ARTICLE I -- Name
The name of the organization shall be the Ladies Guild of Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

ARTICLE II -- Purpose The purpose of the organization shall be to assist the pastor in all the affairs of the church, namely: spiritual, social, and public relations.
Mission The mission of the Holy Transfiguration Ladies Guild is to:
a. Promote the holiness of its members.
b. Foster authentic Eastern Christian Spirituality through study lectures and programs.
c. Assist the pastor in caring for the needs of the church.
d. Encourage Guild members to establish a sense of community.

ARTICLE III -- Membership
Section 1
The membership shall consist of women who are at least eighteen (18) years of age.

Section 2
Membership dues shall be fifteen dollars ($15.00) annually, payable before September 30 of any given year. NAMW Membership cards are usually mailed to all members by NAMW.

Section 3
Members are entitled to one vote each and must be present to cast this vote.

Section 4
Dues of members who join the Ladies Guild during the last two and one-half months of a Guild year (from March 15 through May 31) shall be effective for the coming Guild year, i.e., September to the following May and their cards shall so state.

ARTICLE IV -- Spiritual Director
The pastor shall be the Spiritual Director of the Guild and shall give direction and stimulus to the life of the Guild.

ARTICLE V -- Officers
Section 1
The officers of the Guild shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer.

Section 2
The president shall preside at all the meetings of the Guild. She shall appoint the chairmen of all committees, when she takes office in May. The president shall be, ex-officio a member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. She shall compile an all-inclusive written report of the Guild for submission to the Parish Council, pastor, and the Guild one month after the termination of her term of office in May. The president shall plan an agenda for all meetings.

Section 3
The vice-president shall assume the duties of the president in her absence. In the event of the resignation or death of the president, the vice-president shall become the president for the remainder of the un-expired term. She shall act as program chairwoman for Guild meetings. It is her duty to assume the work of the secretary at any meeting the secretary is unable to attend. The vice-president shall organize the Guild Annual Spring Luncheon in May.

Section 4
The secretary shall keep a record of all meetings. She shall post copies of the agendas and minutes on the parish bulletin board. She shall handle all correspondence authorized by the president or pastor. The secretary shall notify the Publicity Committee Chair of any change of date for the monthly meetings.

Section 5
The treasurer shall collect the annual dues and all monies of the Guild and deposit same in an authorized depository. She shall pay all obligations of the Guild after they have been authorized.

She shall keep vouchers for all disbursements and a record of all monies received and disbursed. She shall prepare a detailed written report on the financial condition of the Guild for the president by May 30. She shall keep the Guild roster current and prepare a new one in relation to the paid up membership.

Section 6
The term of office for each officer shall be (1) year, or until her successor is elected and serving in office.

ARTICLE VI -- Elections
Section 1
At the regular meeting in March, the Nominating Committee shall report nominations for each Guild office. Only paid-up members shall be proposed as nominees. At this meeting additional nominations from the floor shall be permitted.

Section 2
The officers shall be elected by a mailed ballot. The nominee in each office who receives the greatest number of votes shall be elected. In the event of a tie vote, the Nominating Committee shall distribute another ballot with the names of the nominees for that office which has not been filled. Alternate methods for balloting (such as by e-mail) may be acceptable, as long as an effective and reliable system of casting/counting votes is devised and applied.

Section 3
The Nominating Committee shall act as the Tellers Committee to distribute, receive, and tabulate ballots and to report the results to the president.

Section 4
If an elective office becomes vacant, the remaining officers shall appoint a member to take that office until the end of the term.

Section 5
Elected officers are installed in September with the other officers of Parish Organizations and the members of the Parish Council. The newly elected officers shall serve with the outgoing officers during the months of June, July & August. The elected officers and the committee chairmen shall comprise the Ladies Guild Executive Board.

ARTICLE VII -- Meetings
Section 1
Ladies Guild Meetings for the executive board members and the general Guild members shall be held once a month or at the discretion of the president. The president should have a schedule of all monthly meeting set by the beginning of each new year.

Section 2
Committee Chairmen shall schedule Committee Meetings on an as needed basis and report any thoughts/decisions presented during these meetings at the next Ladies Guild Meeting.

Section 3
Officers and Committee Chairmen shall make every effort to attend the Ladies Guild Meetings, or send a designated Committee Member to the Ladies Guild Meetings. Officers and Chairmen who are unable to attend or send a backup, shall send a report to the president prior to the scheduled meeting.

