New Chapter Information

Thanks for your interest in starting a new Una Voce America chapter in your area! Please check our chapters page to see if there is a chapter nearby and feel free to contact the leaders there for assistance in starting a new group. We need more Una Voce chapters in many parts of the country and we’re glad to help and support you in this effort in whatever ways we can. Please read the links provided here and then prepare and submit your application as indicated. Feel free to contact us for further information: Officers of Una Voce America

Una Voce Anytown – Constitution & Bylaws

[adapt as desired to local need; only Article 2 is required of each chapter]

Article I: Name

This chapter of Una Voce shall be known as “Una Voce Anytown, Pope Benedict XVI Chapter”, and shall be referred to as ‘chapter’ throughout these By-Laws. It is a member of Una Voce America.

Article 2: Statement of Purpose

The chapter has the following aims that shall direct its activities:

1. To work as a lay movement within the Church for an organic restoration of the liturgy in conformity with its nature and with the Latin tradition

2. To ensure that the traditional Roman Mass as codified in the Missale Romanum edited by Pope John XXIII is maintained — both in practice and in law — as one of the forms of eucharistic celebration which are recognized and honored in universal liturgical life

3. To obtain freedom of use for all other Roman liturgical books enshrining “previous liturgical and disciplinary forms of the Latin tradition” (cf. Ecclesia Dei, n. 5)

4. To safeguard and promote the use of Latin, Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church

5. To encourage, wherever it would benefit the faithful, the establishment of non-territorial parishes and/or chaplaincies in which only the liturgical books used in 1962 are employed

6. To serve the Church by helping the members of the movement and, through their apostolate, all the Christifideles better to understand, and more fruitfully to participate in, the Catholic liturgy as a sacred action.

Article 3 – Membership

1. All candidate names must be read on the floor and approved by vote of the majority of members at a regular meeting.

2.Each member must be a practicing Catholic that agrees to our Chapter’s Statement of Purpose and shall pay annual dues of $36 no later than the January meeting.

3.All new members shall pay pro-rated dues no later than the third meeting following approval of membership.

4.Dues shall be waived for clergy members.

Article 4 – Elections

1. The annual election of officers shall take place at the December meeting.

2. The election of officers shall be by closed ballot. A majority of all votes cast shall be necessary to elect an officer. Prior to each election, the Chairman shall appoint a teller to count the votes.

3. Vacancies in elective offices shall be filled, by election, at the next regular meeting succeeding the meeting at which the vacancy was created.

4. Each officer elected must fill the office to which he or she is chosen at the first meeting of the calendar year.

Article 5 – Officers

1. Only members who are in good standing, i.e., paid their annual dues, shall be eligible to hold office. No member shall hold more than one office at the same time.

2. The elective officers shall be as follows: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

3. The officers shall perform the duties required of them by the By-Laws of this chapter. If any officer is absent without good cause for three meeting the membership will have the right to call for elections of said office.

4. When suspending a member, the Treasurer shall immediately send to the suspended member notice of suspension, including the date and the reason.

5. The Secretary shall file all minutes and reports in a book and they shall be preserved as a part of the records of this chapter.

6. The Chairman, at his discretion, shall form all committees and appoint all committee chairmen thereof.

Article 6 – Meetings

1. Regular meetings of the chapter shall be held once a month, with time and place to be determined at the previous meeting. Before a meeting can begin, a quorum must exist. Thirty-three percent (33%) of the membership constitutes a quorum. The Chairman shall decide if a quorum exists.

2. All meetings of the chapter shall be presided over by the Chairman.

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

* Call meeting to order
* Opening prayer
* Roll call of officers
* Introduce visitors and new members
* Minutes read and approved
* Communications read
* Report of Committees
* Old business
* New business
* Good of the chapter
* Closing prayer

4. Special meetings shall be convened either by vote of the chapter at a preceding regular meeting or by direction of the Chairman. Each special meeting must have a stated purpose, and no other business shall be transacted at any such meeting.

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

* Call meeting to order
* Opening prayer
* Special order of business
* Closing prayer

6. It shall be the duty of all officers to attend each meeting of the chapter. In case of the inability of any officer to attend a meeting, due notice shall be given to the Chairman and arrangements made to have all necessary books and papers in the possession of such officer at the meeting.

7. In the absence or inability of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall preside and shall execute all of the duties of the Chairman.

