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CONSTITUTION of TRES DIAS

1.0 Name:

The official name of the organization shall be TRES DIAS.

2.0 Purpose of TRES DIAS and Statement of Belief:

The purpose of TRES DIAS is to foster and guide the growth of the Tres Dias movement, to assure continued adherence to its Essentials and to advocate its purpose of developing Christian leaders and to help to sustain their commitment to Christ as they pursue Christian Apostolic Action in their environments.

TRES DIAS STATEMENT OF BELIEF

  1. We believe and profess our faith in one Triune God – The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).
  2. We believe and profess that Jesus Christ is the only Savior and is God in the flesh (John 1:1, 1:14, 3:36, 14: & Heb. 2:17).
  3. We believe and profess that The Holy Spirit is God and is The Lord and Giver of life, who continues to work in believers today to sanctify, edify and empower the whole Christian church on earth – – – for His purpose (Job 33:4, Acts 1:8, John 14:26 & Rom. 8:11).
  4. We believe and profess that the Holy Scriptures are the inspired and completely true Word of God (II Tim. 3:16-17).
  5. We believe and profess that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; that forgiveness of sins is received through confession and repentance – – and that our sins are washed away through the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38, I John 1:9 & Rom. 3:23).
  6. We believe and profess that salvation is a gift of God’s grace received through personal faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8).
  7. We believe and profess that the Body of Christ is to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of The Son of God (Eph. 4:3, 13).
  8. We believe and profess that God’s unconditional love, as made manifest to us through Jesus Christ, is the primary witness by which people are renewed, edified and changed (I Cor. 13:8).
  9. We believe and profess that God has called us to live holy lives that will bring glory to His name (Col. 3:1-25).

Note:   For purposes of standards and principles, Tres Dias ascribes to those stated in the “Authorized King James Version” of the Bible of 1611 (KJV).

3.0 Membership of TRES DIAS:

The membership of TRES DIAS consists of the local organizations, referred to as local secretariats, chartered by TRES DIAS.

4.0  Governing Bodies:

TRES DIAS shall be governed by two bodies:

  • The Assembly of TRES DIAS Secretariats referred to as the Assembly
  • The International Secretariat of TRES DIAS, referred to as the Secretariat or International Secretariat.

These bodies operate under Robert’s Rules of Order unless explicitly stated otherwise.

4.1  Assembly of TRES DIAS Secretariats:

Each chartered local secretariat selects delegates to the Assembly.

This body elects members and officers of the International Secretariat, and has approval authority over proposals made by the International Secretariat.

An Annual Assembly shall be scheduled each July. The International Secretariat may call a Special Assembly at any time.

The duties and the organization of the Assembly are described in the By-Laws Section 1.

The Constitution shall only be changed or amended upon a two-thirds majority of the authorized votes of the Assembly; this must be a proxy vote and may not be a floor vote (See By-Laws, Section 1.8.1 (“Types of Votes”) for further clarification of the terms “floor vote” and “proxy vote”).”

4.2  International Secretariat of TRES DIAS:

The International Secretariat is the Board of Directors of Tres Dias, Inc.

The International Secretariat conducts the year round business of TRES DIAS, charters local secretariats, and proposes changes in policy for approval by the Assembly. [Local secretariats are organizations chartered by Tres Dias, Inc. to use the Tres Dias name, materials and method.]

The officers, organization, and duties of the International Secretariat are described in the by-laws.

BY-LAWS of TRES DIAS

1.0  Assembly of TRES DIAS Secretariats:

1.1  Name:

The official name of this body is Assembly of TRES DIAS Secretariats, referred to in this document as the Assembly.

1.2  Purposes and Authority of the Assembly:

The purposes and authority of the Assembly are as follows:

  • elect members of the International Secretariat to fill partial and full terms (Section 2.3.2; Section 2.3.3)
  • elect officers of the International Secretariat whenever a term expires or a partial term is to be filled (Section  2.4)
  • approve changes in qualifications of delegates for the Assembly and the factor by which the number of delegates is determined
  • approve changes in qualifications of candidates for International Secretariat membership or officers
  • approve changes in chartering requirements or procedures
  • approve changes proposed by the International Secretariat affecting the Essentials (Section  3.1) and the Constitution and By-Laws
  • approve the budgets of both the International Secretariat and the Assembly and approve the financial assessments of secretariats to TRES DIAS
  • approve items brought before it by the International Secretariat, in particular any long term indebtedness (over one year) of TRES DIAS
  • direct the International Secretariat to consider specific items and have it report back by a specific date
  • verify credentials of delegates in accordance with criteria established by the International Secretariat (Section 1.9.1)
  • annually audit the financial records of the International Secretariat (Section 1.6.3)
  • approve the removal of a member or officer of the International Secretariat.

