Holy Resurrection Parish Council
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Bobby Tsirakidis, President
Stephanie Clark, Vice President
Soterios Panageas, Secretary
James Xanthos, Asst. Secretary
Savvy Asprou, Treasurer
Constantine G. Zachariadis, Asst. Treasurer
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Gregory Calpakis
Kyriakos C. Demou
Lisa DiPinto
Steve Fegos
Peter Koumoulis
Theodore Livanos
James Montesantos
Peter Pantazakos
Peter J. Pappas, Jr.
Evangelos Paravalos
Despina Yarian
Parish Council Standing Committees
General
It is requested that each Parish Council member serve on at least one committee. It is recommended that every committee include at least one Parish Council member, with the exception of the Strategic Planning Committee which is composed of all Past Presidents, whether or not any remain on the Parish Council.
By-Laws
• Size/Composition
o A recommended minimum of two members, including chair(s)
• Responsibilities
o To ensure that by-laws are maintained to reflect current needs of parish.
o Perform an annual review of all by-laws
o Review proposals regarding by-law changes presented to the Parish
Council.
Capital Fundraising
• Size/Composition: A recommended minimum of four members, including
o Co-chairs
o Members:
• Proistamenos
• Past Presidents
• Responsibilities
• Coordinate the solicitation of Building Fund and Parish Development Funds
• Provide recommendations to Parish Council on fundraising requirements
• Prepare recommendations regarding major parish growth items, both short term and long term.
• Provide prioritization recommendations and cost options
Church Order
• Size/Composition:
o A recommended minimum of three members
o Recommended: Chair, Backup to chair, Parking coordinator
• Responsibilities
o Schedule PC sacrament, Sunday morning and Feast Day duty
o Responsible for coordinating communications regarding services
o Ensure proper parking oversight on major holidays
o Prepare handbook on Church Order procedures, including
• Holy Week services
• Church Order responsibilities related to Sunday School Communion and dismissal procedures
• Students’ participation (or lack thereof) at pangari
Facilities Management
• Size/Composition:
o Chair
o A recommended minimum of three additional members
o Recommendation that committee membership includes 2-3 retired parishioners who can identify issues, correct minor issues, and be available during the week to meet outside contactors.
• Responsibilities
o Arrange all emergency service calls and repairs
o Maintain service ticket log of outstanding issues, including the closing and response to such tickets.
o Schedule and monitor all preventative maintenance and all related contracts
o Review and approve all construction and equipment requests
o Monitor facility-related budget items and actual
o Coordinate with the church office on all of the above activities
Finance
• Size/Composition:
o Vice President (Chair)
o Treasurer
o Asst. Treasurer
o Facilities Chair
o Fair Share Chair
o 2-3 additional members – may include current and former Parish Council members
o Recommended: Include one former President or Treasurer
• Responsibilities
o Develops the annual expense budget
o Develops the annual Archdiocese assessment package, and communicates with Archdiocese Department of Finance regarding assessment
o Makes recommendations and monitors spending by budget category
o Approves emergency expenditures up to one thousand dollars
o Fair Share Subcommittee: Develops Fair Share
• Monitors and tracks the fair share offerings pledged and received
• Develops standardized report including current status and trend analysis
• Validates “Member in Good Standing” status of all members
Greek School
• Size/Composition:
o Chair
o Educational Director
o 2-4 additional members
• Responsibilities
o Hires and releases staff
o Sets staff salaries
o Develops program parameters, requirements and expectations
o Sets schedules including weather related decisions
o Sets discipline procedures
o Set conflict resolution procedures
Information & Outreach
• Size/Composition:
o Chair and 1-4 others
• Responsibilities
o Publish quarterly Koinonia
o Website upkeep
o Compile member register with email addresses
Membership Development
• Size/Composition:
o Chair and 3-5 others
o At least two must be from outside the Parish Council
• Responsibilities
o With the Parish Council, establish goals for membership levels each year and establish outreach programs to attain these goals
o Develops new members package
o Coordinates ongoing series of new member welcome events
• Ensure these occur frequently (every 3-4 months)
o Assumes primary ownership of membership/outreach events recommended by the Parish Leadership Conference
Strategic Planning
• Size/Composition:
o Consists of all Past Presidents
• Responsibilities
o To provide Parish Council with recommendations regarding direction and major initiatives for parish
Youth Commission
• Size/Composition:
o Chair, Deputy Chair, Parish Council President
o Advisors to Little Angels, HOPE, JOY and GOYA and Boy Scouts
o Sunday School Director
o Greek School Chair
o Greek School PTA President
o Youth Team Coaches
• Responsibilities
o Develops the youth-related budget items
o Coordinates the youth calendar
Parish Council Elections
The Uniform Parish Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, along with the By-Laws of our parish define the process for electing members to the Parish Council
Uniform Parish Regulations
ARTICLE 25
ELECTION OF PARISH COUNCIL
Section 1: Members of the Parish Council shall be elected by parishioners in good standing of the Parish in accordance with the Regulations and the Parish Bylaws. The election of the members of the Parish Council shall be held no earlier than the first Sunday in November, and no later than the second Sunday in December.
Section 2: A candidate for the Parish Council must be a parishioner in good standing of the Parish for at least one (1) year immediately preceding the date of the election and must live his or her life in accordance with the Faith and canons of the Church. The Priest determines whether the Parishioners are in canonical and financial good standing as specified in Article 18, Sections 1 through 3.
