New Horizon Singles

New Horizon Singles Class Procedures

PURPOSE

The purpose of New Horizon Singles is to provide a Christian fellowship, where the members’ needs are met through the expression of the Spirit of Christ.  New Horizon Singles will strive to help its members grow in Christian faith and will strive as well to promote an individual member’s personal growth. New Horizon Singles will have social and recreational activities to foster loving relationships, and will provide service opportunities to give members a means to help those outside the class who are in need.

New Horizon Singles shall adhere to the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, and policies as set forth by the United Methodist Church of FOrt Worth, Texas.

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern New Horizon Singles in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the United Methodist Church, the First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth, or the Class Guidelines.

MEMBERSHIP

New Horizon Singles membership shall be open to all adults.  However, the class shall basically derive its membership from single adults over 40. Any single adult may become a member of the New Horizon Singles upon his or her request.  A single adult shall be defined as any adult, who is widowed, divorced, legally separated or who has never been married.

Membership list and class procedure materials shall be provided for all class members and the church office at least once a year.

Each January, the membership list will be updated by requiring all class members to re-enroll in person, in class with the Membership officer or the Secretary.

Only those class members who re-enroll each year will be considered "ACTIVE" and listed in the Membership Directory. Only those who have re-enrolled at least one month prior to the election of officers shall be eligible to vote. 

ROLE OF THE ELECTED OFFICERS

The elected officers, as a whole, are ultimately responsible for conducting the business of this class, and shall serve as the members’ representatives in all matters.

“May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.” Psalm 25:21

JOB DESCRIPTIONS OF CLASS OFFICERS

The elected officers of this class and their major responsibilities shall be as follows:

PRESIDENT - The President’s primary role should be the class leader and a facilitator for the other officers. The President shall preside at all class meetings, call class officer and special meetings, appoint special duty positions and committees, coordinate planning activities with other officers, ensure that the responsibilities of the various class offices are being filled, announce class activities and other items of business during class meetings, assure that at least one officer will be present at each scheduled activity, and comply with those duties set forth by the United Methodist Church.

VICE PRESIDENT - The Vice-President shall preside over the class programs and retreats.  This shall include obtaining resource persons and materials, introducing resource leaders and complying with those duties set forth by the United Methodist Church. He/She shall also assume the responsibilities of the class president when the president is unable to attend a class meeting.

SECRETARY - The Secretary shall be responsible for preparing records of class business meetings, compiling reports as required by the class, shall assist the Membership officer with the maintenance of the class roll and attendance records, mailing out greeting cards, and complying with those duties set forth by FUMC.

*CORRESPONDING SECRETARY – Shall be responsible for maintaining and updating the class member's names, phone numbers, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses in the database, sending official class communications over the Internet on an "as needed" basis, other duties as outline in Robert's Rules of Order, and complying with those duties set forth by FUMC. All email, "Forwards are to be sent to the general membership exactly as submitted.

*Amended October 24, 2004.

TREASURER - The Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining the class bank account and other special accounts required for class activities, collection and recording of Sunday morning offerings, preparing and presenting bank reconciliation reports for each officer meeting and posting last bank reconciliation on class bulletin board, paying all bills authorized by the president and officers, preparing a semiannual financial report, and complying with those duties set forth by FUMC.

Prerequisites for Treasurer’s Position*

It will be necessary for the Treasurer to have complete and private use of a personal computer (separate and distinct from access to any business / workplace computer) in order to load and use the selected financial software package (currently Quicken) and to produce private financial records for NHS.

*Amended November 9, 2003.

* The treasurer will also comply with the addendum to these guidelines, “Additional Duties and Responsibilities of the Treasurer,” and any changes thereto.

MEMBERSHIP – The Membership officer shall be responsible for greeting and assisting visitors with new membership, follow-up contacts of visitors to the class, contact new members of FUMC, contact class members who have become inactive (in coordination with the class secretary), re-signing of members in January, giving class procedures and name tags to new members, and complying with those duties set forth by FUMC.

