Amendments to the Constitution Letter

Congregation Gates of Prayer                                                                                                                                April 24, 2024

Constitution & Bylaws

Email Correspondence to Members Regarding Proposed Amendments to the Constitution for
Consideration at Annual Meeting

Dear Congregants,

At the annual meeting of the Congregation’s members, to be held May 17, 2024, the members will vote
on whether to approve the final, proposed revisions to the Congregation’s Constitution/Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws. This email contains additional information about the proposed amendments.

Background
As you all know, the Board undertook a thorough review of the Congregation’s Constitution and Bylaws.
Over the past year, the Governance Committee worked with the Executive Director and the
Congregation’s legal counsel to prepare proposed amendments. The goal was to bring the documents
up-to-date, considering the practices of other comparable synagogues, the requirements of the Union
for Reform Judaism, best practices, and legal requirements.

The proposed amendments produced from these efforts were provided to the members of the
Congregation, along with a narrative explanation describing each proposal and the reasoning behind it.
Members were invited to comment in writing, and did so, over the course of several months. Members
were also invited to attend meetings held in November and December at which they openly presented
and explained their questions, comments, and concerns.

The Governance Committee carefully gathered, studied, and considered all feedback provided by the
members and deliberated the best course with respect to each proposal. Based on this feedback, the
Governance Committee produced revised, proposed Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws that reflect
the opinions and values of the Congregation’s members, which the Board approved.

Next Step
Although approved by the Board, neither the Articles of Incorporation nor the Bylaws will have effect
unless and until the Congregation’s members approve the Articles of Incorporation. If the Congregation
approves the Articles of Incorporation, then both the Articles and Bylaws will take effect on May 17,
2024.

So, we are now in the final stage of this significant undertaking. The Board has completed its task. It is
now up to the members to consider the proposed amendments and vote.

Final Proposed Amendments
Attached to this email, for your review and consideration, is a summary of all substantive proposed
changes. For each proposed change, the summary reflects the current provision in the Constitution or
Bylaws that is proposed to be changed and the final, proposed change.
Also attached are the current Constitution and Bylaws and the final, proposed documents. The
summary includes references to specific sections of the current and proposed Constitution/Articles and
Bylaws so that you may refer to the exact language in the documents.You can also find all of these documents
on the Congregation’s website.

And, finally, I want to thank you. The members of the Congregation have provided valuable, carefully
considered comments and insights, which significantly informed and impacted this process. It has truly
been a community effort, and I want to thank you all for taking the opportunity to help ensure that
Congregation Gates of Prayer will continue to be a thriving community far into the future.

Sincerely,
Dan Forman
President of the Board of Trustees