Article 7 – Funds

1. All monies obtained from any source, by or through any person or persons, acting for or in the name of the chapter or under its direction or authority, shall be considered chapter funds and shall be forthwith delivered to the Chairman, who will report at the close of each meeting the amounts so received and from what source and shall deliver the same to the Treasurer and take a receipt.

2. The Treasurer shall deposit all monies received in a bank to the credit of the chapter. Disbursements from this fund shall be made only by check signed by the Chairman and Treasurer.

3. No money shall be paid or transferred from the Treasury of this chapter, (except such monies as the chapter is called upon to regularly pay for its current expenses) unless by two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at a regular meeting.

Article 8 – Miscellaneous

These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at a regular meeting held subsequent to a regular meeting at which notice in writing providing for such amendment shall have been given and regularly read.

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Una Voce America Statutes

I. Aims and Composition of the Federation

Article 1: Objects of the Federation

The Una Voce – America Federation (UVAF) has the following objects:

to offer structural unity to various associations in the United States which pursue aims identical with or similar to those of the Una Voce movement as defined below
to represent their common interests with the International Federation Una Voce, and through the FIUV, with the central authorities of the Church
to serve as a means of communication, exchange and information between the members of theFederation and to assist in their development
to provide evaluations and reports on new liturgical legislation and developments
to promote the formation of associations having the same aims in any city, state or region where such associations do not yet exist.

Article 2: Aims of the UNA VOCE movement

to work as a lay movement within the Church for an organic restoration of the liturgy in conformity with its nature and with the Latin tradition
to ensure that the traditional Roman Mass as codified in the Missale Romanum edited by Pope John XXIII is maintained – both in practice and in law – as one of the forms of eucharistic celebration which are recognised and honored in universal liturgical life
to obtain freedom of use for all other Roman liturgical books enshrining “previous liturgical and disciplinary forms of the Latin tradition” (cf. motu proprio “Ecclesia Dei”, n. 5)
to safeguard and promote the use of Latin, Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church
actively to encourage the establishment of non-territorial parishes and/or chaplaincies in which only the liturgical books used in 1962 are employed
to serve the Church by helping the members of the movement and, through their apostolate, all the Christifideles better to understand, and more fruitfully to participate in, the Catholic liturgy as a sacred action.

Article 3: Duration and Seat of the American Federation

The duration of the Federation is unlimited.

The office of the Federation shall be located at the address agreed upon by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Article 4: Members of the Federation

A. Admission

Any autonomous association of Catholics in the United States or Canada, governed by elected officers and pursuing aims similar to those defined in Article 2 above, is eligible for membership of the Federation.

The application for membership is to be addressed to the general office of the Federation. Approvals of applications will be made by the Board or by an officer designated by the Board for this purpose.

Admission as a member implies, for the association concerned, adherance to these Statutes.

B. Withdrawal from the Federation

Membership in the Federation lapses

upon resignation addressed to the chairman of the Federation
upon expulsion, by majority decision of the directors of the Federation

C. Procedures

Once the directors of the Federation have reached a decision concerning a request for admission or expulsion it is communicated to the association in question by the chairman, who is under no obligation to explain the reasons for such a decision.

II. Governance of the Federation

Article 5: The Board of Directors

The executive of the Federation comprises a Board of Directors, the number of which must be at least three, but may not exceed nine.

Each Director must belong to a member-organization of the Federation, different wherever possible from that to which his colleagues on the Board belong.

Candidates for election as Directors are put forward by the members of the Board.

Each member can vote for as many candidates as there are places on the Board to be filled. The candidates receiving the largest number of votes are elected.

Directors are nominated for a period of three years. Their mandates are renewable.

Once the Board of Directors have been elected, they will elect from them or from elsewhere in the Federation or even outside the Federation as it deems necessary, a Chairman by secret ballot and simple majority of votes. There will be as many ballots as are necessary to achieve the required majority. The duration of the mandate of the Chairman shall be three years, unless renewed or revoked by majority vote of the Board.

