Bylaws

HFBWA Bylaws as a PDF

Table of Contents
(Click a topic to scroll to that section.)

 

HONPA HONGWANJI MISSION
HAWAII FEDERATION OF BUDDHIST WOMEN’S ASSOCIATIONS

BYLAWS

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Honpa Hongwanji Mission, Hawaii Federation of Buddhist Women’s Associations, hereinafter called the Federation, and shall be an affiliate of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.

ARTICLE II – HEADQUARTERS OFFICE

The headquarters office shall be located at the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, 1727 Pali Highway, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.

ARTICLE III – PURPOSE

The purpose of the Federation shall be:

1. to perpetuate and expand Jodo Shinshu (Pure Land Sect) in the State of Hawaii;
2. to promote the development of Buddhist women’s organizations;
3. to unify and cooperate with all United Honpa Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Associations in the State of Hawaii; and
4. to participate in the promotion of Buddhism throughout the world and to work for world peace.

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP

The Federation shall be composed of members of the following United Honpa Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Associations:

• Honolulu United Honpa Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Association
• Oahu United Honpa Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Association
• Hawaii Island United Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Association
• Honpa Hongwanji Mission Maui United Buddhist Women’s Association
• Kauai United Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Association

Each United Association will consist of active and associate members.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

Section 1. The Representative Assembly shall be comprised of:

Section 2.  Each United Association shall select one director to the Federation.

ARTICLE VI – ELECTIONS

Section 1.  The Nominating Committee shall be composed of one representative from each United Association. The Nominating Committee shall select its own chairperson. It shall submit at the Fall meeting a slate of candidates for President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and Auditors.

Section 2.  The election and installation for President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and Auditors shall be held at the Fall meeting.

Section 3.  The term of office for the President, Vice Presidents, Secretaries, Treasurers, and Auditors shall be for two years. They may be reelected for one more consecutive term for a maximum of the 2 terms limit.

Section 4.  The term of office for the Directors shall be for one term.

Section 5.  The term of office shall be the calendar year.

ARTICLE VII – EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1.  The Executive Board shall be composed of the Honorary President, the Immediate Past President, the President, the Vice Presidents, the Secretaries, the Treasurers, the Auditors, the United Presidents, the Federation Minister Adviser, the Honorary Adviser (Bishop), and the United Minister Advisers.

Section 2.  The Executive Board shall have the power to act on emergency measures in the interim between Representative Assemblies.

Section 3.  A vote of the Executive Board may be taken by mail, including email, at the request of the President and such vote shall have the force and effect of a vote taken at a meeting.

Section 4. The Honorary Adviser (Bishop), the Federation Minister Adviser, and the United Minister Advisers as members of the Executive Board shall have voice but without vote.

ARTICLE VIII – DUTIES

Section 1.  Honorary President (Bishop’s spouse). The Honorary President shall serve in advisory capacity and shall have voting privilege.

Section 2.  Immediate Past President. The Immediate Past President shall serve in an advisory capacity and shall have voting privilege.

Section 3.  President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Federation except the Nominating Committee; shall appoint the chairs of all standing and special committees except the Nominating, Projects, and Membership Committees; shall serve as an ex-officio member of all standing and special committees except the Nominating Committee; shall submit a President’s Report at the Spring and Fall Representative Assembly; and shall perform all other duties pertaining to her office.

Section 4.  Vice Presidents. The Vice Presidents shall assist the President in every way possible. The First Vice President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President and chair the Projects Committee. The Second Vice President shall chair the Membership Committee.

Section 5. Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for the accurate  recording of the business proceedings and records of the organization. All minutes shall be disseminated to all officers, directors, and temples within 60 days following the meeting.

Section 6. Assistant Secretary. The Assistant Secretary shall render assistance to the Secretary at all times and in the absence, inability or resignation of the Secretary, shall assume the duties and responsibilities of that office for the balance of the unexpired term. She shall be in charge of correspondence, which may include sending out notices of meetings.

Section 7 .  Treasurer. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate account of receipts and disbursements; shall submit to the Auditors a written annual report within 30 days of the close of the fiscal year.

Section 8.  Assistant Treasurer. The Assistant Treasurer shall render assistance to the Treasurer at all times and, in the absence, inability or resignation of the Treasurer, shall assume the duties and responsibilities of that office for the balance of the unexpired term.

Section 9.  Auditors. The Auditors shall examine the books and accounts of the Treasurer, and shall attest to the accuracy and correctness of the annual financial report by appending their signatures to the report before submitting it to the Spring Representative Assembly.

Section 10.  Directors. The Directors shall assist the officers in every way possible and shall serve as liaison between the Federation and their respective United Associations.

Section 11. United Presidents. The United Presidents shall represent their respective United Associations.

