By-Laws
 
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

St. Thomas Council 13861
Sanford, Maine 04073
 
Article I – Council
 

Section 1.     This Council shall be known as St. Thomas Council No. 13861, Knights of Columbus. 

 

Section 2.     The initiation fee shall be nil.

 

Section 3.     Each member shall pay annual dues. The annual dues of members shall be 30.00, except honorary members who shall pay the sum of State and Supreme Council per capital charges and levies, and honorary life members who shall pay nothing. A reduced rate of dues for insured members under 26 years of age may be established, but it shall not be less than 3.00 per year. Except as stated above, the dues of associate and insurance members shall be the same.   

Section 4.     The Financial Secretary shall receive annual compensation, payable in quarterly
installments at the end of each quarter, from the council an amount equal to 8 percent of the moneys collected on account of dues from both insurance and associate members.
 

Article II – Elections

 
Section 1.   The annual election of officers shall take place at a regular membership meeting
held between May 1 and June 15 of each fraternal year. At least two months before the
annual election, the Grand Knight shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three who shall
prepare a slate of candidates for the elective council offices. This slate shall be presented to
the council not later than the regular membership meeting preceding the meeting at which
annual elections are to take place. Other nominations may be made from the floor and
nominations may not be closed until the election meeting has convened and the members
are ready to ballot.

Section 2.   The election of officers shall be by ballot and a majority of all votes cast shall be
necessary to elect. When only one candidate is proposed for a particular office and no further nominations have been made from the floor, the presiding Grand Knight shall declare the individual elected by acclamation. Voting by proxy or absentee ballot is prohibited.

Section 3.   The Grand Knight shall appoint two members to act as Tellers. After all who are
entitled to do so have voted, the ballot shall be declared closed and the Tellers shall then
proceed to count the votes in full view of the Council. One of the Tellers shall examine each
ballot singly and pass the same to his associate, who shall read aloud the name or names
written or printed on all legal ballots. The Recorder shall tally the same and the result thereof shall be announced by the Grand Knight.

Section 4.    Each officer elected must qualify and fill the office to which he is chosen, with or
without installation, at the first regular membership meeting in the month of July succeeding
his election, unless excused by a vote of the Council, and must present himself for
installation at the time specified in the notice issued by or through the State Deputy or District Deputy, unless excused by such officer. Otherwise such office shall be considered vacant.

Section 5.   Vacancies in elective offices shall be filled, after notice to the members, by
election at the regular business meeting next succeeding the regular membership meeting at which the vacancy was created.
 

Article III – Officers

Section 1.   Only members who are in good standing and who have been initiated in the first
three Degrees of the Order shall be eligible to hold office in this Council. No member shall
hold more than one office at the same time.

Section 2.   The elective offices shall be as follows: Grand Knight, Deputy Grand Knight,
Chancellor, Recorder, Treasurer, Advocate, Warden, Inside Guard, Outside Guard (two
Outside Guards may be elected) and Board of Trustees.

Section 3.   The appointive officers shall be as follows: Financial Secretary, Lecturer and
Chaplain. The Financial Secretary shall be appointed by the Supreme Knight. The Chaplain
shall be selected by the Grand Knight, Deputy Grand Knight and Board of Trustees in
accordance with any rules established by the Bishop of the Diocese. The Grand Knight shall
appoint the Lecturer.

Section 4.   At the last regular business meeting in June of each year, the Council shall
determine the amount of bond to be given by the Treasurer and Financial Secretary in
addition to the bond furnished by the Supreme Council. The Treasurer and Financial
Secretary shall not take office or be installed, or receive any money or property of the Council until they have furnished such bond and the same has been approved by the Board of Trustees. The premium on said bond shall be paid by the Council.

Section 5.   The Council Officers shall perform the duties required of them by the Laws and
Rules of the Order, and by these By-Laws and such other duties as the Council may direct.

