§ 55 — Annual and special corporate meetings

§ 55. Annual and special corporate meetings. 1. The annual corporate\nmeeting of every church or congregation incorporated under this article\nshall be held at the time and place fixed by its by-laws, or if no time\nand place is so fixed, then at a time and place to be fixed by its\ntrustees, but to be changed only by a by-law adopted at an annual\nmeeting; or if not otherwise fixed, such annual corporate meeting shall\nbe held on the date said certificate of incorporation was executed,\nunless the same fall due on a Sunday or legal holiday in any year, in\nwhich case said annual corporate meeting shall be held the day\nfollowing.\n 2. A special corporate meeting of any such church may be called by the\ntrustees thereof, on their own motion, and shall be called on the\nwritten request of at least ten qualified voters of such church.\n 3. The trustees shall cause notice of the time and place of its annual\ncorporate meeting, and the names of any trustees whose successors are to\nbe elected thereat, and if a special meeting, of the business to be\ntransacted thereat, to be publicly read by the minister of such church\nor any of the trustees thereof at a regular meeting of the church for\npublic worship, on the two successive Sundays immediately preceding such\nmeeting.\n 4. The annual corporate meeting shall be governed with respect to its\norganization and election of laymen trustees, clerk of the corporation\nand qualifications of voters (except with respect to age qualifications\nof voters as provided in section four-a) by the same provisions as set\nforth in this article for the incorporation of said church, except, that\nthe duly ordained and regularly appointed rector or vicar shall preside,\nor if there be a vacancy in such office, one of the wardens shall\npreside, the congregation in such case voting by ballot for its\npresiding officer.\n 5. The same provisions shall apply to a special corporate meeting.\n 6. At the annual corporate meeting the trustees shall cause to be\nprepared and read thereat a budget giving the approximate amount of\nmoney needed for the maintenance of worship, the administration of the\ntemporal affairs of the church and for the care of the property, and\nsuch other regular and special items as shall be brought to the\nattention of the meeting, which budget shall be discussed and decided\nupon, ratified or amended by the said meeting by majority vote, with\nample provision made to raise such funds by whatever usages the church\nshall elect.\n 7. In the event that a quorum shall not be present at any annual\ncorporate meeting and no election of officers shall be accordingly had\nthereat, the rector, vicar, or minister in charge of the church or\ncongregation is authorized to and shall call a special meeting (which\nmay be referred to as an adjourned annual corporate meeting) at a time\nand place to be fixed by him. Notice of such meeting shall be given in\nthe same manner as provided for any special meeting. If such special\nmeeting be not called by such rector, vicar or minister within two weeks\nfollowing the date for such annual meeting, the bishop is authorized to\nand shall call such special meeting and notice thereof shall be given in\nlike manner. The election of officers and any other business required or\nscheduled to have been had or conducted at the annual corporate meeting\nmay be had and conducted at such special meeting. In the event that a\nquorum shall not be present at such special meeting and no election of\nofficers shall be accordingly had thereat, the rector, vicar or minister\nin charge of the church or congregation, with the approval of the\nbishop, not more than sixty days thereafter, is authorized to and shall\nappoint the laymen trustees, wardens and other lay officers to the\noffices not filled by election at such annual corporate meeting or such\nspecial meeting, and they shall hold office as such until the next\nsucceeding annual meeting. If such rector, vicar or minister shall fail\nto make such appointments, the bishop is authorized to and shall make\nsuch appointments, with like force and effect.\n