By Laws - Muslim Community Center East Bay

Muslim Community Center East Bay

Constitution

Table of Contents

Article I Name

Article II Nature & Affiliation

Article III Charter

Article IV Goals

Article V Membership

Article VI Board of Trustees

Article V11 Board of Directors

Article V111 Management of MCC

Article 1X Amendment of Bylaws

Article X Restrictions of Board Of Directors and Board Of Trustees

Article X1 Major Assets and Liabilities

Article X11 Committees

Article X111 Finances

Appendix A Bylaws decision making process & Committee reporting relationship

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Change History

Num Date Version Changes By

1. Jan 30, 2011 1.0 First release of the document BOT
2 Feb 11, 2011 1.1 Post Town Hall Meeting. BOT terms, min age for pq
BOD
3 March 14, 2011 1.2 Election commission suggested changes pq
4 Sep 25, 2013 1.3 Combined Dublin & Livermore Service Areas Sk/pq

5 November 9th 2.1 Voting membership, religious committee etc Pq/Sk

2014

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 By Laws - Muslim Community Center East Bay

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Article I Name
1. The official name of the organization shall be Muslim Community Center of East Bay, or MCC East Bay
hereafter referred to as MCC.

2. The principal office of the organization shall be at 5724 W. Las Positas Blvd, Suite 300, Pleasanton, CA
94588. The Board of Trustees may change the principal office from one location to another and amend this
Article accordingly. The Board of Trustees may at any time establish a branch or subordinate office at any
places where the organization is qualified to conduct its affairs.
Article II Nature & Affiliation
The MCC was formed and operates upon the articles, conditions and provisions relative to non-stock, not-for-
profit, religious, non-political organization that are contained in the general laws of the State of California and in
accordance with U.S. laws and shall be organized and operated exclusively for religious, educational, community
and charitable purposes within the meaning of sections 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Article III Charter

1. To acquire, maintain and operate one or more facilities for place of worship, community services, Sunday
school, youth activities and other activities mentioned herein.

2. To receive, hold, invest (free of interest bearing instruments), and disburse monies and properties or the
income thereof, which may be vested in or entrusted to the care of the MCC whether by donations, gifts,
grants, bequest, device, or otherwise for the furtherance of the goals of MCC.

Article IV Goals
1. To provide religious services & education for Muslims to practice Islam as a complete way of life.
2. To provide community services that include but are not limited to educational, professional, charitable,
social, recreational and civic activities for the Muslim community in the Tri-Valley area in the best traditions
of Islam, with a special emphasis on meeting the needs of youth and seniors.
3. To act as a regional center and a guiding light for Muslims in the Tri-Valley area and establish mutually
beneficial relationships with other Muslim organizations, both locally and nationally
4. To promote friendly relations and understanding between Muslims and people of other faiths via
community and organization interactions.
5. To provide for the full and unrestricted participation of all members of the MCC community, men, women,
youth, children, in all activities of MCC and its services with a special emphasis on youth and seniors as
follows: To proactively groom and prepare the youth to become successful leaders and contributing
members of the American society and to assist the senior members of the community and provide an
environment that would assist them with problems related to aging in the American society.

6. To operate in a manner whereby 100% of MCCs operating expenses are generated via a viable business
model.

7. To create an endowment to be used primarily for the betterment of the MCC members or other Muslim
community or non-Muslim communities in the Tri Valley area.

8. To conduct all activities of MCC in an environmentally friendly way, pursue minimization of waste of any
kind, implement technologies to use energy efficiently and promote environmental knowledge and
awareness.
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9. All of these activities are to be carried out as legal and lawful activities in accordance with the applicable city,
county, state, federal and Islamic laws.

Article V Scope and Authority of Addendum

The founding period is defined as the time from the approval of the 501 c (3) application, namely December,
2007 through the election of the first Board of Directors of MCC. Because of the uniqueness of timings,
procedures and processes to be followed during this period leading up to the first election, it was deemed
necessary to list these separately from the main body of this document as an addendum to this document. The
scope of this addendum is limited to the founding period of MCC. After the founding period, MCC shall be
organized and shall adhere to the procedures and processes described in the main body of this document.

Article VI Membership
1. Classes of Membership
MCC shall have voting members, and the Board of Trustees may, by resolution, establish one or more classes of
non-voting members, including but not limited to youth and honorary memberships.

