Because every voice matters, we want all First Parish members to be able to participate in congregational meetings. Members cannot always attend in person, and because our bylaws do not allow them to vote online, the Parish Committee has appointed a committee to address this.
During the pandemic lockdown, Massachusetts let corporations hold meetings online even if that was banned by their bylaws. We are incorporated under Chapter 67 of the Massachusetts General Laws, so even though online meetings are not allowed under our bylaws, we met via Zoom. The state has now withdrawn that permission.
We follow Robert’s Rules of Order, which allows for majority rule while ensuring that all voices are heard. Robert’s Rules explicitly state that a meeting must occur with all people in the same room, and that doing otherwise requires enabling clauses in the bylaws. The committee has created a proposal for changes to the First Parish bylaws to allow hybrid online meetings and voting. The changes are as generic as possible, leaving details to the Parish Committee. This makes it easy to change with experience, and lets us to adapt to technological changes. For example, instead of “Zoom” we say “internet meeting services.”
Our bylaws can only be changed by a vote at a congregational meeting, so our proposal will be on the agenda for the meeting on February 7, 2027, when we will also vote on the initial draft of our Congregational Covenant. The February meeting is scheduled before our Congregational Meeting in May so that that important gathering can be hybrid, to ensure maximum participation when we vote to call our new settled minister. Ministerial candidates consider high participation in that vote to be very important.
To learn more and ask questions, please come to an information session on November 22 at 11:45 am in the Parlor, or online on December 2 at 8 pm.
The Bylaw Committee: Tish Miller, John Shriver, Cathy Slesnick, Anne Quaadgras
