Subject to the Rule and Constitutions of the Secular Franciscan Order, to the National Statutes of the Secular Franciscan Order in Canada and the Statutes of Our Lady of the Angels Regional Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order, the following bylaws are adopted:
ARTICLE I – NAME
I.1 The Fraternity shall be known as St. Mary’s Fraternity, Secular Franciscan Order.
I.2 The abbreviated form of the official name of the Fraternity is St. Mary’s Fraternity, OFS.
ARTICLE II – THE FRATERNITY YEAR
II.1 The Fraternity fiscal year shall be from January 1 to December 31.
ARTICLE III – THE FRATERNITY COUNCIL
III.1 All council members are elected in accordance with the National Statutes. The members of the Fraternity Council are: Minister, Vice Minister, Treasurer, Secretary and Director of Formation.
III.2 The Council may name members to other positions as it deems necessary for the life of the fraternity. For greater clarity, appointed officials are not councillors and have voice but no vote if they attend council meetings.
III.3 The Council may appoint committees it deems necessary for the life of the Fraternity.
III.4 The Council shall report to the Fraternity on the ongoing state of its internal and external life so that Fraternity members know what the Council is doing.
ARTICLE IV – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
IV.1 All Council members are elected in accordance with the National Statutes.
IV.2 Only professed members in good standing under Article IX may take part in nominations or elections. For greater clarity, temporarily professed members may vote, but may not be elected to office, pursuant to Article 77.1 of the General Constitutions.
IV.3 In December proceeding the date of the election, the Fraternity Council shall appoint a Nominating Committee Chairperson and his/her assistant.
IV.4 The election shall take place at the Fraternity meeting in April.
IV.5 In case of a vacancy in office, Article 81 of the General Constitutions applies.
ARTICLE V – FINANCES
V.1 All funds shall be deposited in a banking institution and all expenditures shall be controlled by the Council. Two of four authorized signatures shall be required on all cheques. The four authorized signatures shall be those of the Minister, Vice Minister, Treasurer and Secretary.
V.2 Only one authorized signer may reside in any given household.
V.3 There shall be an examination of the Fraternity’s financial books at the end of the fiscal year.
V.4 Sufficient funds shall be maintained at the end of the year to meet known expenses of the early part of the following year, e.g. assessment for the Higher Fraternity.
V.5 Early in the new fiscal year, the Council shall give a financial report to the Fraternity.
ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS
VI.1 Fraternity meetings shall normally be held once every month except in July and August when no meetings are scheduled. For a reason deemed sufficiently serious by the Council, exceptions to this may be made.
VI.2 Council meetings shall be held preceding each Fraternity meeting at a time and place designated by the Minister in consultation with the councillors. It shall be far enough in advance of the Fraternity meeting to allow proper preparation for the latter.
VI.3 Inquirers and Candidates shall meet at least once a month at a time approved by the Council.
VI.4 Special meetings may be called by the Minister as occasion demands.
ARTICLE VII – NEWSLETTER
VII.1 The Fraternity newsletter shall be sent to members several times a year as the need for fraternal communication and openness dictates.
ARTICLE VIII – FORMATION
VIII.1 The formation program follows Articles 37 to 45 of the General Constitutions and the formation guidelines of Our Lady of the Angels Regional Fraternity.
VIII.2 Inquirers are admitted in September and may also be admitted in February if the Council deems necessary. The period of inquiry shall last at least six months and no more than a year.
VIII.3 The period of candidacy shall last for at least one year and up to two years.
VIII.4 The entire Council is to discern prayerfully before admitting inquirers to candidacy and profession.
ARTICLE IX – GOOD STANDING
IX.1 A member of the fraternity in good standing is one who has attended at least one General Meeting within the Fraternity’s fiscal year or has made a monetary contribution within the fiscal year or both.
ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS
X.1 These bylaws may be amended, added to or revised by a two-thirds majority of the council, and subsequent approval of the Fraternity at large.
X.2 Amendments shall be presented to the Fraternity at a General Meeting and shall be put to a vote no earlier than the next General Meeting and no later than the second next General Meeting.
X.3 Approval of the Fraternity at large means a vote of fifty (50) per cent plus one of those eligible to vote who attend the General Meeting at which the proposed amended bylaws are voted on.
X.4 Members eligible to vote are those eligible under Articles IV.2 and IX.
RECOMMENDING:
Minister, St. Mary’s Fraternity
APPROVING:
Minister, Our Lady of the Angels Regional Fraternity
APPROVING:
Spiritual Assistant, Our Lady of the Angels Regional Fraternity
The Bylaws were approved January 18, 2014 by Our Lady of the Angels Regional Council.