Hatcc by Laws Revision 5 (By-Law Committee Constituted by The Board)

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HINDU AMERICAN TEMPLE AND CULTURAL CENTER

(A non-profit tax exempt organization Tax ID # 22-2897340)


Sri Guruvaayoorappan Temple
Sri Krishnaji Mandir

HATCC By Laws
REVISION 5

(By- Law Committee Constituted by the Board)

APPROVED By: HATCC By- Law Committee

Dated: June 10, 2019

RECORD OF BY LAW REVISIONS ON PAGE 20

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Start Page
1. By Law- I-General

Sections 1.1 to 1.8…………………………………………………………… 1

2 By Law II –Membership

Sections 2.1 to 2.6…………………………………………………………… 1

3 By Law-III –General Body Meetings

Sections 3.1 to 3.5 ………………………………………………………….. 3

4 By Law IV –Election Process

Sections 4.1 to 4.4 …………………………………………………………... 3

5 By Law V- Board of Trustees

Sections 5.1 to 5.4…………………………………………………………….. 5

6 By Law VI-Officers of the Corporation

Section 6.1 to 6.4……………………………………………………………. 7

7 By Law VII-Duties and Responsibilities of Officers

Section 7.1 to 7.8……………………………………………………………. 8

8 By Law VIII- Committees

Section 8.1 to 8.20…………………………………………………………… 10

9 By Law-IX- Administrative Issues

Section 9.1 to 9.2…………………………………………………………….. 17

10 By Law X- Special Committees

Section 10.1 to 10.4…………………………………………………………. 17

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HINDU AMERICAN TEMPLE AND CULTURAL CENTER, INCORPORATED

BY LAW – I

GENERAL

1.1 The Title of the Corporation is Hindu American Temple and Cultural Center, Inc.
(Hereinafter referred to as HATCC).

1.2 The Corporate address is 31 Wooleytown Road, Morganville, NJ 07751. The corporation has
been granted a non-profit tax exemption status with a tax ID of 22-2897340.

1.3 The Rules and Regulations as stipulated in these By Laws and the Certificate of Incorporation
shall govern the administration of HATCC as per NJ Act Title 15A.

1.4 Intentionally left blank.

1.5 “The Board is authorized to implement changes to the By Laws as necessary to make operations
more efficient including steps to control the financial viability of the operations. These changes
will be adopted with a 2/3 rd majority of the attending Board members approving it”

1.6 Intentionally left blank.

1.7 Category 1 refers to Benefactors, Category 2 refers to Patron/Grand Patron/ and Category 3
refers to Life Members.

1.8 The HATCC shall consist of the following bodies:


 Board of Trustees
 Members (category 1, 2 and category 3)

BY LAW – II

MEMBERSHIP

2.1 Any individual, who believes and follows the Hindu religion, Hindu culture and its philosophy
and interested in the activities of HATCC as specified in the Articles of Incorporation, and over
the age of eighteen and legal resident of the United States of America, or Citizen of any
Sovereign State is eligible to become a Member. The individual should submit an application
for Membership in a prescribed Membership Application Form for formal Approval and pay the
Membership Dues as stipulated in these By Laws.
.
2.2 There shall be four types of Membership defined by the amount of money paid as shown below.
 Corporate/ Life Member
 Patron Member
 Grand Patron Member
 Benefactor Member

2.2.1 Life Member

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A person who contributes between $1,000 and less than $ 5,000 to HATCC towards
Membership Dues and meets the requirements of Article 2.1 shall be eligible to become
a Corporate/ Member for Life.

2.2.2 Patron
Any person who contributes between $5,000 and less than $ 10,000 to HATCC towards
Membership Dues, and meets the requirements of Article 2.1 shall be eligible to
become a Patron Member for Life

2.2.3 Grand Patron


Any person who contributes between $10,000 and less than $ 50,000 to HATCC
towards Membership Dues, and meets the requirements of Article 2.1 shall be eligible
to become a Grand Patron Member for Life

2.2.4 Benefactor
Any person who contributes $50,000 or over to HATCC towards Membership Dues,
and meets the requirements of Article 2.1 shall be eligible to become a Benefactor
Member for Life.

2.2.5 Payment Notes:

The Membership Dues for Corporate/Life member shall be made either in lump sum or
by easy installments within 2 years. For the other categories, the membership fees can
be paid over three years.