SERVICE – The Service officer shall be responsible for planning and implementing class service projects and functions, including service activities on class calendar, and complying with those duties set forth by FUMC.

* SOCIAL – Two Social officers shall be responsible for planning and implementing class social functions, including social activities on the class calendar, and complying with those duties of FUMC.*Amended April 24, 2005.

FRIENDSHIP – The Friendship officer shall be responsible for organizing Friendship Group meetings among the class members (usually one monthly), selecting or assisting group leaders, and being available to all groups as a resource person, greeting, welcoming, and assisting visitors on Sunday mornings, and complying with those duties set forth by FUMC.

*RECREATION – The Recreation officer shall be responsible for planning and implementing class recreational functions and their inclusion on the class calendar, and complying with those duties set forth by FUMC. *Amended April 24, 2005, to Strike this sentence.

ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIAL DUTY AND APPOINTED POSITIONS/COMMITTEES* Special Duty, Appointed positions, and Committees may be established by and dismissed by the President as necessary.  In any event, appointment(s) to these positions will terminate at the end of the appointing officer’s term, as described in the section, "ELECTION OF OFFICERS."

*Amended June 22, 2003.

APPOINTED POSITIONS *

PUBLICITY - Shall be responsible for the collection of information to compile a monthly calendar with all the information necessary to publicize all class functions and service projects, and complying with those duties set forth by FUMC.

*Amended October 24, 2004.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

*Officers shall be elected for a six (6) month term beginning January 1 and ending June 30, then beginning July 1 and ending December 31.  Election shall precede the beginning of officers' terms by at least four (4) weeks.

*Amended June 22, 2003.

*Nominations for office will open the Sunday morning class meeting two (2) weeks preceding the elections. Nominations will remain open until the time voting begins.  The date of nominations opening and class voting shall be announced by the president at least one (1) week prior to opening nominations.

*Amended June 22, 2003.

Nominations for offices shall be restricted to members of the class.  As stated above, the President must be a member of FUMC.  Preferably, other nominees will be members of the church as well. 

A class member may be nominated for more than one office.  If elected to more than one office, the officer elect will choose which office he/she intends to serve.  Another ballot will be taken consisting of the other class members’ nomination for the unfilled office.  An officer may not be elected to serve in more than one office. 

Nominations are made either by informing the class president or made from the floor during Sunday morning class meetings.  A nominee must accept nomination prior to inclusion on the ballot.  Election shall be by closed ballot.

Only “Active” class members as defined above under “Membership” (paragraph 4) may vote.

The results of the election shall be announced and runoffs completed before the end of the Election Day Sunday morning class session.

A majority will elect a class member to office.If two or more candidates tie in the number of votes received and do not obtain the majority of votes for an office, then a new ballot will be taken consisting of only those candidates who tied. 

A current officer not running for re-election or someone selected by the officers shall preside over elections of new officers.  The ballot counters shall be current officers not running for office or someone selected by the officers.

All vacancies in office will be filled for the non-expired term by special election within the class.

No officer may hold the same office for more than two (2) consecutive terms. While not eligible to hold the same office a third consecutive term, a member may run for and be elected to another office.

OFFICER MEETINGS

All elected class officers shall meet at least once per month to plan and direct class activities. The class president and officers will decide upon dates for the officer meetings and the open or closed status of the meetings.

*A quorum of class officers must be present in order to conduct officers meeting. **A quorum will consist of five (5) officers. Only elected class officers may vote at the officers meetings. Voting decisions will be based upon a majority opinion of the class officers present.

*Amended July 27, 2003.

**Amended November 21, 2004, to Strike this sentence.

Minutes of the class officers meetings will be prepared and made available by the class secretary.

FINANCES

All New Horizon Singles funds shall be properly accounted for and deposited appropriately in a bank.A class report shall be made semi-annually by the treasurer on the disposition of funds.  A written financial report shall be stated at the officers meeting and posted in the classroom monthly.