2. Definition of a Service Area

For the purposes of the governance of the MCC, the three tri-valley Service Areas of MCC are defined to be (a)
Pleasanton, Castro Valley (b) Dublin, Livermore, and (c) San Ramon/Danville/Alamo. A service area is defined
as the home address of the person on the 1st of October of the year.

3. Eligibility
Membership shall be available to Muslims of all schools of thought, and others as described herein, regardless of
their gender, race, color, ethnicity, country of origin, socio-economic or financial standing. A Muslim is defined
as one who testifies to the Oneness of Allah (God) and that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) is
the last and final messenger of Allah, and believes in the books of Allah, the messengers, the angels, the day of
judgment and the Devine decree.
a. The MCC has been established primarily for the Muslims of the Tri-Valley area. For purposes of this
document, the cities included in the tri-valley are: Alamo, Castro Valley, Danville, Dublin, Livermore,
Pleasanton, San Ramon. The Board of Trustees, reserves the right to expand the cities included in the Tri-
Valley.
b. All members must be a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident or have a valid visa.
c. No person shall become a member until he or she has submitted a membership application to the
Governance Committee, and the Governance Committee, in its sole discretion has approved the
application.
4. Categories
MCC shall have at least the following categories of membership:
a. Regular Membership
A person may become a regular member with full rights , without voting privileges, provided that
he/she:
i. Is a Muslim or is a spouse of a Muslim
ii. Is at least 18 years of age
iii. Adheres to the bylaws of MCC as herein
iv. Has paid all appropriate dues
b. Voting Membership
i. Includes regular members who live in the Tri Valley Service area as defined above
c. Children of members (under age 18) automatically become members, though without voting privileges
5. Revocation

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Membership privileges of any individual may be recommended for revocation by the Board of Directors or the
Governance Committee for any one of the following reasons:
a. Non-compliance with the bylaws of the MCC
b. Conduct detrimental to the well-being of one or more members of MCC, or activities contrary to the
smooth and harmonious operation of the MCC
c. Conduct un-becoming of a Muslim.
d. Accusation or conviction of a felony, misdemeanor or other such crimes (excluding traffic violations).
The Governance Committee shall have the full and complete authority to investigate a recommendation for
revocation of membership, in any manner that it sees fit, which may or may not include, in its judgment, the
right of the member under consideration to present his or her position to the Committee. A member has the
right to appeal the decision of the Governance Committee to the Board of Trustees. The decision of the Board
of Trustees shall be final.
6. Terms & Dues
a. All members of the MCC shall be required to pay a membership fee. This fee shall be established by the
Board of Directors. Privileges for members shall be contingent upon the membership dues being
current and Tri Valley service area residency requirements in the case of voting members However,
membership of the MCC shall not be a prerequisite for participation in prayer services. Membership and
Tri Valley residency shall, however, be required for holding an office in the center or for voting in the
general elections and attending all meetings of the center or other specified activities as approved by the
Board of Directors.

b. Fees are as follows: Fees are a minimum of $50/month per household (the board of directors may
change this fee from time to time). Household members include:
- Head of household and spouse
- Seniors living within the household; i.e. at the same address
- Students over 18, living within the household at the same address

c. Fees may be waived for families facing economic difficulties, subject to application and approval by the
Governance Committee.
7. Reinstatement
a. Membership may be re- instated by paying all outstanding dues
b. If membership has been revoked for reasons other than non-payment; reinstatement requires approval
of the Governance Committee and majority vote of the Board Of Trustees
8. Rights of Members
Members shall have only those specific rights set forth in these Bylaws and no other rights.

Article VII Board of Trustees

1. Membership
The Board of Trustees shall consist of an odd number but no more than nine members and a minimum of seven
members, representing the three tri-valley communities within the service area. Two of these positions shall
include at large Board of Trustees positions. There shall be at least 2 but no more than 4 members from each
service area. If a member of the board moves his or her residence within the greater tri-valley, the residency of
the member considered shall be that at the time of the initial appointment. All members of the Board of
Trustees must meet eligibility requirements set forth herein.

2. Restrictions
a. Spouses shall not simultaneously serve on the Board of Trustees and on the Board of Directors, nor shall
one spouse serve on the Board of Trustees while the other spouse serves on the Board of Directors or vice
versa.

