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adopted April 25, 2004
BYLAWS
ORGANIZATION
This Association was established for the purpose of preserving and maintaining a Historical Coker Cemetery located on North Loop Road in the City of San Antonio, County of Bexar, State of Texas. This Cemetery was donated March 6, 1873 to the Coker family and community by Mr. Joseph Coker and provides for the burial of bloodline descendents and their spouses. The Association shall be operated as a non-profit organization, with no personal benefit to any member of the Association. Chartered as Coker Cemetery Association, Charter No. 238639, September 15, 1967 by the Secretary of State, John L. Hill. [return to top]
MEMBERSHIP
The Association is composed of members who meet the burial eligibility requirements. [return to top]
MANAGEMENT
These Bylaws provide for the management and care of Coker Cemetery through the elected members of a Board of Trustees elected annually by the Association membership. [return to top]
MEETINGS
The Board of Trustees shall set the time and place of the annual meeting or subsequent meeting as necessary to perform their duties for the betterment of the Association. The Annual meeting shall be held during the month of April each year, unless otherwise designated by Trustees. Association members shall be informed in writing by mail no less than seven days prior to said meeting. [return to top]
TRUSTEES
Trustees shall be elected annually by simple majority of Association members present and may succeed themselves. The number of trustees elected shall be set and approved by the Association membership at the annual meeting. A trustee vacancy may be filled by the President with approval of a majority of remaining trustees. [return to top]
OFFICERS AND ADMINISTRATION
Officers shall be elected annually from and by the newly elected trustees for the current year and requires a quorum and simple majority of those trustees present. A majority of the trustees is required for a quorum. Officers of this association shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers may succeed themselves.
1. The President shall preside at all meetings and shall be charged with the responsibilities pertaining to policy, programs, management, business, properties, and performance. He may appoint such individuals and committees, as he may deem necessary to the accomplishment of his charge. [return to top]
2. The Vice President shall, in the absence of the President, preside at all meetings of the Association and perform other assignments when requested by the President.
3. The Secretary shall keep the records of the Association proceedings and unless otherwise assigned by the President, conduct the correspondence, issue notices as are provided for in these bylaws and perform other and further duties as the President may request.
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4. The Treasurer shall collect all monies and issue receipts for the same. He shall deposit all such monies in the name of Coker Cemetery Association with some Bank, Banker or Trust Company designated by the Board of Trustees of Coker Cemetery Association.
A. There shall be an audit committee appointed composed of three members
of the Association to audit the accounts of the Treasurer and make a full
report of their findings to the Board of Trustees annually.
B. The Treasurer shall make a complete report to the Association
at the annual meeting of the Association. [return to top]
FINANCE
The Board of Trustees of the Association shall review annually and designate a depository for funds of the Association. All funds withdrawn shall be by the signature of either the President, Treasurer or when designated, the Trustee in charge of grounds. The Board shall establish the procedure/requirement for the issuance of checks. [return to top]
RULES AND REGULATIONS
Rules and Regulations for the government of Coker Cemetery Association provide for the Trustees to have full authority to prescribe such rules and regulations as necessary to insure proper management, maintenance, care, preservation, and for the security and protection of Coker Cemetery. [return to top]
BURIAL ELIGIBILITY
Coker Cemetery was donated for the purpose of providing burial space for the bloodline descendents and their spouses. Original non-related settlers and their spouses and their descendents born prior to the year 1920 will also be eligible for burial in Coker Cemetery. Procedures for burial will be provided as an attachment to these bylaws. [return to top]
RULES OF ORDER
In the absence of a governing provision of these bylaws, Roberts Rules of Order, Revised shall apply. [return to top]
AMENDMENTS
Any Amendment to these Bylaws shall be proposed by resolution in writing. Such resolution may be discussed, amended, or otherwise altered in accordance with parliamentary procedure, and when called for a vote, shall be balloted upon at the meeting. If the Resolution or amended Resolution be adopted by a 2/3 majority vote of the members present, the same shall become effective. No vote shall be taken unless the Secretary has given written notice to all Association members, including the proposed changes, not less than seven (7) days prior to the date and time and place of such meeting. [return to top]
COKER CEMETERY does not sell burial spaces. The Cemetery is operated and maintained by a Board of Trustees and depends on regular financial assistance from the kin of deceased. The following rules for use of the Cemetery establish your responsibilities, those of this Association and the mortuary of your choice. They will be of assistance to you when the time comes to have a burial in COKER CEMETERY.