Section 3: Candidates for election to the Parish Council shall be nominated in accordance with the provisions of the Parish Bylaws.
A. All candidates shall attend a seminar conducted by the Priest prior to the election at which the Priest shall discuss and explain to the candidates the Uniform Parish Regulations, and the significance of the affirmation of office.
B. At the discretion of the respective Hierarch, such seminar may be held locally or regionally, provided that candidates are given appropriate advance notice and more than one reasonable opportunity to attend the seminar in a location within close proximity to the applicable Parish.
C. In the event that an otherwise eligible candidate(s) cannot attend the scheduled seminar(s) for justifiable cause, the Priest shall meet privately with such individual(s) to provide the seminar.
D. At the conclusion of the seminar all candidates must sign a statement acknowledging that they understand the Regulations and will abide by them and the affirmation of office. If a candidate for the Parish Council does not attend a seminar and sign the statement, his/her name shall be deleted from the list
of candidates.
Section 4: A parishioner in good standing and duly enrolled in the Parish Record but delinquent in his or her Parish stewardship obligations for the current year may vote in the election by meeting his or her stewardship obligation prior to the election, unless Parish Bylaws have established alternate deadlines in this regard. If a Parishioner is delinquent for more than the current calendar year, he or she may vote in the Parish Council elections only if he or she has met his or her unfulfilled stewardship financial obligations at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the elections.
Section 5: A new parishioner of the Parish may vote in the election if he/she has become a member in good standing at least three (3) months prior thereto.
Section 6: Parish Bylaws may provide for absentee balloting only in the case of elections of the Parish Council. Such ballots must be in the hands of the Board of Elections not later than the commencement of voting and shall be opened and tabulated with the ballots personally cast. No proxies shall be allowed.
Section 7: Elections shall be held at a place on Parish premises previously announced by the Board of Elections and voting shall be by secret ballot. Voting shall begin after the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy and shall terminate on the same day at such time as determined by local Parish Bylaws.
Section 8: The election results shall be entered in the minutes of the first Parish Council meeting, showing the number of votes cast for each candidate, and shall be signed by each member of the Board of Elections. The candidates receiving the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected for the ensuing term, subject to ratification by the respective Hierarch. In the event of a tied vote, the other members of the incoming Parish Council shall fill the office from among the tied candidates by majority vote at their first Parish Council meeting, pending the ratification by the respective Hierarch. The tied candidates, if otherwise found to be qualified, may be provisionally approved by the respective Hierarch if he ratifies the election results and the elected individual may, upon his/her election, take the affirmation of office and participate in the election of officers.
Section 9: Any parishioner in good standing of the Parish questioning the validity of any election may, within five (5) days after such election, lodge a written protest with the respective Hierarch. Such protest shall be signed by the questioning parishioner and at least four (4) other parishioners in good standing and shall list in detail all the reasons for the protest. In the event that a protest is filed and such protest is upheld and deemed valid, the respective Hierarch will declare the protested election void and a new election will be ordered. The decision of the respective Hierarch thereon shall be final.
Section 10: In case of the resignation of any member-elect of the incoming Parish Council, or a vacancy for any other reason, in the interim between the day of Parish Council elections and the election of officers, the members of the incoming Council shall, after the election of officers, elect a new member from among the Parish’s parishioners in good standing to fill the vacancy.
Section 11: In the event that an insufficient number of candidates shall be nominated for election to the Parish Council, or the number nominated is equal to the number of vacancies, the election of those nominated shall take place in accordance with the election procedures established by these Regulations. The Parish Council, after the ratification and the taking of office of any new members, and the election of officers shall proceed to fill any vacancies on the Council from among the Parish’s parishioners in good standing. Those elected by the Parish Council shall, in such order as may be determined by the Council, and following ratification by the respective Hierarch, serve the term that a member duly elected by the Parish would have served.
By-Laws
Article III
PARISH COUNCIL
Section 1. Number of Council members and length of their term of duty.
A. Size of the parish council:
i. Effective October 23, 1980, the parish council shall consist of fifteen (15) parishioners who are members in good standing.
ii. Commencing January 1, 2009, the Parish Council shall consist of seventeen (17) parishioners who are members in good standing.
iii. Commencing January 1, 2010, the Parish Council shall consist of nineteen (19) parishioners who are members in good standing.
iv. Commencing January 1, 2011, the Parish Council shall consist of twenty-one (21) parishioners who are members in good standing.
B. Elections shall be held annually and nominations staggered so that seven (7) members are elected one year, seven (7) the subsequent year, and seven (7) the third year.
C. Each duly elected Council member shall hold office for a term of three (3) years.
Section 2. Nomination of Council Members:
Nominations for the Parish Council shall by held at the Fall Parish Assembly.
Section 3. Nominee Qualifications:
A nominee for the Parish Council must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age and a Fair Share member in continuous good standing for at least twenty-four (24) months prior to being nominated and must comply in his or her life and activities with the faith and canons of the Church.
Section 4. Elections of Parish Council:
Location: The election shall take place in the Parish facilities in a specific location, which will be described in the Notice of Election to the Parishioners.
Date: Elections shall be held on a Sunday to conform with the Uniform Parish Regulations.
Voting Procedure: Voting shall be conducted by secret ballot. Absentee ballots are acceptable but must be in the hands of the Election Committee at the start of voting.
Ballot: Ballot must contain votes for the total designated number of council members to be elected or it shall be deemed invalid.