At our June Annual Meeting, the congregation voted to endorse updates to a few of our Bylaws. This was only the tip of the iceberg. A task force has been empowered by the Policy and Governance (P&G) Committee to look at ALL of East Shore’s Bylaws to ensure that they are up-to-date, comply with Washington State Law, conform to UUA standards, and are useful and easy to understand. But updating the Bylaws is not the end, as a review of the policies that further enhance the Bylaws also need review. The aim is to present the project to the Congregation at its June 2022 Annual Meeting following a comprehensive review by an attorney. This rather aggressive timeline may need adjustment as the project unfolds.
The P&G Committee’s Task Force includes Grace Colton, Marcy Langrock, Rebecca Chatfield, Ryam Hill and Mary Anderson.
Why Are We Doing This?
Since East Shore’s beginnings in the early 1950s, Bylaws have been added or changed one by one, many without a comprehensive look at format, conformity to what is expected for a small non-profit such as East Shore, legal compliance, or scope. One update example is that many of our Bylaws contain examples or descriptive language that severely limit their scope – e.g., if something is not described it doesn’t apply – and this only limits what we have decided is legal or even workable. Bylaws need to be lean, long-term, and broadly inclusive. Much of that descriptive language belongs in policies that can be more short term and changeable as the needs and practices of the congregation evolve. All of our Bylaws were created over time with good intention in service to our community, but it is time for a comprehensive review and update.
Some Bylaws may be consolidated, new ones may be added, others eliminated. It is likely that some of our current Bylaws need to be policies. All proposed changes must be ratified and approved by a vote of the congregation. Any proposed changes will be accompanied by explanations of the change and rationale.
Our Bylaws will ultimately be ‘answerable to’ and enhance our mission, and our policies will be ‘answerable to’ and enhance our Bylaws. They will be compliant with Washington State law, and they will serve our needs over time
What to Watch For
It’s important to state that not all Bylaws need changing. Many are foundational to our existence, and these will not be altered. The Task Force has identified several that do need work and has created a Tiered approach. Tier 1 contains more immediate needs, a Tier 2 review will be the focus in this coming year, Tier 3 reviews will be completed later in the process.
Some of these changes (Tier 1 reviews) will be presented to the Congregation for endorsement at an October 24, 2021 congregational meeting. It was determined that Bylaws of interest to ministerial candidates take precedence at this time and those updates are in process. But even these changes may be subject to further review as the Task Force delves into its work. Watch for the explanation of these proposed changes in late September.
If you have questions or comments about any of this work, please contact a member of the Task Force. Click here to take a look at our Bylaws and policies in their current format.
by Mary Anderson