1.3  Delegates to the Assembly:

The members of the Assembly are delegates chosen by and representing local secretariats.

1.4  Delegate Qualifications:

Delegates to the Assembly are chosen by and represent local secretariats.

A delegate, chosen by a local secretariat, must have these qualifications:

  • have completed a TRES DIAS weekend or a weekend recognized by the International Secretariat
  • at the time of selection, must be an active member of a local community and approved by the local Secretariat that he/she will represent
  • have been selected in accordance with guidelines proposed by the International Secretariat and approved by a 2/3 majority of the Assembly
  • have any additional requirements which have been proposed by the International Secretariat and approved by a 2/3 majority of the Assembly.

1.5  Representation of the Local Secretariats to the Assembly:

The intent is for the number of delegates/votes from a local secretariat to be proportional to the number of new Pescadores having attended their weekends during the previous calendar year. Each local secretariat, based on the number of new Pescadores reported will be slotted in one of five tiers for determining their number of Assembly delegates/votes and yearly assessment.

Each local secretariat is entitled to a minimum one Assembly delegate. Changes to the assessment and number of delegates/votes assigned to each tier are proposed by the International Secretariat and approved by a 2/3 majority of the Assembly.

The number of delegates computed in this manner is the number of votes a local secretariat is authorized on both proxy and floor votes of the Assembly.

For each Assembly delegate, a local secretariat may choose either a delegate from its own community, or empower a delegate of another local secretariat to vote on their behalf during floor votes. For proxy votes, the local secretariat has the additional option of mailing their votes to the chairperson of the election committee of the Assembly.

Proxies for any given vote are valid only if received by the election committee of the Assembly prior to that vote being called for on the floor of the Assembly.

The election committee of the Assembly shall rule on all matters concerning voting procedures of the Assembly, verification of proxies and accreditation of delegates to the Assembly.

1.5.1  Term of a Delegate:

The term of a delegate shall start on the first day of the assembly for which he/she is elected and ends the day before the next Annual Assembly.  A delegate may succeed him/herself.

1.5.2  Observers From the Local Secretariats to the Assembly:

The total number of observers is authorized by the chairperson of the Assembly.  Except for observers attending in an official capacity, observers will be apportioned equally among the local secretariats.  Local secretariats may transfer any or all of their authorized observers to other local secretariats.

Observers may not vote at the Assembly, but they may be recognized by the chairperson of the Assembly during the session.

1.6  Officers of the Assembly:

1.6.1  Chairperson of the Assembly:

The chairperson of the Assembly is also a vice president of the Secretariat (Section 2.4.5).  His/her responsibilities to the Assembly include:

  • presiding over the Assembly
  • sending proxy ballots/material to local secretariats
  • appointing of other Assembly officers following the Annual Assembly
  • liaison between the Assembly and the International Secretariat
  • authorize the attendance of non-delegates to the Assembly sessions.

1.6.2  Recording Secretary:

He/she shall take the minutes of all Assembly sessions, present them for approval as the last order of business of each session and provide copies of the corrected and approved minutes to the International Secretariat and all local secretariats within 30 days of the completion of each Assembly session.

1.6.3  Financial Secretary:

The Financial Secretary shall be a Pescadore recommended by the local (host) Secretariat to, and be appointed by, the Chairperson of the Assembly.

The Financial Secretary shall:

  • Receive all funds related to the Assembly and maintain a separate record (from the local    community’s funds) of such receipts;
  • Be available to receive funds at the Assembly;
  • Provide a written report of all receipts from Assembly activities to the Administration Vice President and the Treasurer of International Secretariat and to the host Secretariat;
  • Fulfill such other duties as may be required by the Chairperson of the Assembly and/or the host General Planning Committee Chairman.

