The primary objective of our Holy Name Society is to promote reverence for the Most Holy Trinity and to praise and venerate God’s Most Holy Name.  In order to accomplish this goal, the Society’s members will foster respect and love for the Sacred Name of Jesus, abstain from blasphemous and immodest language, observe Sunday’s and Holy Days of Obligation, and receive Holy Communion regularly with the Society.  

1.   The Society pledges its fidelity to the Holy Catholic Church and firmly embraces all
of her teachings in their entirety as set forth by the Solemn and Ordinary Magisterium.

2.   The Society holds sacred Catholic traditions and practices, which stem from Sacred Scripture, the Church’s apostolic tradition, and the Church’s ecumenical councils.

3.   The Society recognizes the crucial role of prayer in our daily lives and encourages its members to regularly attend Holy Mass and to offer private prayers daily. 

4.   The Society supports those apparitions declared authentic by our Holy Mother the Church, but cannot give its support to those awaiting Church approval.

1.   To promote reverence for the Holy Name of Jesus.

2.   To pray and do penance to offer reparation for sin, particularly for acts committed against
      the Second Commandment.

3.   To foster an observance of the promises in the Holy Name Pledge.

4.   To pray and to receive Holy Communion together on at least a monthly basis.

5.   To sponsor periods of recollection and annual retreats.

6.   To educate our members and others on the essentials of our Catholic faith and on
the teachings of our Holy Mother the Church.

7.   To sponsor lectures and discussions on matters of Church doctrine and spirituality.

8.   To provide others, who are outside of our Confraternity, with information on the goals and works of the Society.

9.   To foster a spirit of Catholic fraternity in our Society and within our parish.

10. To assist our Administrator and other parish groups in a spirit of true stewardship. 

1.   All men of the parish, who are practicing Catholics and who at least 12 years of age, are eligible to become candidates for admission into the Society.

2.   Candidates become full members only after they have been formally received into the Society at an induction ceremony, which is normally held on Holy Name Sunday, i.e., on the Sunday between the Feast of the Circumcision and the Epiphany.  If there is no Sunday between these two feasts, then the induction ceremony will be held on the 2^nd Sunday in January.

3.   Until their induction Member candidates, who have yet to be inducted may attend the Society’s meetings and functions, but they have no vote may not vote.

4.   At the Society’s regular meeting prior to the induction ceremony, a list of the candidates seeking admission will be presented to the membership for consideration by the Chairman of the Membership Committee.

5.   If a member believes that a candidate’s admission would be harmful to the mission and functioning of the Society, the candidate’s application can be deferred for a year, after which time the candidate is free to apply again.

6.   The member must address his concerns to the other members, explaining specifically how the candidate’s admission would be harmful to the Society.

7.   Using paper ballots, the members must vote in a spirit of fraternal charity to decide if the candidate’s application should be deferred.  A two-thirds majority is needed to defer membership for a one-year period.

8.   The challenging member is entitled to vote.

9.   If the vote is for deferment, the result of the vote is to be delivered to the candidate by the Chairman of the Membership Committee.   

1.   Once a person becomes a member of the Holy Name Society, he cannot be terminated from the Confraternity for failure to pay dues, attend meetings, or go to Holy Communion with the Society.

2.   His membership, however, may be deemed inactive; and he may be dropped from the Society's mailing list after an extended period of non-attendance at Society activities.

3.   A member can be expelled from the Society, if his public behavior is deemed to be inconsistent with the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.

4.   For this to happen, a member must address his concerns to the other members, explaining specifically why the membership of the individual in question should be terminated.

5.   Using paper ballots, the members must vote in a spirit of fraternal charity to decide if the member should be expelled.  A two-thirds majority is needed to terminate the membership.

6.   The challenging member is entitled to vote.

7.   If the vote is for expulsion, the result of the vote is to be delivered to the member by the Society’s President or, if the President is removed, by the Vice President.

8.   The Society’s Spiritual Director or Administrator can overturn the expulsion, if he is in possession of information about the individual that is not known by the membership.

1.   It is up to the Executive Board to determine how the Society will support itself financially.

2.   In order to institute a system of dues, a majority vote by the membership is needed.

3.   If dues are not assessed, the Executive Board is to determine alternative means of raising capital, such as sponsoring fund raising activities, in order to meet the Society’s financial obligations.

1.   The Society’s regular meetings will ordinarily be held after the noon-day Mass on the second Sunday of each month.

2.   Before each meeting, the Society’s members are encouraged to congregate in pews reserved by an assigned marshal or designee so that the Society’s members can pray Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion corporately.

3.   When scheduling conflicts arise, the date and time of these meetings may be changed.

4.   The Society does not ordinarily meet during the months of July and August, however, members who are attending Holy Mass at Holy Trinity on the second Sundays of these months are encouraged to sit as a group and receive Holy Communion together. 

5.   The agenda of the meeting is to be determined by the President and Secretary, or in their absence, by another member of the Executive Board.