Section 4
Meetings may be cancelled and/or special meetings may be called by the pastor or the president.

Section 5
Guild members are encouraged to attend Committee and Ladies Guild Meetings.

Section 6
One-third of the regular attendees at Ladies Guild Meetings shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE VIII -- Committees
There shall be no more than eight (8) standing committees. The number of committees is to be decided at the beginning of each new term in September.

ARTICLE IX -- Parliamentary Authority
Section 1
The following order of business shall govern the meetings of the Guild:
a. Call to order, with an opening prayer
b. Roll call
c. Minutes, including Parish Council minutes
d. Treasurer's report
e. Pastor's report
f. President's announcements
g. Vice-president's report
h. Report of committees
i. Unfinished business
j. New business
k. Adjournment, closing prayer
l. Program, if any

Section 2
All items for the agenda shall be submitted to the president a week prior to the Ladies Guild Meeting.

Section 3
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the Guild in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Guild may adopt.

ARTICLE X -- Amendments of Bylaws
Section 1
Amendments to the bylaws must be submitted in writing at one meeting and voted on at the next meeting.

Section 2
A majority of the votes cast by a quorum is necessary to carry an amendment.

COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS
The following is a description of the duties of the committees:

Section 1
Services: Its purpose is to provide for the sanctification of those who love the beauty of God’s Dwelling Place and for the holiness of the people:
a. Sacristy service - aids in the care of the altar, altar cloths, vestments, server’s robes, plants, flowers, cleaning of the church, etc.
b. Assists in the distribution of blessed wheat when necessary.
c. Promotes attendance of members at the vigil of deceased parishioners.
d. Gives assistance to bereaved families of the church as needed.
e. Sends Liturgy cards to bereaved families.
f. Visits sick members of the Guild and parish, and organizes parish assistance as needed.

Section 2
Spiritual: Its purpose is to foster a deep love and devotion to Our Lord and His Holy Mother through:
a. Organizing, planning, and initiating programs of a spiritual and charitable nature for the Guild.
b. Keeping the Guild members aware of current trends of Catholic and Orthodox action groups.
c. Arranging for speakers to address the Guild to promote the spiritual welfare of its members.

Section 3
Fundraising: Its purpose is to raise adequate funds to attend to the commitment of the Guild and assist the pastor in raising funds to attend to the needs of the parish. Fund raising activities may include food/bake sales, dances, bazaars, fairs, picnics, and suppers.

Section 4
Publicity and Public Relations: Its purposes are several:
a. Keeping the Guild and Parish Council informed of all Guild activities and meetings.
b. Publishing news about the Guild, its members, and things that are of interest to them in magazines, bulletins and newspapers.
c. Distributing the president’s annual report to the members of the Guild.
d. Assisting in providing information for the Sunday bulletin as to Guild meetings and activities.
e. Assisting committee chairmen with graphic design projects.

Section 5
Membership: Its purpose is to conduct the recruitment of new members to the Guild.
a. Handling the membership drive for recruitment of new members and renewing members via membership invitation letters, etc.
b. Compiling the Guild roster in coordination with the treasurer.
c. Creating and updating a telephone pyramid of members with no e-mail addresses.
d. Promoting the attendance of members at meetings.

Section 6
Nominating: Its main purpose is to present a slate of officers for the coming calendar year.
a. This committee shall present the names of the candidates for each office at the regular March meeting.
b. Distribute, receive and tabulate the ballots.

Section 7
Procurement: Its purpose is to determine optimum means for obtaining free or low cost goods and/or services for parish activities.
a. This committee shall appeal to places of business for donations through written, telephone and personal contacts.
b. This committee shall inventory parish paper, cleaning and food supplies; order supplies as needed and store supplies in parish supply center

Section 8
Hospitality: Its purpose is to serve as a welcoming committee at all parish activities. This Committee shall:
a. Be aware of new parish members or visitors and shall extend a welcome to same.
b. Assign parish families to host coffee hours.
c. Organize and clean up Kitchen prior to Great Lent.
d. Organize social events and promote a feeling of community in the Guild and the Church through these social events. These may include Zalabyeh on the Feast of Theophany and potluck or meals on Cheese Fare, Christmas Eve, Pascha Eve, Fathers Day, and clergy appreciation days.
e. This committee shall arrange for speakers of a social or a health nature at Guild meetings.

Section 9:
Each Committee Chairman shall submit a written report to the President by May 30. The report shall summarize the activities and accomplishments of the Committee over the year.