The members of the Board may choose from amongst themselves, or from outside the Federation as it deems necessary by simple majority of votes, one or more officers, such as a Vice-chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The duration of the mandate of each officer shall be three years, unless renewed or revoked by majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Article 6: Joint decisions

Each director of the Federation is entitled to vote, either at an official meeting or in written consultations and elections.
Each director has one vote for each resolution.
With the exception of “extraordinary issues” defined in #4, all issues are decided by a simple majority.
Extraordinary issues are decided by a two-thirds majority. These are:
- Admission or expulsion of any association to or from membership in the Federation
- Any undertaking or public statement of the Federation which exceeds the strict limits of the statutory aims defined in Articles 1 and 2 above
- Any amendments to these Statutes.

Article 7: Administrative functions of directors and officers

The Board of Directors may meet by common consent, or may choose to conduct its business by email in a discussion group format. If meetings take place, minutes shall be recorded.
The board is responsible for the direction of the Federation. It may delegate specific responsibilities to the Chairman or other officers, but such authority may be revoked or changed at any time by the Board.
If nominated, the Vice-chairman supports the Chairman or performs other roles as the Board may require.
If nominated, the Treasurer controls the funds of the Federation under the direction and responsibility of the Board of Directors.
If nominated, the Secretary aids the Board and its officers in all material tasks concerning the current administration of the Federation.

III. Income of the Federation

Article 8: Nature of Income

The resources of the Federation are:

membership fees payable by the members of the Federation which are fixed by their ordinary joint decision
contributions which it may receive
interest and income from assets and stocks which it may own.

Article 9: Financial administration

The resources of the Federation are controlled by the Treasurer who accounts for his actions to the Board at least once a year.

If it thinks necessary, the Board can have the accounts checked by any expert they may nominate. During the first six months of each year the Board will communicate to the member associations the accounts for the previous year.

IV. Miscellaneous

Article 10: Duties of members of the Federation

The Chairman of the Federation is obliged to keep the Board of Directors of the Federation informed of his activities on behalf of the American Federation, and to promptly communicate to them any information that relates to the objects and aims enumerated in Articles 1 and 2.

The members of the Federation are obliged

to keep the Federation informed of their activities: to put at its disposal, for its archives and for communication to other members of the Federation, a sufficient number of copies of any circular or publication they may edit.
to pay the annual subscription (if set), regularly when due.
to give their support to any initiative (action or undertaking) taken or recommended by the Federation in relation to the aims of the Federation, unless such an initiative could be considered inopportune by one of the associations with regard to its own territory.

Article 11: Bylaws

The Board of Directors may prepare and enforce a governing set of bylaws approved or amended by a majority of the Board whenever the need may arise.

V. Dissolution

Article 12

The Federation can be dissolved only if not less than three quarters of the registered members approve a motion to this end, either at a Board meeting or by postal vote. In this case the net assets of the Federation will be distributed to the then registered members of the Federation on a pro rata basis proportionate to the subscriptions paid or payable by them for the last complete calendar year.

Signed:

Board of Directors of Una Voce-America Federation

July, 2005
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National Service Committees

Una Voce America has established National Service Committees made up of Board members and chapter leaders. The committees set agendas and report to the Board and the chapters every 4 months. National Service Committees assure UVA that tasks are ably handled by designated individuals is a systematic manner. Progress can be monitored and shared for the benefit of all. Composition of committees can change and expand as needed.

Committee on Committees will contact individuals with special interests, talents and expertise to serve on national committees.

Conference Committee will locate potential sites for bi-annual conferences. After deciding on a site the committee will add the local chapter chairman and begin planning the event. Additional members will be added as required.

Newsletter Committee will recruit writers to upgrade the quality of the newsletter. It will also assure that the newsletter is mailed in a timely fashion to subscribers 4 times a year (2/15, 5/15, 8/15 & 11/15).

Web Site Committee will help maintain the UVA web site and be a resource for chapters that wish to set up their own sites.

Constitutional Committee will compare UVA statutes with those of selected nonprofit organizations, paying special attention to fiscal and legal responsibility; bringing the statutes in compliance with federal and state laws as regards tax exemption; segregating the Constitution from the Bylaws, preparing job descriptions for officers; preparing a thorough revision of the Statutes for approval by the board.

Communications Committee will provide informational brochures, chapter formation kits, press releases, and advertising.

Community Relations Committee will pass along practical means of building support with local organizations to chapters.

Chapter Committee will verify that chapters are active and have paid their dues. This committee will work closely with the Newsletter and Communications Committees to keep chapters informed of news and information. Such close, timely contact will encourage chapter activity.

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