By-Laws

ARTICLE I

Section 1. This Council shall be known as Arlington Council 2473, Knights of Columbus.

Section 2. Each member of the Council is eligible, subject to the by-laws of the Columbus Club of Arlington, Inc., for membership in the said Club, a non-profit corporation chartered under the laws of Virginia to promote charitable, spiritual and educational objectives, and to serve the Council by exercising responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the properties located at 5115 Little Falls Road, Arlington.

Section 3. The initiation fee shall be $125 except that for applicants under 26 years of age it shall be $10. The Financial Secretary will waive the fee, upon the purchase of an annuity or insurance policy.

Section 4. Each member shall pay annual dues, the same to be payable quarterly in advance at the first regular business meetings in January, April, July and October. The annual dues of members shall be such amount as determined from time to time by a majority vote of the members present and voting at a regular business meeting held subsequent to a regular business meeting at which a resolution in writing providing for a change in the amount of dues shall have been read and notice of the proposed change in the amount of dues shall have been given to the members in writing or in a Council publication at least five days prior to such subsequent meeting. Honorary members and honorary life members shall pay dues, if any, in such amount as may be prescribed by the Supreme Council. The dues of associates and insurance members shall be the same.

Section 5. The officers shall receive annual compensation, as follows: Chaplain (and Assistant Chaplains): an amount equal to their annual dues; Financial Secretary: (a) From the Council an amount equal to ten percent of the moneys collected on account of dues from both insurance and associate members, payable monthly at the second regular business meeting of each month; and (b) From the Supreme Council, payable annually at the end of the calendar year, forty cents for each life insurance certificate registered through the Council and in good standing at the end of the calendar.
 

ARTICLE II-ELECTIONS

Section 1. The annual election of officers shall take place at the second regular business meeting in May.

Section 2. On or before the second regular business meeting in March of each year, the Grand Knight shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three members whose duty it shall be to report at the second regular business meeting in April of such year the name of one candidate for each of the offices to be filled. Nominations from the floor of candidates other than those recommended by the Nominating Committee may be made at the first regular business meeting in May and the second regular business meeting in May.

Section 3. The election of officers shall be by ballot. A majority of all the votes cast shall be necessary to elect, except that where several of equal degree are to be chosen, a majority shall not be necessary, but all shall be voted for on one ballot and no ballot containing names of more or less candidates than there are such offices to be voted for shall be counted, and those receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected in the order of the number of votes received.

Section 4. 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 presiding officer.

Section 5. Each officer elected must qualify and fill the office to which he is chosen, with or without installation, at the first regular business 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 6. Vacancies in elective offices shall be filled, after notice to the members, by election at the regular business meeting next succeeding the regular business meeting at which the vacancy was announced.
 

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 officers 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 three members to serve as Trustees.

Section 3. The appointive officers shall be as follows: Chaplain, Financial Secretary, and Lecturer. The Financial Secretary shall be appointed by the Supreme Knight. The Chaplain shall be selected by the Grand Knight, Deputy Grand Knight and 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 the bond (if any) to be given by the Treasurer and Financial Secretary in addition to the bond furnished by the Supreme Council, and 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 these By-Laws and such other duties as the Council may direct.

Section 6. At the end of each semi-annual period, the Board of Trustees shall meet and audit the several books of this Council in January and July and shall, at the first regular business meeting of August and February, make a full report of their findings including the receipts and disbursements of the moneys of this Council for the previous semi-annual period, and the assets and liabilities of this Council. The Grand Knight shall issue the call for such meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Section 7. When a member forfeits his membership in the Council, the Financial Secretary shall immediately notify the Supreme Secretary of such forfeiture and shall immediately send notice in writing to the member, including the date and the reason therefor. In those cases relating to such forfeiture for failure to pay Council dues, 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 persuade him to retain his membership.

Section 8. The Recorder shall file 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. He shall also procure a copy of each issue of the Council publication and make it a part of such records.

Section 9. The Financial Secretary, in addition to his regular duties, shall serve as Financial Agent for the Columbus Club of Arlington, Inc., for the sole purpose of billing the members and collecting the dues owed to the said Columbus Club.
 

ARTICLE IV-Meetings

Section 1. Regular business meetings of the Council shall be held on the first and third Thursday of each month commencing at 7:30 p.m. fifteen members shall constitute a quorum at business 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 a current membership card.

