(Approved by vote of the Annual Meeting – April 6, 2002)

Name

This organization, within the United Church of Christ, shall be known as the UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST OFFICE SUPPORT STAFF NETWORK (hereinafter called UCCOSSN)

Purpose

UCCOSSN is committed to enabling personal growth, providing mutual support and supplying continuing education to all support staff in local churches, associations, conferences, seminaries and ministries in the national setting of the United Church of Christ including other related UCC bodies via an Annual Meeting.

Objectives

1. To create a network of UCC Office Support Staff in all settings throughout the denomination.
2. To raise the level of professionalism of UCC Office Support Staff.
3. To foster dignity and respect for all UCC Office Support Staff.
4. To provide continuing education opportunities for UCC Office Support Staff.
5. To provide opportunities for fellowship and sharing among “peers”.
6. To raise the awareness of local churches, associations, conferences, seminaries, national ministries including UCC related bodies, regarding the vital role and contributions of the UCC Office Support Staff.
7. To advocate for fair compensation and benefits for all UCC Office Support Staff.

Officers:
Chair:
Chairs the Annual Meeting business and keeps Executive Committee members up-to-date on pertinent matters pertaining to the good order of the organization.

Vice-Chair:
Attends Annual Meeting and acts as Chair as needed. Serves as liaison to the Annual Meeting Planning Committee and serves on the Scholarship Committee.

Secretary:
Attends each Annual Meeting and takes minutes, retains a permanent copy in a notebook, distributes copies appropriately among UCCOSSN membership including the Executive Committee at Annual Meeting and mails copies to the Office of the General Minister for the General Minister and President and for the Associate General Minister of the United Church of Christ. Keeps records of Support Staff materials and informs the Office of General Ministries of future Annual Meeting dates so they may be placed on UCC Centralized Calendar.

Financial Secretary:
Attends Annual Meeting and keeps financial records for annual meeting expenses and scholarship disbursements. Pays Annual Meeting expenses upon approval of the Chair. In the interest of good stewardship, the Financial Secretary shall prepare and present an annual report at the Business Session of the Annual Meeting which will include but not be limited to: a financial report of the preceding Annual Meeting; a report of the Network’s current financial status; and recommendations for future financial planning. The Financial Secretary chairs the Scholarship Committee and receives applications for scholarship requests for the Annual Meeting.

Communications Coordinator:
Attends Annual Meeting. Keeps mailing list up-to-date. Receives and distributes news items from local churches, associations, conference, seminaries and the national ministries including UCC related bodies. Oversees the Network’s website and ServList.

Past Chair: (Most Recent)
Attends Annual Meeting and secures a Chair for the next Annual Meeting Planning Committee.

Committees:
The following standing committees shall exist to carry out the Network’s purposes. Additional committees may be created by the Executive Committee from time to time as the need arises.

Executive Committee:
The following seven people shall comprise the Executive Committee:
Chair
Secretary
Vice Chair
Financial Secretary
Past Chair
Communications Coordinator
Annual Meeting Planning Chair
Member-At-Large

Executive Committee Terms of Office:
A term of office shall run from one Annual Meeting to the next.

• Chair shall serve a term of two years, one year as Chair and one year as Past Chair.
• Vice Chair shall serve a term of one year, and then succeed as Chair the following year.
• Secretary shall serve a term of two years.
• Financial Secretary shall serve a term of two years.
• Chair of Annual Meeting Planning Committee shall serve a term of one year.
• Communications Coordinator shall serve a term of two years.
• Past Chair shall serve a term of one year.

Annual Meeting Planning Committee:

The Planning Committee Chair is appointed yearly. The Chair will form a committee whose responsibilities include; finding a location, identifying and securing speakers, arrangements for meals and hotel accommodations, designing a brochure and establishing a registration process for the Annual Meeting of the United Church of Christ Office Support Staff Network. The Planning Committee Chair shall sit on the Executive Committee for one year as a “member-at-large” with vote. The Planning Committee Chair will serve as an ex-officio member of the Planning Committee of the next year’s planning committee. The Vice Chair of UCCOSSN will serve as an ex officio to this committee.

Scholarship Committee

Shall be comprised of the current Vice Chair and Financial Secretary, who will serve as chair. The committee will receive, and in consultation with the Executive Committee, act upon any requests for scholarship assistance to attend the Annual Meeting.

Special Appointments

Historian:

Keeps the history of the organization. Gathers information from Annual Meetings. Shares all information as appropriate with the United Church of Christ Archivist in Office of General Ministries.

Membership and Voting:

All persons currently serving as office support staff in a United Church of Christ local church, association, conference, seminary or national ministry, including UCC related bodies, have voting privileges. As the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ have agreed to be in partnership for ministry, the office support staff of both denominations are also in partnership for ministry. Therefore, while this partnerships exists, support staff serving in Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are granted voting privileges when present at Annual Meetings of the United Church of Christ Support Staff Network. Voting on the proposed Slate of Officers for UCCOSSN shall take place at the Business Session of the Annual Meeting and shall be by majority vote of those present. The Executive Committee shall present the Slate of Officers. Nominations may be made from the floor.

Vacancies:

If vacancies occur between annual meetings, the Chair, with Executive Committee approval, will appoint someone to fill that office until the next Annual Meeting. That person is eligible to stand for election at the next annual meeting.

Meetings:

UCCOSSN shall hold an Annual Meeting (which shall include the Business Session) at the UCC Church House in non-General Synod years and in different regions throughout the United Church of Christ in Synod years.

Invitation proposals from regions to host the Annual Meeting should be made two years in advance.

Amendments:

These By-Laws may be amended by majority vote of those present at the Annual Meeting of United Church of Christ Office Support Staff Network. Amendments to By-Laws must be distributed to attendees at the beginning of the Annual Meeting so the amendments can come to a vote at the business meeting at the on the final day of the Annual Meeting.

4/29/00 - Original Draft

5/2/00 – Second Draft (Included revisions made at the 13th Annual Meeting of the UCCOSSN)-Tibbets

5/09/00 – Third Draft-Gibson

5/10/00-Fourth Draft-Ottery – As circulated to UCC Conference Ministers and National Staff

4/21/01 – Amendment Passed: Voting Privileges for Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Support Staff

4/21/01 – Scholarship Guidelines Passed: Attached to this Document

406/02 – Brannick Suggested Revisions Passed (Language and Titles)