Annual Meetings (ONLINE ONLY)

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the building and offices of Shadyside Presbyterian Church remain closed until further notice. All services of worship, activities, and events will not meet in-person until further notice.

The annual meetings of the corporation and congregation of Shadyside Presbyterian Church will be held virtually on Sunday, June 14, 2020, at 12:00 p.m. following worship. Members are asked to plan to attend via Zoom videoconferencing so that we can accomplish the election of officers and handle other important business, including amending the bylaws.

A letter from the pastors, along with detailed instructions to access the Annual Meetings, has been sent to all members via the United States Postal Service. The majority of the instructions to access the meeting appear below. The link, telephone number, meeting ID, and password will not be shared publicly in the interest of keeping the meeting secure, but these details will be delivered directly to members by email. Please read on for further information.

Access Instructions

Computer access is best. The Zoom application also works on a tablet or smart phone.

• An invitation with the link to access the meeting will be emailed to members directly. (Please see below for timeline information.)
• Prior to the meeting, it is recommended that you test your computer system, set up the Zoom application, and check your video and audio connections. You may use the link in advance to do so; however, no other participants will be gathering until the stated meeting date/time. (It is not required that you turn on your video camera; you may leave it turned off if you prefer.)
• If the church office does not have your email address, please share it with us.

Telephone access is also available. Voting will be limited to voice votes only, and your phone carrier rates will apply; however, in the absence of any alternative, a member may connect via telephone.

• A telephone number, meeting ID, and password has been mailed to all members via the United States Postal Service. This information will be repeated in the email sent to members.

Amendment to the Church Bylaws

Your Session has approved for the 2020 annual meetings to be conducted electronically. To allow church leadership the latitude to use these means as necessary in the future, the Session has approved the placement of the following amendment before the congregation for its acceptance by a vote during the meeting on June 14:

Amend the Shadyside Presbyterian Church Bylaws to allow that the corporation and congregation may meet by electronic means if all members have reasonable notice of the electronic meeting and the ability to discuss and vote on business items. The quorum for such a meeting is one-tenth of the active members of the congregation.

The bylaws allow for amendments to be made by a two-thirds vote of the voters present at any meeting of the congregation, whether annual or special, provided that the Clerk of Session shall have mailed (by United States Mail or electronic mail) the proposed changes in writing with a notice of the meeting to all active members of the congregation at least one week prior to the meeting.

Timeline for Email Invitation

Two email messages will be sent to all members for whom the church has an email address on record.

• The first email will be sent at noon on Sunday, June 7, and will serve as notice of the annual meeting.
• The second email will be sent on the morning of Sunday, June 14. The link to the meeting will be included, as well as links to other important documents, including the annual report (PDF file).

If you do not receive the first email, please contact the church office before Friday, June 12, to provide your email address.

Participation Notes

Zoom is free for you to use for this meeting. You do not need to sign up for an account, but you will need to allow the Zoom application to run on your device. (Telephone access, however, is not toll-free; your phone carrier rates will apply.)

All participants will be muted for the duration of the meeting except for brief moments to allow for voice votes. This is a measure to optimize the audio quality by reducing ambient noise and echo from all attendees.

Additional voting, if needed, may be handled by nonverbal feedback and polling. Only computers or smart devices will have these features. Those connected by a traditional telephone will be unable to participate in these silent votes. Participation from individuals other than the speakers on the agenda will be limited; however, if you wish to be recognized to speak or pose a question, you may use the “raise your hand” feature, and the moderator will address each in turn. Zoom’s nonverbal feedback features are accessible by clicking on the “Participants” menu button. (Please see figures below.) A tip for telephone-only attendees: Press *9 (star, nine) on your phone’s dial pad if you need to raise your hand. Press *6 (star, six) to toggle mute/unmute.