Section 3. The following shall form part of the order of business and procedure at regular business meetings of this Council:

1. Call to Order
2. Warden's Report on Membership Cards
3. Prayer
4. Pledge of Allegiance to Flag or some other suitable patriotic display of loyalty
5. Roll Call of Officers
6. *Opening Ode
7. Chaplain's Report
8. Reading of Minutes of Previous Meeting
9. Report of Admission Committee and Reading of Applications
10. Balloting for Membership
11. Reading of Notices of Applications in other Councils
12. *Initiations
13. Grand Knight's Report
14. *Treasurer's Report
15. *Reading by Grand Knight of Receipts of Treasurer to Financial Secretary and Treasurer’s Voucher of Deposit.
16. *Reading of Bills and Communications
17. Financial Secretary's Report of Receipts of Meeting
18. *Report of Auditors and Trustees
19. *Chancellor's Report
20. *Report of Committees
21. Unfinished Business
22. *New Business (When elections are in order, this is the first item under New Business)
23. Insurance Agent's Report
24. District Deputy's Report
25. *Good of the Order
26. Chaplain's Summation
27. Closing Prayer
28. *Closing Ode.

* Parts of the order of business marked with an asterisk may be omitted at regular business meetings. If the reading of the minutes of a regular business meeting was waived at a preceding regular business meeting, those minutes shall be read at the next regular business meeting.

Section 4.Special business meetings shall be convened as follows: By vote of the Council at a preceding regular business meeting; by direction of the Grand Knight; by the Grand Knight upon the written request of seven members, which request shall state the object of the meeting. Due notice of special business meetings and their purpose shall be given to the members in writing through a Council publication at least ten days prior to the meeting date and no other business shall be transacted at any such meeting.

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

1. Call to Order
2. Prayer
3. Roll Call of Officers
4. Opening Ode
5. Special Order of Business
6. Prayer
7. Closing Ode

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.

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 order in which they are named in Section 126 of the Laws of the Order.

Section 8. A regular business meeting falling on a legal holiday shall be held on the next succeeding Thursday unless the Council, by vote at a previous business meeting, shall cancel or fix some other date for such meeting within the month for which it is scheduled. Any other regular business meeting may be canceled or the date or time thereof may be changed if, by vote at a previous regular business meeting, the Council approves a resolution submitted after approval by a majority of the Officers, calling for said change; provided that notice of such change shall have been mailed to the members in writing or in a Council publication at least 10 days prior to the earlier of the original date of the changed meeting or the date to which such meeting is changed.
 

ARTICLE V-Balloting for Candidates

Section 1.The Grand Knight and Deputy Grand Knight shall privately inspect the ballot box, both before and after the ballot, and the former shall announce the result. Balloting for candidates shall be the charge of the Warden who shall distribute ballots to all members present. He shall place the ballot box on the salutation table and take his place six feet there from. 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, but 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 candidates, and that if not more than one-half of those present shall cast negative ballots upon such general ballot, no other ballots shall be taken. If such announcement is made, and not 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.
 

ARTICLE VI-Committees

Section 1. In addition to the Committees provided for in the Laws and Rules of the Order, the following standing committees shall be appointed and the General Program Chairman will have supervision of the operation of the 6-Point Program of the Council:

(a) Church Activities Committee

(b) Community Activities Committee

(c) Council Activities Committee

(d) Youth Activities Committee

(e) Membership Committee (Recruitment, Retention and Insurance). There shall also be a standing Committee on Stationery, Printing and Postage, to consist of the Grand Knight and Financial Secretary, whose duty it shall be to provide such stationery, printed matter and postage as may be necessary for the business of the Council.

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 fraternal year or until their successors have been appointed. A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for the 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 shall give his official receipt therefor and who shall report at the close of each meeting the amounts so received and from what source and shall deliver the same to the Council Treasurer and take his receipt therefor. All moneys received by the Financial Secretary in his capacity as Financial Agent for the Columbus Club of Arlington, Inc. shall be credited to a separate account to be known as the "Columbus Club Fund," and shall be transferred to the Treasurer of the said Club no later than the end of each quarter of the calendar year.

Section 2. There are hereby established six separate funds to be known as:

1. The General Fund,
2. The Bingo/Raffle Fund,
3. The Building Fund,
4. The Special Purposes Fund,
5. The Columbus Club Fund, and
6. The Relief Fund.
7. All moneys received by the Treasurer shall be deposited in banks or other financial institutions approved by the Board of Trustees.