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b. No member of the Board of Trustees shall be a member of the Board of Directors or vice versa,
simultaneously. However, a member of the Board of Trustees can serve as a member or a chairperson of a
committee.
c. Board of Trustees may not serve as Board of Trustees or Board of Directors of another Masjid/Islamic
Center or Islamic Community center.
d. No more than one household member or immediate family member may serve on the Board of Trustees at
one time, and no more than a second member of that household may also serve on the Board of Directors
at the same time. This restriction is further constrained by the spousal restriction noted above.

A member of the Board of Trustees must be a general member in good standing, at least 35 years of age, and a
member of the MCC for at least 5 years, or a founder of MCC and must abide by the By Laws of the MCC.
She/he must be legal resident or a citizen of the United States of America with their primary address in the Tri
Valley. The first Board of Trustees shall be nominated by the founders of MCC and may consist of: (a) Founders
of MCC (b) Muslim scholars or (c) Prominent and respected members of the Muslim community who have
demonstrated service for the community.

3. Duration
The initial term (post founding period) of a trustee shall be staggered and specified as a period of five, six, or
seven years. years. Trustee positions 1 and 2 (at large trustee positions) and positions 3 & 4 are for five year term.
Trustee position 5, 6 & 7 are for a six year term and remainder of the trustee positions are for a seven year term.
Subsequent terms for all trustees are five years. Trustees may be reappointed for no more than two consecutive
terms. See MCC Founding Period Addendum for further details.

4. Appointment to the Board of Trustees

a. Upon a vacancy or vacancies, the Board of Trustees shall within 60 days appoint one (1) or more
members to fill the vacancy(s) on the Board of Trustees.
b. The outgoing member shall not vote on the appointment.
c. Two at large trustee positions will be open for the Board of Directors to nominate member names for
such positions and shall adhere to the Service Area requirements. These positions shall be limited to
single term of five years. Upon a vacancy based on term expiration or resignation, the Board of
Directors will nominate, within 90 days, another name for at-large Trustee positions.
d. All appointments of a new or re-appointed member shall be approved by a two-third majority of the
Board of Trustees or 5 of 7; 6 of 8; or 6 of 9 majority.
e. A Board of Trustees terms begins on the 2nd Saturday of September or upon a vacancy.
f. One member of the Board of Trustees shall be designated by majority vote of the Board of Trustees as a
Chairperson.

5. Removal from the Board of Trustees

a. The Board of Trustees may remove one of its members from his/her position as a member of the Board, if
he/she fails to attend four consecutive duly scheduled meetings of the Board without any excuse and prior
notice to the Board. Should the number of consecutive absences be six, even with an excuse and written
notice to the board, the board shall explicitly vote on continuation or dismissal of that board member, by a
two thirds majority vote.

b. A member of the Board of Trustees may also be removed from his/her position with or without cause.
The Board of Trustees decision has to be unanimous, the exiting Board of Trustees member may not vote.

6. Board of Trustees Responsibilities

a. Set the vision and strategic goals for MCC.
b. Be responsible for compliance & interpretation of any ambiguity and/ or conflict in any of the bylaws
and for any changes to the bylaws.

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c. Hold and manage all property of the MCC in separate Waqf (irrevocable trust) for the community. The
Board Of Trustees shall ensure that the title to the MCC real estate and other assets shall at all times be
kept in name of the MCC Waqf
d. Be responsible for all tax, insurance, legal and regulatory matters
e. Act in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors to ensure that the vision and mission of the MCC
are met and remain in accordance with Islamic principles and goals as described herein and to resolve
issues referred to it by the Board of Directors. Such resolutions shall be binding. The Board of Trustees
shall not involve itself in day-to-day affairs of the MCC & the functioning of the Board of Directors.
f. Construction, major renovation fundraising and management of funds related to such activities.
g. Creation, management and distribution of the endowment account.
h. The Board of Trustees shall be responsible for appointments of religious personnel. They will also be
responsible for maintaining a list of Islamic Scholars, who are accepted and well known to the Muslim
community in North America, and whose opinion on religious matters will be sought from time to time
and on an as-needed basis. The Board of Trustees will have final decision authority on religious matters
after consulting with the community, Board of Directors and Islamic scholars.
i. The Board of Trustees shall elect one of its members to be the Chairperson. The Chairperson shall be
responsible for breaking a tie vote in the case of having an even number of Board of Trustees members.
j. Notwithstanding Section 9210 of the California Nonprofit Religious Corporation law, the Board of
Trustees, and not the Board of Directors, shall have the authority over any matter not specifically
delegated to the Board of Directors or to a committee, and in the event of any ambiguity or conflict
over rights and authorities, the Board of Trustees shall resolve such conflict in its sole discretion.
k. All paid full time or part time employee positions must be approved by the Board of Trustees. However,
the actual hiring shall be done by the Board of Directors.

