By-Laws of Wat Buddhavas of Houston, 1982 As Amended, 1986
Article One Organization 1. The name of this organization shall be WAT BUDDHAVAS OF HOUSTON. The organization shall also be known as BUDDHAVAS TEMPLE OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.
2.The organization shall have a seal which shall be in the following form :
3. The organization may at its pleasure by an unanimous vote of the membership body change its name.
Article Two Purposes The following are the purposes for which this organization has been organized:
1. to uphold and foster the teachings of the Buddha among members of the community;
2. to provide for Buddhist education to member of community;
3. to erect and maintain a Buddhist temple in the area of Houston, Texas;
4. to provide for the support and maintain of the resident members of Buddhist monkshood;
5. other charitable and religious services.
Article Three Memberships Membership in this organization shall be open to all persons who wish to profess or gain knowledge of Buddhism.
Article Four Meetings The annual membership meeting of this organization shall be held on the Saturday in April closest to the date on which falls the Songkran Festival each and every year. The Secretary shall cause to be published a notice telling the time and place of such annual meeting. Regular meeting of this organization shall be held at 511 Court Road, Houston, Texas or at any other location determined at the direction of the Board of Directors. However, upon the completion of construction of the temple, regular meetings shall be held at the temple.
The presence of not less than 25 members shall constitute a quorum and shall be necessary to conduct the business of this organization. A quern as herein before set forth shall be required at any adjourned meeting.
Special meetings of this organization may be called by the President when he deems it for the best interest of the organization. Notices of such meeting shall be published at the place of worship at least 15 but not more than 30 days before the scheduled date set for such special meeting. Such notice shall state the reasons that such meeting has Been called, the business to be transacted at such meeting, and by whom called.
At the request of four members of the Board of Directors or 25 members of the organization the President shall cause a special meeting to be call but such request must be made in writing at least 20 days before the requested scheduled date.
No other business but that specified in the notice may be transacted at such special meeting without the unanimous consent of all present at such meeting.
Article Five Voting All meetings, except for the election of officers and directions, all votes shall be viva voce, except that for election of officers ballots shall be provided and there shall not appear any place on such ballot any mark or marking that might tend to indicate the person who cast such ballot.
At any regular or special meeting if a majority so requires any question may be voted upon in the manner and style provided for election of officers and directors.
At all votes by ballot the chairman of such meeting shall immediately prior to the commencement of balloting appoint a committee of three who act as "Inspectors of Election" and who shall at the conclusion of such balloting certify in writing t the chairman the results and the certified copy shall be physically affixed in the minute book to the minutes of that meeting.
No Inspector of Election shall be a candidate for director or shall be personally interested in the question voted upon.
Article Six Order of Business 1. Roll Call
2. Reading of the minutes of the preceding meeting
3. Reports of Committees
4. Reports of Officers
5. Old or unfinished business
6. New business
7. Adjournment
Article Seven Board of Directors The business of this organization shall be managed by a Board of Directors consisting of ten members. Four of the members of the Board shall be duly ordained members of the monkshood and six of the members of the Board shall be laymen. The monks who serve as members of the Board shall be those monks who currently reside at Wat Buddhavas of Houston. If the number of monks who reside at Wat Buddhavas of Houston falls below the required, then the remaining monks who reside at Wat Buddhavas of Houston shall chose any additional monk from those currently residing in the United State. At least one of the Directors shall be a resident of the State of Texas and a citizen of the United States.
The lay Directors shall be chosen at the annual meeting of the organization and shall serve for a two year period. The officers of the organization shall be elected by majority vote of the Board of Directors and shall be members of the Board prior to their election.
The Board of Directors shall have the control and management of the affairs and business of this organization. Such Board of Directors shall only act in the name of the organization when it shall be regularly convened by its Chairman after due notice to all the Directors of such meeting.
Six of the members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum and the meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held whenever the Chairman of the Board of Directors deems necessary but no less than twice per year.
Each Director shall have one vote and such vote may not be done by proxy. The Board of Directors may make such rules and regulation covering its meeting as it may in its discretion determine necessary. Vacancies in the Board of Directors shall be filled by a vote of the majority of the remaining members of the Board for the balance of the year. If a vacant position is that of a monk, another monk shall be appointed by the Directors who are members of the monkshood.
The President of the organization by virtue of his office shall serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors and shall be a member of the monkshood.
A Director may be removed when sufficient cause exists for such removal. The Board of Directors my entertain charges against any Director. A Director my be represented by counsel upon any removal hearing. The Board of Directors shall adopt such rules as it may its discretion consider necessary for the best interrests of the organization.
Article Eight Officers The officers of organization shall be as follows: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
The President shall preside at all membership meetings. He shall present at each annual meeting of the organization an annual report of the work of the organization.
He shall appoint all committees, temporary or permanent.
He shall see all books, reports, and certificates as required by law to be properly kept and filed.
He shall be one of the officers who may sign checks or drafts of the organization.
He shall have such powers as may be reasonable construed as belonging to chief executive of any organization.
He shall appoint any assistants to the officers as he shall deem necessary.
The Vice President shall in the event of the absence or inability of the president to exercise his office become acting president of organization with all the rights, privileges and powers as if he had been the duly elected president.
The Secretary shall keep the minutes and records of the organization in appropriate books.
It shall be his duty to file any certificate required by any statute, federal or state.
He shall be the official custodian of the records and seal of this organization.
He may be one of the officers required to sign the check and drafts of the organization.
He shall present to the membership at any meetings any communication addressed to him as Secretary of the organization.
He shall submit to the Board of Directors any communications which shall be addressed to him as Secretary of the organization.
He shall attend to all correspondence of the organization and shall exercise all duties incident to the office of Secretary.
The Treasurer shall have the care and custody of all monies belonging to the organization and shall be solely responsible for such monies or securities of the organization. He shall to be deposited in a regular business bank or savings and loan company a sum not less than $100.00 and not exceeding an amount necessary for daily operations of organization; the balance of the funds of the organization shall be deposited in a saving account except that the Board of Directors may cause such funds to be invested in such investments shall be legal for a bank in the State of Texas.
He must be one of the officers who shall sign checks or drafts of the organization. No special fund except as noted herein may be set aside that shall make it unnecessary for the Treasurer to sign the checks issued upon it. A petty cash fund not exceeding $100.00 shall be maintained to pay for incidental expenses of the organization. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the accounting of such petty cash fund.
He shall render at stated periods as the Board of Directors shall determine a written account of the finances of the organization and such report shall be physically affixed to the minutes of the Board of Directors of such meeting.
He shall exercise all of duties incident to the office of Treasurer.
Officers shall by virtue of their office be members of the Board of Directors.
No officer shall for reason of his office be entitled to receive any salary or compensation, but nothing herein shall be construed to prevent an officer or director for receiving any compensation from the organization for duties other than as director or officer.
Article Nine Amendments. These By-Laws may be altered, amended, repealed or added to by an affirmative vote of not less than 2/3 of the Board of Directors.