The elected president, treasurer, and secretary shall be authorized to issue checks.  Any check for an amount over $300.00 must be countersigned by two of the three officers.

The class shall derive its funds from free will class collections and fund raising projects.

Upon dissolution of the New Horizon Singles, all remaining funds after debts are paid will go into the general fund of FUMC.

CLASS PROGRAMS

STUDY PROGRAM

New Horizon Singles shall have at least a 20-minute program on Sunday mornings.

SERVICE PROGRAM

The New Horizon Singles shall have at least two (2) service projects per term of office.

The class officers shall approve all service projects.

MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM

New Horizon Singles shall have an effective ongoing cultivation program to welcome new class members and visitors. An attempt will be made to reactivate inactive class members and encourage them to become active again.

FRIENDSHIP PROGRAM

The New Horizon Singles shall have meeting groups available to the class at least once a month to share in conversation and discussions on a smaller level to promote friendship and fellowship.

* RECREATION PROGRAM

The New Horizon Singles shall have two (2) recreation activities per month approved by the class officers.*Amended April 24, 2005, to Strike this sentence.

PUBLICITY PROGRAM

The New Horizon Singles shall have a newsletter/calendar published at least once a month.

SINGLES COUNCIL

The New Horizon Singles will actively support the First United Methodist Church Singles Council with the appropriate number of class officers and non-officer members requested.

AMENDING THESE GUIDELINES*

These Guidelines can be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present on any given Sunday morning class meeting.The vote shall be by a simple show of hands.The proposed amendment must be submitted to the Officers, in person and in writing, at officers’ meeting.On the following Sunday morning, the President must, in turn, submit the proposed amendment to the class (in writing) for their consideration. This must occur at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the actual vote to amend.

*Amended November 9, 2003.

 RATIFIED ON _____________________________

                                            DATE

________________________________________

                              PRESIDENT

________________________________________

                               SECRETARY

ADDENDUM

Further Description of Duties and Responsibilities of Treasurer

*All financial transactions shall be disclosed to all officers at all times.

*Any financial transaction or proposed financial transaction over $100.00 which is not within the normal parameters of approved use of the class funds as defined herein (i.e. to support expenditures of class social or

service programs pre-approved by the officers and/or the class) shall not be paid until that expense is properly submitted to the officers and approved by the majority vote of the officers (i.e. five (5) of the nine (9) elected officers).

REPORTING

* The Treasurer shall prepare a written monthly treasurer's report to include:

Beginning cash balance

            Add: Deposits by source (where did our money come in from)

            Subtract: Expenditures by type (where did we spend our money)

Ending cash balance

*The Treasurer is strongly encouraged to use an automated basic financial package, e.g. (Quicken). NHS will purchase the software for this purpose.This purchased software remains the sole property of NHS and must be given to the incoming Treasurer at the end of the current treasurer’s term.

*NHS shall submit a financial audit to FUMC at least once a year and at any time upon request by FUMC.

Accounting Procedures

*Under no circumstances shall an officer sign a check payable to him/herself. Should this situation arise, the third authorized check signer must sign.

*The Treasurer shall prepare bank reconciliation each month, wherein the balance per bank is reconciled to the balance per books.

*The Treasurer shall devise a system of filing receipts so that retrieval is simplified.

No money will be reimbursed unless receipts for purchases are presented and validated by the Treasurer.It is incumbent upon the purchaser to provide these receipts for goods purchased where a check advance has been given.If the amount spent is less than the advance amount, the purchaser shall repay the treasury the difference.Any amount spent by the purchaser in excess of the advance shall be repaid to the purchaser by the treasury.

*The Treasurer shall reconcile income and expenses after each event with the event chairperson(s), and report the net gain or loss at the next officer meeting with appropriate recommendations for subsequent budgets for the same event.

RATIFIED ON______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

PRESIDENT

_________________________________________________________________________

SECRETARY