7. Procedures
a. All decisions shall be made generally by a majority vote. Certain decisions that require a two-third majority
vote are duly noted in this document. While proxy votes are not allowed votes via electronic or telephonic
means are allowed.

8. Remuneration, Compensation, and Wages

No member of the Board of Trustees shall receive any compensation for the position they hold as a member of
the Board of Trustees of the MCC. No part of the net earnings of the MCC shall insure to the benefit of, or be
distributable to the members, Trustees, Officers, other private individuals, or organizations operating for profit
(except that the MCC shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for or make
payments and distribution in furtherance of the purposes as herein above stated). Neither can a member of the
Board bid on contracts, nor perform services for compensation for the MCC, unless through a competitive
process.

Article VIII Board of Directors

1. Structure
The MCC shall have a Board of Directors for managing its day-to-day affairs. It shall consist of an odd number
of seven or nine members designated as follows: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and three or five
members at large.
a. The Board of Directors shall be elected from the three tri-valley Service Areas, consisting of at least 2
members from each service area, but not more than four; and not more than three if consisting of seven
members. . If a member of the board moves his or her residence within the greater tri-valley, the
residency of the member considered shall be that at the time of the initial appointment.
b. The Board of Directors may act in the name of MCC only when it has been properly convened, in
accordance with these By Laws.
c. Meetings
i. Schedule
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The Board shall meet regularly, at least once a month, for discussions and consultations
regarding the operations of MCC.. Additional meetings of the Board may be called by the
President either at his/her initiative or upon request by three members of the Board, or a
minimum of 25% of the voting members of the community or 50 voting members, whichever
is larger.
ii. Convention
Except for emergencies, all meetings of the Board shall be announced and posted on a notice
board, or electronically at least three days prior. All meetings of the Board shall have an open
session where the voting members of MCC may attend as observers. Board decisions will be
held in closed sessions.
iii. Quorum
Seven out of the nine members or five of seven members of the Board shall constitute a
quorum for a meeting.
iv. Voting
Each director shall have one vote and it shall not be cast by means of a proxy. All decisions of
the Board of Directors shall be by a simple majority vote of the directors present at the
meeting, except as otherwise noted. In case of an even number of Board of Directors and a tie
in voting, the President shall have the power of casting an additional tie-breaking vote.
v. Minutes
Minutes of the meetings shall be distributed to all board members within 3 business days and
published for the information of the members of MCC within five business days.
vi. The Board of Directors and Board of Trustees will meet at least once per quarter to provide
each other updates.
d. The Board of Directors shall nominate members for the two at large Board of Trustee positions.
e. The Board of Directors may make such additional rules and regulations regarding its meetings as it may
deem necessary, provided they are in conformity with these By Laws.

2. Election of the Board of Directors

a. Election
The members of the Board of Directors shall be elected by the voting members of the MCC on the second
Saturday of October. The election date may be changed by the Election Commission within reasonable time to
accommodate logistics in scheduling. The term for the elected Board of Directors shall begin on the second
Saturday of November or 30 days after the election. Board members are elected by whoever has the largest
number of votes for a position, subject to regional service area slot requirements.

b. Term Duration
The duration of the office of the members of the Board of Directors shall be two years with certain members of
the Board to be elected in the odd numbered years and the other half in the even numbered years as per the
schedule below.
1. Odd Numbered Years
i. President
ii. Secretary
iii. Members at large # 1 and #3
2. Even Numbered Years
i. Vice President
ii. Treasurer
iii. Members at large #2 , #4 and #5

c. Terms
Members of the Board of Directors shall not serve more than two consecutive terms, with the exception that
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members at large may run for a designated office (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) for one
additional term. Each term shall be for two years for each position. For the first election, the term for the Vice
President, Treasurer and Members at large # 2,4,& 5 will be three years.

