I. NAME
The name of this support group is Christian Home
Educators of Laurens County (CHELC).
II. DEFINITION
CHELC is a Christian organization, the members of which
are like-minded Christian home educators dedicated to observing the
Biblical commands of Deuteronomy 6:4-10, Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4 and
Malachi 4:6. CHELC is not a church nor is this organization meant to
replace the ministry of the local church to the home education
family. CHELC is primarily a group led by women who have placed
themselves under the authority of God and the leadership of their husbands.
III. PURPOSE
The purpose of Christian Home Educators of Laurens
County (CHELC) shall include but not be limited to:
A. Helping
parents fulfill their God-given responsibilities and privileges to educate
their own children.
B. Promoting
educational excellence that will result in responsible citizenship.
C. Representing
home education to the general public, educators, legislators, etc. through
personal contact, interviews, newspapers, lectures, seminars, workshops,
newsletters, etc.
D. Providing
a variety of information (including possible curriculum resources) to home
schooling parents regarding home education and Christian family life.
E. Encouraging
the educational growth of home schooling parents through seminars,
cassettes, information on home education conferences and conventions, etc.
F. Providing
a variety of opportunities for positive social interaction for home
educated children.
G. Providing
information regarding S.C. laws, pending legislation and names of attorneys
specializing in helping home educators.
H. Keeping
in touch with our state and national home education organizations.
I. Encouraging
families to prioritize their lives (including putting their families and
their local church fellowships before commitments to the local support
group).
IV. STATEMENT OF FAITH
The officers of CHELC have purposed that the
organization and all of its activities and publications will be
consistently and forthrightly Christian. All members will subscribe
to the doctrinal statement printed below:
A.
The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of
God and constitutes completed and final revelation. The Bible, in its
original autograph, is without error in whole and in part; including
theological concepts as well as geographical and historical details.
B. God
has existed from all eternity in three persons: God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was God come in human
flesh being fully god and fully man except without sin.
C. All
men are in violation of God’s righteous requirements and His holy
character, both by nature and act; and are therefore under His wrath and
just condemnation. The central purpose of the coming of Jesus Christ
was to pay the penalty for man’s sin through His substitutionary
death on the cross – the successful accomplishment of which was attested
to by His subsequent visible, bodily resurrection.
D. Salvation
is offered as a gift; free to the sinner. This gift must be responded
to in individual faith, not trusting in any personal works whatsoever, but
the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ alone.
(Doctrinal statement taken from The Teaching Home magazine.)
V. MEMBERSHIP
A.
Specifications
Membership is open to all Christian home educators who:
1. profess the Christian faith.
2. are in agreement with and sign the Statement of Faith.
3. are currently engaged in the home education of their
children.
4. pay dues assessed by the Association.
5. perform at least one duty as assigned by the Board, with
the exception of first year home schoolers.
B. Expectations
It is expected
that all members will support CHELC with annual dues in the amount set by
the Board to cover operational expenses, and in the work of the Association
to ensure that its purposes are met. Further, it is expected that all
members will conduct themselves in a manner consistent with Statement of
Faith and purpose of CHELC in order to contribute to a positive image of
our group in the community.
C. Applying
for Membership
Each Christian home
educator interested in membership shall read and sign the application
containing the Statement of Faith and Purpose. If one spouse is
unable to sign the Statement of Faith, this spouse may accompany the family
for CHELC activities, but would have no voice in discussion or vote in
meetings. Payment of dues establishes a membership in the Association.
D. Terms
of Membership
Members will be
required to renew their membership on an annual basis at the beginning of
each new year by signing the Statement of Faith and paying dues,
reaffirming their commitment. The year shall be taken to be August 1
through July 31. At this time, updated membership rolls and any
changes in leadership will be noted.
VI. BOARD OF DIRECTORS (OR FACILITATORS)
A.
The Executive Board shall consist of:
1. President
2. Vice
President
3. Secretary-Treasurer
B.
A Board member must be a practicing Christian of
high moral standards.
C.
The new executive officers are nominated by the
Board and elected by the full membership of the support group. If
possible, at least one officer should continue in office for another term
to provide continuity.
D.
A Board member shall agree to endorse and support
the Statement of Faith and this constitution.
E.
Executive officers must have been home schooling
their own children for at least one school year.
F.
The new Board members shall serve a 2 year term, be
nominated at an annual April meeting, and be elected and introduced at the
Spring Festival.
G.
If any Board member terminates his membership (or
is terminated for failure to uphold the Constitution) on the Board before
his term is up, the member shall be replaced by the Board at a regularly
scheduled meeting.
H.
Board member should attend the scheduled Board
meeting regularly.
I.
All committees are subject to the final authority
of the executive officers of the Board.
J.
A brief summary of proceedings of all meetings of
the Board of Directors shall be published in the newsletter
VII. DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS OF THE BOARD
A.
The President shall:
1. Preside
at the meetings of the Board.
2. Guide
the support group within the provisions of this constitution.
