Nebraska State Council Proceedings Knights of Columbus 1905-1926

The By-Laws Adopted By the Nebraska
State Council at Hastings in 1925
Are As Follows:

BY-LAWS

     Section 1. MEMBERSHIP. The state Council shall consist of the following persons: The Grand Knight and a Past Grand Knight, actually residing in the state, from each Sub-ordinate Council in good standing and State Officers, ex-officio, and the last living Past State Deputy. Provided, however, that when the last living Past State Deputy is actually residing in another state or jurisdiction, he shall thereby forever forfeit such right and his nearest predecessor actually residing in the state shall be entitled to membership in the State Council. Past State Deputies other than the last living Past State Deputy, and District Deputies shall be permitted the privilege of the floor and to debate in the State Council, without vote. All subordinate councils in the state shall elect representatives and their alternates to the State Council at the last meeting in March of each year. A Council having no Past Grand Knight may elect one of its Third Degree members in good standing in lieu thereof as representative of said Council in the State Council

     Section 2. ANNUAL MEETING. The State Council shall he convened annually between the first day in April to and including the first day in June in each year by the State Deputy on the date and in the city fixed by the previous State Council.
     Upon the failure of the State Council to so act, the State Officers shall fix the date and place of meeting.

     Section 3. CREDENTIALS, STATE SECRETARY TO FURNISH BLANKS. The State Secretary shall prepare and furnish blanks to the Grand Knight of each Council at least six weeks before the meeting of the State Council. The Grand Knight and the Recorder of each council shall prepare and certify two copies of credentials on the blanks furnished, at least two weeks before the State Council meets, and shall return one copy to the State Secretary and one to the State Deputy.

     Section 4. CONTESTS ON CREDENTIALS. In case of a contest on the credentials of any representative or alternate, each contestant may appear in person or by counsel and present his case before the Committee on Credentials and each shall be allowed not to exceed five minutes on such presentation except with the unanimous consent of the Committee on Credentials.

     Section 5. COUNCILS FAILING TO PAY ASSESSMENTS NOT ENTITLED TO REPRESENTATION. Councils in arrears in the State Council or Supreme Council for duly levied assessments shall not have the names of their representatives placed on the roll of the State Council until all such arrearages are paid in fail.

     Section 6. STATE DEPUTY TO PRESIDE, STATE SECRETARY TO RECORD. The State Deputy shall preside at all sessions of the State Council, performing the usual duties of chairman. He shall appoint all committees unless otherwise determined by the State Council and shall be ex-officio a member of all State Council Committees.
     The State Secretary, or his assistant, when appointed by the State Deputy, shall record all proceedings of the State Council.

     Section 7. MEETINGS: IN WHAT SECTION: WHOM ADMITTED. All sessions of the State Council shall be conducted in the Third Section. The State Warden shall take up the password of said Section at the opening of the meeting, the State Deputy shall appoint Guards for the doors, and except by permission of the State Council, none shall be admitted but Supreme Officers and Directors, State Officers, Subordinate Council Representatives and Alternates, Past State Deputies, District Deputies, Committees of the State Council and Official Reporters.

     Section 8. ORDER OF BUSINESS. The order of business shall be as follows:

     Section 9. LIMITATION OF SPEAKING. When a member desires to speak be shall arise and address the chairman, giving his name and that of his Council. When the presiding officer shall announce the name and the Council the member shall be entitled to the floor and shall confine his remarks to the subject under consideration. No member shall speak longer than five minutes without permission of the Chair, nor more than once upon any question until all members that desire to speak have been heard.

     Section 10. WHEN ROLL CALL ORDERED. The roll shall not be called upon a demand for the yeas and the nays unless requested by two members.

     Section 11. COMMITTEES. All reports of Committees shall be in writing and signed by the members thereof.
     The Committee on Resolutions and the Committee on Good of the Order shall be appointed by the State Deputy before the date of the State Council Meeting, and shall meet on call of the State Deputy prior to the opening of the State Council.
     All members of committees when called in session shall be allowed mileage and per diem on the same basis as allowed representatives to the State Council.
     Other special or standing committees may be appointed by the State Deputy when deemed necessary by him.

     Section 12. RESOLUTIONS REFERENCE. All resolutions presented to the State Council shall be referred without debate to the Committee on Resolutions.