d. Eligibility
In order for a person to be nominated and elected as a member of the Board, he/she must be at least 21
years old, a U.S. citizen or U.S. legal permanent resident and have been a member, in continuous good
standing of the MCC on the 1st of October of the year in which the election is to be held and has been a
resident of the Tri valley for two years and paid member of minimum dues (as determined by the BOD)
of MCC for at least one year. If a member of the board moves his or her residence within the tri-valley,
the residency of the member considered shall be that at the time of the initial appointment
Restrictions:
i. Spouses shall not simultaneously serve on the Board of Trustees or on the Board of Directors, nor shall
one spouse serve on the Board of Trustees while the other one serves on the Board of Directors or vice
versa.
ii. No current member of the Board of Trustees shall be a member of the Board of Directors or vice
versa,. However, a member of the Board of Directors can serve as a member or a chairperson of a
committee.
iii. Board of Trustees may not serve as Board of Trustees or Board of Directors of another Masjid/Islamic
Center or an Islamic Community Center.
iv. No more than one household member or immediate family member may serve on the Board of
Director at one time, and no more than a second member of that household may also serve on the
Board of Trustees at the same time. This restriction is further constrained by the spousal restriction
noted above.

3. Removal from the Board of Directors

a. The Board of Directors may remove one of its members from his/her position as a member of the Board, if
he/she fails to attend four consecutive duly scheduled monthly meetings of the Board without any excuse
and prior notice to the Board. Should the number of consecutive absences be six even with an excuse and
written notice to the board, the board shall explicitly vote on continuation or dismissal of that board
member, by a two thirds majority vote.
b. A member of the Board of Directors may also be removed from his/her position for reasons of conduct
unbecoming of a Muslim. The Board of Trustees shall initiate the removal process and shall seek the
guidance of the religious scholars before taking the action. The Board of Trustees decision has to be
unanimous and is final
c. The Board of Directors may remove one of its members from his/her position as a member of the Board
w/o cause by unanimous vote of the remaining Board of Directors. The intent of the unanimous vote is to
make sure all other remedies have been exhausted.

4. Duties of the Directors

Duties and responsibilities of the members of the Board shall be as follows:

a. President
The President shall be responsible for day-to-day activities in the center as defined below. She/he shall:
Preside over the meetings of the Board of Directors
Present reports about the centers work at the general body meeting
Co-sign with the Treasurer all the checks and drafts of over $5K
Institute various statutory and non-statutory committees of the center

b. Vice-President

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The Vice-President shall assist the President in managing the day-to-day affairs of the center. Specifically,
he/she shall:
Preside over the meetings of the Board of Directors in the absence of the President.
Assume all other responsibilities of the President in his/her absence.

c. Secretary
The Secretary shall be the official custodian of all operational records of the center. Specifically, he/she
shall:
Record and maintain the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors.
Ensure that all operational books, reports and certificates, as required by the law, are properly kept and
filed.
Be responsible for mailing all notices of the meetings and other activities in the center.
Be responsible for co-signing with the President all operational documents for the center.
Maintain updated records of all members, their current mailing and email addresses and their telephone
numbers.
d. Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be the official custodian of the operational finances and accounts of the center.
Specifically his/her duties shall include:
Preparation of the annual budget and the annual financial report of the center including school and
other budgets, except those described herein.
Receipt and custody of all monies and securities belonging to the center.
Collection of membership dues and maintenance of updated financial records.
Maintaining of centers operating bank accounts. Co-signing with the President all the operations checks
and drafts of the center, as appropriate.
Preparation of quarterly written financial statements of the center and their release to the members of
MCC. These shall be audited by a CPA.
Accounts related to construction, endowment accounts, Karze hasana and Murabaha will be maintained
by the Board of Trustees.

The treasurer shall designate an assistant Treasurer who will have full access to all operational finances and
accounts.

Article IX Management of the Operations of MCC.

1. General Body
All members in good standing shall constitute the General Body of the MCC.

2. Annual Meetings
a. The annual General Body meetings shall be held yearly, in an election year they shall be held at least 4
weeks prior to elections.
b. General Body meetings shall be called by the Secretary and presided by the President.
c. Members shall be informed about the time and place of a meeting at least 2 weeks prior to the meeting.
d. If Quorum is not met at any meeting then the Secretary of the MCC shall determine the time and date
between 14 21 days later and notify active members. If Quorum is not met at the re-scheduled
meeting, the meeting shall be re-scheduled until quorum is met. Quorum is defined as 25% (one-
quarter) of the General Body.

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e. The following items shall be discussed and presented to the General Body at the annual
meeting by the MCC Board of Directors:
Minutes of the last annual meeting
Annual reports by the President, describing previous years accomplishments, current status, future
plans, next years budget and other matters deemed necessary
The Treasures report
Reports on standing committees
Question and answer session
Any other business with prior approval by a simple majority of the Board Of Trustees.

