Welcome! The Women’s Cabinet of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is delighted to offer this page of information to all who are interested in our programs. Please contact us at ecw@fwepiscopal.org if you would like further information, and look for upcoming news and information updates on this page as the year proceeds.

– Barbara Mills, President

Lenten Quiet Day • Saturday, March 24, 2012

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The Episcopal Church Women’s Prayer

Almighty God, we pray that you will bless our work in mission and ministry in the world.  Help us to pray fervently, labor diligently and give liberally to make known the power of your love given through your son Jesus.  Let us not forget the lessons from the past nor fear the challenges of the future.  Anoint us with your grace and shine in our hearts as we reflect your light throughout the world.  Amen.

Women’s Cabinet Members,
Parish Contacts, AG Board and DOK Board:

Download the 2009 ECW Directory (PDF)
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WOMEN’S CABINET
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
By-Laws

ARTICLE I – Name

The name of this group shall be THE WOMEN’S CABINET OF THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF FORT WORTH, and shall hereinafter be referred to as THE CABINET.

ARTICLE II – Purpose

To widen the scope of Christian activity among Churchwomen in the Diocese by coordinating the planning and by promoting Diocesan and Deanery activities and endeavors.

To work with the Bishop and support his activities and objectives.

To be a communication link between missions and parishes, the Deaneries and the Diocese.

To support the United Thank Offering, the Church Periodical Club, and the Bishop Davies Book of Remembrance.

To maintain membership and active involvement at the Provincial and National Church levels, as appropriate.

ARTICLE III – Membership

Section 1.  Membership shall consist of a President, a President-Elect, Member-at-Large, the Chairman (or her representative) of the United Thank Offering, the Church Periodical Club, the Diocesan Altar Guild, the Diocesan Daughters of the King, the Bishop Davies Book of Remembrance, the Historian, and two representatives from each of the Deaneries of the Diocese of Fort Worth.

Section 2.  Ex-officio members include elected delegates and alternate delegates to the Episcopal Church Women’s Provincial and Triennial Meetings.

Section 3.  Voting members of the Cabinet shall be the women designated in ARTICLE III, Section 1.

ARTICLE IV – Method of Selection of Members

Section 1.  The members designated in ARTICLE III, Section 1 are appointed by the Bishop, with recommendation from the Cabinet.

Section 2.  The Ex-Officio members designated in ARTICLE III, Section 2 are elected by the Episcopal Church Women membership attending the annual Diocesan Church Women’s Congress in the year prior to the Provincial Meeting.

ARTICLE V – Structure of the Cabinet and Length of Terms of Members

Section 1.   Officers of the Cabinet shall consist of a President, President-Elect, and Secretary.

A. The President-Elect of the Cabinet is elected by the voting membership of the Cabinet at the May meeting of the Cabinet in the year of the Triennial meeting and will begin a one-year term on January 1 of the following year. She will then serve a three-year term as President of the Cabinet, beginning in the year of the Provincial meeting. To be President-Elect, a member must be a current member of the Cabinet and must have served on the Cabinet a minimum of two years.

B. The Secretary of the Cabinet is elected annually in January by the voting membership.

C. The Member-at-Large shall be the immediate past President of the Cabinet who will begin a 2-year term on January 1st following her term as President.

Section 2.  The Chairmen of the United Thank Offering, the Church Periodical Club, the Bishop Davies Book of Remembrance, the Diocesan Altar Guild, and the Historian serve until their successors are appointed by the Bishop.

Section 3.  Deanery Representatives on the Cabinet serve a term of two years and may be reappointed by the Bishop for one additional term of two years.  Filling an unexpired term of less than one year shall not be considered a term with respect to term limits.

Section 4.  Deanery Representatives from each Deanery are selected in alternate years.  Expiration of term shall be designated in the yearbook.  Vacancies shall be filled only to the end of that term of service, with eligibility for reappointment determined by provisions of Section 3 above.

Section 5.  A Cabinet member may be removed from her position by the Bishop, after a consultation with the Cabinet, in case of nonperformance of duties or actions contrary to the purpose of the organization.  A member may tender her resignation at any time.

ARTICLE VI – Duties of Members

Section 1.  The President shall preside at all meetings of the Cabinet.  In addition,

A. The president is the overall coordinator of the programs, activities and events sponsored by the Cabinet and may appoint such committees as she deems necessary.

B. The president is responsible for the planning and submitting of the budget to the Diocesan Budget Committee.  The Cabinet will assist her in the planning of activities for each coming year in order to formulate the budget.

