BY-LAWS
Brazos Valley Emmaus Community
As Amended by the BVEC Board of Directors
Effective July 2020

Article I. Name:
The name of the community shall be “The Brazos Valley Emmaus Community”, hereinafter referred to as the “Community”, a Texas nonprofit corporation.

Article II. Purpose:
Section 1. The purpose of the Community shall be to inspire, challenge, and equip church members for Christian action in their homes, churches, places of work, and the world community through the Emmaus experience.

Section 2. The community shall operate under an agreement with the Upper Room Ministries, Nashville, TN.

Article III. Membership:
Section 1. All persons who have completed the Walk to Emmaus sponsored by any Upper Room Emmaus community and who reside within the boundaries of this Community, or any person who completed the Walk to Emmaus in this Community shall be considered members of this Community.

Section 2. Persons who have completed a Cursillo, Via de Cristo, or Tres Dias weekend may become members by participating in the activities of the Community and asking the Secretary or Registrar of the Community to include their names on the membership listing.

Article IV. Board of Directors:
Section 1. Direction of the Community will be vested in the Board of Directors.

Section 2. The Board of Directors will consist of fifteen (15) elected members, the immediate past Community Board Chairperson, and the Community Spiritual Director.

Section 3. Term of Office
a. Members of the Board of Directors shall be elected by Community members for three (3) year terms in three (3) classes; each class shall have five (5) members.
b. Board members cannot succeed themselves in consecutive terms; a term is three (3) years.
c. Terms of office shall begin January 1 and shall terminate December 31, except for officers who shall serve until election of new officers is completed in January as provided in Article V, below.

Section 4. Election of Board Members
a. Board Members shall be elected by the Community at large.
b. The Nominating Committee shall submit to the Board a slate of seven (7) nominees from which five (5) shall be elected.
c. Ballots shall be provided to the Community members in the most effective way possible and shall be available no later than October 15 of each year.
d. Ballots will be received by the Board no later than November 15 of each year.
e. The five nominees receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected.
f. The immediate past Board chairperson shall serve on the Board one (1) additional year or the normal period of their term, whichever is longer.
g. The Board may elect persons, upon nomination by the chair, to fill a vacant term until the next regular election for that term. Such persons are eligible for election to a full term by the Community at such regular election.

Article V: Officers of the Board of Directors
Section 1. Officers
Officers shall be the Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, and in case of absences will chair meetings in this order. The Vice-Chair must be eligible to serve an additional year on the board and serve as the Chair if elected to that post. Officers can accept responsibility for a committee chair in addition to their elected position on the Board.

Section 2. Election of Officers
Officers shall be elected annually by the Board at the January meeting for a one (1) year term of office effective with the close of the January meeting.

Section 3. Spiritual Director
The Community Spiritual Director shall be selected annually by the Board of Directors. Term of office shall begin January 1. The Spiritual Director may be replaced during the term by ten (10) affirmative votes.

Article VI: Meetings
Section 1. The Board shall meet monthly in regular meetings unless otherwise ordered by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board in a regular meeting.

Section 2. Quorum
Sixty percent (60%) of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at a duly called meeting.

Section 3. Special Meetings
Special Board meetings may be called by the chairperson, or when requested in writing by ten (10) members of the Board.

Article VII: Committees
Section 1. The Board shall name Board members to chair the following committees:
Agape, Candlelight/Sponsors Hour, Facilities (set-up and tear down), Music/Entertainment, Nominations, Team Selection, Prayer, Registrar, Training, Newsletter, Webmaster, Reunion Group/Fourth Day, Gatherings, Kitchen, Literature and Supplies.

Section 2. The Chairperson of the Board will be an ex-officio member of all standing committees.

Section 3. Any Community member may be appointed to serve on any committee. The Board may annually approve the establishment of additional committees and name Community members to serve on such committees.

Article VIII: Walk to Emmaus
Section 1. The Community shall follow the guidelines of the Upper Room Walk to Emmaus program in the presentation of the three-day (72 hour) experience called “The Walk to Emmaus”. The guidelines are attached hereto.

Section 2. The Board of Directors shall have general oversight in all matters relating to the local Walk to Emmaus.

Section 3. The Board of Directors shall choose a Lay Director for each Community Walk to Emmaus weekend.

Section 4. The Spiritual Director for each Community Walk to Emmaus weekend shall be selected by the Board.

Section 5. The Board shall establish a Team Selection Committee. The Team Selection Committee shall consist of a Board member, who serves as chairperson, the Community Spiritual Director and three (3) or four (4) members of the Community who have broad awareness of the Community membership and a solid understanding of team needs. Community members are appointed by the Board chairperson.

Article IX: Amendments
Section 1. Proposed amendments may be presented to the Board by any member of the Community one (1) month in advance of consideration by the Board.

Section 2. If the amendments are voted in the affirmative by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the Board, they will be circulated to the membership through the most effective way possible, and if no petitions signed by at least twenty-five (25) Community members objecting to the new amendments are received, the amendments will be considered adopted. Any objections must be received within sixty (60) days of the mailing of the notification. If any objection petition is received, the amendment will be considered void.

Section 3. If the Board then wishes to submit the amendment to the Community for a vote, it may do so. A plurality of votes cast by the membership will decide the matter.

Article X: Ratification
The amended bylaws take effect immediately upon certification by the board that a plurality of the votes cast by the Community approves them.