344. Organization and conduct of corporate meetings; qualifications of voters. 1. At a corporate meeting of an incorporated church to which this article is applicable, the following persons, and no others, shall be qualified voters, to wit: All persons who are then members in good and regular standing of such church by admission into full communion or membership therewith in accordance with the rules and regulations thereof, and of the governing ecclesiastical body of the Byelorussian Autocephalic Orthodox Church, and who have been stated attendants on divine worship in such church and have regularly contributed to the financial support thereof during the year next preceding such meeting.
2. The annual corporate meeting shall be governed with respect to its organization and election of laymen trustees and the clerk of the corporation by the same provisions as set forth in this article for the incorporation of said church, except if there be no rector or he be necessarily absent or if he refuses to call such meeting to order, the chairman of the board of trustees shall do so.
3. The same provisions shall apply to a special corporate meeting.
4. At the annual corporate meeting the trustees shall cause to be prepared and read thereat a budget giving the approximate amount of money needed for the maintenance of worship, the administration of the temporal affairs of the church and for the care of the property, and such other regular and special items as shall be brought to the attention of the meeting, which budget shall be discussed and decided upon, ratified or amended by the said meeting by majority vote, with ample provision made to raise such funds by whatever usages the church shall elect.
5. In the event that a quorum shall not be present at any annual corporate meeting and no election of the trustees and officers shall be accordingly had thereat, the board of trustees shall call a special meeting (which may be referred to as an adjourned annual corporate meeting) at a time and place to be fixed by it. Notice of such meeting shall be given in the same manner as provided for any special meeting. If such special meeting be not called by the board of trustees within two weeks following the date for such annual meeting, the rector is authorized to and shall call such special meeting and notice thereof shall be given in like manner. The election of officers and any other business required or scheduled to have been had or conducted at the annual corporate meeting may be had and conducted at such special meeting. In the event that a quorum shall not be present at such special meeting and no election of officers shall be accordingly had thereat, the rector, vicar or minister in charge of the church or congregation, with the approval of the bishop, not more than sixty days thereafter, is authorized to and shall appoint the laymen trustees, and other lay officers to the offices not filled by election at such annual corporate meeting or such special meeting, and they shall hold office as such until the next succeeding annual meeting. If such rector, vicar or minister shall fail to make such appointments, the bishop is authorized to and shall make such appointments, with like force and effect.
Last modified: February 3, 2019