BELIEVERS Homeschool Association, Fort Smith, Arkansas

BELIEVERS Homeschool
Association

Fort Smith, Arkansas

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Please Note: All potential members must attend an Orientation Meeting before they are officially members of BELIEVERS. Orientation meetings are held quarterly. Contact us for more information.

Below are the Bylaws, Code of Conduct, and Membership Form for our Association. To skip to a certain section, please click on one of the following links: Code of Conduct Membership Form

	Bylaws of BELIEVERS Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the BELIEVERS, in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 ARTICLE I - Statement of Purpose The purpose of this association shall be to advance the interests of Christian home educators by all lawful means. This includes, but is not limited to, providing support and assistance to members who are educating children at home, disseminating legislative and other information affecting the rights of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children, participating in sponsorship of conventions and educational seminars for teaching parents, and public relation activities with state and federal officials. Although we are not evangelistic in nature, we endeavor to be salt and light to the home educating community at large. Definition and Educational Philosophy An association is "a union of individual units which cooperate for a purpose". This association is a union of Christian home educating families and friends which cooperates for the common purpose of encouraging each other in the endeavors of faithfully training and educating their children at home. We believe that parents who have chosen this educational alternative are accountable to God to discharge these duties in an honorable and responsible manner, towards the attaining of educational excellence and good citizenship. We further believe that with parents rests the sole responsibility for the care, training, and education of our children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Authority for such training can be delegated where appropriate; however, the ultimate responsibility remains with the parent. We believe that all education is religious in nature since one's view of the world and of life inevitably is involved in teaching (Proverbs 2:1-8; 3:1-2; 6:20- 23; Matthew 28:18-20). Every discipline of knowledge, whether it be subjects such as mathematics, science, art, or history, will have as its foundation either a theistic or a humanistic view of reality (Colossians 1:15-20; 2:8-15). There is no neutral academic discipline. We believe, therefore, that all social, physical, and cognitive knowledge should have as its beginning the fear of God and, at its end, the glory of God (Proverbs 1:7; Romans 11:33-36). We believe that government, at all levels, should respect the right of parents to choose the academic alternative of home education. We also support the American political process and strongly believe it is best to cooperate with our government in so far as it promotes good and punishes evil, as well as protects its citizens from harm both from within and from without its borders (Romans 13:1-7 and Proverbs 24:21-22). We honor the sanctity of marriage as a union between one man and one woman and reject the anti-Christian tenets of secular humanism, including the Darwinian theory of evolution, one world government, government mandated sex education, government mandated parenting courses, modern feminist ideology, abortion, and the promotion of homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle. ARTICLE II - Statement of Faith Section 1. Preface Our Statement of Faith concerns the Person and Work of Jesus Christ (the Gospel) revealed in Scripture. There are many precious truths taught in the Bible over which godly men have differed in understanding. Therefore, this is not a statement of all that is important to believe, but of all that is essential to believe for Christian fellowship and unity. (Romans 15:5-7) Section 2. Statement of Faith 1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible authoritative Word of God. (II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 1:20-21). We believe the Bible will never change (Psalm 119:89). 2. We believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 3. We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and man (John 1:1,14), born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18), sinless in His life (Hebrews 4:15). He died on the cross as a substitution for sinful men (Hebrews 9:15). He rose bodily from the grave (John 20:1-9, 24-31, Acts 2:24) and now reigns with the Father (Acts 2:33, Hebrews 10:12). 4. We believe in the personal and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this "Blessed Hope" has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer (Titus 2: 11-13). 5. We believe in the personal and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this "Blessed Hope" has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer (Titus 2: 11-13). 