     Section 13. REPORTS TO DE PRINTED. The State Deputy, State Secretary, State Treasurer, State Advocate, State Chaplain and all standing committees and each District Deputy shall prepare and submit to the State Council complete written reports of all their official acts and of the condition of the Councils and the Order under them for the period ending May 1st of each year.

      Section 14. ALLOWANCE FOR ATTENDANCE AND SERVICES. Representatives to the State Council, State Officers, Past State Deputies, District Deputies, State Council Committees, and official reporters shall be allowed for actual attendance at the State Council seven dollars and fifty cents per day and ten cents per mile one way by the most direct route from their respective cities to the city in which the state Council is held, in lieu of all other expenses.
     The State Council shall fix the compensation to be paid any State Officer for his services, for clerk hire, office and other expenses.

     Section 15. STATE DEPUTY. The State Deputy shall be the chief executive officer of the Order in the State and he shall be recognized as the representative of the Supreme Knight and the Board of Directors.
     He shall possess all powers and perform such duties as the laws of the Order prescribe. He shall have control of the expenditures of all State Council funds and no orders on the state treasury shall be paid unless countersigned by him.

     He shall have access to and possession of the books of any Council in the State for examination at any time or may deputize any other member for this duty.
     He shall appoint District Deputies who shall be recognized as the representative of the State Deputy when acting in an official capacity.
     He may declare any office in any Subordinate Council vacant where the officer fails or refuses to perform the duties of his office.
     He may summarily suspend any officer or member of a subordinate Council for misconduct or other offense in the manner provided by the laws of the Order.
     He shall receive a salary of six hundred dollars per year, payable monthly.

     Section 16. STATE SECRETARY, The State Secretary shall keep a true and faithful record of the proceedings of the State Council and shall cause same to be published as directed by the State Council.
     He shall issue the assessment call as levied by the State Council, shall collect said assessment, giving proper receipt therefore to the Grand Knight and shall immediately pay over to the State Treasurer all moneys received by him and belonging to the State Council of the Knights of Columbus.
     He shall report at the annual meeting of the State Council all his official acts and detailed information regarding each Council in the State.
     He shall be entitled to compensation as determined by the State Council, and until further action of the State Council his salary shall be four hundred dollars per year, payable monthly.

     Section 17. STATE TREASURER. The State Teasurer (sic) (sic) shall receive from the State Secretary all moneys of the State Council which he shall deposit in bank to the account of the State Treasurer as such, and shall give a bond in an approved corporate surety company for six thousand dollars ($6,000.00), the expense of such bond to be paid by the State Council and the bond deposited with the State Deputy.
     The State Treasurer shall pay all orders regularly drawn upon him by the State Secretary when countersigned by the State Deputy and no other.
     He shall furnish to the State Deputy and State Secretary monthly statements of all receipts and disbursements and showing the amount on hand. Duplicate deposit slips shall be furnished to the State Secretary.

     Section 18. STATE ADVOCATE. The State Advocate shall be the legal advisor of the State Council and of the State Officers in all matters pertaining to the Order.
     He shall make an annual report to the State Council of his acts and of matters referred to him.

     Section 19. STATE CHAPLAIN, the State Chaplain shall conduct all religious exercises of the State Council. He shall receive the annual reports of each Subordinate Council Chaplain which he shall submit with his annual report to the State Council. He shall freely advise and counsel the State Council, and members thereof in

all matters of Catholic practice and procedure, and from his decisions there shall be no appeal.

     Section 20. STATE WARDEN, The State Warden shall act as Warden of State Council, guard the doors thereof, and perform such other duties as the State Deputy or the State Council may require.

     Section 21. OFFICERS TO DELIVER PROPERTY TO THEIR SUCCESSORS. All State officers shall deliver to their successors in office all moneys, books, papers, records and property belonging to the State Council.
     The robes of office of the State Secretary, Treasurer, Advocate, Chaplain and Warden are the property of the State Council and shall be delivered to their successors.

     Section 22. ASSESSMENTS-WHEN PAYABLE. All assessments made by the State Council shall he due and payable in equal installments within sixty days after the first day of July and the first day of January following the State Convention. Assessments shall be based on the membership as of record on July 1st and January 1st and the State Secretary shall send to each Council due notice thereof, and shall append to such notice extracts from Section 57 and 157 of the Supreme Laws and Rules setting forth the penalties for failure to pay said assessments.

