Constitution

Duncan Area Christian Home Educators Association Constitution

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be Duncan Area Christian Home Educators Association (DACHEA), a not-for-profit organization.

Article II: Purpose

The purpose of DACHEA is to support parents who educate their children at home based on biblical Christian principles, which includes all local Christian homeschooling families and not just members. The primary support will be achieved by providing a central point of information about local homeschooling activities, such as social and educational activities (field trips, academic classes, contests, skating, etc.), small group meetings (academic, spiritual, and emotional encouragement) and large group meetings (curriculum assistance, special speakers, and workshops). These activities include all local homeschool activities, whether or not the sponsor is an Associate. DACHEA will achieve its goal by:

a) publishing and distributing a newsletter that presents all known local homeschool activities and achievements

b) gathering and distributing information on legal concerns (local, state, and national legislative alerts)

c) maintaining and making available library resources and educational aids

d) providing packets of information for those interested in homeschooling

e) coordinating special meetings and events

f) maintaining a local homeschool phone list
DACHEA services and duties shall be distributed as much as possible across the membership.
In no way does DACHEA seek to take any authority that belongs to the Associates local churches.
Funds from dues, newsletter subscriptions, and fund-raising projects will be used to help defray costs incurred from publishing the newsletter, tracking and publishing legal concerns, creating and distributing homeschooling information packets, scheduling special speakers, services rendered to the organization, and other purchases as approved by the advisory council. No part of the moneys collected shall be used to benefit any Associate except to pay for organizational expenditures.

Article III: Membership

The DACHEA membership shall consist solely of adults who are willing to actively contribute to and participate in DACHEA activities that serve the local homeschool community.
Membership shall be restricted to those individuals who fully agree with the Statement of Faith and agree to abide by the Constitution of the organization.
Members will be known as Associates.
Associates must volunteer to fill a service position or actively help those in the positions. Service positions include, but are not limited to, newsletter, library resources, phone tree, special events, membership packets, information liaisons, activity coordination, new homeschoolers contact, and meeting coordination.
Membership dues and newsletter subscription rates will be assessed on a per family basis and will be determined each year by the advisory council. Special provision will be made for those who desire to be Associates, but are unable to pay.
The DACHEA Advisory Council reserves the right to revoke the membership of any Associate, but only after exhausting all possible means of restoration based on biblical principles.
Voting privilege is granted to every adult who is an Associate of DACHEA.

Article IV: DACHEA Advisory Council

DACHEA shall have an Advisory Council consisting of the following officers: a coordinator, a secretary, and a treasurer. The Advisory Council shall advise the service positions and oversee the functions of DACHEA. The council shall actively seek input from the membership to draft policies and to find ways of meeting the new local homeschooling needs. Following are the general duties of the officers:

a) The coordinator shall preside over all business meetings and Advisory Council meetings, develop meeting agendas, help plan programs for meetings, and speak for the organization when so directed.

b) The secretary will be responsible for keeping minutes of the business and Advisory Council meetings and maintaining the membership applications and roster.

c) The treasurer will receive funds and make disbursements as authorized by the Advisory Council and provide at each business and Advisory Council meeting an accounting of the organization=s financial condition. Records shall be reviewed or audited as determined by the Advisory Council.
Officers of DACHEA shall meet the following qualifications:

a) The Officers must be Associates of DACHEA.

b) Officers shall be men because the organization is composed of homeschooling families over which men are to provide the leadership according to the Scripture. DACHEA is an extension of the home and should mirror the home in this respect. It is understood that the wife of an officer may serve as a helpmeet to that officer.

c) Officers shall have educated or have been committed to homeschooling for at least one year.

d) Officers must be homeschooling all school age children. Any exceptions must be voted on by the Associates.
Officers shall be elected as soon as possible after adoption of this constitutional amendment by a majority of the Associates in attendance at a meeting called for that purpose. The membership shall vote on term lengths and limits.
The officers shall be subject to censorship or dismissal from office by a two-third (2/3) majority of the Associates attending a meeting called for that purpose.

Article V: Meetings

DACHEA shall hold at least two meetings per year: one in the spring and one in the fall. The meetings will be for disseminating information, hearing the concerns of the Associates, gathering information from the Associates, and holding elections, if needed.
Meetings will be conducted as informally as feasible. If procedural conflicts arise, the Modern Edition of Robert=s Rules of Order will be used as the guide.

Article VI: Execution and Amendment

This Constitution may be amended by a 3/4 majority vote of the Associates voting at a business meeting of the organization provided that written notice of such meeting, together with a copy of the proposed amendment, is mailed to all Associates at least one week in advance of the meeting.

Article VII: Dissolution

A written notice of dissolution must be mailed to all voting Associates 30 days prior to the meeting called for such purpose. Dissolution may only occur with a 3/4 majority vote of the DACHEA Associates present.
None of the assets of DACHEA shall be distributed to or retained by any Associate of the organization unless the asset (other than monetary) was donated by the Associate. The membership can vote to refund dues on a prorated basis for the year.
All remaining assets will be donated to existing non-profit organizations as selected by the majority of the voting Associates in attendance at the dissolution meeting.