6. We believe that the whole creation was spoken into existence in six days, that man was created in the image of God, that he was tempted by Satan and fell (Genesis 1:27, 3:15), that all humans are born with a sin nature (Romans 3;23, 5:12) and can only be forgiven by placing their trust in Jesus as Savior (John 3:16), which leads to repentance brought about by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-7, Acts 26:20). 7. We believe in the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (Romans 8: 1-17). ARTICLE III - Executive Council Section 1. Governing Authority The governing body of this association shall be known as the Executive Council, and it shall have the authority necessary for proper operation of the association. Section 2. Composition and Qualifications The Executive Council shall be a self-perpetuating body. It shall consist of a minimum of five couples, a maximum of seven couples, five elected by the acting Executive Council and two Members at Large, elected by the membership. Members of the Executive Council shall be current or former home educating parents or supportive of home education and shall be members in good standing of the association. The term 'member', relating to the Executive Council, refers to a couple and each couple has one (1) vote. It is preferable that the husband and wife attend meetings; however if only one spouse can attend, the spouse in attendance duly represents the couple and has the ability to vote. Candidates for election to the Executive Council must affirm before the Executive Council verbally and with a signature their concurrence with the by-laws of the association, including the Purpose and Philosophy and the Statement of Faith, and must profess by credible testimony of their faith in Jesus Christ and demonstrate a viable interest in home education. Section 3. Term of Service Members of the Executive Council shall be elected by the Executive Council. Members at Large serve one year terms, but may serve consecutive terms in that capacity if elected by the membership. Section 4. Manner of Election Nominations for election to the Executive Council shall be submitted to the Executive Council at their regular meeting at least four months prior to the commencement of the proposed term of service. All nominees shall appear before the Executive Council to demonstrate compliance with provisions of Section 2 of this Article. Election of Council Officers (President, Newsletter Editor, Secretary, Treasurer, and Co-op Administrator) nominated by the Executive Council shall be by majority vote of the members of the Executive Council. The two Members at Large shall be nominated by the general membership (excluding officers of the Executive Council) and will be voted into office by the general membership (excluding officers of the Executive Council). Section 5. Vacancies Mid-term vacancies in the Executive Council shall be filled by election by the Executive Council of a qualified association member to serve the unexpired term of the Executive Council member. Section 6. Removal Any Council member may be removed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote either of the Executive Council or the general membership whenever the best interests of the association will be served thereby. Section 7. Delegation of Authority The Executive Council may delegate to one or more of its members or to any of its officers, or to any of its committees such powers and duties as it may deem appropriate and proper. In the absence of such delegation either generally or specifically, no member of the Executive Council shall have any authority to act for the Executive Council. Each member of the Executive Council shall have status co-equal with that of each other member, and each member of the Executive Council shall have the right to vote on any and all questions coming before the Executive Council. ARTICLE IV - Meetings Section 1. Quorum The quorum for all meetings of the Executive Council whether regular or special, shall be more that one-half (1/2) of the voting member units. Section 2. Regular Meetings Regular meetings of the Executive Council shall be held at times and places established by the Executive Council and shall be held at least quarterly. Regular meetings are open to the general membership. After each regular meeting the Executive Council may meet in closed session if deemed necessary. Section 3. Special Meetings Special meetings of the Executive Council may be held as needed with or without being announced to the general membership. The President of the Executive Council may call such meetings on his own initiative but shall be obligated to call such meetings when requested to do so by at least two other members of the Executive Council. The Council may meet in closed session if deemed necessary. ARTICLE V - Officers Section 1. Designation The officers of the Executive Council of the association shall consist of a President, a Newsletter Editor, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Co-op Administrator. Each shall be subject to the authority of the Executive Council. Section 2. President - shall conduct business meetings, oversee the daily business of the organization, contact another Executive Council officer to preside over regular meetings in his absence, and in general perform all duties incident to the office of President and such other duties as may be prescribed to him by