Section 3. All moneys received by the Treasurer and belonging to the Council shall be credited to the "General Fund," except that:

(a) All moneys received from Bingo and other Activities conducted pursuant to the Council's Bingo/Raffle License shall be credited to the " Bingo/Raffle Fund"; and deposited in a separate bank account and

(b) All moneys received as voluntary donations for the "Building Fund" and other moneys as authorized by resolutions adopted by vote of the Council to be transferred to the "Building Fund" shall be credited to the "Building Fund" and deposited in a separate bank account; and

(c) All moneys received as voluntary donations to be used for other specified special purposes shall be credited to the "Special Purposes Fund," and

(d) All moneys received by the Treasurer and belonging to the Columbus Club of Arlington, Inc., shall be credited to the "Columbus Club Fund" and transferred to the Treasurer of the said Club no later than the end of each quarter of the calendar year.

Section 4. No money shall be paid or transferred from:

(a) The "General Fund" (except such moneys as the Council is called upon to regularly pay for its current expenses and as provided by the Laws of the Order, or for purposes approved by the Supreme Councilor Board of Directors),

(b) The "Bingo/Raffle Fund" (except such moneys as the Council is called upon to regularly pay as prizes and as current expenses of operating bingo/raffles),

(c) The "Building Fund," nor

(d) The "Special Purposes Fund" Unless approved 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 purpose and amount to be paid or transferred shall have been given and regularly read. In no event shall any moneys be paid or transferred from the "Special Purposes Fund" unless such payment or transfer is consistent with and in furtherance of the purpose for which such moneys were originally received by the Council, except that when the objective of a special purpose fund has been attained and the amount of moneys remaining in that special purpose fund is less that $250.00, that special purpose fund shall be closed and such remaining amount shall be transferred to the "General Fund."

Section 5. A sum of money not to exceed $500.00 shall be paid from the "General Fund" to the Financial Secretary and shall be known as the "Relief Fund." The Grand Knight, Financial Secretary and Treasurer shall constitute a Relief Committee. They shall investigate the case of any brother who is reported to be in distress or in need of relief and if in their judgment the case is one deserving of assistance, they shall have the 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 $500.00 be disbursed without reference to and approval by the Council.

Section 6. Interest earned on moneys in the "Bingo/Raffle Fund" and the "Building Fund" shall be credited to and become a part of those "Funds," respectively; interest earned on all moneys in all other "Funds" shall be credited to and become a part of the "General Fund."

Section 7. All bills over $250.00 paid since the last regular business meeting shall be read to the Council at each regular business meeting.

Section 8. The General Program Chairman for the forthcoming Fraternal Year shall prepare an estimate of the income and expenses of all of the activities and programs to be carried out under his direction by the Chairmen of the Committees of the Council's 6-Point Program. The Grand Knight elect shall incorporate the General Program Chairman's estimate into an annual Council Budget, which shall include estimates of all income and expenditures of all activities of the Council for the forthcoming Fraternal Year July 1 through June 30. The Grand Knight shall present such annual Council Budget to the Council for approval in the form of a resolution, as provided for in Section 4 of this Article to authorize the expenditure of funds necessary to carry out the Council's programs and activities, at or before the first regular business meeting in July for vote by the Council at the Second regular business meeting in July. The proposed annual Council Budget shall be published in its entirety in the July issue of the Council's publication.

Section 1. On the death of a member in good standing, the Council 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, and if possible, arrange for Council representation at the funeral.

Section 2. When notice of the death of a member in good standing is received, the Council shall forward to the family of the deceased a message of condolence on behalf of the Council signed by the Grand Knight. The Council shall arrange to have a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul of the deceased and shall also enroll the deceased member in a purgatorial society.

Section 3. The Council shall arrange for the celebration during the month of November of each year of a Requiem 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.

Section 4. The Council shall receive Holy Communion in a body during the Easter period, at a time and place to be determined by the responsible Committee.
 

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 business meeting held subsequent to a regular business 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 through a Council publication at least five days prior to such subsequent meeting. In the event of a general revision of these By-Laws, a summary of the major changes made known to the membership at least five days prior to such subsequent meeting by notice through a Council publication shall constitute due notice for the purposes of this section.

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

NOTE: These By-Laws, as amended, were adopted by vote of the Council on April 18, 2013, to be effective on January 1, 2014, and were approved by Supreme Advocate, W. Patrick Donlin in the year 2013.