1.6.4  Treasurer:

The treasurer shall, in addition to conducting the normal duties of the office, submit to each session of the Assembly a written report on:

  • all financial transactions of the Assembly since the last report to that body
  • an audit of the financial records of the International Secretariat.

The treasurer of the Assembly may not be a member of the International Secretariat during his/her term.

The treasurer shall propose a budget for the Assembly and present it to the Administration Committee of International Secretariat for approval at the secretariat meeting prior to the assembly.

1.6.5  Registrar:

The Registrar is a Pescadore recommended by the host Secretariat to, and be appointed by, the Chairperson of the Assembly.

The Registrar shall:

  • Generate accurate records of attendance and official function (Delegate or Observer) data on all attendees at the Assembly;
  • Determine with each Delegate whether his/her credentials are in order; whether his/her community has an active status (properly chartered and assessments have been paid current), and the number of votes (if any) to which his/her community is entitled.  Report such information to the Elections Sub-committee Chairperson prior to the time voting is scheduled to commence at the Assembly;
  • Provide to the Elections Sub-committee Chairperson prior to the time voting is scheduled to commence at the Assembly, the number of qualified Delegates in attendance, the number of votes represented in person and by proxy, whether a quorum has been met (in person and by proxy), the number of Observers present, and the total number of attendees.  Such information shall be reported by the Registrar to the Assembly when called upon by the Chairperson of the Assembly;
  • Fulfill such other requirements for attendance and official function data as may be necessary to conduct Assembly business and as may be requested by the Assembly Chairperson and/or by the host General Planning Committee Chairman.

 

1.6.6  Term:

The term of an officer, other than the chairperson of the Assembly, shall be one business year and may succeed him/herself.  The term of the chairperson of the Assembly is defined in Section  2.4.2.

1.7  Meetings and Business Year:

1.7.1 Annual Assembly:

The Assembly meets at least once each year during the month of July to conduct its business.  This session is the Annual Assembly.  During that session, the date and location of future Annual Assemblies should be set or confirmed.

1.7.2  Special Assembly:

A special Assembly session may be called by the International Secretariat.  Local secretariats must be notified at least 45 days prior to the start of such a session of the date, location and purpose of the session.  At that time the proxy forms must be distributed.

A Special Assembly has the same authority as an Annual Assembly.  Delegates to the last Annual Assembly are automatically delegates to any Special Assemblies, unless their credentials have been revoked by the local secretariat they represent.

1.7.3  Business Year:

The business year of the Assembly shall start the day after the close of an Annual Assembly and end the last day of the next Annual Assembly.

1.8  Voting and Quorum in the Assembly:

All votes of the Assembly become effective on the first day of the next business year unless otherwise stated in the motion which is voted upon.

1.8.1  Types of Votes:

Two types of voting procedures are used in the Assembly:

  • Proxy votes:

Proxy forms containing the questions, motions and candidate names to be voted on are distributed to all local secretariats at least 75 days prior to the start of the Annual Assembly (45 days prior to a Special Assembly) at which the votes are to be taken.

Accompanying the proxy forms shall be informational material on each question, motion and candidate.  If one of the questions or motions is for the removal of an officer or member of the International Secretariat, that person may include, as part of the informational material, a rebuttal statement of reasonable length.  The printing and distribution costs of this additional statement shall be borne by TRES DIAS.

The proxy form must be returned to the election committee of the Assembly prior to the call for a vote on the floor of the Assembly.

The number of proxy forms mailed to each local secretariat shall equal the number of Assembly delegates calculated in Section  1.5.

  • Floor Votes:

Items to be voted on by floor votes need not be prepublished.

The combined votes cast by all delegates representing a local secretariat may not exceed the number of delegates that the local secretariat is authorized to cast.

Proxy votes must be taken for these items and are passed by a 2/3 majority:

  • changes in the qualifications of candidates for International Secretariat membership or officers
  • changes in qualifications of delegates to the Assembly and the factor by which the number of delegates is determined
  • changes in chartering requirements or procedures
  • changes proposed by the International Secretariat affecting the Essentials (Section 3.1), or the Constitution and By-Laws
  • removal of any officer or member of the International Secretariat.