the Executive Council. Section 3. Newsletter Editor - shall prepare and publish the organization's newsletter and in general perform all duties incident to the office of Newsletter Editor and such other duties as may be prescribed to him by the Executive Council. Section 4. Secretary - shall keep the minutes of the proceedings of the Executive Council and forward them to the council members. Minutes shall be made available to the general membership upon request. All forms and paperwork shall be kept on file by the Secretary. The Secretary shall compile and maintain a current membership list and make provision for a directory and in general perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other duties as may be prescribed to him by the Executive Council. Section 5. Treasurer - shall keep records of all income and expenditures, provide a monthly financial report to the Executive Council and for any member requesting one, and in general perform all duties incident to the office of Treasurer and such other duties as may be prescribed to him by the Executive Council. Section 6. Co-op Administrator - shall be responsible for coordinating all activities in regard to holding co-op classes and in general perform all duties incident to the office of Co-op Administrator and such other duties as may be prescribed to him by the Executive Council. ARTICLE VI - Committees Committees may be established by the Executive Council as necessary. ARTICLE VII - E-mail Loop The purpose of the e-mail loop is to disseminate information pertaining to homeschooling, child training, legislation that will affect homeschooling etc. All information or discussion should be presented in a respectful way. If there is disagreement, please look to the Scripture for the answer. If you have a personal disagreement, please keep those messages private. If you question whether something is appropriate for the loop please submit it to the loop administrator for approval. The list administrator shall maintain and monitor the official e-mail loop for B.E.L.I.E.V.E.R.S. He/She will monitor posts to ensure that all electronic messages are in accordance with ARTICLE I and ARTICLE II. The list administrator has the authority to stop "loop conversation" if he/she deems it not to be in the best interest of B.E.L.I.E.V.E.R.S. or to unsubscribe a member if they refuse to follow the above guidelines. ARTICLE VIII - Members Section 1. Membership To be considered for membership an applicant must be a Christian who is supportive of home education. All potential members must sign and agree with Articles I, II, and VII of the by-laws, sign the Code of Conduct, and attend an orientation meeting before being considered for membership. The Executive Council reserves the right by a majority vote to reject without cause any application for membership. The Executive Council also reserves the right to cancel any membership by a majority vote if it is deemed in the best interest of the association. Section 2. Rights and Privileges Only those families in good standing who have paid their annual dues may participate in the activities and programs of the association. Membership is for one year from May 1 through April 30 and must be renewed annually. A late fee will be assessed for membership renewals not paid by May 15. Section 3. Duties and Responsibilities When engaging in any activity sponsored by the association or any affiliate group, members agree to abide by all standards and policies of the association as established by the Executive Council. In this regard members shall refrain from engaging in any activity which may bring reproach on Christ, on the association, or on home education. Parents are expected to actively participate in activities in which their children are involved and be willing to serve in whatever capacity they are needed. ARTICLE VIII - Affiliate Groups Groups wishing to be affiliated with the association, such as Speech and Debate, should submit their Articles of Organzation for approval by the Executive Council. Individuals wishing to participate in an affiliate group must submit an application to their group's leader(s). Members of the affiliate group are subject to the authority of the Executive Council, although not all members of this affiliate group are necessarily members of the parent association. The Executive Council reserves the right to cancel by a majority vote any affiliate group or reject by a majority vote any individual application if it is deemed in the best interest of the association. Leaders of the affiliate groups are expected to attend B.E.L.I.E.V.E.R.S. regularly quarterly meetings. ARTICLE IX - Adoption and Amendment of By-laws With the exception of Articles IX, X, and XI which are irrevocable and not subject to amendment, these by-laws shall be adopted and thereafter amended only by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Executive Council. ARTICLE X - Finality of Decisions Decisions of the Executive Council shall be prayerfully made and shall be final. ARTICLE XI - Dissolution Should B.E.L.I.E.V.E.R.S. be dissolved, its assets shall be distributed to either another organization involved in home education or to a church. The Executive Council shall decide who will receive the assets.