     Section 23. TO WHOM AND HOW MONEYS PAID TO STATE COUNCIL. All money due to the State Council shall be paid to the State Secretary by draft, check or money order made payable to "Nebraska State Council Knights of Columbus."
     Upon receipt of a proper payment, the State Secretary shall immediately enter the same in his records, issue a receipt therefor to the Grand Knight of Subordinate Council, and forward the payment to the State Treasurer.

     Section 24. ORDER OF ELECTION. The nomination of candidates for, and the election of the State Deputy shall first he held, and the result declared. The other State Officers in order shall then be nominated and elected and the result declared. Then shall follow the nomination and election of representatives to the Supreme Council and the declaration of results. They shall all be nominated at once and elected on the same ballot. As many of those receiving the highest vote and who belong to the insurance class as there are insurance delegates to be elected shall represent that class. As many other candidates who receive the highest vote, whether associate or insurance, as may be required to fill the delegation shall represent the associate class.

     Section 25. NOMINATING SPEECHES. Speeches presenting candidates for election shall not exceed ten minutes in length.
     When the nominations are seconded, the members doing so shall not add any other remarks.

     Section 26. FORM OF BALLOT. The State Secretary shall provide a blank ballot on which the members of the State Council shall write the name or names candidate for whom they desire to vote.

     Section 27. TELLERS. The State Deputy or presiding officer shall appoint three or four members to act as Tellers to receive, sort and count the votes, and report the result to the chair.

     Section 28. GENERAL BALLOT. When only one candidate is presented for a state office, or only a number of candidates equal to the number of representatives or alternates to be elected to the Supreme Council is presented, the State Council may direct some State Officer to cast the unanimous ballot of the State Council for such candidate or candidates, who may then be declared duly elected.

     Section 29. INDIVIDUAL BALLOT. When more than one candidate is presented for a state office, or more candidates for representatives or alternates to the Supreme Council than the number to be elected is presented, the election shall be by individual ballot and the procedure shall be as follows: The Secretary shall call from the permanent roll the names of those entitled to vote, and as each is called the individual will step forward and deposit his ballot.

     Section 30. MAJORITY TO ELECT: EXCEPTIONS. In all cases of election to any office in the State Council, a majority of all votes cast shall be necessary to elect; except when several of equal degree are to be elected, as representatives, alternates, etc., a majority shall not be necessary, but all shall be voted for on the same ballot and those receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected in the order of the number of votes received to the number of places to be filled. Ballots containing names of more or less candidates than there are such offices to be filled shall not be counted.

     Section 31. ANNUAL COMMUNION. The members of each subordinate Council in the State shall receive Holy Communion in a body on a Sunday designated by the Chaplain of the Subordinate Council. The arrangements therefor shall be made by the Grand Knight and Chaplain of each Council. Proper records of attendance should be kept and promptly forwarded to the State Secretary.
     The first Sunday in November of each year shall be Memorial Sunday, when each Council shall hold services as provided in the ceremonial.

     Section 32. ROBERTS' RULES OF ORDER TO GOVERN. Except as otherwise provided herein and in the absence of a standing rule of the State Council, Roberts' Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of State Council Sessions.

     Section 33. AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS: TWO-THIRDS VOTE REQUIRED. All proposed amendments to these By-laws shall follow the procedure required by Section 12. Proposed changes presented on the floor of the State Council shall not be considered unless consent is given by sixty per cent of the members present and voting.
     These by-laws may be amended at any regular session of the State Council by a two-thirds vote.

     Section 34. WHEN BY-LAWS EFFECTIVE. The Nebraska State Council Knights of Columbus, in State Council assembled, at Hastings, Nebraska, June 1st and 2nd, 1925, hereby repeal the By-Laws adopted by the State Council and all amendments thereto as now ex-

isting and enact the foregoing by-laws, the adoption of which shall become effective and the above repeal, upon the approval of the Supreme Advocate or Supreme Board of Directors.
The foregoing constitute the By-Laws prepared and offered by the Committee. In order that the matter may come before the Convention for its consideration, as Chairman of the Committee I move that the By-Laws just read be adopted as the By-Laws of the Nebraska State Council of the Knights of Columbus; that the adoption of the same shall become effective and the repeal provided in said By-Laws shall be in force upon the approval of the By-Laws by the Supreme Advocate and the Supreme Board of Directors.

Respectfully submitted,

J. E. FITZPATRICK, Chairman.
JOHN J. GROSS,
W. J. DONAHUE