1989 REPORT OF THE
CHARTER COMMITTEE OF
URANTIA BROTHERHOOD
Avi Dogim


To: General Councilors From: Avi Dogim

URANTIA Brotherhood MEMORANDUM

Date: May 38, 1989 Subject: Annual Report of the Charter Committee

Upcoming Society Installations:

The principal activities of the Charter Committee this year have centered on the business of chartering two new societies outside the United States, one in Finland and the other in Ontario, Canada. Installation of Finnish URANTIA Society is scheduled for June 3, 1989 and that of Couchiching URANTIA Society of Ontario for June 10, 1989. Drafting these societies' constitutions have been rather lengthy processes, probably more complex than their equivalents in earlier cases involving U.S. societies. The reasons for this are most directly attributable to differences in legal systems among various countries as they pertain to the status of not-for profit organizations.

Sample Constitution: A by-product of the work, particularly that of the URANTIA Foundation's attorneys, involved with drafting the Finnish URANTIA Society constitution, is the development of a sample constitution which could be used by any group in the process of forming a society. The sample constitution has yet to be formally approved by the Brotherhood, but even in its present draft form could be very helpful to groups who are in the process of writing their constitutions.

Charter Applications: Charter applications have been submitted by groups in Florida and in Arizona. Both groups may be installed as societies by this coming winter, provided that all of the preliminary work is satisfactorily completed by that time.

Inquiries: Several other groups had made inquiries regarding standards of admission of societies and information was sent to them.

Brotherhood Membership Criteria: The Charter Committee has been charged by the Executive Committee, during the latter's April meeting, with the task of review and evaluation of Brotherhood membership requirements as they pertain to both members-at-large and members through societies. The need for this review became apparent during the Executive Committee's recent deliberations regarding the status of a number of members-at large with whom there had been no contacts for relatively long periods of time.

cc: Scott Forsythe Charter Committee