STATUTES OF THE
HEART OF
A PRIVATE ASSOCIATION OF THE FAITHFUL
Preamble
In accordance with the teaching of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and the Code of Canon Law, the Christian faithful are free to found and govern associations with the aim of promoting their spiritual growth and of establishing a more intimate unity between their faith and everyday life.
It is in response to the Church’s teachings and the gospel call to be leaven in the world that a number of Christ’s faithful who are engaged in the business community have chosen to bond together to form an association for the purposes set forth below.
Article I: Name and Definition
Section 1: This private association of the Christian faithful is named the Heart of America Catholic Business Network, Inc. (hereafter referred to as the Association) and was established in August 2008, in accord with canons 298 and 299 of the Code of Canon Law and also established as a civil non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Missouri with the principle offices at 201 N. Industrial Rd, Excelsior Springs, MO 64024 and also operating out of offices in Kansas at 5750 W. 95th Suite 215, Overland Park, KS 66207.
Article II: Purpose of the Association
Section 1: The Association has been established for the purposes of animating the temporal order with a Christian Spirit (c. 298, §1 CIC). The Association attempts to do this by facilitating networking of Catholic business leaders, by inviting speakers to address the group, by promoting discussion of pertinent issues, by fostering prayer and by the mutual sharing of information, experiences and faith.
Section 2: The Association has a vision to serve Christ and His Church by engaging in the evangelization and sanctification of the business community and working to build a more free, just and virtuous society.
Section 3: The mission of the Association is to be a catalyst in exhorting, promoting and facilitating financial opportunity, spiritual growth and moral courage for both Catholic individuals and organizations serving the workplace.
Article III: Governance of the Association
Section 1: The Association is governed by a Board of Directors initially appointed in accord with the civil bylaws of the corporation and consists of a chairman, executive director, and a secretary / treasurer. Subsequent members of the board shall be elected by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Section 2: Candidates for positions on the Board may be nominated by members of the Board of Directors as long as the nominee has attained 21 years of age, and is a practicing Catholic without prejudice to the precepts of the bylaws of the civil corporation. Powers of the Board of Directors and internal governance of the Board are as defined in civil corporate documents.
Section 3: The executive director of the Association will serve as the canonical Moderator as described in c. 324, §1, CIC.
Article IV: Membership in the Association
Section 1: Membership in the Association refers to individual or organizations who pay dues and are granted membership by the Board of Directors. Individual members must be practicing Catholics. Members who are organizations must have a principal member of its leadership that is a practicing Catholic. Members may be lay, clerics or members of a religious community.
Section 2: Membership is attained via approval by the Board of Directors of the Association after an individual or an organization completes a membership application and pays annual dues as determined by the Board of Directors. Catholic Clergy and/or members of Religious Communities are exempt from dues.
Section 3: Members of the Association enjoy the rights to attend and participate in regular gatherings of the Association as well as any special events. Some gatherings may require payment of additional fees to cover the cost of sponsoring the event.
Section 4: Non-Catholic persons may attend gatherings of the Association as guests of a member. Non-Catholic persons may also be granted “Affiliate Member” status by the Board of Directors, but only after being sponsored by a current member. The Board of Directors reserves the right to refuse membership to any person or organization.
Section 5: Loss of membership would occur when one of the following takes place:
1) By voluntary departure from the Association,
2) By failure to pay annual dues when 90 days have elapsed after the due date,
3) By an action of the majority of the Board of Directors with or without cause,
4) Upon leaving the Catholic Church by a formal act.
Article V: Assets of the Association
Section 1: The Association does not envision acquiring many material assets. Financial assets are under the control of the Board of Directors which has a fiduciary responsibility to manage the assets for the benefit of the members of the Association and for the advancement of its purposes. The Executive Director of the Corporation may be compensated in a manner commensurate with his duties as determined by the Board of Directors. Any officer of the Corporation may be reimbursed for expenses paid on behalf of the Association.
Section 2: In a spirit of cooperation and a desire to be transparent, the Association will provide a financial report showing income, expenditures and asset balances to the Chief Financial Officers of the Diocese of Kansas City –
Article VI: Dissolution of the Association
Section 1: The Association may be dissolved by an action of the Board of Directors. Furthermore, the activities of the Association may be suppressed by a decree from the Catholic Bishop or Archbishop of the Diocese or Archdiocese in which the Association operates in accord with the prescripts of c. 326, §1, CIC.
Section 2: In the event of dissolution of the Association, any remaining assets after just compensation of the Executive Director and repayment of expenses and outstanding obligations as determined by the Board of Directors will be donated to a charity or charities as determined by the Catholic Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas and the Bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, without prejudice to the norms of cc 325 - 326, CIC.
Section 3: Nothing in these statutes shall negate anything in the civil corporate documents of the corporation.
Article VII: Programs of the Association
Section 1: Programs sponsored by the Association, which include speakers or conferences, shall be designed to promote Catholic faith and morals and shall not promote ideas or practices which are inconsistent with the teachings and doctrines of the Catholic Church.
Section 2: Persons who are solicited to speak to the Association will be required to be Catholics in good standing in the diocese of their domicile and may be required to produce a letter stating the same from their pastor. No speaker shall be engaged with the Association if that speaker is publicly known to endorse or support in any way, teachings contrary to the Magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church. All speakers may be subject to the approval of the Ordinary of the Diocese or Archdiocese in which the speaking event is to be held.
Article VIII: Affiliation
Section 1: The Association my affiliate with other Catholic Associations of the Faithful to further the cause of animating the Christian Spirit in the world and will strive to cooperate with other agencies for the benefit of Christian works and the good of the Church in accord with the norms of c. 328, CIC.
Article IX: Spiritual Advisor
Section 1: In accord with the norms of c. 324, §2 the Association will request confirmation by the Bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City –
Conclusion
The Heart of America Catholic Business Network hopes, with the help of God, to encourage business men and woman to effectively live out their lay vocations through understanding, embracing and demonstrating the teachings of Jesus Christ as expressed in the social teachings of the Catholic Church as they apply to the people and structures serving the work place. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit may members of the Association collectively and individually give public witness in both word and action, to authentic Catholic living so as to influence the economic/business sphere of society. May God bless this endeavor and may it bear fruit for His glory.