Proxy votes must be taken for these items and are passed by a plurality:

  • election of members to the International Secretariat (Section  2.3.2)
  • election of officers to the International Secretariat (Section  2.4)
  • approval of the budget of the International Secretariat
  • approval of the assessment of local secretariats
  • approval of long term indebtedness of TRES DIAS
  • approval of any other matter which the International Secretariat deems important enough to warrant the formal approval of the Assembly.

All other business may be decided by a floor vote.

1.8.2  Quorum:

The quorum requirement for a proxy vote is satisfied if at least 50% of the total authorized delegates are present or represented by proxy.

If there is no quorum for a given proxy vote needed to perpetuate the services provided by TRES DIAS, such as budget, the item for the preceding year shall continue in force for the ensuing year.

There is no quorum requirement for a floor vote.  If less than 30% of the combined votes of all local secretariats is present, the chairperson of the Assembly has the option of not taking a floor vote.

 1.8.3  Voting Process:

The election committee of the Assembly shall oversee all voting.  All proxy votes are taken by written ballot.  Floor votes may be by written ballot at the discretion of the chairperson of the Assembly.

On a floor vote a delegate with multiple votes may split his/her vote, up to the maximum he/she is authorized to cast by his/her local secretariat.

No fractional votes shall be allowed.

1.9  Committees of the Assembly:

The chairperson of the Assembly may create appropriate committees and appoint their chairpersons.  The term of a committee member or chairperson shall coincide with the then current business year.  Committee chairpersons and committee members may succeed themselves.  A chairperson must have been a delegate during the preceding year.  A committee member need not be a delegate.

1.9.1  Election Committee:

This committee oversees all matters connected with voting in the Assembly.  It has the responsibility of verifying:

  • the credentials of each delegate according to the criteria proposed by the International Secretariat and approved by a 2/3 majority of the Assembly
  • the validity of proxy ballots
  • the adherence of each local secretariat to its maximum number of delegates as established by the International Secretariat
  • adherence to all other rules established by the International Secretariat
  • tabulating and reporting of all votes.

It rules on any procedures concerning elections and voting in the Assembly, however, any ruling may be appealed for consideration of the full Assembly if 20% of the total votes of the Assembly approve a motion for appeal.  A simple majority of the Assembly on the motion to overturn the decision of the election committee carries.

2.0  International Secretariat of TRES DIAS:

2.1  Name:

The official name of this body shall be International Secretariat of TRES DIAS.  In this document it will be referred to as the Secretariat.

2.2  Purpose and Duties of the Secretariat:

The purpose of the Secretariat is to conduct the year round business of TRES DIAS.  It has authority to conduct any business not explicitly delegated to the Assembly.  Among the  duties of the Secretariat are:

  • support local secretariats with literature and with Tres Dias unique or non-unique materials
  • guide the movement, foster its growth, initiate policy and assure adherence to its Essentials
  • propose changes in the Essentials and the Constitution and By-Laws to the Assembly within the spirit and continued long-term interest of the Tres Dias movement
  • propose changes in the qualifications of delegates, members of the Secretariat or officers of the Secretariat
  • propose changes in the criteria for chartering
  • charter local secretariats
  • provide advice and counsel to local secretariats
  • promote the movement and represent it on a national and international level, particularly with other similar international organizations
  • mediate all matters among local secretariats
  • represent the movement in geographic areas not covered by a local secretariat
  • protect the TRES DIAS name in all matters such as commercial exploitation or unauthorized use
  • schedule Assemblies (the regular Annual Assembly will be scheduled for each July)
  • have the sole authority to commit TRES DIAS in any form including financial indebtedness up to the duration of one year and have the same authority to commit TRES DIAS for longer periods of indebtedness with the approval of a simple majority on a proxy vote of the Assembly
  • publish, distribute, copyright, etc. TRES DIAS unique material
  • serve as the Board of Directors of the TRES DIAS Corporation.

2.3  Membership of the Secretariat:

The Secretariat has a total of 23 voting members, seven of whom are officers: president, executive vice president, administration vice president, membership vice president, treasurer, financial secretary, and secretary.