2.3 The annual certified list (membership dues will be verified by the Treasurer and Secretary from
the receipt books prior to the certification) of the Members in each category shall be compiled
and published in English Alphabetical order by the Board of Trustees by August 1 of each year.
This will be posted on the temple notice board signed by the Secretary and Chairman of the
HATCC Board.

2.4 The Members shall follow the Articles of these By Laws in the performance of all HATCC
activities and shall work towards the achievement of HATCC goals. The Members shall elect
the trustees (individually a “Trustee” and collectively the “Trustees”) of the Corporation,
Members shall have the voting rights for such matters that occurs from time to time during the
General Body Meeting.

2.5 Member (s) of HATCC who do not accept the HATCC principles and By Laws and who work
against the interest of HATCC may be removed after giving 30 days Show Cause Notice, and
with 2/3 of the HATCC Board Members present.

2.6 Members of any category shall be eligible to upgrade their membership by (a) paying additional
dues for upgrade of their category, and (b) completing a prescribed application form, for the
appropriate new Membership category. They can vote in their category if such requirements are
met by May 1 of the election year.

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BY LAW - III

GENERAL BODY MEETINGS

3.1 The annual General Body Meeting will be held once in two years at a place and time designated
by the Board of Trustees.

3.1.1 The President hereinafter referred as Chairman of HATCC shall preside over the
General Body Meeting to conduct HATCC business. In his absence, the Vice-
President hereinafter called as Vice Chairman shall preside over the General Body
Meeting.

3.2 The General Body Meeting shall be convened to consider the following business:
 Chairman’s Report.
 Treasurer’s Report.
 Secretary’s report on activities of the temple
 All the above reports shall be adopted and voted for approval.

3.3 The record date of membership eligible to vote shall be May 1 of the election year

3.4 A minimum of 30 members shall be required for a quorum to conduct the general body meeting.
If the required quorum is not present, the Chairman or the Presiding Officer at the meeting shall
adjourn the meeting and reschedule it for a later date not exceeding two months from the initial
date.

3.5 Any amendments to the By Laws or any other matter can be proposed by any member by
submitting the same in writing to the HATCC Board 15 days prior to the General Body meeting
which are within the rights to vote by the Members. The submitted amendments if any will be
reviewed by the officers of the board to verify the conformance to the Charter of HATCC and
the Secretary will then present the matter at the general body meeting for discussions. A
resolution on the matter will be discussed and voted. The resolution shall be passed if 2/3 of the
members present vote in favor of it. However, an urgent matter other than amendments to the
By Law can be raised at the General Body meeting with the permission of the Chairman or the
Presiding officer at the meeting.

BY LAW-IV

ELECTION/SELECTION PROCESS

4.1 Election Committee

The committee, to conduct the election for voting the Board of Trustees into office, shall be members of
the General Body of HATCC. The Election committee shall be constituted by the sitting Board at least
eight (8) weeks prior to election date. This committee will be called the Election Committee. This
committee shall consist of at least three (3) and no more than five (5) members in good standing of

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HATCC. The Board of Trustees and Committee Chairpersons shall not be members of the Election
Committee. The election committee shall have the following responsibilities:

 Publish and implement criteria for nomination/election of the Board of Trustees, identify a
schedule and the process for use in the elections.
 Receive nominations, and after scrutiny for the eligibility conduct elections, and announce
the election results.

4.2 Number of Trustees

The maximum number of Trustees shall not exceed seventeen (17) *


*See addendum 1.

4.3 Election Process

The election for Trustees shall be conducted by mail (postal ballots) Ballots through sealed
envelopes once every two years. The Ballots with Instructions shall be sent to the eligible HATCC
Members as determined in Articles under By Laws 3.3 at least three weeks prior to the deadline
date for the election as specified by the election committee. The Ballots shall be returned in sealed
envelope to the Election Committee by regular US Mail to reach the Election Committee (post
marked) at least three days before the deadline date specified for the election. The members shall
elect trustees only from their respective category. The category 1 consists of Benefactors, the
category 2 consists of the Patrons and Grand Patrons and the category 3 consists of the Life
members.

