ARTICLE I: DEFINITIONS

SECTION I: NAME

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The name of the corporation shall be Masjid Bilal Ibn Rabah, Inc., and is to be referred to hereinafter as the MASJID.

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SECTION II: OPERATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

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The operations and activities of the Masjid shall be in conformity with the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

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SECTION III: TYPE OF ORGANIZATION

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The Masjid is an Islamic, charitable, non-profit religious corporation organized under the laws of Kentucky under Chapter 273 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes, and qualified as a Section 501(c)(3) corporation under the Internal Revenue Code.

ARTICLE II: MISSION, PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

SECTION I: MISSION

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The Mission of the Masjid shall be to:

1. Promote and enhance the teaching of Islam according to the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

2. Provide services to the Muslim community and to the general community in the region in order to improve the cultural, social and intellectual quality of life.

3. Offer its members and associates an ideal environment for raising families in accordance with Islamic values, integrated with their respective cultural traditions.

SECTION II: PURPOSE

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The purpose of the Masjid is to:

1. Hold prayers and teach Islamic principles.

2. Conduct social, cultural, educational and other activities in the Islamic tradition.

3. Present Islamic beliefs and teachings to the locals.

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SECTION III: OBJECTIVES

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The objectives of the Masjid are to:

1. Encourage and enable individual Muslims to build and strengthen their Islamic personalities.

2. Encourage and promote the establishment of a stronger Muslim community in the local area.

3. Present the religion of Islam to people of other faiths and promote friendly relations between Muslims and non-Muslims.

4. Serve the broader community and promote cooperation with other non-political groups working towards the social enhancement of the community.

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SECTION III: ACTIVITIES

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The Masjid shall engage itself only in such acti­vities as may be allowed under local, state and federal laws related to non-profit religious organizations.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP, PARTICIPATION, CONFIDENTIALITY AND CONFLICT RESOLUTIONS

SECTION I: MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY

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1. All Muslims are eligible for Individual Membership, subject to procedures set forth by the Board of Trustees.

2. Regular Membership is Individual Membership with voting rights; and the minimum age for Regular Membership is sixteen years.

3. Youth Membership is Individual Membership with no voting rights at the General Masjid Membership meetings; and the minimum age for Youth Membership is twelve years.

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SECTION II: PARTICIPATION

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1. All Muslims are eligible for Individual Membership, subject to procedures set forth by the Board of Trustees.

2. Regular Membership is Individual Membership with voting rights; and the minimum age for Regular Membership is sixteen years.

3. Youth Membership is Individual Membership with no voting rights at the General Masjid Membership meetings; and the minimum age for Youth Membership is twelve years.

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SECTION III: CONFIDENTIALITY AND CONFLICT RESOLUTIONS

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1. Members “shall keep confidential the business and activities of the Masjid, and shall only discuss same with other good-standing members.

2. Members who have concerns or conflicts shall exhaust all internal means for resolution before appealing to outside persons or institutions.

ARTICLE IV: GENERAL MASJID MEMBERSHIP

SECTION I: COMPOSITION

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The General Masjid Membership is comprised of all regu­lar members in good standing.

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SECTION II: GENERAL MASJID MEMBERSHIP

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1. An annual general meeting of all Masjid members shall be held in December of each year on a date and at a time set by the Board of Trustees.

2. The date and time of a General Masjid Membership Meeting shall be communicated to all members, announced in the Masjid and posted on the Masjid bulletin board not less than two weeks prior to the date of the meeting.

3. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees shall pre­side over the meeting.

4. The Board of Trustees shall have the authority to call special meetings of the General Masjid Mem­bership.

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SECTION III: QUORUM

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A quorum for a general Masjid Membership Meeting shall be one-third of the regular members in good standing. If a quorum is not present at the commencement of the meeting, then two-thirds of the good-standing regular members present may vote to commence the meeting. If no quorum is reached, the Board of Trustees shall call another meeting within one month.

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SECTION IV: VOTING BY PROXY

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Voting by proxy is not allowed.

ARTICLE V: BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SECTION I: STRUCTURE

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1. The Board of Trustees shall consist of: (a) Seven Permanent Members: Initially selected by the Founding Committee. At least one mem­ber shall be female.(b) Four Rotating Members, elected to three-year terms by the General Masjid Membership at the annual meeting.(c) The President of the Executive Committee.

2. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees shall be elected to a renewable three-year term by a simple majority vote. The President of the Executive Committee shall not serve as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

SECTION II: RESPONSIBILITIES

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The major responsibilities of the Board of Trustees include:

1. Delegation of responsibilities to the Chairman.

2. Guardianship of the Constitution and By-Laws, including the settlement, of all disputes regarding the interpretation of any article or part thereof.

3. Development and maintenance of long-term planning and growth of the Masjid.

4. Development of strategies for the investment of Masjid funds and the means for raising funds.

5. Review and approval of the annual budget of the Masjid.

6. Appointment of an independent auditor.

7. Approval of the Constitution and By-Laws and amendments thereto.

8. Appointment of Election Committees.

9. Maintenance of written minutes and records of meetings.

10. Other functions deemed necessary.

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SECTION III: MEETINGS

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1. The Board of Trustees shall hold at least two regular meetings annually.

2. A quorum for the meetings and for decision-making shall be a simple majority.

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SECTION IV: VACANCIES

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If any member of: the Board of Trustees, whether perman­ent or rotating; resigns or leaves the State of Kentucky prior to the expiration of his/her term, his/her position shall be deemed vacant, and the remaining members of the Board shall appoint another person for the remainder of the term of the departing member.

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SECTION V: AUDITOR

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The Board of Trustees shall appoint an independent auditor to overlook all financial records, transactions and accounts of the Masjid. He/she shall maintain the account­ing manual specifying the approval process, internal con­trols and accounting procedures as approved by the Executive Committee. He/she shall be responsible for producing audit­ed financial statements at least once a year, to the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE VI: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

SECTION I: OFFICERS & MEMBERS

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1. The officers of the Executive Committee shall be: President (2 year term)
   Vice President for Administration (2 year term)
   Vice President for Finance (2 year term)
   Secretary (2 year term)
   Treasurer (2 year term), and

2. The members of the Executive Committee shall be:
   Chairpersons of Standing Committees (variable terms)

3. The Vice President for Finance must serve as the Chairperson of the Finance Committee.

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SECTION II: ELECTIONS

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1. The officers shall be elected by the General Masjid Membership through a nomination process set forth by the Board of Trustees.

2. The candidates for the Executive Committee member­ship must meet the following eligibility criteria. (a) Dedication to work and ability to contribute individually and collectively towards meeting the purposes and objectives of the Masjid.
   (b) Adherence and commitment to the Islamic principles and values.
   (c) Membership in good standing and continued residence in the Lexington, Kentucky area.

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SECTION III: RESPONSIBILITIES

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​The Executive Committee has the following responsibilities:​

1. To administer the daily affairs of the Masjid.

2. To carry out any additional responsibility assigned by the Board of Trustees.

3. To make financial transactions.

4. To appoint Standing and Hoc Committees and to approve their programs & activities.

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SECTION IV: MEETINGS

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1. The Executive Committee shall discuss and decide on the frequency of meetings and shall set days and times for such meetings.​

2. The quorum for the meetings is the simple majority of its members.

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SECTION V: VACANCIES

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Vacancies for officers shall be filled by candidates nominated by the Executive Committee and approved by the Board of Trustees.

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SECTION VI: BUDGET & EXPENDITURES

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1. The Executive Committee shall prepare a budget and submit it to the Board of Trustees for each annual fiscal period.

2. All major items of approved expenditures in excess of $5,000.00 shall be made in consultation with the Board of Trustees.

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SECTION VII: SPECIAL MEETINGS

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1. Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called for by the President or at the request of at least two members of the Executive Committee.

2. All major items of approved expenditures in excess of $5,000.00 shall be made in consultation with the Board of Trustees.

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SECTION VIII: DECISION MEETING

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Decisions of the Executive Committee shall be made by a simple majority, and, in the case of a tie, the President’s vote will decide the issue.​

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SECTION IX: RESIGNATION

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1. A member of the Executive Committee may submit his/her resignation in writing to the President. The President may resign by notifying the Chairman of the Board of Trustees in writing.

2. Within fifteen days from the date of a resignation, the President or the Vice President, as the case may be, shall report the resignation to the Executive Committee for its action.