2.3.1  Qualifications of Candidates for Members:

Candidates for the Secretariat must be nominated by their local secretariat and have the following qualifications:

  • must have attended an Assembly at least once in the last 4 years preceding the nomination, or
  • must have attended a Tres Dias International Secretariat in the last four years preceding the nomination.  Attendance at any Tres Dias International Secretariat meeting prior to October 2012 does not meet the eligibility requirement
  • must have completed a TRES DIAS weekend sponsored by a currently chartered local secretariat or a weekend recognized by the Secretariat
  • shall agree, in writing, to accept the nomination and, if elected, intend to participate in all regular meetings of the Secretariat for the duration of his/her term can not be nominated if the term would allow him/her to serve more than 3 consecutive terms
  • must be in the slate of candidates approved by the Secretariat

To avoid conflict of interest, no officer, member of Tres Dias Int’l or voting committee member may serve as an officer, board member, employee, or be in any other way affiliated with any 3rd party fund raising organization interacting in any way with Tres Dias Inc. or any of its affiliated communities.  This amendment will be effective with new terms beginning July 2001.

  • must have declared his/her personal relationship with Jesus Christ  as Lord and Savior,
  • must have read or had explained to him/her, the “TRES DIAS STATEMENT of BELIEF” and declared his/her agreement with it,
  • must have read or had explained to him/her, the “CONSTITUTION and BY-LAWS of TRES DIAS” and “The ESSENTIALS of TRES DIAS” and declared his/her agreement with such documents and expressed a willingness to abide by them,
  • must be living a life that is not in a state of rebellion against God.  A state of rebellion against God can best be described as an unrepentant, open and active participation in or advocacy of activities contrary to the commands (for example, “The TEN COMMANDMENTS”) and guidelines in  *Scripture for holy living and Christian leadership.   Some examples (although not limited to these areas) are:
  • dependance upon alcohol or illegal drugs;
  • involvement in illegal activities, whereby such involevement knowingly violates, federal, state or local laws, statutes or ordinances;
  • involvement in lustful, immoral or perverted activities such as, but not limited to, pornography and/or any sexual relationship outside of a lawful marriage between a man and a woman;
  • involvement in the occult or Satanic worship;
  • openly professes allegiance to any non-Christian religion or organization which denies the deity of Jesus Christ.

* Note:  For purposes of standards and principles, Tres Dias ascribes to those stated in the “Authorized King James Version” of the Bible of 1611 (KJV).

  • must have any additional qualifications approved by the Secretariat and the Assembly.

2.3.2  Election of Members of the Secretariat:

The administration committee shall, on a schedule which permits nomination of candidates and preparation of proxies, establish the number of full and partial term positions to be filled.  The committee shall solicit local secretariats for recommendations for candidates and verify their qualifications (Section 2.3.1).  The committee shall then, in consultation with former officers of the Secretariat, propose to the Secretariat for approval a slate of nominees which earnestly attempts to provide at least one and one half as many candidates as there are positions to be filled.  If, however, the full number cannot be provided in time for the mailing of proxy ballots  the slate will be presented with all the nominees who are willing and have met the qualifications to serve. Then in preparation for the Assembly, communicate to each local secretariat the names of those approved and their qualifications along with the information for other proxy votes (Section 1.8.1).

Each local secretariat may cast its votes in accordance with procedures set up for proxy votes (Section  1.8).

One candidate from each local secretariat not having a member continuing on the Secretariat shall be elected first.  Vacancies shall be filled one local secretariat at a time by those candidates having the largest number of votes until all local secretariats have at least one member on the Secretariat or the total quantity of vacancies is exhausted.  If vacancies are not exhausted those additional vacancies shall be filled by those nominated candidates from any local secretariat.  Those candidates receiving the largest number of total votes shall serve the longest term.  This filling of vacant positions according to the number of votes received shall continue until all positions are filled.

If there are ties in the votes that prevent the filling of vacancies, those ties shall be resolved by a floor vote of the Assembly.

If a position on the Secretariat becomes vacant in the time between Assembly sessions and at the discretion of the administration committee of the Secretariat, the unelected candidate for membership in the Secretariat who has received the highest vote at the last Assembly shall be asked to fill the unexpired term and so forth.

When all candidate names have been exhausted, the president of the Secretariat may designate an otherwise qualified person to fill the term until the next Assembly, subject to confirmation by the Secretariat.

The election process is supervised by the election committee of the Assembly (Section  1.9.1).

2.3.3  Term of Members of the Secretariat:

The full term of a member of the Secretariat is the three business years, following his/her election, with roughly 1/3 of the members being elected annually.

