Moran Cemetery By Laws
Bylaws for Moran Cemetery
Approved at annual election meeting on 03-28-15,
Bylaw Additions:
09-24-17 -- Bylaws 21 & 22, 09-29-18 -- Bylaw 23
We, Gary Bolton, Bill Woolsey, Kenneth Shipp, Susie Howard and Bonnie Bates,
1. Moran Cemetery is a part of the E1/2 NE1/4 NE1/4 NW1/4; and A part of W1/2 NW1/4 NW1/4 NE1/4 Section 34, Township 5 South, Range 21 East, IBM.
2. The cemetery has existed since approximately 1908.
3. There is not at the present time, a governing body for the Moran Cemetery.
4. The citizens of the Valliant area desire to have a governing board for the Moran Cemetery.
5. The purpose of this community would be to present basic guidelines and government for Moran Cemetery.
6. Governing Board --- There shall be a governing board composed of 5 members. Later, each year there will be 1 new trustee elected to serve a 5 year term, but at the initial elections, position of trustee #1 would serve 1 year, Trustee 2 would serve 2 years, Trustee 3 would serve 3 years, Trustee 4 would serve 4 years and Trustee 5 would serve 5 years.
7. The purpose of the 5 year terms and 5 member board is so that 1 new trustee will be elected/re-elected each and every year. At the annual meeting there will be a special election to fulfill any vacancy that has been created by death or resignation, and was temporarily filled by the remaining board of trustees to serve until the next upcoming election.
8. Officers within the Board of Trustees—immediately after the annual election, the Board of Trustees shall meet, which requires a minimum of 3 out of 5 members to be present, and at that meeting the Board of Trustees may elect or may vote to delay the election until a later date the following officers: Chair;
Secretary-Treasurer; and Asst. Secretary-Treasurer.
The officers of the trustees shall serve a term of 1 year, beginning on the day of their election, and serving until their successor is elected and can take office.
9. Vacancies in Trustee Positions—upon the death or resignation of any officer serving on the Board of Trustees, at the next regular scheduled meeting or an official called meeting of the Board of Trustees, the trustees may elect to fill the vacant position, and that person to serve until the next annual meeting.
10. Financial information—
A. Presently there is a checking account and savings account at First State Bank, Valliant, OK.
There will always be 2 authorized signature persons on the checking/savings account and initially authorizes that checks that do not exceed $450.00, only require 1 signature, but checks greater than $450.00 must be approved by majority of vote of the trustees and have 2 signatures on that check.
11. General Community Meetings—there will be 2 general membership meetings every year.
One meeting will occur at 1:00 P.M. on the 1st Saturday of October.
The other meeting will occur at 1:00 P.M. on the last Saturday in March, each, and every year.
12. Annual Elections—the annual election of trustees will occur during the meeting that is held the last Saturday of March, each and every year and the meetings will be held at the pavilion of the Moran Cemetery (weather permitting), or at Pine Creek Fire Department.
At the annual elections meeting, there may be motions to change by laws, add new by laws or repeal by laws. Any such motions to amend, or repeal, or submit a proposed new by law must be filed with the Board of Trustees at least 30 days before the date of the annual election meeting. This is so that the Board of Trustees has an ample opportunity to read and discuss the proposed changes.
13. Eligibility for Burial at the Moran Cemetery—the general rule is that the decedent must have family buried in the cemetery or they must have been a current resident of the Valliant area.
14. Voting Membership— For a person to be a qualified voter at Moran Cemetery meetings, they must be eligible to be buried at Moran Cemetery. See section 13.
15. Voting Quorum—for there to be the annual elections, it is required that a minimum of 10 qualified voters be present and if there is not a minimum of 10 qualified voters at the annual meeting, elections will be delayed.
If there is going to be an amendment, changes or appeal to an existing by law, then the minimum quorum will be 15 qualified voters.
In a non-election meeting, quorum rules shall use Roberts Rules for organizations such as churches or some societies in which the quorum consists of those in attendance.