4.4 Selection Process

Out of the total number of trustees, 35% of the trustees can be selected from Categories 1, 2 and 3.
The Trustees proposed for the selection will be reviewed by a Board Appointed Nominating
Committee. The Chairman of the Board Will Chair the Nomination Committee. Any nominated
member cannot be part of the Nominating Committee. After the Nominating Committee’s review,
the Chairman of the Nominating Committee will provide their recommendations to the Board and
the Board of Trustees will approve the selected Trustees with simple majority.
.
The Board of Trustees shall consist of 65% Elected Trustees consisting of 6% from
Category 1, 19% from Category 2 and 40% from Category 3. Balance 35% of the Trustees
will be Selected consisting of 6% from Category 1, 11% from Category 2 and 18% from
category 3.

The Board shall follow a set of criteria to select Trustees. These criteria are:

 They are members in good standing of HATCC for over three years from the date of
selection. They are highly respected in the community/society for their wisdom, maturity
and dealing with public issues
 Well experienced in temple and/or non-profit type organization by their contributions to
such organizations

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 Eager to spend their valuable time for HATCC

4.5 Election/Selection

 The two-year election/selection cycle will start from the election conducted in the year 2020.
 In the year 2020 the 9 (nine) outgoing trustees will be elected/selected.
 In the year 2022, the rest of the 7 (seven) trustees will be elected/selected.
 In the year 2024, 6 (six) of the 9 (nine) trustees elected/selected in the year 2020 will
volunteer to retire or conduct a lottery to pick the 6 (six) trustees for election/selection.
 In the year 2026, 3 (three) remaining trustees elected/selected in the year 2020, and 2 (two)
trustees elected/selected in the year 2022 will volunteer to retire or picked by lottery for
election/selection.
 In the year 2028, 5 (five) remaining trustees elected/selected in the year 2022 will be
elected/selected.
 In the year 2030 the 6 (six) trustees elected/selected in the year 2024 will be elected/selected.
 In subsequent two-year cycle the election/selection process will continue with trustees
completing their 6 (six) year terms.
 In all the election/selection process the trustees will be elected/selected from the
corresponding categories as provided in the By Laws sections 4.3 and 4.4.

4.6 Voting Rights

Each eligible Member and his/her spouse shall have one vote each for the election of the
Trustees.

BY LAW V

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

5.1 OVERVIEW

5.1.1 The affairs of HATCC shall be managed and administered by the Board of Trustees
who shall be the policy making body to govern the affairs of HATCC. The Board of
Trustees is responsible and shall provide oversight of the corporation.

5.1.2 The Board of Trustees shall exercise those powers delegated to them by these By
Laws and shall protect the interests of HATCC in all affairs. They shall discharge
the duties of their position with great diligence, grace, care, and skill and with fiscal
responsibility in handling the funds of the corporation.

5.1.3 Trustees shall serve a six-year term and are eligible to serve extended terms if
elected and or selected per 4.3 and 4.4 above. However, Trustees whose names are
drawn in the lottery process during the two year election cycle may not serve their
full six year term.

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5.1.4 The Board of Trustees shall be the sole and only legitimate authority to negotiate,
and enter into agreements with Banks, Financial Institutions, or other Lending
agencies or institutions on behalf of HATCC for obtaining loans. The principal
amount of the loan, the interest, terms and amortization schedule shall be clearly
documented and approved by the Board and signed by the Chairman of HATCC.

5.1.5 The Board of Trustees with the consent of the majority of the General Body shall
have the right to postpone elections by not more than one year, for reasons of
emergency, unforeseen circumstances or operational requirements.

5.1.6 A single signature of the Treasurer or Vice-Chairman or Chairman can approve


expense on a single item of expenditure less than ($2000) two thousand dollars. Two
signatures either Treasurer and Vice Chairman or Treasurer and Chairman are
required for expenses above ($2000) two thousand dollars with the exception of
payments made through credit card or wire transfer upon approval by the Board and
the respective committee chair person. All expense above ($2000) two thousand
dollars requires the approval of the Board.

5.1.7 The Board shall constitute a special committee as necessary to oversee the special
projects involving major expenditures (new temple, etc.).

5.1.8 Each Trustee shall take up the responsibility for a task (head a committee)
formulated by the Board to ensure the day-to-day operation of the corporation. This
ensures involvement of all Trustees including the expected oversight of the
Corporation.