Section 6.   At the end of each semiannual period, the Board of Trustees shall meet and audit the several books of this Council. In each January and July, the Board of Trustees shall
make a full report of their findings, including the receipts and disbursements of the moneys of this Council for the previous semiannual period, the balance on hand to the credit of each of the various funds at the end of each semiannual period, and the assets and liabilities of the Council. The Grand Knight shall issue the call for such meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Section 7.   Where a member ipso facto forfeits his membership, the Grand Knight and
Financial Secretary shall immediately notify the Supreme Secretary of such forfeiture and
shall immediately send notice in writing to the member. The notice shall state with
particularity the reason for the forfeiture and the date the forfeiture occurred. In those cases
relating to ipso facto forfeiture for failure to pay council dues, such notice shall not be sent to the Supreme Secretary or to the member until an officer or a member of the Retention
Committee shall contact the member and endeavor to have him retain his membership.

Section 8.   The Recorder shall file all reports in a filing book to be provided for that purpose
and the same shall be preserved as a part of the records of this Council.

   
Section 1.   The Council's monthly membership meeting and council officers' business meeting shall be held at a date, time and location established by the Council. Eight members shall constitute a quorum at meetings.

Section 2.   All meetings of the Council shall be presided over by the Grand Knight, who will
ascertain from the Warden if all present are possessed of the current membership card.

Section 3.   The order of business and procedure for all regular membership meetings of this Council shall conform to Section 125 of the Laws of the Order.

Section 4.   Special membership meetings can be convened: (1) by vote of the Council at a
preceding regular membership meeting; (2) by direction of the Grand Knight; (3) by the
Grand Knight upon the written request of seven members stating the object of the meeting.
Due notice of special business meetings and their purpose shall be given to each member in the usual way and no other business shall be transacted at any such meeting.

Section 5.   The following shall be the order of business and procedure at special membership meetings:
 

1. Call to Order
2. Warden's Report on Membership Card
3. Prayer
4. Opening Ode*
5. Roll Call of Officers
6. Special Order of Business
7. Prayer*

Parts of the order of business marked with an asterisk may be omitted.

Section 6.   It shall be the duty of all officers to attend each meeting of the Council. In case of inability of any officer to attend a meeting, due notice shall be given to the Grand Knight and arrangements made to have all necessary books and papers in the possession of such
officer at the meeting. If a Chair Officer is absent from a meeting, the presiding officer shall
designate a member to act for him. If an elected officer, without reasonable excuse approved by the Grand Knight, is absent from three consecutive regular membership meetings, the Grand Knight may report this fact to the District Deputy for such action under Section 92(b) of the Laws and Rules of the Order as the District Deputy deems appropriate.

Section 7.   In the absence or inability of the Grand Knight the Deputy Grand Knight shall
preside and he shall execute all of the duties of the Grand Knight. In the absence of the
Grand Knight and Deputy Grand Knight the duty of presiding shall devolve on the other
officers of the Council in the order in which they are named in Section 126 of the Laws and
Rules of the Order.

Section 8.   If any meeting shall fall on a legal holiday said meeting shall be held the following
day unless the Council, by vote at a previous business meeting, annuls such meeting or fixes
a different date for such meeting within the month for which it is scheduled.
   
Section 1.   The Grand Knight and Deputy Grand Knight shall privately inspect the ballot box,
both before and after the ballot, and the Grand Knight shall announce the result. The Warden shall be responsible for the balloting of candidates and shall distribute ballots to all members present. He shall place the ballot box on the salutation table and take his place six feet therefrom. He shall then request that all officers vote and after they have voted, he shall
request the members to vote. They shall advance in single file and deposit their ballots. No
member shall pass the Warden until the member preceding him has voted. After all who
desire to do so have voted, the Warden shall exhibit the ballot box to the Grand Knight and
Deputy Grand Knight and they shall count the votes. If the number of negative ballots cast
does not exceed one-half of the members present, the applicant shall be declared elected,
otherwise rejected. The exact number of negative ballots shall not be stated. If more than
one candidate is to be balloted for at a meeting, the Grand Knight may announce that the first ballot shall be a general one upon all the candidates, and if not more than one-half of those present shall cast negative ballots upon the such general ballot, no other ballots shall be taken. If such announcement is made, and no more than one-half negative ballots are cast upon said general ballot, all candidates so balloted for shall be declared elected. If more than one-half negative ballots are cast upon said general ballot, then an individual ballot shall be taken on each candidate.
   