6.   The banner of the Society should be publicly displayed at all Society meetings and events.

1.   The Executive Board of the Society is composed of the Society’s President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

2.   Decisions by the Executive Board shall be reached by a majority vote of the members present and voting.

3.   Advance notice of Board meetings is to be given to the Society’s members. 

4.   Observers are allowed to attend Board meetings and may participate in the discussion, but cannot vote. 

5.   The Executive Board may, without a vote, set limits on the extent of their participation and can order the meeting into executive session.

6.   The members of the Society are encouraged to make their suggestions known to the members of the Board.  Specific proposals may be submitted in writing.

7.   The Parish’s Administrator should be considered the final authority with all of the Society’s actions subject to their approval.   

1.   To constitute a quorum, one third of the members must be present at either a Board or Society meeting.

2.      If a quorum is not reached, discussions may still be held, but no official business can take place.  

I.    The President

     
      As chief executive of the Society, his duties include:

1.   Preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Executive Board;

2.   Appoint the Chairman of the Standing Committees;

3.   Plan the meetings and activities of the Society and to hold the officers responsible for the activities entrusted to them in consultation with the Executive Board.

4.   Represent the Society at the meetings of the Archdiocesan Union and of the Deanery if feasible, and to present a report of the transactions of these meetings to the Society and the Executive Board;

5.   Sign all official documents and papers of the Society;

6.   Perform such other duties as are usually attached to the Office of President.

II.  The Vice President

      His duties include:

1.   The Vice President shall have all the powers and perform all the duties of the President in his absence.

2.   He shall be the ex-officio Chairman of the Membership Committee.

III.   The Secretary

     
      His duties include:

1.   Keep a record of the proceedings of the Society and Executive Board meetings and read these minutes at the following meetings;

2.   Conduct the correspondence of the Society;

3.   Notify the members of the date and time of the monthly Communion and meeting;

4.   Notify the members of the date and time of the Executive Board meetings;

5.   Receive and file the reports of all Committee Chairman;

6.   Maintain an accurate membership roster;

7.   Sign all documents, resolutions and papers of the Society;

8.   Attend, if feasible, all meetings of the Diocesan Union and of the deanery.

IV.   The Treasurer

     
      His duties include:

1.   Notify the members the time for paying dues or annual contributions, if applicable;

2.   Collect any and all other monies of the Society and deposit the same in an authorized depository.

3.   Pay all obligations of the Society after they have been authorized.

4.   Keep vouchers for all disbursements; 

5.   Keep a record of all monies received and disbursed;

6.   Present a report on the financial condition of the Society at all meetings of the Society and of the Executive Board.

V.    Delegates (2 elected)

       Their duty is to be represent the Society at all meetings of the Archdiocesan Union of Holy        Name Societies.

VI.   Marshal(s) (Number determined by the Executive Board)

     
      His (their) duties include:

1.   Sets up monthly meetings, reserves pew space for monthly Communion, calls the Roll, and has charge of all physical arrangements of the meeting.

2.   He purchases meeting supplies.

3.   He keeps all of the Society’s supplies under his custody. 

VII.   Youth Representative

     
      His duties include:

1.   Represents the interests of the younger members of the Society, i.e., those members under the age of 18.

2.   Oversees the youth activities of the Society.

IV.   Spiritual Director – A Priest

      His duties include:

1.   Assists the members in doctrinal and spiritual matters.

2.   Leads the Society in prayer.

3.   Is an ex-officio member of the Executive Board 

I.    Standing Committees

Are assigned for the permanent activity of the Society.  Their tenure parallels that of the Society’s officers:

1.      Spirituality and prayer

2.      Catholic education

3.      Membership

4.      Sick and Vigil

5.      Stewardship

6.      Nominations

II.  Special Committees

     
Perform a one-time function for the Society, and when their work has been completed, the committee is dissolved.

1.   Communion Breakfast

2.   Other committees as determined by the President and the Executive Board  

1.   Functions as a member of the Executive Board.

2.   Is responsible for the particular work or activity of his committee.

3.   Periodically delivers reports to the other members of the Executive Board.

4.   Functions within the authority granted to his committee by the Executive Board.

1.   The Chairman of the Nominating Committee is to be elected at the April meeting (or at least two months prior to an election).

2.   At the May meeting, the Chairman should present the Society with a slate of candidates and then solicit nominations from the floor.

3.   Elections are to take place at the June meeting.

4.   To be nominated for an office, the person should be present at the meeting, unless he had indicated a willingness to serve prior to the meeting.

5.   Normally, no person is to hold more than one office at a time nor should he serve for more than five consecutive years.

1.   The Society is expected to cooperate with the Archdiocesan Union of Holy Name Societies and is to annually send them a donation.

2.   The Society, from time to time, will co-sponsor activities with the Lady’s Sodality, the Knights of Columbus, and other parish organizations.

1.   No amendments shall be made to this constitution, except at a regular meeting of the Society.  A two-thirds (change from ¾) vote of those present is needed for passage.

2.   No amendments shall be made unless a formal notice of the proposed amendment has been presented at a previous Society meeting or a meeting scheduled for the purpose.

3.   The voting of amendments is to take place after an open discussion, and voting is to be done by written ballot.

The Manual in its current edition, which is presented to each member at his induction into the Society, is to be considered the main source of information in regards to the operation of the Society.