5.1.9 Trustees are not entitled to any compensation from the Corporation for their services
as trustees.

5.2 Eligibility Requirements for Trustees

5.2.1 All Trustees shall be HATCC members in good standing for at least three years
effective January 01, 2020 to contest for the post of a Trustee in their respective
category. This article will be effective as of January 01, 2020.

5.3 Vacancies and Removal

5.3.1 Vacancies among HATCC’S Trustees shall be filled during the next election cycle. It
should be noted that this vacancy must be filled from the same category of
membership. A Trustee can resign at any time by giving at least thirty (30) days
written notice to the Board.

5.3.2 Any Trustee can be removed from the Board with a two-thirds majority vote of the
members of the board of trustees as previously authorized by the General Body. Cause
for removal from the Board and any committee could result from his/her working
against the charter of HATCC, engaging in a conduct that is detrimental to the
corporation, failing to attend more than 50% in a calendar year or 3 regularly

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scheduled consecutive meetings. The trustee will be provided with a written 30-day
notice with the Board approval.

5.4 Board Meetings and Quorum

5.4.1 The Board shall meet 12 times in a year. They shall meet soon after the General Body
meeting and take appropriate actions in nominating the officers of the HATCC. The
Secretary of the Board shall prepare the meeting minutes and have arrangements for
recording and taping the deliberations. The taped recordings will be deleted as soon
as the minutes is approved by the Board. The minutes shall be filed and placed safely
in an appropriate location in the temple premises.

5.4.2 A simple majority of the number of members constituting the Board shall constitute a
Quorum for the transactions of the business. (Example is 9 for a Board of 17).

BY LAW VI

OFFICERS OF THE CORPORATION.

6.1 The Officers of the Corporation will be made of the President hereinafter referred as
Chairman, Vice Presidents hereinafter referred as Vice Chairmen, Secretary, Joint
Secretary, Treasurer and Joint Treasurer.

Elected members of the Board shall nominate and elect from themselves the Chairman and
the other officers of the Corporation. The elected officers shall serve in their respective
positions for a period of three years. At the end of the term, the Board shall conduct
elections for the officers from amongst themselves for the next three years with the option
to be re-elected to the same position.

6.2 The Officers of the Corporation shall not receive any compensation for his/her service to
HATCC.

6.3 The specific duties and responsibilities of the officers are detailed in other sections of this
By Laws.

6.4 Any officer elected by the Board can have his/her position relinquished by the Board of
Trustees at any time with the consent of the majority of the trustees for better efficiency or
operational requirements.

BY LAW VII

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES OF THE OFFICERS

7.1 Chairman

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 The Chairman is responsible for all HATCC affairs. He is the head of


HATCC. He/she shall present the Chairman’s Report at the General Body
Meeting.
 He/ She shall provide leadership and direction for the HATCC activities.
 He/ She shall convene the General Body meeting and the Board of Trustees
meeting in consultation with the other trustees as to the time, and place. He/
She shall preside over such meetings
 May assign specified duties to various members of the Board and coordinate
their activities
 May form special committees to deal with specific issues as needed with
Board Approval.

7.2 Vice-Chairman

 The Board of Trustees elects amongst themselves the Vice Chairman of the
corporation.
 He/she will assist in carrying out chairman’s responsibilities.
 He/she acts in the absence of the Chairman
 He/she is subject to the direction of the Board and is the focal point for the
day-to-day affairs of the corporation.
 He/she shall see the resolutions and directives of the Board are carried out in
the day-to-day operations with the assistance of other trustees who are
assigned their specific responsibilities.

7.3 Secretary

 He/she is responsible for recording and taping the minutes of all the meetings
of the Board and the General Body meetings. He shall keep all the records in
a safe place in the temple premises.
 He/she shall prepare the agenda for the meetings in consultation with the
Chairman and Vice Chairman and inform all the Trustees. He/she is
responsible to inform all the members about the General Body meeting, its
location, date and time when one is approved by the Board.
 Circulate the minutes of the meetings and get it approved at a subsequent
meeting.
 Present a written report of the activities of the corporation at the General
Body meeting.
 In consultation with the Treasurer be responsible for update of the
membership list.
 Put the latest list of members after its verification and is signed by the
Chairman and Secretary on the bulletin board every six months.
 Be responsible to provide the latest list of the various categories of
membership to the Election Committee for conducting the elections.