Section 1.   In addition to the Committees provided for in the Laws and Rules of the Order, the following Service Program Directors shall be appointed:
 
Section 2.   Except as herein provided, all Committees shall be appointed by the Grand Knight and the first person named on the Committee shall act as Chairman thereof. Standing
Committees shall serve for the current year or until their successors have been appointed. A
majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business.

 
Article VII - Funds
 

Section 1.   All moneys obtained from any source, by or through any person or persons, acting for or in the name of the Council or under its direction or authority, shall be considered Council Funds and shall be forthwith delivered to the Financial Secretary, who will give his official receipt therefore and who will report at each officers business meeting the amounts so received and from what source and shall deliver the same to the council Treasurer and take his receipt therefore.

Section 2.   The Treasurer shall deposit all moneys received from the Financial Secretary in a bank to the credit of the council. Disbursements from this fund shall be made in accordance with the Laws of the Order and the rules promulgated on the Officers' Desk Reference. The depository bank shall be furnished with a copy of this section.

Section 3.   No money in excess of 500.00 shall be paid or transferred from the Treasury of
this Council, (except such moneys as the Council is called upon to regularly pay for its
current expenses and as provided by the Laws and Rules of the Order or for purposes
approved by the Supreme Council or Board of Directors), unless by a two-thirds vote of the
members present and voting at a regular business meeting held subsequent to a regular
business meeting at which notice in writing of a resolution of intention to pay or transfer such money and the purposes and amount to be paid or transferred shall have been given and regularly read.

Section 4.   All bills shall be presented to the Recorder and referred to the Board of Trustees. In case a bill is not approved by the Board of Trustees, it shall be referred back to the Council for action.

Section 5.   The sum of 300.00 shall be paid from the General Fund to the Financial Secretary and shall be known as the Relief Fund. A Relief Committee shall be composed of the Grand Knight, Financial Secretary and Treasurer and shall investigate the case of any brother who is reported to be in distress or in need of relief. If, in the Committee's judgment, the case is one deserving of assistance, the Committee shall have power to draw from this Relief Fund such reasonable sum of money to afford assistance as the circumstances of the case may require, provided that in no single case shall more than 100.00 be paid out without reference to and approval by the Council.

 
Article VIII - Funerals, Etc.
 

Section 1.   Upon the death of a member in good standing, the Memorial Committee shall give notice to the members and, if time permits, shall request them to assemble and pay their respects to the memory of the deceased at a time and place to be indicated in such notice.

Section 2.   When notice of the death of a member in good standing is received, the Memorial Committee shall forward to the family of the deceased a message of condolence on behalf of the Council. The Memorial Committee shall arrange to have one Mass said for the repose of the soul of the deceased. The Memorial Committee shall arrange for the celebration during the month of November of each year a Mass for the repose of the souls of the deceased members and shall cause five days notice to be given to the members of the time and place of such Mass. The Mass shall be celebrated by the Chaplain unless he is indisposed.

 
Article IX - Miscellaneous

 Section 1.   These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at a regular membership meeting held subsequent to a regular membership meeting at which a resolution in writing providing for such amendment shall have been read and notice of the proposed amendment shall have been given to the members in writing or in the council publication at least five days prior to the second meeting.

Section 2.   Procedure and debate shall be in accordance with the Laws and Rules of the
Supreme Council, the Supreme Board of Directors, these By-Laws and the Rules of Parliamentary Law known as "Robert's Rules of Order."

These By-Laws adopted by vote of the Council, March 11, 2021.

Terence J Sylvanus
Grand Knight

John R Chandonnet
Recorder

Date of Institution: July 4, 2005

Approved: March 11, 2021

John A. Marrella
Supreme Advocate