Riverside Presbyterian Church
Operating Procedures of the Board of Deacons

Adopted: April 2005       Last Amended: April 2007

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Article 1 - Name of Organization

This organization shall be known as the Board of Deacons of Riverside Presbyterian Church.

Article 2 - Responsibilities

• The Board of Deacons is responsible to perform the following duties, which are in accordance with the Book of Order:
   
  • Ministering to those in need, the sick, the bereaved, and the shut-ins
  • Promoting fellowship
  • Reporting to the Session
  • Other appropriate duties as requested which are within Constitutional limitations.

Article 3 - Membership

• Members of the Board of Deacons shall:
   
  • Be Riverside church members in good standing
  • Be sound in faith and judgment
  • Be servants of Jesus.
     
• There shall be twelve Deacons in active service divided into three equal classes, one class of which shall be elected each year at the Annual Congregational Meeting, or at any special meeting called for that purpose, for a three-year term.
   
• The Pastor is an ex-officio member. If the past Moderator is not an active member, he/she is an ex-officio member.
   
• Deacons are encouraged to attend all special functions of the church if possible.
   
• Deacons are encouraged to wear the name badges provided to them at worship services and at meetings of the Board of Deacons.
   
• If a Deacon is unable to attend a meeting, he/she shall notify the Moderator or send an email to deacons@riversidepres.org. The absence will be excused.
   
• Resignations shall be submitted to the Board of Deacons in writing or may be emailed to deacons@riversidepres.org. After acceptance, the Moderator shall present the resignation to the Session for approval.
   
• Vacancies occurring through resignations, death, or dismissal may be filled for the remaining term by the congregation at the regular Annual Congregational Meeting or at a special Congregational Meeting called by the Session.

Article 4 - Officers

• Election of Board of Deacons officers shall be held at the first meeting where the new class is present.

• Special elections of Board officers shall be held when needed to fill the remaining terms of officers who have vacated the office.

• A term of elective office shall be one year.

• The elective officers, their qualifications, limitations, and duties are:

Moderator

• If possible, shall have served as a Deacon for at least one year and shall be selected from the membership of the most senior class of Deacons.
• Presides at all meetings.
• Appoints special committees.
• Is an ex-officio member of all special committees and Deacon commissions.
• Should be a member of the Stewardship and Finance Commission.
• Represents the Board of Deacons at Session meetings when invited and at other church meetings.
• Provides an Annual Report at the Annual Congregation Meeting.
  
• Performs such other duties as are necessary to further the work of the Board of Deacons.

Vice Moderator

• If possible, shall have served as a Deacon for at least one year and shall be selected from the second most senior class of Deacons.
• Assumes the office and duties of Moderator in the absence of, or resignation of, the Moderator.
• Ordinarily the Vice Moderator will become the Moderator the following year.
• Is an ex-officio member of all special committees and Deacon commissions.

Secretary

• May serve three terms.
• Shall keep full records of all proceedings.
• Will write official letters for the Board and keep a file of correspondence.
• Will present the Minutes of the previous meeting at each meeting.
• Minutes should be emailed to deacons@riversidepres.org with a CC to session@riversidepres.org and riverside@riversidepres.org in advance of the next Session meeting.
• If able, will keep the Deacons' pages of the church's web site updated.

Treasurer

• May serve three terms.
• As reporter of the Board of Deacons' funds, will establish and maintain accurate and current records of monies.
• Shall present a brief financial report at each meeting. The finance report should be emailed to deacons@riversidepres.org in advance of the meeting.

Article 5 - Commissions

• Most of the work of the Board of Deacons shall be performed through the Commissions that have been established by the Session.

• Each Deacon will provide the Board of Deacons a description of the duties and responsibilities they have as a member of their Commission.

• Each Deacon Communicator will report the status of his/her Commission at each meeting.  Minutes of their previous Commission meeting should be emailed to deacons@riversidepres.org in advance of the meeting.

Article 6 - Special Committees

• The Moderator may appoint a special committee and its chairperson when needed.

• Each special committee is subject to termination by the Moderator upon completion of the specific work and submission of a report. The report should be submitted by emailing the report to deacons@riversidepres.org.

Article 7 - Reports

• An annual report shall be prepared by the Moderator, and approved by the Board, and submitted to the Annual Congregation Meeting through the Session.

• The minutes of the Board of Deacons shall be submitted to the Session for review each month.

Article 8 - Funds

• An annual budget shall be prepared by the Moderator based on the needs of the Deacons, approved by the Board of Deacons, and submitted to the Session.

• The Board of Deacons shall control the funds allocated to it in the yearly budget.

• The Maundy Thursday collection and/or other special collection set-aside for the Board of Deacons by the Session or the congregation shall be set up in special fund #261937 for special projects.

Article 9 - Work of the Twelve

• Each person on the Board has been selected by God to use his/her particular ministry in His service.  It is the work of the Board to encourage, support, and finance as much as possible.

• It is proper for the Twelve to discuss service ministries proposed to it.  A service ministry can be adopted by a two-thirds vote.  If approved, the Moderator will refer it to the proper Deacon commission for implementation or create a special committee.