7.4 Joint Secretary

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 The duties of the Joint Secretary are identical to the Secretary. However, he is
empowered with these duties and responsibilities only in the absence of the
Secretary.
 The Secretary can share his responsibility with the Joint Secretary in a formal
manner to reduce his workload.

7.5 Treasurer

 The Treasurer is the principal account officer of HATCC.


 He/she is responsible for maintenance of the account books
 He/she is responsible for recording the receipt of funds (membership dues,
event collections, religious tariffs fees, etc.). Issue receipt to
members/devotees for such funds. Funds collected should be deposited into
the bank accounts within 2 working days.
 He/she shall be responsible for opening account(s) in a bank with co-
signatures of Chairman/Vice Chairman. At least two signatures are required
on check payments of over $ 1000.00 (one thousand dollars).
 Maintain the receipt for all deposits for reconciliation during audits.
 Present the monthly financial status at every Board meeting. May suggest
methods on types of accounts to get better returns for large funds, if available.
 Ensure separate accounts are maintained for construction of new facilities.
 The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be from January 1 to December 31.
 Participate and assist the auditor in the accounts of the corporation
 Be responsible for collection of funds from the Hundi with at least two Board
members present every month or earlier as needed. These funds shall be
deposited in to the bank accounts within two working days.
 Present the Treasurer’s report at the General Body meeting.
 In consultation with the Secretary be responsible for updates of the
membership list.

7.6 Joint Treasurer

 The duties of the Joint Treasurer are identical to the Treasurer. However, he is
empowered with these duties and responsibilities only in the absence of the
Treasurer.
 The Treasurer can share his responsibility with the Joint Treasurer in a formal
manner to reduce his workload.

BY LAW VIII

ADVISORY COMMITTEES

8.1 OVERVIEW

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 The Board shall set-up specific committees headed by a Trustee or be a part


of it to assist in the day-to day operation of the corporation. This article
provides the general responsibilities for such committees. Members of all
committees shall be members of HATCC in good standing during the term of
membership in the committee.
 The Board in consultation with the Chairman shall appoint the Chairpersons
of each committee. One of the trustees shall be the chairperson for each of the
committee or be the liaison for the board.
 Other members of each committee can be included by the Chairperson of the
Committee in consultation with the Board.
 Each committee shall consist of at least three members
 The terms for each Chairperson and its committee members shall be for three
years and can continue for additional periods with the consent of the Board.
 The committee(s) shall meet periodically and prepare a report of their
discussions and record the same in the form of minutes. Items requiring
expenses for implementation would require the Board approval before the
implementation.
 Budgets for their committee tasks should be prepared and submitted for
approval by the Board.
 The Chairpersons shall approve all expenses of a committee. The Chairperson
can approve expenses within $ 500.00 for a single item. However, expenses
above $ 500.00 would require approval by the Treasurer/Vice
Chairman/Chairman and subsequently ratified by the Board.
 No individual member of a committee or its Chairperson shall enter into any
contracts or agreements either written or oral with other individuals or
institutions on behalf of HATCC.
 Materials or services procured for over $ 1,000 would require estimates from
at least three parties.
 The Board and its Chairman will deal all administrative issues with respect to
the employees of HATCC. The concerned Chairperson may be contacted for
some specific input in such matters.

8.2 Religious Committee

 The Religious sub-committee is a very important committee in the temple


operations. It shall consist of members conversant with the Hindu
tradition, rituals and values. The priest shall be part of the committee
without voting rights.
 The tasks for this committee includes:

a) Recommend the religious days to be observed and identify the various


religious festivals
b) Prepare the list of events for the annual calendar and convey the same to
the Publication committee for the three- month event calendar as well as
the annual calendar.

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c) Oversee performance of daily service, rituals and special events and


ensure steady supply of materials required for the religious operation.
d) Coordinate the religious services in the devotee’s homes with the priest
schedule and record the same correctly in a dairy to ensure at least one
priest is available in the temple during its working hours.
e) Interact with the priest routinely to ensure their needs are being met with
very little inconvenience. Observe their interaction with the devotees,
their dress code, cleanliness of the self and temple to provide a good
image to our devotees
f) Aarti funds shall be deposited in the Hundi.
g) The Chairperson of this committee shall not be responsible for the
administrative matters with respect to the priests (salary, leave, sick leave,
travel, terms of employment, appointment and terminations, etc.). The
Chairman of the Board shall handle all such matters. Chairman may
request input from the chairperson prior to his decision.
h) Coordinate with other committees for specific or major religious event
conducted at the temple premises.