16. Open Records—
A. The Board of Trustee adopts an open records policy so that the minutes of each and every meeting, which reflects the name of the person who made the motion and the name of the person who second the motion, and the number of yeas and nays will be a part of the minutes and will be a permanent record for any person to request to read the official minutes that will be kept by the secretary and assistant secretary, in some type of binder, and kept under the control of the secretary or assistant secretary, in order to comply with the open records policy adopted by the Board of Trustees
B. The Board of Trustees also adopts an open records policy concerning financial information so that any voting member or any member of the community, at reasonable times and at reasonable places, can request to review bank statements and which will include the deposits and the checks written by the treasurer or assistant treasurer.
18. The most current Roberts Rules of Order will be adopted as the official meeting rules of order of Moran Cemetery.
19. Obscene language and or profanities on grave markers, grave monuments, or grave-stones in Moran Cemetery are expressly prohibited.
Removal or change to such markers, monuments or stones will be made at the expense of the family or person who had the marker, monument or stone set.
Any marker, monument or stone content that may be questionable should be sent to the cemetery secretary for approval before setting the marker in place.
If the secretary is in doubt, the content may require approval of the trustees, or a general cemetery business meeting before it is approved, to be set in the cemetery.
This same set of rules applies to signs in Moran Cemetery.
20. Liability insurance shall be maintained by Moran Cemetery to cover both officers/trustees and the cemetery from liability claims.
21. Rules affecting Grounds Maintenance, effective 09-24-17.
A. As a result of grounds keeping difficulties, new borders around graves, will no longer be permitted.
B. As a result of grounds keeping difficulties, any family plot markers must be ground surface level only, allowing lawn mowers to mow over them.
C. Plants, trees, shrubs, etc. will not be allowed on the grave site. The grave sites often settle, sink, develop holes, etc. and any plants on the grave site make it difficult to remedy these
issues.
D. Gravesite flower arrangements. We encourage placement of new flowers on grave sites and
routine replacement of these flowers. Flower arrangements that appear faded, discolored, or ragged will be routinely removed.
22. Anyone wishing to place trees, shrubs or other plants near a grave-site should present a diagram of the arrangement showing measurements from the grave site and type of plant to the Board of Trustees for approval before planting.
The request should be presented at the Annual Board of Trustees Meeting immediately after the Spring General Cemetery Meeting.
Anyone planting anything in the cemetery must understand that there is a small risk of damage to plants from herbicide use and, that risk must be accepted by the person or persons doing the planting.
Neither Moran Cemetery nor the Grounds Keeper will be responsible for any damage to plants from herbicide use. Moran Cemetery has the authority to remove any trees, shrubs, or plants that become a maintenance issue.
23. This bylaw applies to new gravesites after 09-29-18.
Moran Cemetery bylaws require all new gravesites to be level.
Moran Cemetery will level graves fifteen to eighteen months after burial. That gives the graves time to settle before leveling.
The leveling process is to facilitate mowing, grounds keeping, and cemetery appearance.
Moran Cemetery will periodically fill in sunken and settled places on graves with fill dirt.
Borders around new gravesites are prohibited.
Decorative items and permanent plants, shrubs, etc., on new gravesites, are not allowed.
Moran Cemetery will remove any additions to gravesites that interfere with these maintenance activities.
Gravesites that currently have borders and decorative items can remain as is.
However, the family must maintain those gravesites.
Moran Cemetery will remove or cover any borders or decorative items that the family allows to fall into disrepair.
The appearance of all family maintained gravesites must equal or exceed the overall appearance of Moran Cemetery. Moran Cemetery will determine if the appearance is acceptable.
This bylaw prohibits any additions to new gravesites, other than head-stones, without prior approval.
This bylaw prohibits any additions that may cause mowing and maintenance problems.
Moran Cemetery will remove any items causing cemetery appearance, mowing, or maintenance issues.