• There are a few service tasks that the Twelve will do themselves instead of in a commission. These tasks are:
   
  • Participate in the Maundy Thursday church service
  • Set up the Easter flowers in the Sanctuary
  • Distribute the Easter flowers to shut-ins (requires a list of shut-ins be obtained from the Care and Support Commission in advance)
  • Participate in the Church Officer Retreat
  • Have a joint meeting with the Session
  • Set up the Chrismon Tree
  • Set up the poinsettias in the Sanctuary for Christmas season
  • Participate in the Hanging of the Greens church service at Advent
  • Distribute the poinsettias to the shut-ins (requires a list of shut-ins be obtained from the Care and Support Commission in advance)
  • Take down Chrismon Tree and put away the decorations
  • Attend the Congregation Annual Meeting

Article 10 - Motions

• Decisions of the Board occur by voting on motions made.  Discussion will continue on a subject until it is time to vote.  At this time someone, other than the Moderator, must make a motion.  The procedure for making a motion is as follows:

• "I move that (motion statement)." Please refrain from using "I make a motion that ..."
• Moderator will repeat the motion: "The motion is (motion statement). Does the Secretary have the motion recorded?" (Wait for the Secretary)
• Moderator will ask, "Is there a second?"
• Moderator will repeat "A second has been made by (Name of person so that the Secretary can record the second.)."
• The Moderator will call for a vote. The vote could be by voice or by secret ballot. The Moderator will choose the appropriate method.
• The Moderator will announce the results of the motion.
• If necessary Moderator will lead an implementation discussion.

Article 11 - Calendar

March/April

• Approve Deacon's Procedures
• Maundy Thursday Service
• Sell/Distribute Easter flowers (See suggested procedure)
• Clean up Fellowship Hall (Fellowship)

May/June

• Church Officer Retreat
• Order poinsettias and two wreaths

August

• Pot Luck Dinner (Fellowship)
• Make final arrangements for 5th Quarter (Fellowship)

September

• Request commission preliminary annual budget needs
• Begin plans for Operation Christmas Child & Even Start

October

• Submit budget to Stewardship & Finance Commission

November

• Operation Christmas Child & Even Start promotion
• Sell poinsettias
• Assemble Chrismon Tree
• Advent Dinner (Fellowship)
• Hanging of the Greens church service

December

• Set-up/Distribute poinsettias (See suggested procedure)
• Joint meeting with Session
• Take down Chrismon tree

January

• Submit Annual Report
• Annual Meeting (Fellowship)
• Order Easter flowers and palms

February

• Make final plans for winter resident luncheon (Fellowship)
• Invite new Deacons to meeting

Article 12 - Suggested Flower Procedure

EASTER FLOWERS AND PALMS

• Order flowers and palms from Dodi Whitaker in January each year.
• At February or March Deacon's meeting, sign up deacons to sell flowers for Easter on the 3rd and 2nd Sundays prior to Easter.
• Ask Debbie to get sign up slips ready and put notice in bulletin for the same Sunday they are sold.
• Get change: 30 ones and 4 fives. Bring some pens.
• Work with Caring Friends Deacon and divide up delivery of flowers to shut-ins. Group deliveries together for each deacon, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island, Cocoa, etc.
• Make sure no one has signed up for flowers on flower calendar for Easter Sunday.
• Palms should be delivered Thursday or Friday prior to Palm Sunday.
• Flowers should be delivered the Thursday or Friday prior to Easter. Deacons should meet in Sanctuary on Saturday to water and arrange flowers.
• Flowers will be moved to kitchen after Easter Sunday service for delivery to shut-ins.

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

• Order Poinsettias and two wreaths from Dodi Whitaker in June of each year.
• At October or November Deacon's meeting, sign up people to sell some Poinsettias sometime in late November (like last two weeks in Nov.) Call to remind volunteers the Sat. before.
• Ask Debbie to get sign-up slips ready and put notice in bulletin for the same Sunday as they are sold.
• Get change: 30-ones, 4-fives, etc. Bring some pens.
• Debbie will give you the filled-in slips and you divide them by who wants to take them and who wants to give them to shut-ins.
• Work with Caring Friends Deacon and divide up delivery of flowers to shut-ins.
• Make sure no one has signed up for flowers on the weeks Poinsettias will be in church (usually the two Sundays before Christmas).
• Deacons should be at the church on the Saturday following the delivery of the flowers to water and place them.
• Advent - Tree should be put up first Saturday in December, and all decorations placed in the church for Hanging of the Greens.
• Poinsettias moved from Sanctuary to kitchen after services. Need to divide up available poinsettias among deacons for delivery to shut-ins.
• Decorations taken down and stored on Saturday following Christmas.

Article 13 - Treasurer's Monthly Financial Report

1. The report shows each financial account as compared to its budget.
2. At the beginning of the month, email the Church Treasurer and asks for the deacon accounts.   treasurer@riversidepres.org
3. Copy your last month's report to make a this month's report.
4. Change the month in the header
5. Change the dates in the Beginning and Ending lines.
6. Change the Beginning Balance to be the Ending Balance
   
7. Delete the detail for an account.
8. Add the Treasurer's detail and bold it so it can be easily read.
9. Reverse the Treasurer's math signs where needed.
   
10. Compute a new Ending Balance.  Compare ending balance with Treasurer's ending balance.
    
11. Do steps 5-9 for each account.
12. Look over the details.  There are always errors.  Bring up possible errors in next Board of Deacons meeting and verify.
13. Email the report to deacons@riversidepres.org.
14. Email corrections to Treasurer.  Verify corrections in next month's accounts.
    

Article 14 - Amendments

• These Procedures may be amended at any meeting of the Board of Deacons by a two-thirds vote.

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