8.3 Cultural Affairs Committee

 Coordinate with other cultural organization in the tri-state area to identify


cultural events to be conducted by HATCC.
 Interact with children to conduct specific cultural event for children.
 Evaluate future cultural activities to be undertaken by HATCC.
 Coordinate with other groups to sponsor concerts/musical events by
HATCC. Provide estimate of costs, sources of revenues and overall
financial impact to HATCC. Prepare a report to the Board and obtain its
approval prior to confirmation of the concert/event with the artist or other
groups.
 Coordinate with the education committee to teach classical Indian music
and dance

8.4 Education Committee

 This committee shall consist of members with credentials, experience and


interest in the field of education and library affairs. They shall be
responsible for planning and instituting educational pursuits of HATCC.
 Maintain a library for the temple complex. Ensure the various books are
consistent with HATCC charter and are well maintained.
 Identify the various Indian languages to be taught at the temple complex.
Schedule these classes in consultation with other committees to avoid
clash of events.
 Identify the books/text to be utilized for the classes in consultation with
the specific teacher
 Prepare religious text materials for the temple religious events in
consultation with the religious committee. Ensure such texts are available
in various Indian languages including English.
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 Encourage children to participate in various temple events and arrange


specific contests for the children at a regular interval to help them
assimilate the Indian culture

8.5 Food Committee (includes the Bhojanshala)

a) Support in preparation of food and the distribution of the same to the


devotees during specific and major religious temple events. In specific,
this will be required during major events. Coordinate with the other
Committees specifically with the religious committee to arrive at a good
estimate of the number of devotees attending the specific event.
b) Ensure the religious cook coordinates with the religious committee with
respect to naivedyam/prasadams on a regular basis. Make sure the
materials required for the preparations are available
c) Coordinate with the pool of temple volunteers to assist in handling the
food distribution at the events, clean up after the event and handling
heavy loads, etc.
d) Organize volunteers to work in the bhojanshala.
e) Prepare a schedule for the volunteers to work in the bhojanshala
f) Maintain adequate inventory of perishable and non-perishable items in
consultation with the cooks
g) Submit monthly financial reports in consultation with the Treasurer
h) Check with the Board regarding the charges, if any, to be levied for the
food.

8.6 Fund Raising Committee

 The members of this committee shall be effective in fund raising activities


for the corporation demonstrated by such experiences in the past. The
Chairperson nominated by the Board can choose the proper persons for
this activity.
 Coordinate and schedule specific events for raising funds for the temple
in consultation with the Board.

8.7 Membership Committee

 This committee is entrusted the task of increasing the HATCC


membership in the various categories.
 Interact with members to upgrade their membership over time
 Maintain a list of members
 Review the membership applications for approval by the Board.
 Coordinate with Treasurer for issue of receipt to the member on his/her
payments
 Suggest methods for increasing membership. Members of the committee
are available at major HATCC events with a view to enroll new members.
 Interact with fund raising committee on a regular basis

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8.8 Election Committee

 The Chairman of the HATCC shall appoint the nomination/election


committee with the approval by the Board members. This committee shall
be formed at least 8 weeks prior to the date of the election.
 This committee may consist of three to a maximum of five members.
Such members should be in good standing of HATCC.
 They shall prepare the procedures, nomination criteria; identify the date
for the election in consultation with the Board. The criteria shall be posted
on the temple bulletin board.
 The membership list provided by the Secretary/Chairman shall be used
for the election.
 Postal ballots shall be the mode for all voting.
 Receive the nominations for various positions, scrutinize, prepare ballot
papers, and mail the proper ballot (consistent with the category).
 Conduct the election and announce the results
 This is a special committee and thus no Trustee or board member can be
part of the committee.