Elected members completing an unexpired term serve only the remainder of the original term.  The term of appointed members filling offices which should be held by elected members expires on the last day of the next Assembly.

 

2.4  Officers of the Secretariat:

2.4.1  Qualifications and Elections of Officers:

It is the intent that no member of the Secretariat hold more than one officer position at any one time and that no one person chair more than one committee at one time.

When an elected officer of the Secretariat becomes unable to serve, the position may be filled until the next Annual Assembly by vote of the Secretariat from among its members.

A candidate for an office must, at the time of his/her nomination, have the same qualifications as a candidate for membership of the Secretariat (Section  2.3.1).  Election of officers follows the same process and time table established for the election of members of the Secretariat (Section  2.3.2) except that the Administration Committee shall earnestly attempt to nominate at least two candidates for each position by the date the proxy ballots must be mailed.  If two or more candidates can not be nominated for each position in the required time, the Committee will nominate at least one candidate for each open position.

An additional qualification shall apply to election of the president.  The president must have been previously elected and have served satisfactorily for at least one year on the Secretariat at the time of the election.

The Election Cycles will each be separated as follows:
1. President, Membership VP and Financial Secretary in one cycle
2. Executive VP and Treasurer in one cycle
3. Administration VP and Secretary in one cycle

In view of the fact that the positions of Treasurer and Financial Secretary require a specific skill set which is difficult to obtain and if the Administration Committee is unable to nominate a qualified candidate to fill either of the aforementioned positions, the President, with the approval of the Secretariat, shall appoint a qualified person for said position and the term limit restriction is waived.

2.4.2  Term of Office:

The term of each office is the three business years following the election.

An officer is considered having served a full term if he/she has served in that office for more than half a term.

Officers may not serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office.

2.4.3  President of the Secretariat:

The duties of the office include:

  • appoint members of standing committees with the approval of a simple majority of the Secretariat
  • form and dissolve special committees and appoint their chairpersons with the approval of the Secretariat
  • make a written report of all pertinent activities to each session of the Assembly
  • call all meetings of the Secretariat, giving at least 15 days notice to members
  • represent TRES DIAS in dealings with other national and international organizations
  • be the chief executive officer and president of the corporation
  • in the event of a tie vote of the Secretariat, the president may cast an additional vote to break the tie

2.4.4  Executive Vice President of the Secretariat:

The duties of the office include:

  • chair the executive committee (Section 2.7.3)
  • preside at Secretariat meetings in the absence of the president
  • in the event that the president becomes unable to serve, the executive vice president shall assume the function of the president until a new president can be elected (Section 2.4.1).

2.4.5  Administration Vice President of the Secretariat:

The duties of the office include:

  • chair the administration committee.

In addition, this officer is also the chairperson of the Assembly (Section 1.6.1).

2.4.6  Membership Vice President of the Secretariat:

The duties of the office include:

  • develop additional local Tres Dias communities

chair the membership committee.

 

2.4.7  Treasurer of the Secretariat:

The duties of the office include:

  • oversee all financial transactions of the Secretariat
  • propose the annual budget of the Secretariat to the Annual Assembly
  • receive bank statements (checking accounts) and reconcile the accounts
  • pay all bills after coordination with and approval of appropriate committee chairpersons
  • reimburse Secretariat related expenses of Secretariat members after approval of appropriate committee chairpersons
  • submit a written financial report to each session of the Assembly
  • submit a written financial report at each regular meeting of the Secretariat
  • review financial secretary’s books and present an overview report at each Secretariat meeting
  • perform a limited examination of the books of the Assembly prior to each session of the Assembly and submit a written report on that examination to that session of the Assembly.

2.4.8  Financial Secretary of the Secretariat:

The duties of the office include:

  • receive and deposit all monies received, such as assessment payments from the local secretariats, and payment for Tres Dias supplies, and communicate these payments to the appropriate committee chair
  • prepare and submit assessment letters to the local secretariats in accordance with the last assessment approved by the Assembly
  • receive bank statements, other than checking, and reconcile the accounts
  • have books available for treasurer’s review at each Secretariat meeting
  • assist treasurer in performing a limited examination of Assembly books and in preparing the report prior to each session of the Assembly
  • submit books to Executive Committee and/or outside agency for annual examination
  • submit a written financial report to each Annual Assembly
  • submit a written financial report at each regular meeting of the Secretariat.

