Good Shepherd Episcopal Church
Kingwood, Texas
 
 
Vestry Resources - Vestry Meeting Guidelines and Process

1. The Rector chairs Vestry meetings. In his absence, the Senior or Junior Warden chairs the meetings. A Quorum of 7 Vestry members is required.

2. The Senior Warden develops the agenda with inputs from the Rector and other Vestry members. Suggestion: Use timed agenda.

3. The Treasurer or his/her representative attends all Vestry meetings but is not a voting member of the Vestry unless an elected member of the Vestry.

4. The Clerk keeps minutes at Vestry meetings, collects and makes corrections to the minutes, and provides corrected minutes to the Office Manager by close of Business on the Thursday before the next Vestry meeting. Not a voting member of the Vestry unless an elected member of the Vestry.

5. Meetings start and end promptly at the scheduled times (usually 7:00 and 9:00 PM) on the third Tuesday of each month. Meetings may be extended upon majority vote of Vestry members in attendance. However, a quorum must be in attendance.

6. Robert's Rules of Order will be followed for all business agenda items.

7. Legal issues will be referred to the Chancellor before final action is taken.

8. Vestry members are expected to be at all regular and specially called meetings. If unable to attend, the Vestry member should (at a minimum) notify the Rector and Senior Warden and find a substitute for assigned agenda items.

9. All material for the Vestry meetings including agendas, minutes, treasurer's reports, and motions should be provided to all Vestry members, the Treasurer, the Rector, and the Office Manager via email or hard copy no later than close of business Thursday before the Vestry meeting.

10. Vestry members should read all material in the package prior to the meeting and be prepared to discuss and vote on all items in the Vestry package.

11. Motions should be on the agenda before a vote is called. They may be introduced for information at other times, but no vote will be taken unless there is a consensus of the Vestry to vote.

12. Motions should always be coordinated with Vestry liaisons before the motions are put on the agenda. This does not mean that liaisons must approve motions, but they must be aware of the motions so they can be prepared to support or raise issues or concerns during the processing of the motion.

13. Vestry members are assigned devotionals for each Vestry meeting. If unable to attend, the Vestry member is responsible for finding a substitute.

14. Vestry meetings are open to the public unless a sensitive personnel issue is being dealt with. The Chair of the meeting will decide when an issue must be taken up in a closed Executive Session and ask visitors to leave and minutes to be confidentially recorded. Salaries, disciplinary action, and personal misconduct are examples of sensitive issues to be discussed only in Executive Session.

15. NOTE: Length and efficiency of Vestry meetings are determined by good preparation by all participants. Do your homework and follow the process!


Nolting: 8/20/2008