Annual Meeting February 2002

Our Annual Meeting (February 02)

Special thanks to our Historical Archivist Margaret Sax.

Our Society's first Annual Meeting took place on July 27th, 1844, with 19 people in attendance. On that date, our Declaration of Faith was adopted, as well as our Statement of Purpose, and our Society's first official name, “The First Unitarian Congregational Society of Hartford.” Signing our Society into existence were James H. Wells, Giles Olmsted, Charles H. Olmsted, Timothy Allyn, and Seth Saltmarsh. The Clerk noted that the declaration was subsequently signed by 25 others.

Meetings were held intermittently during 1844–1847. April 1st gradually became the time for the chief meeting, though it was not officially called “The Annual Meeting” until April 1st, 1848. At that meeting it was voted that a collection be taken up in aid of the Sunday School, Library, and Choir at such times as the Pastor should deem desirable. Officers were elected by ballot: Clerk, Treasurer, and two Auditors, a Music Committee, a Librarian, a Finance Committee, and a group of three called the “Committee” which would correspond to our present Council.

After the Church of the Savior was sold, the Annual Meetings continued mainly as business meetings as plans for a new meetinghouse were gelling.

When the new Unity Church was being planned in the late 1870's, our first formal Constitution was drawn up, including the call for an Annual Meeting to be held in the first week of April. It was specified that notice of the Annual Meeting should be given at least five days before the date of its occurrence, by POSTING on the Bulletin Board and by ADVERTISING in one or more of the daily Hartford newspapers.

All [male] Society members twenty one or older could vote at the Annual Meeting. A Quorum for ordinary transactions was to be 2/5 of the whole number of members, which in 1879 was 21 members. Expenditures exceeding $300, and disposal of property, including churches, required a 2/3 vote of members present.

My, how we have grown!

Though our Annual Report 2001 will reflect an impressive amount of activity of a “happening” congregation, changes to the Constitution and Bylaws originally drawn in 1879 have been few and far between. Of course as our Congregation grew, we needed more Council Members and more Trustees ... and a smaller number (10% of Members) to constitute a Quorum.

A Constitutional change in requirements of Membership (ARTICLE IV, Section 1. a, Section 1.b. and Section 4) will be voted on at this year's Annual Meeting in order to better define categories of membership. In 2001 our Society voted to adopt a change in our Fiscal Year (ARTICLE VI) from January 1–December 31 of the calendar year to July 1–June 30 to better correspond with our Program Year.

One thing we should all be glad of is the change a few decades ago of (ARTICLE XI, Section 2) concerning the term of service of the Minister. Betty Arnold, a long-term member of our Society, remembers a time when the Minister had to be voted in by the Congregation at each and every Annual Meeting. She would hold her breath as Charles Graves was sent downstairs to wait for the outcome of the required Quorum (2/3 congregational vote) to see if he was to stay on as minister.

The irony was that Reverend Charles Graves was with us nearly 40 years!

The Annual Meeting is the time when our incoming Slate of Elected Officers, Trustees, Council Members, Nominating Committee, and Auditors is voted on by the Congregation. (ARTICLE VIII, Section 1.) calls for the Nominating Committee to present a single slate (no opponent slate) or for nomination by petition to be signed by at least 5 members.

For those members who wish to know how our Society works (and want to have a say in the outcome) the Annual Meeting should not be missed.

This Year's Annual Meeting will be held February 10, 2002 immediately following the worship service.

Let us know of any comments, errors and corrections - thanks (revised 2/21/05)