2.4.9  Secretary of the Secretariat:

The duties of the office include:

  • record and distribute Secretariat meeting minutes
  • maintain rosters of:

o   Secretariat membership

o   local secretariat presidents and contact persons

  • correspondence secretary.

2.4.10  Removal of a Secretariat Member or Officer:

A Member or Officer of Secretariat may be removed from such position for cause, upon recommendation by the Secretariat and approval by the Assembly; such Assembly approval shall require a two-thirds majority vote and use of the Proxy voting method (see Section 1.8.1, “Type of Votes”, which expands further on the procedure).

A Member of Secretariat or an Officer automatically excludes himself/herself and is thereby removed from the position he/she holds on Secretariat after missing two consecutive meetings, unless there is intervention by Secretariat.  The Member or Officer shall be replaced only after a reasonable attempt is made to contact him/her in an effort to determine the reason for non-attendance.

 2.5  Meeting and Business Year:

Meetings of the Secretariat shall be held at least three times a year.  These meetings are open to:

  • members of committees during presentation and/or discussion of matters pertaining to that committee, however attendance or committee membership does not alter their voting status in the Secretariat
  • persons explicitly admitted by the president or a majority of the Secretariat.

The business year of the Secretariat starts on the day after the close of the Annual Assembly and ends on the last day of the next Annual Assembly.

 2.6  Quorum of the Secretariat:

The Secretariat may conduct any regular business if at least 50% of its total voting membership is present. However, if less than 50% of the total voting membership is present at any pre-scheduled meeting (which means a quorum is not present), of which the date and location was announced to and approved by the voting membership ninety days or more in advance and written notice of the meeting was given to officers and members at least fifteen (15) days in advance (Sec. 2.4.3), then the officers and members of Secretariat present at such meeting shall be authorized to conduct any necessary business which they, in their sole discretion, believe is important to conduct considering the on-going best interests and well-being of the organization.

2.7  Committees of the Secretariat:

The standing committees of the Secretariat are:

  • Policy
  • Communications
  • Executive
  • Administration
  • Membership

Chairpersons of the policy and communications committees are nominated by the president and approved by the Secretariat.  Officers of the Secretariat may not be chairpersons of committees, other than the executive, administration and membership committees.  The chairperson of the policy committee must have been active on a major policy setting committee in a local secretariat.

The end of the term of a chairperson coincides with the end of his/her term on the Secretariat, or with the end of the term of the president who appointed them, which ever comes first.

Members of the committees need not be members of the Secretariat, but must have completed a Tres Dias weekend.  They are recommended by the committee chairperson, appointed by the president, and approved by a simple majority of the Secretariat.  The term of a committee member coincides with the term of the committee chairperson.  They may be reappointed.  A committee member may be removed by the committee chairperson with the approval of the Secretariat.

All actions of committees and subcommittees are subject to the approval of the Secretariat.

To avoid conflict of interest, no officer, member of Tres Dias International or voting committee member may serve as an officer, board member, employee, or be in any other way affiliated with any 3rd party fund raising organization interacting in any way with Tres Dias Inc. or any of its affiliated communities.  This amendment will be effective with new terms beginning July 2001.

2.7.1  Policy Committee:

This committee handles all matters in the following major areas:

  • Pre-weekend
  • Weekend
  • Fourth Day
  • Essentials (Section  3.1)
  • proposes policy for the Tres Dias movement for consideration of the Secretariat and the Assembly.

This committee shall include an Advisory Board of Clergy as a subcommittee.

2.7.2  Communications Committee:

The duties of this committee are:

  • produce/distribute any newsletter or other periodical published by TRES DIAS
  • print/manufacture and distribute any items written or generated by any committee of TRES DIAS
  • set prices, sell and collect for the sale of items it produces
  • submit a monthly written report of its financial transactions to the treasurer of the Secretariat
  • maintain an archive of historically interesting and important data, which preserves the history of the Tres Dias movement and any Tres Dias unique material.
  • Oversight, maintenance and updates of the Tres Dias International website and social media/communications.

The committee may engage in sales of any item to local secretariats and in the sale of TRES DIAS unique items to any individual or group.