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	Code of Conduct For Participation in BELIEVERS Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the BELIEVERS, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. -1 Timothy 4:12 I understand that as members of BELIEVERS, my family and I are representatives of BELIEVERS, which is a Christian organization, and as such my family members and I promise to abide by the following Code of Conduct while participating in any event sponsored by or affiliated with BELIEVERS. We will not do anything to diminish or undermine the reputation of BELIEVERS. We understand that BELIEVERS is a Christian organization and in representing BELIEVERS, we therefore represent Jesus Christ and will behave accordingly. We will follow the specific rules provided by the coordinator for the BELIEVERS Activities we participate in (co-op classes, field trips, etc.) and defer to the activity�s coach, teachers or coordinators if there is any question about the rules. If there is a problem regarding the rules, which goes beyond the coach, teachers, or coordinators, the matter will be brought to the BELIEVERS Executive Council. This holds true for participation with group affiliates as well. We understand that no dishonesty, disrespect, defiance, cruelty or profane language will be tolerated from a parent, guardian or child that is a member of BELIEVERS. No exceptions will be made. We understand that we may receive only one warning and then may be removed from the team or activity for the remainder of the school year. We will be allowed to return to the team or activity the next year only with permission of the BELIEVERS Executive Council. We will always exercise good sportsmanship and a good attitude at any event sanctioned or sponsored by BELIEVERS. When participating with BELIEVERS in a team event, we will wear the designated uniform without alteration (in cases such as sports teams) and/or we will conform to the designated dress code (in such events as debate tournaments, graduation, etc.). I understand that if my behavior or that of a member of my family does not conform to this Code of Conduct I may be contacted by an officer from the BELIEVERS Executive Council and, after an appropriate warning, my child(ren) or my entire family may lose our right to participate in BELIEVERS activities or immediately forfeit our membership. In the case of a BELIEVERS sanctioned overnight trip, we will make every reasonable effort to attend as a family but in the case that we must send our child separately, I understand that my child will only be able to attend if there is an adult chaperone for his/her room. Please Print Family Name: _________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________ Signed: ___________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Father Mother
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	Application for BELIEVERS Membership Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the BELIEVERS, in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 Please note: All potential members must submit this application for approval by the BELIEVERS Executive Council at least one week before attending a mandatory Orientation Meeting. Orientation Meetings are scheduled quarterly. If approved, candidates must sign the BELIEVERS Code of Conduct form and pay dues at the Orientation Meeting to officially become members of BELIEVERS and be eligible to participate in activities. Please mail completed application to: Robbie Rowton, 7417 Rye Hill Rd. East, Fort Smith AR 72916. BELIEVERS' membership year is from May 1st through April 30th of the following year. Dues are $20 per year and must be paid at the Orientation Meeting. Please make checks payable to BELIEVERS. Personal Information Last name _________________________________________________ Parents' names ____________________________________________ Phone number ______________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________ City, State, Zip __________________________________________ E-mail address ____________________________________________ Occupation ________________________________________________ Church ____________________________________________________ Children's names & birthdates _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ What year did you begin homeschooling? _______________ Curriculum Used: _______________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Please list a few of your family's hobbies/interests/activities (examples: gardening, horseback riding, instruments, 4-H, camping, etc.): ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Are you a member of the Home School Legal Defense Association? (Yes or No) _______________ Do you want to be included in the membership directory? (Yes or No) ______________________ (Note: the Directory is distributed to BELIEVERS members only.) Do you give your permission for your children's names to be included in: Our BELIEVERS Newsletter? (Yes or No) _________ Local newspaper articles? (Yes or No) _________ Do you want to subscribe to the BELIEVERS Discussion Loop? (Yes or No) _________ (This will help you to stay in immediate contact with other BELIEVERS members and receive news, prayer requests, and other items of interest to you as a BELIEVERS member and a homeschooler. You can unsubscribe from this list at any time.) I have read the BELIEVERS' By-laws, including the statement of faith, statement of purpose, and statement of educational philosophy and agree to abide by them. Signatures __________________________________________ __________________________________________ FATHER Signature MOTHER Signature Briefly describe why your family chooses to school at home: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How did you learn about the BELIEVERS Homeschool Association? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Personal Reference Information Please submit 3 names of people well-acquainted with your family who would be willing to provide a personal reference. (Examples: pastor, neighbors, friends, other home schoolers) If you are a friend or acquaintance of a current or former BELIEVERS member, please list them as one of your references. 1. _________________________________________________________ Name __________________________________________________________ Phone Number Best Time to Call __________________________________________________________ Relationship 2. _________________________________________________________ Name __________________________________________________________ Phone Number Best Time to Call __________________________________________________________ Relationship 3. _________________________________________________________ Name __________________________________________________________ Phone Number Best Time to Call __________________________________________________________ Relationship
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