阅读文件：Bylaws

I read the letter that Shadywood Village Council wrote to Bucks County Housing Authority ‘ RE: Update Shadywood Village Council Bylaws’.
A) At the Shadywood Village Council monthly meeting in November 2023 the subject election was broached, to learn who was going to ‘run’ to be on the Council.
JP, Project Manager, suggested that we update our Bylaws.
When we received the Bylaws, some of us were startled to learn they were dated 1981. The living document was akin to reading a document that seemed foreign to us.
We began working on the Bylaws in earnest during the winter of 2024. The quick lesson learned is the Council must have a safe and secure location for everything owned by the corporation and Council.
At our January 2024 meeting the Bylaws was an agenda item to form a small ad hoc committee to work on the Bylaws.
Five or us volunteered. A Chair was elected to lead the committee.
We worked with the single goal in mind of drafting the Bylaws in the best interests of the tenants, Council and the corporation, in our capacities.
We drafted the Bylaws with the second goal of having the corporation and the council operate from the bottom up, from the tenants to the executive committee.
We request that you review the Bylaws to eventually approve.
Attachment: Bylaws 

B) Shadywood Village Council By-laws 
ARTICLE I —Offices
1. At 812 Shadywood Drive.
2. May at other places as the activities require.
ARTICLE II —Seal
a) Shall have inscribed thereon the name of the corporation.
ARTICLE III — Tenants 
1. Persons shall be eligible for tenancy regardless of race, creed.
2. The Council may determine the amount of an initiation fee, and annual dues payable by the tenants .
3. Tenancy is not transferable.
ARTICLE IV—Tenants’s Meetings 
1. Meeting should be held at the Community Room.
2. The annual meeting shall be held on the first Thursday in December.
3. Special meeting may be called by President, or tenants at least ten.
4. Written notices of all meeting shall be to each member at least five days prior to the meeting.
5. Tenants are authorized or required to give notice of meeting of tenants’ meeting.
6. A meeting of tenants duly called shall not be organized for the transaction of business unless a quorum is present.
7. Every household shall be entitled to one vote. No tenant shall sell their vote for money.
8. Election of the Council shall be by ballot.
9. The Council may appoint judges of election, they may be the Manager. 
10. Tenants shall volunteer and self-nominate to run to be Building Representative.
11. Election: By secret ballot, each apartment shall have two tenants for representatives.
12. An alternative shall act as a building representative upon the absence until as a successor is elected.
13. Nominations shall be for the month of October. Elections of Building Representatives shall be prior to Thanksgiving. Notice of the newly elected shall be no later than the first week of December.
14. Tenants may volunteer to participate in the Standing Committees, or other designated committees.
15. The Standing Committee shall elect a Chairperson.
16. All Standing Committee and designated committee must have a written report monthly.
ARTICLE V— Council Members 
1. The Council shall serve without compensating or remuneration.
2. The Council may exercise all such powers of the Shadywood Village corporation and do all lawful acts.
3. The meeting of the Council may be held at such time and at such place.......
4. All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order, or Parliamentary Procedures.
5. The Annual Meeting of the tenants shall be held in December.
6. Special Meeting may be called at any time by the Council or tenants..........
7. Written notice of all meeting shall be given by the Secretary.........
8. Notice of every meeting of the Council shall be given to each member five days prior.
9. A majority of the Council Members shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Any action shall be filed with the Secretary.
10. The Council may designate Council Members as alternative tenants of any committee.
11. The Council shall be entitled to necessary experience incurred in the discharge of their duties.
12. The Council may be removed by the vote of tenants.
13. The Council may declare vacant the office of a Council member......
14. Council members shall be on a Standing Committee as part of their role.
15. The Standing Committee shall elect a Chairperson.
16. Each Committee must have a Recording Secretary to record each meeting.
17.  All Standing Committee must have a Council Member to provide to Council a written report .
ARTICLE VI—COMMITTEES
1. The Council may establish more committees to consist of more Council of the corporation. No such committee shall have any power as to the following:
a. the submission to tenants of any action required by statute to be submitted to the tenants for their approval.
b. the filling of vacancies in the council.
c. THE ADOPTION, AMENDMENT, or REPEAL of the BYLAWS.
d. The amendment or repeal of any resolution of the Council .
e. Action on matters committed by the Bylaws .
ARTICLE VI —COMMITTEES
1. The Council may establish more committees to consist of more Council of the corporation. No such committee shall have any power as to the following:
a. the submission to tenants of any action required by statute to be submitted to the tenants for their approval.
b. the filling of vacancies in the council.
c. THE ADOPTION, AMENDMENT, or REPEAL of the BYLAWS.
d. The amendment or repeal of any resolution of the Council .
e. Action on matters committed by the Bylaws .
ARTICLE VII — STANDING COMMITTEES 
1. Fundraising Committee: ...
2. Communications Committee:
a. Communications Committee is responsible for press release, letters to editors, etc.
b. Committee has a role in sharing information.
c. Advice and inform tenants of events and activities.
3. Social Committee/ Activities and Events Committee:
a....
b....
4. Bylaws Committee:
5. Ad Hoc and Special Committees:
ARTICLE VIII —OFFICERS 
1. The executive officers of the corporation shall be chosen by the Council and shall from time to time be directed by the Council.
2. Any officer may be removed by the Council.
3. The President shall be the chief executive officer.
4. The Vice President shall act ...
5. The Secretary shall....
6. The Treasurer shall have.....
ARTICLE IX—VACANCIES 
1. If the office because vacant, the Council may choose a successor.
2. Vacancies in the Council.......
ARTICLE X—BOOKS AND RECORDS 
1. The corporation shall keep records of the proceedings of the tenants and the Council.....
2. Every tenant shall have a right to examine books and records......
ARTICLE XI —TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS 
1. All incidental profits shall be applied to the maintenance and operation of the activities of the Corporation.
2. All checks or demands for money shall be signed by officer.
3. Petty cash will contain no more than 50 dollars.
4. Individual disbursements over $150 must be approved.
ARTICLE XII —ANNUAL REPORT 
1. The Council shall present annually to the tenants a report, showing the following:
a. The assets and liabilities.
b. The changes in assets and liabilities.
c. The revenue.
d. The expenses or disbursements.
e. The number of tenants.
f.  The report shall be filed.
ARTICLE XIII —NOTICES 
1. Written notice is required to be given to any tenants...
2. Whenever any written notice is required to be given, a waiver in writing , signed by the tenant,  shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice.
ARTICLE XIV—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
1. The fiscal year shall begin on the first day of January.
2.Tenants may participate in a meeting by means of conference telephone 
3. So long as the corporation shall continue to be organized on a non-stock basis, the Council shall have authority to make capital contribution...
4. The Council may authorize the corporation to accept subventions .....
ARTICLE XV—AMENDMENT 
1. By-Laws may be adopted, amended or repealed by the vote...

C) Our senior apartment has eight building.each building with sixteen people, for a total of 128 people. About a quarter of people are physically weak and do not go out every day. The Council organizes some activities every month, and the Council cadres work hard . However, many elderly people do not participate in activities , nor do they attend resident meetings to discuss or provide opinions. Many residents are unwilling to be resident representatives, so there is no talk of electing resident representatives. I am willing to do something for the residents, so I volunteered to be a representative.
The task of the Council should be to make the elderly live a happier life in their later years. I think there should be some rules and regulations, but that don't need to be too rigid or formulaic.