1. Contact one of the Cemetery Trustees and state your desire to use COKER
CEMETERY. [return to top]
a. Establish with that Trustee your eligibility to use the Cemetery. One of the
following three conditions must be met for a person to be buried at
COKER CEMETERY:
1. Blood kin of Joseph Coker.
2. Original settlers of Coker Community born on or before January 1, 1920.
3. Families, other than descendants of Joseph Coker, who have been
assigned gravesites as of April 1, 1993 will be allowed burial in said
assigned plots.
b. After your eligibility is established, assist that trustee in determining the
appropriate gravesite for burial. [return to top]
2. Make funeral arrangements with the mortuary of your choice. Remind your funeral
director that he must obtain a signed burial permit from a Trustee before burial
arrangements can be completed.
3. If records of this Association do not reflect your immediate past giving to maintain
COKER CEMETERY, a MINIMUM CEMETERY MAINTENANCE FEE of $575.00 must
be made to the Association before the burial permit is completed for your funeral
director. [return to top]
4. Headstone deposits
a. Conventional burials:
A deposit of $500.00 for a headstone and/or date of death inscription on an
existing headstone must be made with the Association by the person seeking
use of the Cemetery. This $500.00 will be refunded, without interest, if a
headstone is in place and/or the date of death is inscribed on an existing
headstone within twelve (12) months of burial. If a headstone is not placed
in that period and/or the date of death inscription is not completed, the
deposit will be used by the Association to place a flat gray granite marker
on the gravesite or inscribe the existing headstone with date of death.
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b. Cremation burials:
COKER CEMETERY ASSOCIATION will provide markers for all cremation
burials. A fee of $500.00 will be assessed at the time of the first cremation
burial in a plot to cover the cost of granite marker and the first marker plate.
Each additional burial will require a fee of $150.00 for the marker plate.
5. With a signed burial permit in hand, your funeral director will arrange for opening
and closing the grave as well as other services you will request of him. [return to top]
6. Giving by next-of-kin of persons interred in this historic Cemetery makes the
maintenance of this Cemetery possible. It is normal practice for all next-of-kin to give
semi-annually toward this maintenance. It becomes a way for our supporters to
express their desire that we continue our maintenance of COKER CEMETERY. All
who come here appreciate the restfulness, the quiet, and the natural beauty
unique to COKER CEMETERY. [return to top]
COKER CEMETERY has a significant historical background and we are proud of this background. While we have no full time caretaker, COKER CEMETERY ASSOCIATION attempts to maintain the cemetery appropriately by mowing the grass and periodically trimming the trees and bushes.
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To make our care of COKER CEMETERY easier for us to handle, and to contribute to the desirable overall appearance of the cemetery, COKER CEMETERY ASSOCIATION adopts these rules:
1. When erecting headstones do not install any curbs, chairs, settees, benches,
flower stands and the like because they become impediments to grass mowing. [return to top]
2. Likewise the planting of trees, bushes and flowers is not permitted. The planting
of grass, such as St. Augustine, is permitted. However, COKER CEMETERY
ASSOCIATION assumes no responsibility for the watering of planted grass. It will
be mowed when and as the entire cemetery is mowed. [return to top]
3. Interested parties are permitted to attend gravesites by watering and trimming and
the placing of flowers in receptacles. COKER CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
assumes no responsibility should flower receptacles and their contents
be lost, turned over, broken or removed. Empty receptacles should be
removed from gravesite except where they are a part of the headstone
arrangement. [return to top]
4. When ordering the erection of a headstone, it is strongly recommended that the
monument company install a reinforced concrete below-ground base
foundation. Without a proper and substantial foundation headstones
over time become unstable and may topple over. The time to prevent
this occurrence is when initially contracting with a monument.
company. [return to top]
5. The metal temporary grave marker furnished by the mortuary will be removed
when the headstone has been erected.
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