8.9 Facilities and Maintenance Committee

 The maintenance committee shall consist of members experienced in


building maintenance and landscaping. The committee will plan and
organize the building maintenance. Plan the upkeep of the garden and
temple ground.
 Review the sanitation and water flow in the temple premises regularly.
This will avoid unwanted problems during events.
 Prepare the cost estimates for required repairs and obtain Board approval.
 Coordinate with the security and fire inspection contractors to ensure its
proper operation. Check the fire extinguishers are located properly and
clear of any hindrances.
 Coordinate with contractors for snow removal and lawn mowing unless
such activities are completed with volunteers.

8.10 Publications Committee

 This committee consists of members interested and experienced in


printing and publications
 Coordinate with various committees with regards to printing of flyers,
etc. for specific events. Ensure approval of the flyer by the Board prior to
the printing.
 Coordinate with the religious committee on the three-month religious
calendar as well as the annual calendar.
 Publish temple news provided by the Board

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 Print copies of the prayers books, bhajans and other religious materials
provided by the religious committee, educational committee and with
approval of the Board.

8.11 Public Relations Committee

 This is a very critical committee for disseminating the proper information


about HATCC to the public. The Chairman of the Board should head this
committee to ensure the correct news about HATCC is propagated
 It can interact with the newspaper. TV, Radio and other media to release
proper and correct information
 Provides publicity and arrange the reception of special guests to the
temple
 Interact with all committees to assure proper public relations exist with
the devotees.

8.12 Youth Activities Committee

 The youth committee shall consist of volunteers to manage the youth


committee activities.
 It shall have an advisor nominated by the Board.
 Its main objectives shall be the furtherance of religious and cultural
education and community service amongst the young children of the
community.
 Coordinate all the youth activities
 Conduct classes for the children in consultation with the education
committee.
 Plan and execute volunteer programs to help the needy in the community.;

8.13 Volunteer Committee

 The committee should maintain a list of volunteers always with their


contact numbers or email ids for ease of contact specifically during
special events.
 This committee shall contain members who have the volunteer spirit and
are ready to work with enthusiasm for the betterment of HATCC.
 It will have a large force required for both the regular and special events.
This will allow for the sharing of the burden at different times.
 The other committees shall work with this group to assist them in their
needs of volunteers for any occasion.

8.14 Information Technology Committee

 This committee has an important role to play in terms of advising the


board the various methods to adapt the modern technology in the
operations of the facility.

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 This committee is charged with the task of keeping the database updated
always.
 The list of members in the various categories shall be maintained in
consultation with the Secretary/Treasurer
 The database shall be shared with the publication committee for mailing
the flyers and other relevant materials produced by HATCC.
 Develop and maintain the temple web site in an efficient manner and
ensure it is devotee friendly, temple activities and upcoming events are
well informed and conducted events are projected in the proper manner.
 Streamline the temple scheduling events like priest services, hall
utilization, arranging of lectures, emergency information to devotees can
be done more efficiently with the IT tool.
 Ensure the personal information collected from the devotees is well
safeguarded with access limited to identified officers
 Prepare budgets for purchase of hardware required for proper
implementation of IT technology.

8.15 Community Overreach Committee

 The basic purpose of this committee is to provide a link with the


community to understand the temple programs that could benefit them.

 The committee should schedule specific programs like general health


issue talks, health clinics, stress relief measures, medical talks, topics of
general interests, religious discourses, soup kitchen etc.

8.16 Goshala Committee

 The Goshala shall have volunteers to maintain the Goshala and


coordinate all activities to ensure proper maintenance and operation of
the Goshala.

8.17. Safety and Security Committee

 The basic purpose of this committee is to ensure safety of the employees


and visitors to the facilities. It should implement and undertake measures
to safeguard the temple facilities, its employees and all devotees coming
for worship to the temple.

 Develop programs and tools to monitor the site.


 Identify budgets and estimates to procure hardware to protect the site.
 Develop strategy to assess possible threats and work closely with the
local township security group or department of homeland security.
 Maintain a group of personnel who are trained to handle emergency
situations.

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 Identify fire wardens for the site. Conduct routine training for the
employees.
 Form a group of Security personnel and train them properly with
instructions for handling any specific events. Department of Homeland
Security can provide the guidelines.
 Work closely with local police with effective communication plans.

8.18 Finance, Inventory and Budget Committee

This is high level committee consisting of senior level members from the Board of
Trustees.