Section 12.  Federation Minister Adviser. The Federation Minister Adviser shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Federation and shall have voice but no voting privilege.

Section 13. United Minister Advisers. The United Minister Advisers shall serve in an advisory capacity to their Uniteds and to the Federation and shall have voice but no voting privilege.

Section 14. Honorary Advisor (Bishop). The Honorary Adviser shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Federation and shall have voice but no voting privilege.

ARTICLE IX – ADVISERS

The Honorary Advisor (Bishop), the Federation Minister Adviser, and the Minister advisers of the various United Associations are eligible to attend the Representative Assembly with voice but without vote.

ARTICLE X – STANDING COMMITTEES

Section 1.  The Bylaws Committee shall review the Bylaws annually and shall submit recommendations for amendments to the Executive Board.

Section 2.  The Education Committee shall encourage and assist the Districts in the research and development of education programs.

Section 3. The Finance Committee shall prepare an annual budget; oversee the general management of the treasury and advise the Federation in maintaining a sound fiscal policy.

Section 4. The Membership Committee shall be in charge of membership statistics, and develop plans for effective involvement and recruitment programs.
Section 5.  The Newsletter Committee shall publish and distribute newsletters to members on dates determined by the Representative Assembly.

Section 6.  The Projects Committee shall develop and implement projects in agreement with Federation objectives.

Section 7. The Social and Reception Committee shall be responsible for all social functions of the Federation and shall coordinate arrangements throughout the State as needed.

Section 8.  The Student Exchange Committee shall be responsible for the activities of the Student Exchange Program.

Section 9.  All committee chairpersons, who are not officers or directors, shall have voice but no vote at Federation meetings.

ARTICLE XI – MEETINGS

Section 1.  There shall be two Representative Assemblies annually, one to be held in the Spring, and one to be held in the Fall. The date, time, and place of the Assemblies shall be determined by the President and notices shall be mailed out at least one month prior to the date selected. An annual meeting open to all members shall be held at the Spring Representatives Assembly except during the year the State Membership Conference is held, thereby the annual meeting shall be held at the State Membership Conference.

Section 2.  A Membership Conference shall be held every four years in the year prior to the World Buddhist Women’s Convention. The order of business shall include any preparations for the World Convention. The date, time, and place of the Conference shall be determined by the host unit. The host rotation shall be: Honolulu, Hawaii Island, Kauai, Maui, and Oahu.

Section 3.  Special Representative Assemblies may be called by the President, provided a thirty-day notice, including the business to be considered, is given to all United Associations.

Section 4. Any regular or special meeting of the Federation including but not limited to the General Membership Meeting, the Representative Assembly, the Executive Board and committees of the Federation may be conducted by means of teleconference, videoconference, or any means of communication technology by which as persons participating in the meeting can speak to and hear each other at the same time. Participation by such means shall constitute attendance at the meeting as long as such simultaneous communication is active and enabled.

ARTICLE XII – VACANCY

Any vacancy in the Executive Board shall be filled by a person appointed by the President and confirmed by the majority vote of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE XIII – QUORUM

A majority of voting members shall constitute a quorum for the Representative Assemblies and Executive Board meetings.

ARTICLE XIV – REPRESENTATIVES TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Section 1.  The President or her designee shall be the official representative to the annual Legislative Assembly (Giseikai) of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.

Section 2.  The Honorary President may attend the annual Legislative Assembly (Giseikai) as an observer.

ARTICLE XV – FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of the Federation shall be the calendar year.

ARTICLE XVI – FINANCES

Section 1.  Financial assessments shall be determined by the Representative Assembly.

Section 2.  The President, the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, and one other member designated by the Executive Board shall be authorized to sign checks for the Federation.

Section 3.  The cost of the Membership Conference shall be funded by individual registration fees. The Federation shall assume the overall fiscal responsibility of the Membership Conference.

ARTICLE XVII – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Parliamentary procedures in all meetings of this organization shall be based on Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised, except as otherwise specified in these Bylaws.

ARTICLE XVIII – AMENDMENTS

Section 1.  These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote at a Representative Assembly provided that the proposed amendment(s) has been distributed in writing to the membership through the United Associations, two months prior to the date of the Representative Assembly at which the voting on the amendment(s) is to take place.

Section 2.  Unless otherwise provided prior to its adoption or in the motion to adopt, an amendment to these bylaws shall become the law of BWA-Federation at the close of the meeting at which the amendment shall have been adopted.

Section 3. Utilization of proxy votes shall be determined by the written policies of the Federation.

Revised:
September 21, 1987
March 6, 1993
September 23, 1995
March 24, 2001
March 30, 2003
October 8, 2011
November 8, 2012
November 15, 2014
October 7, 2017
March 5, 2022
March 4, 2023