Bylaws

HONPA HONGWANJI MISSION
HAWAII FEDERATION OF BUDDHIST WOMEN’S ASSOCIATIONS

ARTICLE 1 – 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.

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

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

The Federation shall be composed 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 Honpa Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Association
        Maui United Honpa Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Association
        Kauai United Honpa Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Association

Each United Association will consist of active and associate members.

Honorary President	One
Immediate Past President	One
1st Vice President	One
2nd Vice President	One
Recording Secretary	One
Assistant Recording Secretary	One
Corresponding Secretary	One
Treasurer	One
Assistant Treasurer	One
Auditors	Two
Directors	As prorated
Standing Committee Chairs	As appointed or as mandated
United Presidents	Five (one from each United Association)
Minister Advisor, Federation	One (appointed by the Bishop)
Minister Advisors	Five (one from each United Association)

Section 2. Each United Association shall select directors to the Federation, and the proration shall be one director for every 300 active members and a major fraction thereof.

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, Recording Secretary, Assistant Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, and Auditors.
Section 2. The election for President, Vice Presidents, Recording Secretary, Assistant Recording Secretary, Corresponding 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 consecutive term.
Section 4. The term of office for the Directors shall be for one year.
Section 5. The term of office shall be the calendar year.

Section 1. The Executive Board shall be composed of the Honorary President, the Immediate Past President, the President, the Vice Presidents, the Recording and Corresponding Secretaries, the Treasurers, the Auditors, the United Presidents, and the Federation Minister Advisor.
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 at the request of the President and such vote shall have the force and effect of a vote taken at a meeting.

Section 1. Honorary President. 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, in consultation with the Executive Board, 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. Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall be responsible for the accurate accounting 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 Recording Secretary. The Assistant Recording Secretary shall render assistance the Recording Secretary at all times and in the absence, inability or resignation of the Recording Secretary, shall assume the duties and responsibilities of that office for the balance of the unexpired term.
Section 7. Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary shall be in charge of correspondence, including sending out notices of meetings.
Section 8. 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 9. 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 10. 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 11. 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 12. Federation Minister Advisor. The Federation Minister Advisor shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Federation.

The Bishop, the Federation Minister Advisor, and the Minster advisors of the various United Associations are eligible to attend the Representative Assembly with voice but without vote.

Section 1. The Bylaws Committee shall review the Bylaws annually and shall submit for recommendations for amendments to the Executive Board.
Section 2. 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 3. The Membership Committee shall be in charge of membership statistics, and develop plans for effective involvement and recruitment programs.
Section 4. 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 5. The Projects Committee shall develop and implement projects in agreement with Federation objectives.
Section 6. The Newsletter Committee shall publish and distribute newsletters to members on dates determined by the Representative Assembly
Section 7. The Education Committee shall encourage and assist the Districts in the research and development of education programs.
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.

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.
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 primarily be in preparation 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 Untied Associations.

Any vacancy in the Executive Board shall be filled by the majority vote of the Executive Board.

Section 1. Representative Assemblies: Fifteen members shall constitute a quorum of which there shall be a member from each United Association.
Section 2. Executive Board Meetings: Eight members shall constitute a quorum of which there shall be one member from each United Association.

Section 1. The President and the five Presidents of the respective United Associations or their duly designated representatives are the official representatives to the annual Legislative Assembly (Giseikai) of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.
Section 2. The Honorary President shall attend the annual Legislative Assembly (Giseikai) as an observer.

Section 1. Financial assessments shall be determined by the Representative Assembly.
Section 2. The President, the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, and two other members designated by the Executive Board shall be authorized to sign checks for the Federation, and each check shall have the signatures of at least two authorized members to be valid.
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.

Each United Association shall submit a report of its activities to the Federation President by December 1st. These reports shall be compiled into an “Annual Report of the Federation.”

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.

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

Revised September 21, 1987
Revised March 6, 1993
Revised September 23, 1995
Revised March 24, 2001
Revised March 30, 2003
Revised October 8, 2011