 2.7.3  Executive Committee:

This committee is chaired by the executive vice president.  It deals with all matters concerning:

  • legal planning
  • budget and financial planning
  • changes in the TRES DIAS organization
  • changes in the Constitution and By-Laws.

The committee assists the president, where requested, in his/her duties.

The treasurer, secretary and financial secretary of the Secretariat are members of this committee.

2.7.4  Administration Committee:

This committee is chaired by the administration vice president.  Its function is to:

  • make all arrangements for Assembly sessions and Secretariat meetings
  • propose to the Secretariat for approval a slate of nominees for officers and members of the Secretariat (Section 2.3.2 and 2.4.1)
  • propose to the Secretariat for later Assembly approval modifications or additions to the qualifications for delegates to the Assembly
  • propose to the Secretariat for later Assembly approval any additional qualifications for all officers in TRES DIAS
  • propose to the Secretariat for later Assembly approval the number used to compute the number of Assembly delegates a local secretariat is authorized.

 2.7.5  Membership Committee:

This committee is chaired by the membership vice president.  Its function is to:

  • charter local secretariats (Section  3.2)
  • develop additional local Tres Dias communities
  • support Pescadores in geographic areas not covered by a local secretariat
  • propose to the Secretariat for later Assembly approval additions or modifications to the qualification for chartering or rechartering of a local secretariat (Section  3.2).

3.0  Essentials of the TRES DIAS Movement and Chartering:

3.1  Essentials of the TRES DIAS Movement:

The Essentials are an enumeration of the requirements which assure continued adherence to the purpose and tradition of the Tres Dias movement.

The Essentials are a fundamental part of TRES DIAS.  They are defined, interpreted and changes proposed by the policy committee of the Secretariat.  Any changes in the Essentials must be proposed through the policy committee.  See Section  1.2 for approval process.

3.2  Chartering of Local Secretariats:

The criteria for chartering are:

  • adherence to the Essentials (Section  3.1) and any additional requirements proposed by the membership committee and approved by the International Secretariat and the Assembly;
  • must have held within two years prior to the initial chartering and at least once every three years after initial chartering an Essentials Training conducted by a person who is currently a Trainer Certified by the Membership Committee;
  • submission of Annual Survey and other important statistical data as proposed by the membership committee and approved by the International Secretariat and the Assembly;
  • satisfaction of all financial obligations toward TRES DIAS unless specifically waived by the International Secretariat;
  • inclusion in either the local secretariat’s constitution OR its by-laws, the TRES DIAS Statement of Belief (points one through nine as quoted in the Constitution of Tres Dias 2.0 and the “Note” (see below)

Note:  For purposes of standards and principles, Tres Dias ascribes to those stated in the “Authorized King James Version of the Bible of 1611 (KJV).

Immediately following, add:

Tres Dias Statement of Belief, as adopted by (insert local Community’s name, e.g: Tres Dias of New Hampshire).

  • inclusion in the local community’s by-laws the Qualification for Community Leadership (this includes, but is not limited to, team members, elected and other local secretariat officers, and members of standing and special committees of the local secretariat):

o   Any person serving in a Community Leadership position must be living a life that is not in a state of rebellion against God.  A state of rebellion against God can best be described as an unrepentant, open and active participation in or advocacy of activities contrary to the commands (for example, “The TEN COMMANDMENTS”) and guidelines in *Scripture for holy living and Christian leadership.  Some examples (although not limited to these areas) are:

  1. dependence upon alcohol or illegal drugs;
  2. involvement in illegal activities whereby such involvement knowingly violates federal, state or local laws, statutes or ordinances;
  3. involvement in lustful, immoral or perverted activities such as, but not limited to, pornography and/or any sexual relationship outside of a lawful marriage between a man and a woman;
  4. involvement in the occult or Satanic worship;
  5. openly professed allegiance to any non-Christian religion or organization which denies the deity of Jesus Christ.

*  NOTE:  For purposes of standards and principles, Tres Dias ascribes to those stated in the “Authorized King James Version” of the Bible of 1611 (KJV).

The membership committee shall charter local secretariats.  Their decision may be appealed by the local secretariat, in which case the International Secretariat will consider the case.  The decision of the International Secretariat will be final.