C. The President will appoint in March of electing years a committee of Cabinet members to nominate the President-Elect.  In the event of a vacancy in the Presidency, with no President-Elect in office, a nominating committee shall be appointed by the Bishop.

D. It will be the duty of the President to submit to the Bishop nominees from each Deanery for appointment to be Deanery Representatives.

E. The President serves as the official communications link between the Women of the Diocese and Province and National Church.  She (or her appointed alternate) is a delegate to the ECW Provincial Meeting and the ECW Triennial Meeting during her term of office.

Section 2.  The President-Elect assumes the duties of the President in the event of her absence.  She works closely with the President in the planning and execution of all Cabinet functions.  She serves as the President’s alternate to the ECW Triennial Meeting during her term of office.

Section 3.  The Member-at-Large serves as an advisor to the Cabinet and serves as President of the Cabinet in the absence of the President.

Section 4.  The Secretary records the minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet and maintains a permanent file of the minutes.  She distributes a copy of the minutes to the membership as soon as possible, but no later that one mother, after each meeting.  The Secretary shall be responsible for the timely notification, in writing, of all members of the Cabinet of the time and location of each Cabinet meeting.

ARTICLE VII – Meetings

Section 1.  The Cabinet shall meet on the second Wednesday of January, March, May, September and November.  Additional meetings may be called as the need arises.  Members shall be notified in advance, in writing, of the time and location of each meeting.

Section 2.  A quorum shall consist of six (6) voting members.

Section 3.  Robert’s Rules of Order (revised) shall govern this body in all its proceedings, should any questions arise.

ARTICLE VIII – Programs and Activities of the Cabinet

Section 1.  The WOMEN’S CONGRESS:   The annual fall gathering of the Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese shall be called The Women’s Congress.

A. Hosting of the Congress will be rotated among the churches large enough to accommodate the group.  Invitation to host the Congress shall be presented by inviting parishes and voted on at the Congress.

B. It is recommended that presentation of the Fall UTO Ingathering be held during the Congress.

C. ELECTIONS AND VOTING.  Two delegates and four alternates to represent the Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Fort Worth at both the Provincial meeting and the Triennial meeting shall be elected from nominations submitted in writing no later than two weeks prior to the Women’s Congress.  Such nominations will contain a resume of the nominee’s experience and the endorsement/acknowledgment of her rector.

1. Delegates shall be elected by majority vote of the members present at the Congress.  In the event no majority vote is attained on the first or subsequent ballot, the nominee who received the fewest votes shall be removed from each ballot until a majority vote is received for each delegate.

2. Delegates elected shall not be members of the same parish or mission.

3. The four alternates shall be elected on a separate ballot by plurality vote and shall be ranked as alternates based on the number of votes received.

4. Each parish or mission represented at the Women’s Congress shall be entitled to no more number of votes than allowed at the Diocesan Convention.

Section 2.  DIOCESAN ACTIVITIES.  The Cabinet will plan and coordinate occasional Quiet Days, Retreats and any other activities sponsored by the Diocesan ECW.

Section 3.  THE ECW PROVINCIAL MEETING of delegates and alternates from the Diocese of Province VII (The Province of the Southwest) is held triennially in the year preceding the Triennial Meeting and the General Convention.  The President of the Cabinet, or her appointed alternate, and two delegates, elected as provided in Article VIII, Section 1-C will represent the Women of the Diocese.

Section 4.  THE WOMEN’S TRIENNIAL MEETING is the national meeting of the Women of the Episcopal Church, held every three years at the same time and place as the General Convention of the Episcopal Church. In addition to the President of the Cabinet and the UTO Chairman, or their appointed alternates, two delegates shall be elected as provided in Article VIII, Section 1-C above to represent the Women of the Diocese.

ARTICLE IX – Fiscal Year

The Cabinet’s fiscal year shall run from January 1 through December 31.

ARTICLE X – Amendments

Amendments to these by-laws may be approved at any general meeting of the Cabinet by a majority vote of those present, provided written notice of the subject matter has been distributed to the membership prior to the meeting.

ARTICLE XI – Funding

Funding for Diocesan Women’s Work, i.e., work of the Women’s Cabinet, is provided by the operating budget of the Diocese of Fort Worth, under Department of Diocesan Ministries.  The annual budget of the Women’s Cabinet will be the guideline for the distribution of funds.

Formulated – Jun 1984    Revised – Oct 1992        Revised – Nov 1994
Revised – Mar 1997              Revised – Sep 2004