3. Special Meetings
a. A simple majority of the Board of Trustees or the Board of Directors, or 50% of the General Body can
request the board for a special meeting. Such a meeting will be held within four weeks of such a notice
b. A petition shall have to be prepared and delivered to the Secretary stating the purpose for such a
meeting
c. Members shall be informed about the time and place of the meeting at least 2 weeks prior to the
meeting
d. The President shall chair the meeting and at least four additional members of the Board of Directors
have to be present for a quorum.
e. If Quorum is not met, no other meeting is required to be scheduled.

4. Election Commission
a. The annual election of the Board of Directors shall be conducted by a 3 member Election Commission.
Members of the commission must be members of MCC or Muslims of the greater TriValley Community
in good standing and shall be chosen by the Board of Trustees at least 60 days prior to the election.. A
member of the election commission may not be nominated for any position on the Board of Directors.
Similarly, a member of the sitting Board of Directors or Trustees may not serve on the Election
Commission without first resigning from his/her position on the Board.
b. The election commission may develop additional procedures, not outlined in these bylaws, but not in
conflict with the bylaws. The procedures must be made public to MCC voting members.
c. In matters of procedures and any disputes related to the elections, the decision of the Election
Commission shall be final and binding on all concerned, provided they are in conformity with these By
Laws.

5. Election Procedures
a. The Election Commission shall be responsible for holding fair and impartial elections in a timely manner.
To this end, the commission shall send a notice of the annual elections, clearly specifying the time table for
holding the elections, at least six weeks prior to the date of the elections.
b. The commission shall solicit written nominations from the voting members of MCC on official MCC
nomination forms. These forms shall be sent to the members of MCC along with the election notice. The
commission shall take appropriate steps to encourage qualified members of MCC to volunteer for service on
the Board.
c. All nominations shall be proposed by at least one voting member of MCC and agreed to by the nominee in
writing. A person can only be nominated for one position.
d. The role of the election commission shall be supervisory and impartial. It shall not recommend anyone from
amongst the qualified and valid nominees for any position on the Board.
e. Names of all the qualified candidates for each position on the Board of Directors shall be sent by mail/email
to all the members of MCC at least four weeks before the Election Day.

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f. Candidates shall be allowed to withdraw their names from consideration for election at any time before the
election.
g. Candidates shall be provided an opportunity to address and or /communicate with members of MCC before
the elections in a manner defined by the election committee.
h. No nominations may be entertained from the floor on the Election Day, until and unless there are no
candidates for one or more positions. Nominations may then be opened only for those specific positions for
which no candidates exist. The nominated person must be present and agree to be nominated, and at least
two MCC need to support the nomination. The nominated person from the floor can include someone who
was nominated but not elected for another position.
i. Each member on or before Election Day may vote, by secret ballot, for one candidate for each director
position that is up for election. No member may vote by proxy.
j. Paper copies of ballots shall be kept by the elections commission for 60 days post-election.
k. Results of the election of who won shall be formally announced on the floor as soon as the counting of the
ballots by the election commission is complete. The election commission shall take into account service area
requirements when judging the results.
l. 5B. Election Timeline
a. Elections to be held every year in the 2nd week of October for those positions that are open.
b. New members are effective in their role on the 2nd Saturday of November
c. Election committee to be set-up 60 days prior to elections
d. Election timetable send to member 6 weeks before election.
e. Qualified candidate list of those seeking election sent to members four weeks before election.
f. Election committee sets meeting of candidates and members of MCC
g. List of qualified members eligible to vote provided to election committee by the BOD one week prior to
the election date.
h. The election committee can reasonably change the timetable for logistics reasons.

6. Vacancy
In case of a vacancy arising in the office of the President, the Vice President shall automatically fill that
vacancy until the next elections. The vacant position of a Vice President shall be filled by an appointment by
the Board of Directors from the existing board members. In case of a vacancy arising in any other position
on the Board, for any reason, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to appoint a voting member of
MCC to that position until the next elections. Such an appointment shall not disqualify the appointee from
contesting for a position on the Board in the immediately following elections.