3. Seek to
keep up with current affairs and have an over-all view of the direction
home education is going in the local county, the state, and the U.S.
4. Be a
primary spokesman for the support group.
5. Be an
Ex-Officio member of each committee (attendance at all meetings is not
necessary), help guide the committees, keep the committees accountable on a
regular basis.
6. Set
up programs that help fulfill the goals of the Constitution.
7. Seek to
be available to serve on an Advisory Board of the State Association of
Educators as a representative of this local support group (or support a
Board member to serve who will report to the officers of the Board).
8. Perform
other duties as assigned by the Board.
B.
The Vice-President shall:
1. Perform
the duties of the President in the event of the latter’s absence.
2. Assist
the President at the latter’s request.
3. Work
with President in setting up meeting/programs.
4.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Board.
C.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall:
1. Record
and maintain minutes of all the meetings of the Board.
2. Type and
distribute copies of the minutes to the Board members.
3. Answer
correspondence.
4. Notify
members of Board meetings.
5. Maintain
a record of addresses and phone numbers of home educators in and around our
district.
6. Provide
the safe deposit and proper distribution of the money (for the proper
functioning of the support group) in accord with the instructions of the
Board.
7. Keep an
accurate record of all financial transactions and submit a report at each
Board meeting of all current expenditures and income.
8. Be ready
to submit financial records to an independent “auditor” annually
at a designated time.
9. Be
responsible for the financial business of the support group including (but
not limited to) appointing other persons and regulating financial
procedures for any of the support group activities.
10. Submit
to the executive officers for approval any unusual expenditures
over $25.00.
VIII. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD
A.
To act, both individually and as a group, with a
high Christian standard of morals, both privately and in public.
B.
To administer the affairs of the Christian Home
Educators of Laurens County.
C.
To hold regularly scheduled meetings.
D.
To publicly/visually represent home schooling to
the community in conformity with the support group’s Statement of
Faith and Purpose.
E.
To form such committees as are necessary to conduct the business of
the support group.
F.
To provide/facilitate spiritual and moral
support/encouragement to parents who want to have a wholesome family life,
especially those who are seeking to educate a child at home.
G.
To provide educational opportunities that would be
difficult for parents to provide by themselves.
H.
To offer counseling whenever possible, including
linking up families that can help each other (e.g. Families using the same
curriculum, new home schooler with a more
experienced home schooler, etc.).
I.
To make wise decisions in line with Christian
principles.
IX. BOARD MEETINGS
A.
Regularly scheduled Board meetings shall be held 4
times a year (October, January, April, July) and
other times as needed.
B.
Board meeting shall be held at location agreed upon
by the Board members.
C.
Association members may attend Board meetings and
express their views unless the Board meets in Executive Session, which
shall be open only to the Board and those expressly invited.
D.
The meeting Board to nominate new Board members
shall be in April of each year.
E.
All meetings shall be opened and closed with prayer.
F.
All committees must notify the President about any
meetings they may hold and submit written report after such meetings.
The report should include any information relating to their committee.
G.
Normally all business shall be conducted by
consensus.
X. AMENDMENTS
Amendments to
this Constitution must be proposed by a resolution from a Board member and submitted
to the officers of the Board to be voted on at the next regularly-scheduled
meeting. It must be passed/approved by a
two-thirds majority vote of the Board members. Notice must be given
10 days prior to any vote on amendments. Amendments become effective
upon approval.
XI. DISSOLUTION
In the event that
the association disbands, after all local obligations have been met, any remaining funds shall go to an existing
Christian state home schooling organization, as determined by the Board.
XII. FINANCES
A.
Compensation: No part of the earning of CHELC
shall insure to the benefit of, to be distribute to, its members, trustees,
directors, officers, or other private persons, except that the Association
shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for
services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of
the purposes set forth in Article III and VI above.
B.
Yearly dues will help provide for services such as
these: monthly newsletter, periodic guest speakers, representatives
being sent to state or national leadership meetings, etc. The yearly
dues shall be determined for the following year by the Board in the April
meeting, announced in the June newsletter and be paid by August 1.
XII. AMENDMENTS
Amendments 1 through 5 approved April, 2005.
1.
Advisory Board Member – This member attends all board meetings and
offers input as desired. This position has no vote in any board vote.
2.
The qualifying executive officers are nominated by
the members at large and elected by the full membership of the support
group. The election will be held by secret ballot with votes being counted
by the sitting board.
3.
Executive officers must have home schooled their
own children for at least two school years (grades 1-12) and be members of
CHELC for at least two years.
4.
The new board members shall be nominated in April,
be finalized at the April board meeting, and be elected and announced in
late April/early May. The new board will replace the sitting board by
the end of May. The new board determines the location of the annual
August meeting.
5.
The board is to set a yearly balanced budget.
Back to the Top
Contact CHELC
Darryl and Cindy Moore, Presidents
Mailing Address:
PO
Box 1761
Laurens,
SC 29360
Email Address:
[email protected]
Home Phone:
(864)
683-2216
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