best to them, any personal property now or hereafter held in the name of or belonging to First Church in Dedham, including without limiting the generality hereof, stocks, bonds, debentures and notes and the right to subscribe to any of the foregoing and to execute and deliver any and all instruments requisite in the premises. Any act done by the Deacons pursuant to the foregoing power and authority shall be deemed to be conclusive evidence that they see fit to take it and that the consideration thereof seems best to them.

(January 20, 1958)

Voted: To authorize the Church and Parish Committee to elect an Assistant Treasurer of the Parish from time to time when deemed advisable.

(January 18, 1965)

Voted: That the Deacons as Trustees of various funds of the First Church and Parish in Dedham be and herby are authorized from time to time, as they deem appropriate, to employ investment counseling and/or custodianship services for their assistance in the management and investment of such funds.

(January 18, 1965)

Voted: A “Standing Policy Resolution” was adopted to provide a means for financing the maintenance of Church buildings for current and future use. The members of the First Church and Parish in Dedham voted to request that the Deacons:

1) Establish an unrestricted BUILDING MAINTENANCE FUND the income from which shall be used for the perpetual maintenance of the buildings, their contents, and the ground of First Church in Dedham,

2) Transfer the unrestricted gift received from the Estate of Mable C. Merritt and the unrestricted gifts held by vote of the Parish Committee in the Roger and Anne Smith Parish House Maintenance Fund into the Building Maintenance Fund as principle.

3) Manage and invest the BUILDING MAINTENANCE FUND as part of The First Church in Dedham Combined Fund and distribute all the income from the Building Maintenance Fund at least once a year into an income account from which the Deacons may make expenditure for the fund’s purpose or accumulate for future use,

4) Allocate annually the first &10,000 of income from the First Church Fund to the Income Account of the Building Maintenance Fund,

5) Repay the outstanding balance on the Parsonage repair load from the Building Maintenance Fund income account.

The following restrictions are agreed to:

1) The principle of the Building Maintenance Fund shall not be distributed for any purpose without the prior authorization by vote at a duly called Parish Meeting of seventy-five percent of all Parish members.

2) The Income Account of the Building Maintenance fund shall make no expenditures for other than the fund’s purposes without the prior authorization by vote at a duly called Parish Meeting of seventy-five percent of all Parish members,

3) The Deacons shall recognize and execute any authorization so voted.

(January 26, 1992)

Voted: Replace Article V which currently reads: “The Annual Meeting shall be held during the first and second weeks of May, at the discretion of the Parish Committee. The fiscal year of the Parish shall begin in July. With: The Annual Meeting shall be held during the month of May, on a date chosen at the discretion of the Parish Committee. The fiscal year of the Parish shall begin on July 1^st.”

(May 13, 2003)