7. Handling of Charge
The new members of the Board of Directors shall take charge of their positions within four weeks of the
formal announcement of the results of the elections. The formal succession and handing over of the charge
of the Board of Directors shall include operational matters including the following:
a. Membership and mailing lists
b. Records of the meetings of the Board of Directors
c. Records of correspondence
d. Account ledgers, check books and bank records for operations
e. An inventory of the assets of the association.
f. All operating assets as recorded in the inventory
g. All other relevant material

Article X Amendments to the By Laws

The By Laws may be amended by the Board of Trustees only, by a two-third majority vote of the Board of
Trustees. Amendments can be submitted by the Board of Directors to the Board of Trustees but shall be
approved by a two-third majority of the Board of Trustees.

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1. The proposed amendments have been proposed in writing by at least 33 % of the members, or by two thirds
majority of the board of directors or by simple majority of the board of trustees.
2. The proposed amendments have been sent to the Governance Committee for their review and
recommendation to the Board of Trustees. The proposed amendments have been circulated to the
membership as part of the written agenda for the meeting of the Board of Trustees; the decision of the
Board of Trustees shall be final.

Article XI Major Assets and Liabilities of MCC

1. Definitions
a. A major asset of the MCC shall be defined as any asset having a value of more than US $5000. This
value can change, based on a review by the Governance Committee.
b. A major liability of the MCC shall be defined as any liability having a value of more than US $5000. This
value may be cumulatively adjusted for the rate of inflation starting from the date of the approval of
these By Laws.
2. Acquisition and Disposal of Assets
a. Acquisition and disposal of major assets and/or liabilities on behalf of the MCC shall be done only after
due approval has been granted by the Board of Trustees. Normal operating expenses do not require
approval from the Board of Trustees,.
b. All proposals for the acquisition and disposal of major assets and/or liabilities shall be prepared by the
Board of Directors or Board of Trustees, and shall be submitted to the Board of Trustees for
consideration.
c. Approval of proposals to acquire or dispose of major assets and/or liabilities shall require an affirmative
two-thirds majority vote of the Board of Trustees.
d. For acquisition of land and or major facilities, Board of Trustees shall get community input.

Article XII Committees

1. The MCC shall have permanent statutory committees in order to assist the Board of Directors and Board of
Trustees and encourage a larger community involvement in the administration and operation of the center.
The goals and objectives of the committees shall be set on an annual basis by the respective board.
2. The committee shall be appointed by the Board of Directors (with the exclusion of the Governance and
Construction & Religious committees) for a period of one year and can be extended from time to time. Such
appointments shall be on a voluntary basis and the chairpersons of the committees shall be responsible for
taking the initiative in recruiting members for them.
3. All committees of the center shall have at least three members. This number shall include any statutory
members, as specified in these By Laws.
4. Committee appointments shall be finalized and announced to the membership of the center within four
weeks of coming into office of a new Board of Directors.
5. The President of the center shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member of all the committees of the center.
6. The MCC shall have the following committees Unless otherwise stated all committees report to the BOD
a. The Facilities Committee
This committee shall be responsible for a smooth operation of the facility. It shall also oversee the
upkeep and maintenance of the facility. The center manager will be a statutory member of the
committee.
b. The Masjid Committee
This committee shall be responsible for operations of the Masjid including preparation for daily, Jumma
and Ramadan prayers and choice of Khateebs. In addition this committee shall be responsible for
development and maintenance and operations of the library.
c. The School Committee
This committee shall be responsible for operations pertaining to the Sunday school.
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d. The Fund Raising Committee

This committee shall be responsible for fundraising activities for the operations of the center, and for
supervising the financial management of the operational assets and liabilities of the MCC. The Treasurer
shall be a statutory member of the committee.
e. The Governance Committee
This committee shall be responsible preparation and interpretation of the By Laws. At least one member
of the Board of Trustees shall be a statutory member of the committee and shall be the committee
leader. The Governance committee reports to the Board of Trustees.

f. The Events Committee

This committee shall be responsible for developing, organizing, scheduling and executing all social
activities at the center including but not limited to family nights, seminars and conferences etc.
g. The Community Relations Committee
This committee shall be responsible for public relations and liaison with other Islamic and non-Islamic
and interfaith organizations. It is also responsible for all activities involving various out-reach groups
and media. A member of the Board of Directors shall be a statutory member of this committee.
h. Communications & Marketing Committee
This committee will be responsible for communication of MCC news, events and other important
information of interest to the MCC community via electronic communication and the Internet. They
will also prepare necessary collateral.
i. The Youth Committee
This committee shall be responsible for organizing youth activities at the center.
j. The Construction Committee
This committee is responsible for managing major construction and renovation projects of MCC. The
Construction Committee shall report to the Board of Trustees.
k. Religious Committee
The religious committee shall deal with all Fiqh matters, e.g. as moon sighting, Qibla direction, prayer
timings, managing the list of approved Khateebs and scholars etc. The religious committee shall be
headed by a BOT member and report to the BOT.

