Hays Praise Bylaws
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this community shall be The Hays Praise Emmaus Community, hereinafter referred to as the Fourth Day Group.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

Section 1. The purpose of the Fourth Day Group shall be to inspire, challenge, and equip church members for Christian action in their homes, churches, places of work, and the world community through the Emmaus experience.

Section 2. The Fourth Day Group is affiliated with the International Emmaus Program of Upper Room Ministries, Nashville, Tennessee.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. All persons who have completed a weekend experience of the Walk to Emmaus sponsored by an Upper Room Emmaus community shall be members of a Fourth Day Group.

Section 2. Persons who have completed a Walk to Emmaus, Chrysalis, Cursillo, Acts, Tres Dias or Kairos may become members by participating in the activities of the Fourth Day Group and asking the secretary of the local Fourth Day Group to include their names on the mailing list.

ARTICLE IV. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. Purpose
Direction of the Fourth Day Group shall be vested in a Board of Directors

Section 2. Composition
The Board of Directors (The Board) shall consist of 2 members from each of the 5 local areas, (3) Clergy and an Executive Board which consist of (5) officers to include; 1. Lay Director, 2. Assistant Lay Director, 3. Treasurer, 4. Secretary, 5. SWT Conference Board Representative.

ARTICLE V. OFFICERS OF THE BOARD

Section 1. Officers
Officers shall be the Lay Director, Assistant Lay Director, Secretary, and Treasurer; and in the cases of absences will chair meetings in this order. The Vice-Chair must be eligible to serve an additional year on the board and serve as the Chair if elected to that post. Officers can accept responsibility for a work area in addition to an elected position on the board.

Section 2. Election of Officers
The Fourth Day Group Lay Director shall serve as Chair of the board. Both Lay Director & Asst Lay Director are required to have worked a minimum of five walks to hold this position.

Section 3. Board Terms
The position on the Board of Directors will be a three year term from June 1 to May 31.

Section 4. Spiritual Director
The Spiritual Director of the Fourth Day Group shall be selected annually by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS

Section 1. The Board shall meet no less than four times per year or as otherwise deemed necessary.

Section 2. Quorum
Ten members of the Board of Directors present at a duly called meeting shall constitute a quorum. A motion may be approved by 2/3 majority vote of a quorum at a regular called meeting.

Section 3. Special Meetings
Special board meetings may be called by the chair or when requested in writing by (10) members of the board.

ARTICLE VII. COMMITTEES

Section 1. The Board of Directors shall name board members to chair committees as deemed necessary.

Section 2. The Chair of the board will be an ex-officio member of all standing committees.

Section 3. All Committees shall bring recommendations to the Board for approval.

ARTICLE VIII. WALK TO EMMAUS

Section 1. The Fourth Day Group shall follow the guidelines of the Upper Room Walk to Emmaus program in the presentation of the three-day (72-hour) experience Walk to Emmaus.

Section 2. The Board of Directors shall have general oversight in all matters relating to the local Walk to Emmaus Groups.

Section 3. The Board of Directors shall choose a Lay Director for each Walk to Emmaus weekend.

Section 4. The Board Representative for the Walk to Emmaus weekend must have worked 3 walks with at least 1 ALD position and shall be a current member of the Board. In the event a current member of the Board can not serve on a Walk, then a past Board member may be selected by the current Board and placed on that Walk.

Section 5. Lay Directors shall have been to Lay Directors Training before first Team Meeting.

Section 6. The Board shall establish a Team Selection Committee. This committee shall consist of one Board Representative, with one person from each local area totaling 6 with at least 4 present to approve. Selection members must be active in their local area with at least 3 of the members experienced (worked 3 walks).

Section 7. The Spiritual Director and clergy team for each Walk to Emmaus shall be selected by the chosen Lay Director for that particular walk and submitted to the team selection committee for recommendation and then to the Board for approval.


ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Proposed amendments may be presented to the board by any member of the Fourth Day Group one (1) month in advance of consideration by the board.

Section 2. If the amendments are voted in the affirmative by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the board, they will be circulated to the membership via the Hays Praise newsletter, and if no petitions signed by at least twenty-five (25) Fourth Day Group members objecting to the new amendments are received, the amendments will be considered adopted. Any objections must be received within sixty (60) days of the mailing of the notification. If an objection petition is received, the amendment will be considered void.

Section 3. If the board then wishes to submit the amendment to the entire Fourth Day Group for a vote, it may do so. A majority or plurality of votes cast by the membership will decide the matter.

ARTICLE X. RATIFICATION
The bylaws take effect immediately upon certification of the board that a majority of mail ballot of the Fourth Day Group approves them.