 Set up a systematic inventory of all costly items like gold, silver items in
the temple. The inventory includes also all moveable and immoveable
items to prepare the proper asset and liability records for the
organization.
 Evaluate the capital costs for high activity items like construction of new
buildings, services, etc.
 Recommend the allocation of funds for major capital projects.
 Develop policy for investment of temple funds
 Develop budgets for purchase of major operational equipment/services.

8.19 Special Events Committee

 This committee will be set up by the Chairman with information to the


board for specific special events approved by the board.

8.20 Audio/Video/ Photography Committee

 This is a special committee that will have at least three persons to assist
the use of audio equipment in temple functions, devotees renting the hall
for private events.
 The persons of this committee are responsible for taking
photographs/video of routine and special events and giving this to the IT
committee for including in the temple web site after proper
editing/review by the Chairman.
 Develop budgets for purchase of hardware
 Take measures for proper storage of the costly equipment and prevent its
damage.
 Take steps to store the audio and video files

BY LAW IX

ADMINSTRATIVE ISSUES

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9.1 GENERAL

Only the Chairman with the approval from the Board shall be responsible for
appointments of manager, priests, and other employees of HATCC.

9.2 Temple Manager/Assistant Manager

 The Chairman with the approval of the Board shall appoint the temple
manager.
 The manager shall be responsible for the safe operation of the day-to-day
activities at the temple. He/she shall report to the Board all the activities
in a written report every month.
 He/she is responsible to issue receipts for monies received at the front
desk in the proper receipt forms.
 He/she shall ensure that a responsible person is always available in the
temple building, answer phone calls in a courteous manner, check the
availability of heat, light, cleanliness, etc. in the temple premises.
 He/she shall be responsible for booking the priests for religious functions
conducted in devotee’s home. Record the information in a diary. Ensure
at least three priests are available in the temple during the working hours
of the temple.
 For any emergency, he/she shall contact the Chairman or the Vice
Chairman or anyone else identified by the Board for such a situation.

BY LAW X

STANDING COMMITTEES

10.1 OVERVIEW

 Each Board on being elected to office shall consider the constituting of


three special committees for specific time periods. This provides for
transparency in its operations
 The committees are: Advisory/Appeals Committee, By Laws Committee
and the Audit Committee.

10.2 Advisory/Appeals Committee

 This committee nominated by the Board shall serve for a two-year term
with the option for one more term. There shall be a maximum of five
members in this committee.
 They shall consist of experienced individuals from the HATCC
membership well versed in community tasks.
 The Chairman of the Board shall be an ex-officio member of this
committee. The Chairman shall not participate in items that hinder
appeals and review process.

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 Members having grievances against HATCC can submit their


letter/documents to this committee for its resolution.

10.3 Bye laws Committee

 This committee shall consist of a minimum of five members. The Board


shall nominate it.
 They shall review any recommended changes by the members from time-
to time in the By Laws. Advise the Board about the changes and the
actions to be undertaken.
 Recommend a process to the Board for changes in the By Laws to
improve operational efficiency of the corporation.

10.4 Audit Committee

 The Board shall nominate an audit committee consisting of at least three


members. These members shall have good experience in finances and
accounting procedures.
 They shall review the HATCC account at least twice in a year.
 Recommend to the Board any discrepancies and the manner of its
resolution.
 Advise the completeness of the accounting procedures, review receipts
and disbursements. Recommend changes as needed to the Board.

Addendum 1: The 17 Trustees consist of 16 elected/selected Trustees and one Spiritual Guru Dr.
Srinivasa Yegnasubramanian having exhaustive religious knowledge, a Vedic Scholar and teacher for
more than 30years with various coveted titles conferred most importantly the title of Dharmatma by Sri
Sharada Peetham, Sringeri, India. Assessing the religious requirement for building and continuous
maintenance of the temple the General Body during the 2013 General Body Meeting Confirmed Dr.
Srinivasa Yegnasubramanian ’s continuous presence in the Board of Trustees as documented in the
minutes of the 2011 General Body Meeting.

RECORD OF CHANGES TO BY LAWS

S.No DESCRIPTION DATE ISSUED

1 ORIGINAL BY LAWS 06/15/2006


2 FIRST REVISION 03/25/2010
3 SECOND REVISION 11/07/2011
4 THIRD REVISION 05/05/2013
5 FOURTH REVISION 06/27/2016
6 FIFTH REVISION 06/10/2019

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