Article XIII Finances

1. The operational finances of MCC shall be handled by the Treasurer, who reports to the Board of Directors.
Since the construction committee reports to the Board of Trustees, the construction finances will also report
to the Board of Trustees.
2. Generally accepted accounting procedures shall be used for maintaining the ledgers and accounts of the
center.
3. Acceptance of grants, donations, gifts and contributions on behalf of the MCC shall be conditioned on such
acceptance not being in violation of the goals and objectives of the MCC, these By Laws and the State and
Federal laws regulating such awards and their usage.
4. The accounts and ledgers of the MCC shall be open to all voting members of MCC. They shall be made
available for inspection during the General Body meetings and upon request at other reasonable times.
Donor names and donor amounts will remain confidential and only available to select members of the
Board of Directors or Board of Trustees on a need to know basis and under no condition will it be made
public or made available to members.
5. The treasurer in consultation with the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees shall be responsible for
selection of appropriate California based financial institutions for handling the centers operation funds.
6. Monies received on behalf of the center shall be deposited directly into the centers bank account, and under
no circumstances, shall be kept in private accounts of its members for any period of time.

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7. MCC shall maintain at least separate accounts operational expenses, managed by the Board of Directors and
other accounts for major renovation/construction and endowment, managed by the Board of Trustees.
Under no circumstances shall monies be transferred between these accounts.
8. No indebtedness on behalf of the MCC shall be undertaken by any member of the center, without explicit
prior approval from the Board of Trustees.
9. The Board of Directors may, at its discretion, establish procedures to waive the membership fee for those
members who can demonstrate financial hardship. The details of such waivers shall be kept confidential and
shall not be made public in any release of an account of the MCC finances.
10. The Board of Directors shall determine the compensation of any and all paid employees of the MCC, except
those in a full time or part-time religious capacity of over 20 hours per week.
11. All financial transactions will be Shariah compliant; specifically no interest bearing transactions shall be
permitted.

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ADDENDUM

This addendum addresses the procedures & processes to be followed for the founding period of MCC.
Board of Trustees Functioning as a Board of Directors
The Board of Trustees shall function as the Board of Directors for an initial founding period not to exceed five
years from the approval of the 501 c (3) applications. During this founding period, the Board of Directors shall
have a president, a secretary and a treasurer. This provision is to allow the organization to complete setting up its
memberships, election procedures, initiate its programs and take care of other house-keeping functions. The
Board of Trustees shall transfer all Board of Directors responsibilities, as defined in these bylaws, within 30
calendar days of the announcement of the results of the Board of Directors elections.
Initial Setup of the Board Of Trustees
The duration of the first term of the Board of Trustees is as described below. Subsequent appointments and
retirements from the Board of Trustees shall follow the procedure defined in the bylaws. The start time of a
term is defined as when the Board of Directors elections are held and responsibility is transferred to them..
Position 1(At large): Five (5) years
Position 2 (At large): Five (5) years
Position 3: Pervez Qureshi Five (5) years
Position 4: Asif Mohammed Five (5) years
Position 5: Zaheer Siddiqui Six (6) years
Position 6: Waheed Qureshi Six 6) years
Position 7: Nadeem Mohammad Six (6) years
Position 8: Mohammmed Ali Seven (7) years
Position 9: Mohammed Saeed Khan Seven (7) years
Timeline for First Elections
The first election shall follow the timeline and milestones outlined below:
1. Appointment of the Governance Committee December 15, 2010
2. Appointment of Election Commission December 15, 2010
3. Publication of Bylaws February 4, 2011
4. Announcement of Election Schedule to the Community February 15, 2011
5. Call for nominations for Board of Director positions February 20, 2011
6. Establishment and publication of Membership List February 25, 2011
7. All nominations received by the Election Commission March 7, 2011
8. Acceptance of nominations by the Election Commission March 14, 2011
9. Ballots mailed out March 21, 2011
10. Candidate presentations April 9, 2011
11. All mail-in ballots received April 21, 2011
12. Elections and announcement of results April 30, 2011
13. Transfer of responsibilities to the Board of Directors May 15, 2011

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